Teams Baltimore Ravens - Rise and Conquer

[SnakeMan86]

A new OC.... Whats that like 4 already since Kubiak left? How can anyone get a rythm.
But fair dinkum you can't let Ben throw for 500yards and Brown catch for 200+ and expect to win. We were just lucky our Offense turned up, otherwise it would have been really ugly.

 

[drd23]

A new OC.... Whats that like 4 already since Kubiak left? How can anyone get a rythm.

No, there have been 5 OCs total under John Harbaugh.

Cam Cameron (2008 - Week 11 2012)
Jim Caldwell (Week 12 2012 - 2013) after which he was hired as Lions HC
Gary Kubiak (2014) after which he was hired as Denver HC
Marc Trestman (2015 - Week 5 2016)
Marty Mornhinweg (Week 6 2016 - present)

So that's 2 OCs who did well and got hired away as HCs, and two others that were fired. There's no use keeping OCs that call bad plays and can't get their unit to perform. If we just kept s**t OCs around "for continuity", we wouldn't have won SB XLVII.

 

[SnakeMan86]

No, there have been 5 OCs total under John Harbaugh.

Cam Cameron (2008 - Week 11 2012)
Jim Caldwell (Week 12 2012 - 2013) after which he was hired as Lions HC
Gary Kubiak (2014) after which he was hired as Denver HC
Marc Trestman (2015 - Week 5 2016)
Marty Mornhinweg (Week 6 2016 - present)

So that's 2 OCs who did well and got hired away as HCs, and two others that were fired. There's no use keeping OCs that call bad plays and can't get their unit to perform. If we just kept s**t OCs around "for continuity", we wouldn't have won SB XLVII.

Im not saying keep duds for the sake of keeping duds, but 5 OC's in 5 years with what could be the last 2 let go after one year. Theres no wonder our Offence is so inconsistant.
We've also had a revolving door of RB's since Ray Rice, Injuries to Tight ends and Wide Revievers

 

[dlanod]

Interesting read on Alex Collins but also how the OC is structuring plays to his advantage.

Alex Collins Has Given the Ravens’ Offense New Life https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/12/13/16770368/alex-collins-ravens-offense

 

[drd23]

Interesting read on Alex Collins but also how the OC is structuring plays to his advantage.

I was going to say, before I read the article, that I'm pretty sure that Greg Roman (who is technically the OL coach) should be the one getting the credit for the improvement in the running game despite the loses in personnel in pre-season, and I'm glad that that is basically what the article said.

 

[dlanod]

Sounds like Pees is out at the end of the year.

http://www.espn.com.au/nfl/story/_/id/21921592/dean-pees-baltimore-ravens-expected-retire-season

 

[PVF]

Looks like we are going to be out in an hour's time.

 

[Toadvine]

 

[Toadvine]

 

[SnakeMan86]

 

[dlanod]

* me.

 

[dlanod]

Small mercies: I don't think we deserved to be in the playoffs this year, and I'd love to see Buffalo break their streak. They take our spot if we lose.

 

[dlanod]

How did I know we'd throw underneath on X and long?

 

[drd23]

To steal a post from another forum, I hope Harbaugh fires Pees before he gets to retire

 

[Toadvine]

Hopefully this will force a much more harsh review as to where we're at... Like you all I thought we'd have just been making up the numbers in the post season.

To have invested so much on D and lose that way is crap. Can we draft some play makers or sign a WR that isn't pass their peak PLEASE

Is Kirk a realistic chance for our 1st? I know a lot still needs to play out but he seems like a good fit.

 

[trueblue_91]

How did I know we'd throw underneath on X and long?

It's been the staple play of our offence all season long.

 

[PHX]

Well that was a disaster but quite apt considering the season we had.

And the pissweak short throws for the entire last possession was infuriating. Why not air it out and take the risk? If they intercept it at least a win was attempted compared to giving yourself zero chance with short passes and turning it over on downs.

Onto next year.

 

[drd23]

Is Kirk a realistic chance for our 1st? I know a lot still needs to play out but he seems like a good fit.

He's not what Flacco needs.

Would prefer James Washington, or maybe Calvin Ridley

 

[LittleG]

It's been the staple play of our offence all season long.

The 'hey diddle diddle, ray rice up the middle' play suggests it has been our method for years!

Hope Oz fires Pees! Soft zone?!?!? Safeties are suppose to stop the long TD not be part of a short soft zone. IF you have to zone, why not overload one side of the line and drop the linebackers into passing lanes. Keep the safeties playing deep, FFS!!

 

[wotdoiput]

Was not surprised in the least that we lost like that. Our so called Elite defense has been very ordinary at times this year. We need to find some pass rushers somewhere, seemed that was one thing the defense was missing. The injury to Jimmy Smith was also a big blow. Wont be sad to see Pees go... has to be part of a cleanup of the coaching staff... might be just me but I woudnt mind Chuck Pagano coming in as DC.

