Any confidence going into the Week 16 game vs the Ravens?

sb1 said:

Most successful QB on third and 10+ vs Pats this year?

Ryan Tannehill. 6-7, 92 yards, 13.1 YPA and 118.8 passer rating. :bricks:

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He must have been spying on us. Nobody can get shut down in a half, then come back hot...except us, of course.

I for one, will be "pleasanty" surprised if the Pats win in Baltimore on Sunday. Too many f&*#ing injuries for me. I think it has finally caught up with them.

sb1 said:

Offenses on 3rd and 5+

Broncos: 36.8%
...

Jets 30.2%

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Pats: 27.6%

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Gronk being out 6+ games really hurts that #...he makes this O hum

Seems like Dobson (interviewing) and maybe Thomkins back for Sunday. This would be the week for a quick start, then I like our chances.

Check out John Morgan's article. This Ravens team isn't that good. Of course, we have a lot of weaknesses and no team could keep up the come from behind wins every week.

So, let's have an extra cup of coffee and play from ahead, for a change!

RayClay said:

Seems like Dobson (interviewing) and maybe Thomkins back for Sunday. This would be the week for a quick start, then I like our chances.

Check out John Morgan's article. This Ravens team isn't that good. Of course, we have a lot of weaknesses and no team could keep up the come from behind wins every week.

So, let's have an extra cup of coffee and play from ahead, for a change!

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Their D still ranks in the top 10 in a lot of categories.

If the pats want to show us they can make the SB..they will have to win this game as it's on the road where the plain suck and they will have to go on the road and win if they want to reach the SB


To win they will NEED TOs..and with no gronk...can we please run a bit more in the redzone?

Brady_to_Moss said:

Their D still ranks in the top 10 in a lot of categories.

If the pats want to show us they can make the SB..they will have to win this game as it's on the road where the plain suck and they will have to go on the road and win if they want to reach the SB


To win they will NEED TOs...2+ i think

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They always have a good D (TFB) but they don't have a dominating one as before...and their offense isn't very good.

It's a tough road game, but one we are capable of winning if we score earlier, IMO. If it's a low scoring mud wrestling match, we're at a disadvantage.

If we're ahead and running the ball, and they have to pass and catch up we should have an advantage.

Remember, if we have Dobson and/or Thomkins, they are both bigger and more physical than any WR last week.

RayClay said:

It's a tough road game, but one we are capable of winning if we score earlier, IMO. If it's a low scoring mud wrestling match, we're at a disadvantage.

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See there is nothing this team has done in the last month to lead me to believe they will score early or first...i expect them to have barley anything before half based on the last month...it's been a real struggle. I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel at least this week...maybe vs Buffalo?

Brady_to_Moss said:

See there is nothing this team has done in the last month to lead me to believe they will score early or first...i expect them to have barley anything before half based on the last month...it's been a real struggle. I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel at least this week...maybe vs Buffalo?

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Well, there ability to score against good teams in bunches in the second half?...

Just because they score in a certain half a few games doesn't make that a statistically significant trend.

The fact is, they've struggled with injuries and still done very well.

Did you see the Steelers against Cinci a couple weeks back? They looked formidable. Of course, unlike us, they folded with a little adversity and they're out or will be.

Finding ways to win when you're hurting is not a weakness, it's a strength. I can't predict the future, but I have all the confidence in the world they can simply do in the first half what they have in the second. They haven't had an easy or healthy game all year, kind of like 2003.

RayClay said:

Just because they score in a certain half a few games doesn't make that a statistically significant trend.

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With this team its a trend. They start slow. They take a while to get into a groove. Texans..Cleveland..MIA twice.

They just take a while to get into the game for some reason and its defiantly cause for concern with playoffs coming up

it's "defiantly" cause...is that a huge Freudian slip?

RayClay said:

They always have a good D but they don't have a dominating one as before...

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Not sure what year you're watching, RayClay? "Not as dominating as before?" They are way more dominating on defense than they were last season when they won the SB, as you said the difference is their offense--which isn't as good. Our tendency to make opposing offenses look all-world is concerning however.

Here are just some quick stats regarding your "not so dominating" defense:

--#1 in first downs allowed per game

--#4 in red zone defense

--#3 in 3rd down conversions allowed

--#6 in points allowed per game

--#7 in rushing yards allowed per game

--only allowing 227 passing yds per game, definitely top 10

--#9 in overall "total" defense, determined by overall yards given up

--Both Suggs and Dumervil (9.5 and 9) are closing in on double digit sacks for the year


I didn't think there was any dispute that they've improved in several positions on defense from last year. The acquisitions of Daryl Sims, Chris Canty, Elvis Dumervil, Matt Elam etc, are coinciding with returns to health from Suggs, McClain, Webb. When you add those players in to the staples they already had like Ngata, A.Jones, Graham, etc they are making up a pretty formidable defense for sure.

Well they have been not so good on the road in 2013. Which is unlike them. As they not just do well at home very good, but not well on the road this year has hurt them a lot!

RayClay said:

Finding ways to win when you're hurting is not a weakness, it's a strength.

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Absolutely. The ability to battle and overcome adversity is our 2013 team's biggest strength, without a doubt.

RayClay said:

They haven't had an easy or healthy game all year, kind of like 2003.

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I get what you're saying, and I'd agree on some level, but any comparisons to 2003 when we went 17-2 and rattled off 15 straight is kind of a stretch in my opinion. I hope you're right though. Let's get 5 more and win this thing.

JPPT1974 said:

Well they have been not so good on the road in 2013. Which is unlike them. As they not just do well at home very good, but not well on the road this year has hurt them a lot!

