3-4ravdef509

Agreed, the overall effort vs the Bengals isn't good...on paper there's no reason we shouldnt have our way with them yet we consistently underperform and they seem to come in and almost bully us. Also, Brady is a HOF with a HOF coach and coaching staff and the Bills are just a weaker team. But it's seemingly never a pretty win, even the blowouts aren't a true tell sometimes. Difference is Joe has pretty consistently always struggled against Cincy, and so has the team as a whole. We finished 3rd two years in a row I think...so saying we've won 2 of the last 4 is factually correct but misleading. We're talking regular season advantage, and until we see any of these new pieces and players in action we're merely speculating. Speculation aside, the Bengals and Steelers have clear regular season advantage over us, while we clearly have playoff advantage over them. To me, it's bold to say we'll win the division just because we had a seemingly good draft. It's does seem like a good draft but the grade will remain incomplete to me until we see these players take the field come August. Also, what's this we've never drafted Flacco weapons? Where did Torrey Smith, Dennis Pitta, and Ed Dickson come from? Before you knock Dickson, he had one good year in 2010 and caught some key passes in our Super Bowl win/run. It's not that we've never drafted him weapons, we've just never drafted two players with so much buzz in the first two rounds of the draft that will catch passes from Flacco next year. And again, until August, all we have to work with is speculation and buzz. So a one game difference? Sorry, you're reaching on that argument IMO. You highlighted the most important part - turnovers. They seemingly got worse the more years wore on until 2011, where he threw no picks against them that year I believe, or maybe just one. In 2012 he had his best year against the Bengals in really just one game where he picked them apart. But then 2013 and 2014 looked like old Joe again. He seemingly gets a little flustered against them. Honestly, my opinion is they play dirty on defense, they get away with so much PI and holding and overall mugging of our receivers. But then sometimes Joe makes just a boneheaded throw. And really, it's usually only against the Bengals and the Texans you see him throw those really really dumb passes anymore. Not the ones where it was simply misread or miscue, or a bad throw. No, the ones where it's like one Ravens blanketed by three defenders and he seemingly just chucks it up. Or times where coverage is so perfect no throw should be attempted and he tries to force it in.

There's two Joe Flacco's, good Joe Flacco and Bad Joe Flacco. Good Joe Flacco usually has a bye during Cincinnati week. Although on the other side of that coin, the defense gave up 2 4th quarter leads to them last year, but still hard to put the majority of the blame on them. Flacco and the offense sucked it up for 6 quarters and then in the last quarter of each game, they turn it on but by then the defense is gassed, Bengals and the Texans just bring out the worst in Flacco and the offense. It is what it is, maybe it'll change, but even Manning and Brady have opponents who seemingly just have their number. I think the Bills often give Brady fits, and the Jets used to and still occasionally do. Can't think of anyone for Manning but I'm sure there is. The Bengals and Texans just personnel and philosophically are a nightmare matchup for us, especially our offense. Luckily, come playoff time they choke and we rise up. But regular season time, I always bet on splitting with the Bengals or worse, and after last year, whoever is playing qb for the Texans doesn't make me feel better about playing them.

Bold predictions towards a team we routinely struggle with that also swept us last year and another team that while might be down is loaded with playmakers and is a bitter rival that will always seek to destroy us. I'm not saying it can't happen, but can and will are two different realities. I think we will more than likely split with Pitt, and Joe and the entire team always look like poop against the Bengals. I can recall I think two or maybe three good games Joe has had against them. Really, the Monday night opener was the only really good game he ever had against the Bengals, and he had one or two semi decent games against them his rookie year and one decent game in the 2011 closer. I think we've won 1 game against them where Joe had a turnover, besides that I think whenever Joe turns the ball over against them we routinely lose.

Different to say we have a good chance vs. what are expectations are. Cincy swept us last year. Pitt isn't a pushover.

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati?

We say this, along with the "He's gotta hit 4,000 yards", every year. He might have a terrible year. Get him to the post season, that's this team's goal. I just don't think he's the type of quarterback, nor or were the type of team to make Flacco has a gaudy statistical year. Last year is probably the peak of what his yearly numbers will forever look like year to year. That's not me knocking him...just tired of the year to year let down hopes. Would love to be wrong about this.

