Look for Ravens to fake injuries during the game

[The Scrizz]

Your thread has made you famous on the Ravens board. Apparently, your thread personifies all patriots fans. We are all deluded by people who can't and continuously use their instead of there, was instead of were.

Bal'more fans who can't even be bothered to use three syllables in THEIR own city's name are talking about grammar?

Next Ray Lewis will be talking about crime prevention and Suggs will complain about somebody whining.

 

[BaltimoreFan(not trolling]

He'll still make some plays because he's always had ridiculously good instinct. He can definitely be toyed with though by a great QB/game plan.

Play action, play action, play action. He wants to come screaming up into a running lane because he can. But he also needs to make that read so much earlier to get there. He knows he can't run with the likes of Hernandez and wants none of it.

Honestly he would probably look fairly average at this point if he wasn't playing behind those behemoths at tackle. Kind of reminds me of the demise of Bruschi who was obviously less of a player so his decline was more pronounced.

I also think Reed is more banged up then they're letting on. He'll play but the thought of him trying to tackle a raging Gronk in the open field makes my mouth water.

This game is going to be all about Suggs and Johnson on the outside making Brady step up and having Ngata all over him. If the DT's can't collapse the pocket Brady will step up all day. You might get to Brady a few times on the edges but the only thing that ever rattles him is pressure right in his face.

It's a good thing we have 2 pro-bowl guards. I hope like hell Mankins is healthy. I'd love for all of our pro-bowlers to miss the pro-bowl.

There are two guys who are more under the radar that I have mentioned a few times who need to get pressure on Brady. Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee. Suggs and Ngata will be keyed on and when our pass rush has been consistent this year, McPhee and Kruger were getting pressure on the QB and helping out Suggs and Ngata.

In terms of Ray looking good only because of Ngata, Cody...people have been saying this forever. While I said he has been bad in coverage the past few years and only survives with instincts, he is still quite good against the run and it isn't just because of the fatboys up front. I think that is overplayed. Obviously they need to do their jobs to some degree but Ray is definitely still above average on his own against the run.

 

[Dscola]

How about this idea? Maybe we will get off the field by stopping the Patriots offense. I know that seems unlikely, but it could happen once or twice.

 

[i82much]

I really don't think you'll see a bad game out of Ray on Sunday. Some of his issues this year were due to that toe injury and he looked better against Houston. He may have come back prematurely but he is more or less all there. He is still a very good linebacker in this league, it's really a question of whether you are comparing him to Ray Lewis circa 2000 or other guys at the position today. If it's the latter, he still holds up pretty well.

 

[The Scrizz]

There are two guys who are more under the radar that I have mentioned a few times who need to get pressure on Brady. Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee. Suggs and Ngata will be keyed on and when our pass rush has been consistent this year, McPhee and Kruger were getting pressure on the QB and helping out Suggs and Ngata.

In terms of Ray looking good only because of Ngata, Cody...people have been saying this forever. While I said he has been bad in coverage the past few years and only survives with instincts, he is still quite good against the run and it isn't just because of the fatboys up front. I think that is overplayed. Obviously they need to do their jobs to some degree but Ray is definitely still above average on his own against the run.

He's still quite good against the run because he has his lane and fills it. Dude can definitely still tackle. Kruger is a guy who has definitely impressed me. But again Suggs getting one sack and Kruger or McPhee getting one (about what those 3 averaged) is not going to slow down this offense.

For all the talk of the Ravens pass rush, they averaged a 1/2 sack more than the Pats for the season. And the Pats historically bad defense has a 17 to 2 advantage in turnover differential. They had more takeaways and fewer giveaways.

Being blasted by Troy Aikman must be like the reverse of the Sports Illustrated/ Madden curse too, so we got that going for us. Which is nice.

 

[BaltimoreFan(not trolling]

He's still quite good against the run because he has his lane and fills it. Dude can definitely still tackle. Kruger is a guy who has definitely impressed me. But again Suggs getting one sack and Kruger or McPhee getting one (about what those 3 averaged) is not going to slow down this offense.

