This Is Why a Full Back Is Necessary

[State]

Greg Roman shows how power football can still be run. The fullback accounts for Judon. The pulling lineman double teams Barmore. JuWrong Bentley has the massive hole open up in front of him but takes a Story Time dive. Jon Jones does a Deion Sanders impersonation before he realizes he screwed up and runs it down. I hate to admit it, but McCourty looks as though he is just there for the paycheck.

Our offense couldn’t run this play as effectively
…if at all.

Next season I predict we’ll end this year’s experiment of not having a fullback. Dumb.

 

[Wozzy]

Comparing the Pats, or anyone for that matter, to the Ravens is apple/oranges.

Do the Pats (or anyone besides the Cardinals) have a QB who runs a 4.3 forty and who gets the majority of their yards on the ground?

Does any other team run a scheme that calls for 2-3 TE’s and a FB on the field on almost every down? No, is the answer…

The Ravens FB is a converted DT… he weighs 300+ pounds. Nobody else runs their QB option system because nobody else has the personnel they have. Their scheme is unique in all of pro football.

That being said the Ravens fatal flaw will inevitably be Lamar Jackson’s inability to throw from the pocket against the best (playoff) defenses.

It’s easy to beat the Ravens if you have the personnel, get an early lead and force Lamar to pass. Make them play with a deficit. They rank 27th in pass attempts for a reason. They protect LJ from himself and protect him using scheme, beat the scheme and he’ll beat himself.

The Pats have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL… and their QB isn’t even their leading rusher. Jonnu is their FB and he has blocked well. Dumb… sounds about right.

 

[State]

Jackson wasn’t a running threat in that play. Watch it again. We lack the front seven prowess to stop a running attack. No helmet on Bentley, but he did poorly on that play along with the weakside linebacker he got swallowed up. Can’t even tell who it was.

And poor rush defense from the secondary.

The cracks are showing. Bill better focus on his son Stevie’s job. He needs to take over. Again.

You’re right. Comparison isn’t valid. Greg Roman earned his job unlike the nepotism on the Patriots. The OC and Jackson had the upper hand in the second half.

 

[State]

BTW, the Ravens have stashed a fullback on their practice squad. Ben Mason looks like James Devlin 2.0.

Can Lil whatever Humphrey and bring aboard Mason. Ben not Shaq.

 

[jah]

BTW, the Ravens have stashed a fullback on their practice squad. Ben Mason looks like James Devlin 2.0.

Can Lil whatever Humphrey and bring aboard Mason. Ben not Shaq.

We already cut that guy from our practice squad once.

 

[Ian]

Greg Roman shows how power football can still be run. The fullback accounts for Judon. The pulling lineman double teams Barmore. JuWrong Bentley has the massive hole open up in front of him but takes a Story Time dive. Jon Jones does a Deion Sanders impersonation before he realizes he screwed up and runs it down. I hate to admit it, but McCourty looks as though he is just there for the paycheck.

Our offense couldn’t run this play as effectively
…if at all.

Next season I predict we’ll end this year’s experiment of not having a fullback. Dumb.

I remember that play, but I will say a lot of the success Baltimore had running the ball came after Lawrence Guy went down and they very wisely realized that and took advantage. His loss was quietly a big one on Sunday and if you go back and watch it, you'll notice their strategy changed as soon as they knew he was out.

 

[Triumph]

Jonathan Jones reacted too slow.

Furthermore, the Ravens # 1 RB is Lamar Jackson. Id rather have RB depth in Pierre Strong than a FB who sees so few snaps.

 

[Wozzy]

Lamar Jackson is a threat to run the ball every time he's on the field, in the play above it was the RPO which froze the defense.

It really doesn't matter if the Ravens have another FB on their practice squad... what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

This is Patrick Ricard, a converted DT who now plays FB for the Ravens.

Patrick Ricard (FB): Bio, News, Stats & more

www.baltimoreravens.com

He's currently listed at 305 pounds. He has played the 7th most offensive snaps on the team, just below Mark Andrews at 6th most. Josh Oliver their second TE has played 41% of their offensive snaps and two more TE's have played 41% of the offensive snaps.

In short, they play a massive physical brand of football that no other team in the league employs because no other team has Lamar Jackson. They run the ball a lot. The way to beat them is by beating their scheme, the way to lose to them is to not score points, turn the ball over and on defense lose contain. They had LJ dead to rights twice on sacks that would have ended drives, both times a defender screwed up. Once Uche had LJ in his hands and Judon screwed up by giving up contain and knocking Uche off what should have been an easy sack.

Entering this game the Patriots defense was one of the best run stopping teams in the NFL, this one game skewed the stats mightily. Not one organization in the NFL builds their roster to specifically stop the Ravens because only one team uses the scheme the Ravens do. Most teams build their defense to stop great traditional offenses like the Chiefs, Bengals etc...

The Patriots don't play the Ravens again this season. By the end of the year they'll once again be one of the better run stopping units and defenses in the NFL assuming health.