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Our 3 road wins this year are against the divisional bottom dwellers that are BUF, HOU, and ATL. Those 3 teams are all last in their division and make up a combined record of 11-31. Saying that we suck on the road would be an understatement, and also why we definitely need to lock up that #2 seed to have any kind of a reasonable chance.

Even under that scenario, we'd still need to likely go to DEN to win on the road in the AFCCG, and while that would be difficult, they'd have a puncher's chance to win one big road game for sure. Hopefully it'd be their 2nd big road game win after this week at BAL.

supafly said:

Not sure what year you're watching, RayClay? "Not as dominating as before?" They are way more dominating on defense than they were last season when they won the SB, as you said the difference is their offense--which isn't as good. Our tendency to make opposing offenses look all-world is concerning however.

Here are just some quick stats regarding your "not so dominating" defense:

--#1 in first downs allowed per game

--#4 in red zone defense

--#3 in 3rd down conversions allowed

--#6 in points allowed per game

--#7 in rushing yards allowed per game

--only allowing 227 passing yds per game, definitely top 10

--#9 in overall "total" defense, determined by overall yards given up

--Both Suggs and Dumervil (9.5 and 9) are closing in on double digit sacks for the year


I didn't think there was any dispute that they've improved in several positions on defense from last year. The acquisitions of Daryl Sims, Chris Canty, Elvis Dumervil, Matt Elam etc, are coinciding with returns to health from Suggs, McClain, Webb. When you add those players in to the staples they already had like Ngata, A.Jones, Graham, etc they are making up a pretty formidable defense for sure.

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They weren't as dominant last year as they were in the past. You don't replace Reed and Lewis overnight. Suggs is showing signs of wear too. I said they were a good defense. Flacco getting hot was the big difference last year.

We're mincing words with good, formidable, dominant. As I said, they always have a good defense, they have one this year. Are they as good as Lewis, Reed and Suggs in their prime? That was a defense that could win without much offense.

Why split hairs? We have a better record than them playing through more adversity. If we get some passing weapons back, we can score some and they don't seem to have an offense that will come from behind well. Obviously, we don't want to fall behind them either.

varjao said:

Of course I do have confidence, we lost to a good Miami team, you guys gotta understand that.

Like Tedy Bruschi said in a chat a few weeks ago, the days of the blowout are over.

Get used to it.

The AFC East is not a joke anymore.

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That is a friggin epic GIF. Not the first time I've seen it. Both of those bruhs are wearing Dwight Howard jerseys! What clown Laker fan bruhs!

RayClay said:

They weren't as dominant last year as they were in the past. You don't replace Reed and Lewis overnight. Suggs is showing signs of wear too. I said they were a good defense. Flacco getting hot was the big difference last year.

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I agree. The biggest loss for that team was the loss of Boldin, or they could have very well been better than last year's team on both sides of the ball. I suppose that is just the way it goes for the salary cap era though. You can't keep everyone, and apparently they felt that securing Rice last year, Flacco this year, and then T.Smith next year was the way to go.

I do think that Ed Reed and Ray Lewis were replaced overnight though, at least when you compare them to last year's awful play. I certainly understand what you're saying however in terms of the height of their defensive heyday.

RayClay said:

We're mincing words with good, formidable, dominant. As I said, they always have a good defense, they have one this year. Are they as good as Lewis, Reed and Suggs in their prime? That was a defense that could win without much offense.

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My concern is that they can still win without much offense, judging by their ability to win by kicking nothing but FG's vs a pretty high powered attack of Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Reggie Bush on their home turf.

I think our only area of disagreement is in exactly how good the current BAL defense is, as it's possible that the truth lies in the middle of both of our opinions. As you said, why split hairs, so that's a very fair comment to make.

RayClay said:

Why split hairs? We have a better record than them playing through more adversity. If we get some passing weapons back, we can score some and they don't seem to have an offense that will come from behind well. Obviously, we don't want to fall behind them either.

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Despite my concerns about the strength of the Baltimore defense, I still have a feeling in me that we come out and win the game somehow. I think it's a must-win game at this point, and I think it'll be a big season defining game that hopefully sets the tone for the playoffs.

If we don't win, my concern would be that the 2013 version of the NEP just aren't very good. That said though, I'd still think that they'd be a dangerous out for most teams in the playoffs, should they end up making it there. I just don't want to set up a week #17 game vs BUF to simply make the playoffs when we were discussing the potential of a #1 seed several days ago, although that may be a strong possibility--and that's a shame.

Calvin Johnson had alot of drops and Matthew Stafford made some bad throws. We moved the ball well against a better secondary in my opinion last week and we get two good receivers back, not to mention we can run the ball. Also Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the league and will give the ball to Baltimore. And defensively Aqib Talib is getting healthier at the right time and when he is healthy there isn't a better cover corner in the game but thats just my opinion that I share with Deion Sanders and Charles Woodson but look. The defense just has to finish and I think they will, as they did play well in the first half. And I like that Sealver Siliga kid in the middle, he is really coming on. Also Edelman and Amendola have another big game, Thompkins and Dobson catch a touchdown reception deep, Vereen bounces back and Ridley and Blount pound it out on the ground. Ninkovich and Jones each get a sack and McCourty snags an INT. Patriots 37 Baltimore 17

Patjew said:

Yeah, Pats are going to win this game for sure. By 10 at least.

Edit: and BTW, I picked them losing in Miami. I do pick them to lose some games. But they win this one.

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Boom.......

Patjew said:

Boom.......

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shaka laka laka...