Ravens Discussion

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Watched the Ravens / Bengals last night opening MNF. They look every part the same team that went to the AFCC last season.

Flacco looks practically Rogers-esque on the bootlegs and play action. Cincy really had no answer for him when he was throwing on the move. Ray Rice is supposedly getting limited touches (I guess to preserve him for postseason) but he was still quite evidently a top 3 running back.

There were so many odious moments while watching the game though... so much typical Ravens BS. Every non-complete Flacco throw had the whole stadium incredulous when there was no flag. Harbaugh called a bleepin timeout to yell at the refs who called roughing the passer when Webb pretty clearly put his helmet into Dalton's spine.

All in all the Ravens looked like great front runners who played with attitude and fed off their home crowd to really seize the game in the 3rd quarter. It'll be a very interesting thing to watch when the Ravens have to deal with a bit of adversity to their gameplan.

I was also left wondering how the hell Marvin Lewis maintains his employment. The moment he called the kicking squad out on 4th-1 from the 1 or 2 yard line to shrink a 17-10 margin to 17-13, I felt like the TMQ and noted "this is the moment when Lewis is playing not to win, but to not lose by a lot." Of course from that moment on the Ravens completely dominated.

 

[jmt57]

I know it's only one game, but at the moment the Ravens look like the best team in the NFL. A lot obviously can and will change between now and February.

In the off season my gut instinct told me the Bengals are still the Bengals and Marvin Lewis is still Marvin Lewis but for some unknown reason I decided to listen to the many theories that the Ravens would take a step back without terrell Suggs and Jarrett Johnson, or that they were getting too old at too many positions - so I foolishly predicted Cincinnati would win that division. We're only a week into the season and I'm already wishing I had a mulligan on that one.

As for the Raven fans I do find it somewhat ironic that collectively they love to play the macho, smash mouth, real football card as to who they are and what they're all about, but in reality they are as a group probably the biggest whiners of any fan base.


The upcoming game at Baltimore should be a great one.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

I know it's only one game, but at the moment the Ravens look like the best team in the NFL. A lot obviously can and will change between now and February.

In the off season my gut instinct told me the Bengals are still the Bengals and Marvin Lewis is still Marvin Lewis but for some unknown reason I decided to listen to the many theories that the Ravens would take a step back without terrell Suggs and Jarrett Johnson, or that they were getting too old at too many positions - so I foolishly predicted Cincinnati would win that division. We're only a week into the season and I'm already wishing I had a mulligan on that one.

Yes, I too hoped that the loss of Suggs, return of the Steelers and the upward momentum of Dalton & Green would all contribute to a down Ravens season.

As for the Raven fans I do find it somewhat ironic that collectively they love to play the macho, smash mouth, real football card as to who they are and what they're all about, but in reality they are as a group probably the biggest whiners of any fan base.

I'll never forget the 2007 game in Baltimore where the whole damn stadium had a conniption culminating in the chief idiot throwing the flag into the stands. I know it's wrong to stereotype but I feel like that type of reaction is close to happening any time they don't like a call.

The upcoming game at Baltimore should be a great one.

Yeah, I'd love to see Ray Rice have a CJ...4 (new nickname from CJ2k?) type day at the office, but I'd even more so love to see the defense get off the field on 3rd down when Flacco is doing his bootleg stuff.

I'd also like to invent some play where Don'ta Hightower gets on the field just to knock Pollard into oblivion. Just one play. Please? Gronk could do it too, I guess

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

2012 AFC Championship Game Highlights - YouTube

Go to the 2:42 mark

PS - not sure if music is safe for work. I've got it muted.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

It's fascinating the "lovefeast" that is the Ravens.

They are the Chargers twins with an extra playoff win.

For a team that got spotted a two turnover differential AND a quarter of no Gronk AND TB having is worst game in memory AND you still can't win the AFCCG......it's amazing how everyone is ready to crown their #(&^$.

A couple of concepts:

Highly doubtful the Patriots defense will bite on bootlegs into the 4th quarter.

If both Raven lines got dominated in January, why the confidence this is corrected?

When the Patriots go hurry up, will the Ravens defense make it to halftime without passing out?

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Watched the Ravens / Bengals last night opening MNF. They look every part the same team that went to the AFCC last season.

Flacco looks practically Rogers-esque on the bootlegs and play action. Cincy really had no answer for him when he was throwing on the move. Ray Rice is supposedly getting limited touches (I guess to preserve him for postseason) but he was still quite evidently a top 3 running back.

There were so many odious moments while watching the game though... so much typical Ravens BS. Every non-complete Flacco throw had the whole stadium incredulous when there was no flag. Harbaugh called a bleepin timeout to yell at the refs who called roughing the passer when Webb pretty clearly put his helmet into Dalton's spine.

All in all the Ravens looked like great front runners who played with attitude and fed off their home crowd to really seize the game in the 3rd quarter. It'll be a very interesting thing to watch when the Ravens have to deal with a bit of adversity to their gameplan.

I was also left wondering how the hell Marvin Lewis maintains his employment. The moment he called the kicking squad out on 4th-1 from the 1 or 2 yard line to shrink a 17-10 margin to 17-13, I felt like the TMQ and noted "this is the moment when Lewis is playing not to win, but to not lose by a lot." Of course from that moment on the Ravens completely dominated.

Nothing wrong with kicking the FG.

Why?

This offense was running up and down the field on that "elite" defense.

The problem was with what exactly that defense was doing.

How many bootlegs do you bite? Is their a law in Maryland stating linebackers have to overpursue?

 

[dizz]

There's something about Flacco that will keep him from going the distance -I can't put my finger on it