The Pats lost to the Ravens and gave them an abundance of opportunities on offense by turning the ball over four times. If the Patriots don't turn it over they would have won that game pretty handily... but that's not what happened.

The Patriots are rankled 31st in offensive turnovers... there's only 32 teams in the NFL. The fatal flaw of this 2022 team is turnovers.

They have a FB, his name in Jonnu Smith, they run the ball great. One play isn't why they lost the game.

 

[State]

Jonathan Jones reacted too slow.

Yes, I ageee. But give him credit. He bailed out lackluster McCourty by his touchdown saving tackle showing off his elite speed.

I don’t agree about not having a fullback. Essentially we have Lil’John Humphrey as a blocker. But he’s not as effective as James Devlin was, for example.

 

[State]

Not one organization in the NFL builds their roster to specifically stop the Ravens because only one team uses the scheme the Ravens do.

Yep. And they were like this last year. They were put on the schedule. We lack the beef as Captain Stone has argued. Losing Lawrence Guy, as Ian astutely observes, was a big blow.

The Ravens pose a unique challenge with their size, scheme, and the likely MVP in Jackson.

Once upon a time we had the answer to this. Not now.

 

[Wozzy]

Yes, I ageee. But give him credit. He bailed out lackluster McCourty by his touchdown saving tackle showing off his elite speed.

I don’t agree about not having a fullback. Essentially we have Lil’John Humphrey as a blocker. But he’s not as effective as James Devlin was, for example.

Jonnu is the FB, or the H-Back if you prefer that title.

The Pat's rank 13th in total rushing yards and are tied for the third most rushing TD's in the NFL. This despite playing three of the toughest defensive fronts in the NFL to start the 2022 season. Saying we lack the ability to run is absurd.

 

[Wozzy]

Yep. And they were like this last year. They were put on the schedule. We lack the beef as Captain Stone has argued. Losing Lawrence Guy, as Ian astutely observes, was a big blow.

The Ravens pose a unique challenge with their size, scheme, and the likely MVP in Jackson.

Once upon a time we had the answer to this. Not now.

The Ravens have always rushed for a lot of yards... against everyone. The only way to negate their ability to beat you is by getting out to a lead and forcing them to pass. It has nothing at all to do with beef. The Pats held the Dolphins to 65 rushing yards and Steelers 91, this despite turning the ball over 4 times offensively. One game is not a sample size.

 

[State]

Next year I don’t think McCourty will be playing. Judging by this play. He’s just mailing it in.

I can’t believe how poorly Bentley played this. No blockers on him. Gigantic hole opens up right in front of him. He flubbed it, forgetting there was another runner not named Lamar Jackson. And stopping the run is supposed to be his strength.

I don’t think he’s starting material.

We need an influx of talent at all three levels on the defense. But the last draft we went small school athletic guard and a fast skinny WR in the first two rounds.

We should have gone defense with these two picks, Dax Hill and Travis Jones.

 

[Vindicate]

I'm confused as to why this is a thread. Patriots' defense has been pretty damn good. You can only expect so much when an offense turns over the ball that many times.

We've been pretty good with running as well, I'm not sure having a pure FB is necessary. And, as stated above, the Ravens are their own kind of offense in the NFL that necessitates really strong TE's and an FB.

I don't think one play means McCourty is mailing it in. That doesn't really seem to be in his DNA. Our secondary has been strong.

 

[Ian]

I don't think one play means McCourty is mailing it in. That doesn't really seem to be in his DNA. Our secondary has been strong.

I agree. He got caught in a mismatch one-on-one, which is going to happen but he's normally terrific when he can stay back and read the play and he remains a smart, savvy veteran who makes guys around him better.

 

[State]

He’s smart and can communicate like the all pro he once was, but who is his understudy, esp if this is his last year as I suspect? But his effort has been lacking—not just on that one play.

Captain Stone says he’s stealing money with his big contract but small effort. It looks as though Captain Stone is insightful.

That’s why not drafting an elite athlete to be his understudy who is also versatile and smart may very well prove to have been a costly mistake. I think Dax Hill, who is being groomed in Cincinnati, is a missed opportunity.

Guards are easier to find.

 

[captain stone]

We already cut that guy from our practice squad once.

And that was a mistake.

 

[captain stone]

Jonathan Jones reacted too slow.

Furthermore, the Ravens # 1 RB is Lamar Jackson. Id rather have RB depth in Pierre Strong than a FB who sees so few snaps.

Pierre Strong hasn't done a dam thing here.

 

[captain stone]

I don't think one play means McCourty is mailing it in...

It hasn't been one play.

 

[captain stone]

I agree. He got caught in a mismatch one-on-one, which is going to happen but he's normally terrific when he can stay back and read the play and he remains a smart, savvy veteran who makes guys around him better.

Not this year has hasn't... Call it The Cliff or call it making Business Decisions or call it whatever you want, but the dude sucks now... I would trade him for whatever I could get for him.