mosi
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.How are we gonna defend these passes (which include the obvious fades)?
I agree this is where we are going to be most vulnerable. The good thing is we have Talib and Denard now, and McCourty at safety. I know we didn't have Talib for the first game this year, and I can't remember if Denard played then, but no way he was as experienced as he is now. If our guys can keep up and stay in position, those lobbed balls can become INTs. That's what we have to hope for. If Smith can get behind our guys like he did Champ Bailey, we are in for a long day.
I agree this is where we are going to be most vulnerable. The good thing is we have Talib and Denard now, and McCourty at safety. I know we didn't have Talib for the first game this year, and I can't remember if Denard played then, but no way he was as experienced as he is now. If our guys can keep up and stay in position, those lobbed balls can become INTs. That's what we have to hope for. If Smith can get behind our guys like he did Champ Bailey, we are in for a long day.
It really is interesting to see how the secondary has changed since their first meeting:
McCourty -> Talib : Arguable either way, but in fairness let's just say a wash.
Arrington -> Dennard : Big upgrade
Moore -> Arrington : Big upgrade, considering how well Arrington plays in the slot
Chung -> McCourty : Massive upgrade
Gregory -> Gregory : Upgrade, finally healthy and gelling within the system
Wilson -> Wilson : Wash, maybe a slight upgrade but hasn't really played much
What worries me is the pass rush. I don't think we got to Schaub once last night. He got hit after the throw a couple times, but no sacks.
The Ravens revamped their O-line a few weeks ago, and the past two games they've done a remarkably good job. Consider these numbers during the playoffs:
Points scored: 62
QB hits allowed: 5
Sacks allowed: 2
Rush yds: 325
That's a pretty good two-game performance. Excellent in run blocking, and superb in pass protection. Given the Pats' lack of a consistent pass rush, I would expect Flacco to have time to throw, and that'll put a lot of pressure on the Pats' secondary.
Need to have big games from Talib, McCourty, Dennard, Gregory, et al.