Where to start with the offense?Fire Marty Mornhinweg terrible OC. Get some weapons on offense..... the Maclin signing didnt work, Perriman is a draft bust... our best player on offense is Alex Colins ..who was cut by the Seahawks that have no RB's.... offense was really hard to watch... missed Yanda on the line and I think we really missed Gilmore as well.... but we need to at least get some play makers on that side of the ball.. oh and look for a replacement for Flacco.... whether drafting or free agency. Was it wrong I found myself wanting Kaep at various times this year?

I've gotten over the result... all I can do is chuckle!! Im glad the Bills are the team that made it if we didnt. A team that played hard, had some holes but was well coached. Time to sit back and watch for the inevitable Patriots/Steelers AFC championship game.. sigh..

 

[Toadvine]

Was not surprised in the least that we lost like that. Our so called Elite defense has been very ordinary at times this year. We need to find some pass rushers somewhere, seemed that was one thing the defense was missing.

Tim Williams was a healthy scratch. I'm not sure what's going on with him as he was regurlaly reffered to as "the best pure pass rusher" coming out last year. I think I read that Bowser only played one snap yesterday? I know he's more a coverage linebacker but how do you go from defensive rookie of the week early in the season to only playing one snap in our biggest game for the year?

Correa another healthy scratch was a rusher we reached for early in the 2nd round only to try (and fail) to transform him into a ILB.

I have no idea what was going on with Wormly.

Why we continue to invest high picks in positions we seem to have a knack of finding UDFA players to step in and play at a high level.

Are the coaches and scouts on the same page?

The whole football operations needs a review and overhaul in my opinion. Something isn't right.

 

[LittleG]

Tim Williams was a healthy scratch. I'm not sure what's going on with him as he was regurlaly reffered to as "the best pure pass rusher" coming out last year. I think I read that Bowser only played one snap yesterday? I know he's more a coverage linebacker but how do you go from defensive rookie of the week early in the season to only playing one snap in our biggest game for the year?

Correa another healthy scratch was a rusher we reached for early in the 2nd round only to try (and fail) to transform him into a ILB.

I have no idea what was going on with Wormly.

Why we continue to invest high picks in positions we seem to have a knack of finding UDFA players to step in and play at a high level.

Are the coaches and scouts on the same page?

The whole football operations needs a review and overhaul in my opinion. Something isn't right.

It's time to say bye to Oz? Maybe even Flacco?

Definitely do a bit of cleaning out of the scouting team. Allocate major cap space to another elite pass rusher and a WR1.

Stop drafting WR, ILB, IDL, TE & RB.

Too many draft picks are becoming special teams players or committee RB. Why waste the pick?

 

[Toadvine]

It's time to say bye to Oz? Maybe even Flacco?

Definitely do a bit of cleaning out of the scouting team. Allocate major cap space to another elite pass rusher and a WR1.

Stop drafting WR, ILB, IDL, TE & RB.

Too many draft picks are becoming special teams players or committee RB. Why waste the pick?

I think all options need to be considered, some fans believe Oz has already taken a step back in favor of Decosta. I agree we should at the very least analyse the way we scout the WR position because you'd think just by the law of averages we'd have hit on at least one above average WR in our history.

Next year is the last of Flacco's big contract I think, I can see him being lured away by a team desperate for stability at the QB position and us not being able (or willing) to match the offer. So I wouldn't be against taking a QB early if the right fit could be found but honestly I know very little about this year's draft at this stage.

drd23 is very good for this sort of stuff... What are your thoughts on the off season mate? What do you think needs to be done?

 

[dlanod]

Our defense was good but was flattered by its fantasy football performance (so many defensive/special team TDs) and a few shutouts against awful opponents. When we needed it it was lacking, giving up big plays late in the fourth to lose us the game - Bears, Bengals, Steelers and even Titans to some degree. And only one of those offenses should strike any degree of fear into a team.

The offense's struggles were pretty well documented but I think it started to gel later in the season. Flacco's injury was probably worse than was publicised, because he got into more of a rhythm later in the year - instead of being an outright liability, he was merely the indifferent talent we know and accept (generally). We scored less than 20 points once after the JAX/PIT weeks from hell, and that was against the #1 defense in Minnesota. The OL getting more time together plus Collins both helped too.

I think the offense might rebound a bit next year, though we still need better mid-range receiving options. Watson is ok but he's getting passed it, so I'd suggest a TE and the usual possession-style receiver we all seem to want. However I think the bigger needs are still on the other side of the ball, with Suggs seriously getting on. Judon was surprisingly ok in his second season but I think we need a second young rusher.

 

[drd23]

There definitely needs to be a change in the way that WRs are evaluated by the FO and coaching staff. The fact that Torrey Smith is the best WR ever drafted by Baltimore speaks volumes. They need to target better catchers and route runners as opposed to continually drafting for speed and thinking that they can fix these things.

On the topic of whether it is time for Ozzie to step down - I'm split. There's no doubt that he (and the rest of the college scouting staff) are clearly very good at identifying certain types of players - particularly OL, DL, ILB and (now) CBs. But given some of the personnel decisions that they've made over the years has convinced me that they build rosters for an NFL which doesn't exist any more. There's been too much emphasis on stopping the run and creating an offense built around the run/PA to set up the pass - but the NFL now is increasingly about passing.