For all the talk of the Ravens pass rush, they averaged a 1/2 sack more than the Pats for the season. And the Pats historically bad defense has a 17 to 2 advantage in turnover differential. They had more takeaways and fewer giveaways.

Being blasted by Troy Aikman must be like the reverse of the Sports Illustrated/ Madden curse too, so we got that going for us. Which is nice.

I'm not saying they do get consistent enough pressure or that they will but I'm saying they need to this weekend if they want to slow up this offense. That is what I think is key for the rAVENS TO WIN. Know what I mean?

Also, when our defense was playing its best Kruger and McPhee got alot of pressure even when they themselves weren't making the sacks.

 

[Gwedd]

I'm not saying they do get consistent enough pressure or that they will but I'm saying they need to this weekend if they want to slow up this offense. That is what I think is key for the rAVENS TO WIN. Know what I mean?

Also, when our defense was playing its best Kruger and McPhee got alot of pressure even when they themselves weren't making the sacks.

I think that Ray Lewis' has slowed down, but, like any great veteran player, he has both instincts, and his situational memory to help him make up for a lessening in other areas.

Ray has seen about every situation in football that he could see, and he uses that ability well to make up for a slowdown in speed and lateral movement. Straight ahead, or at a slight angle, and he can still nail you with his tackling skills.

However, going laterally is difficult for him, so he tries (in my opinion) to leverage his situational memory and good instincts to be 1 step ahead of the play wherever possible.

It's always the game within a game, and Lewis can also provide a morale boost for his team mates. He's a gladiator, and a skilled one at that, though likely in the last year or two of his career.

It's going to be a great game to watch.

 

[BaltimoreFan(not trolling]

It's going to be a great game to watch.

This game needs to happen now. I've been amazingly unproductive this week.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Referees are not medical doctors so the league shouldn't put them in a position of making a judgement call as to whether or not a player is faking an injury.

It seems to me that the best course of action would be to require a player in that situation to have to sit out more than the current rule of only one play. The question is how much longer? Three plays? Five plays? That then becomes problematic with refs having to try to remember what player can't return and for how many plays, along with everything else they are doing. Perhaps you could have the replay booth official upstairs keep track of that and radio down if a player returns to early, but I doubt the league would go for that.

That leaves having a player be forced to sit for the remainder of that series as probably the best option. I used to feel that was a bit severe, but I'm coming around to thinking this is most likely the best alternative. It's really a combination of integrity (phony injuries) as well as player safety (not allowing them to return too quickly).

I think the easiest way to track it would be to force the player to sit out for the remainder of the series. That way, the refs don't really have to track much.

 

[patchick]

How about this idea? Maybe we will get off the field by stopping the Patriots offense. I know that seems unlikely, but it could happen once or twice.

This thread isn't targeting the Ravens defense in particular, its about the very real, growing epidemic of injury faking. The Broncos had a ton of guys writhing on the turf in an agony of no-huddleitis, only to pop back into action after missing the requisite single play.

A couple of Broncos players made it especially unconvincing by lying on the ground, immobilized by injury, until the trainers could help them off...clutching an injured hand. Cause, you know, sometimes that thumb hurts so darned much that your legs don't work. Until one play later, of course.

But maybe the Ravens won't flop, because they know it's CHEATING. And they'd never have to resort to that, right?

 

[Gwedd]

This game needs to happen now. I've been amazingly unproductive this week.

You and me both, bro. You and me both.

 

[robbomango]

All the talk about Brady asking for flags and being a pansy with these antics going on is quite embarrassing. Refs can't make accusations without actual proof so we're left to speculation unfortunately.

If this looks to be a defensive strategy come game day I say release the flag begging Pretty boy tenfold.

 

[neuronet]

Well, we were wrong about this. Ravens were classy today, have to hand it to them they played great, and we are lucky to come away with that win.