It's really to soon to tell. As we found out last year, injuries play a huge role into determining the season's outcome. One can argue we were one good corner away from making the AFC Championship game, and from there you can make all the speculations you want. On paper, I still think the early season is going to be rough, so many road and primetime games, and with a lot of new pieces. If we can run the ball as effectively as last year, we should make it through the first 8 weeks hovering around .500. From there, it's even more speculation, because we don't know how tough some of the opponents we're facing are really going to be. We could run the final 8 games and finish somewhere around 10-6, or finish the whole season at 8-8 and I wouldn't bat an eye. It's a tough schedule. I honestly don't see this as a breakout year. 2016, with another good draft and with some time for the offense to gel (new pieces, new coordinator, etc), we should be in position for another 3-5 year run with consistent shots at being a dominant force. Last year the team got a little lucky and hot towards the end. We were really playing with house money the whole season, not just the playoffs. 2008-2012 was a stretch where we were arguable one of the NFL's top 5 teams year in and year out (09 being a somewhat down year.) 2013 was truly a rebuilding year, and 8-8 for a rebuilding year is impressive. Last year and this year I would call intermediate years where we aren't fully rebuilding but we're not truly in prime position. I believe 2016-2020 will be years that will be reminiscent on 2008-2012, where the team has been built and contracts structured where you have a great core of guys all in their primes hungry for a championship who can work together for multiple years towards a Superbowl (or multiple). 2008-2012 we had Flacco, Rice, Boldin, Torrey (only for 2011-2012 but played key role), Webb, Lewis, Reed, Suggs, Ngata, Heap/Pitta, and Yanda - all either young and rising talent or veteran leadership in all key areas of the team. That's not saying that we couldn't have won/can't win the Superbowl 2013, last year and this year. We just aren't quite there IMO where I would be confident in our chances. To me, right now most of the pieces are there except at Safety, and while on paper it looks good, at receiver and tight end we're still unproven. We could stand to have a little more depth in the secondary overall. Don't get me wrong, I'm fired up to watch this team next year, they'll be competitive as heck, but as for the final result, not betting on it YET.

Don't think the new system was a good fit for him, as it relied on having a big route tree

I was thinking 4-6 if anything...not sure the league is ready to suspend the golden boy. But if there's sufficient evidence, he should be. I don't see anyone saying it's not a big deal to cheat and that they shouldn't be punished...I was only calling out people for trying to use it as an excuse for why we lost, as I don't think that's valid. But not me nor anyone else has said they shouldn't be punished it's not a big deal that I've seen.

Full year suspension for Brady? What's your logic for this? Any sort of precedent for that? I don't see a year...

See, comments like these are what I've been fighting against in this thread. It's one thing to speculate: Maybe if the Patriots hadn't done this, we'd have had a better chance at winning that game. But to say WE SHOULD have won and be facing the Seahawks right now is too far imo.

That's what I was going. Chillax. It's not a bad thing to argue...means we are passionate fans.

Anyways, moving on from this. What's the consensus on punishment? First round pick and $75000? more? less?

This I can agree with

Show me one rule I said I'm 100% sure. Hint, you won't find it. I'm not going to leave my opinions and beliefs with "I'm not 100% sure" unless I'm really close to the fence. If that offends you that's your problem. I state what I believe to be the truth and I'm not wishy washy about it. So yeah, lose the attitude. I've done nothing to warrant it. Just say you disagree, state your case, await my reply or stop responding.

But mommmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Didn't claim to have advanced knowledge. I refuted your points, no one has brought up plays or examples where your can make even a decent argument to say the under inflated balls resulted play being made when it likely wouldn't have been otherwise

If you read my posts you'd know I don't believe any of what you said except that our game wasn't decided by their cheating. Lose the snide remarks

Sorry, I'm just not gonna agree with you on this one. Edit: Lack of fumbles isn't really a definitive proof of anything that game. Over the season yeah i see your point.

I just didn't see anything where I can go back and say "Well the under inflated balls helped make that happen."

I think the only valid point I've really heard is from Ravensdfan, that if they're willing to do this what else have they been doing behind the scenes? And if they have done it in other games I'm sure some of those games were affected by the cheating. But there's nothing to be done about it except punish them and keep a close eye on them from now on, Asterisk all you want, I'm fine with that.

I agree with this.

It had no bearing on the two playoff games they won this year

Ok, keep sippin the koolaid guys. No one's interested in actually responding to my points anymore so I'm out.