designermaryland

another coaching staff hire who is a Harbaugh insider. cameron, spagnoulo, castillo, roman, trestman, yada yada. i have not seen one quality player developed under any of these brilliant coaching moves. in fact, i will venture to say the majority of them decline once they are brought in. let's hope it goes poorly again for Harbs in 2017 so we can shut the door and get someone in here who can coach.

Not mentioned on this article, but read from NFL official page that Harbaugh says that our team needs to add another RB.

WHAT?! Is he willingly trying to bury this team as deep as he can before getting canned?!

I understand depth is needed and wouldn't hurt to have a game changer like Bell, but by no measure is our backfield in dire need of an upgrade. That can not be said about most other positions on this team. We need an upgrade at the play of QB more than that of RBs.

At the very least I would be interested in his reasoning why he thinks West and Dixon aren't enough. Cause as little as they were used this season, they showed much promise.

Maybe someone on these boards can elaborate on Harbaugh's mind-boggling idea?

not to mention, running backs appear from obscurity on a regular basis. thinking this is one of the top priorities when you have invested mid round draft picks the past few years is ridiculous, when you need corners, pass rushers and O line badly. the RB is only ever as good as the line. get a center or LG, and it will make Dixon exponentially better, therefore you have in essence gotten a better RB as a result.

Release all of them. The only guy who was remotely decent was Wallace. Suggs will probably have to stay due to the awful contract structure, like several veteran deals. The front office continues to overpay veterans. Unless these are perennial all pros, stop resigning them and adopt a youth movement, or at least younger under 30 guys on shorter deals. They are getting screwed royally on webb, pitta, suggs, ngata, and others. These are essentially role players who can be found on almost any roster or practice squad. It is time for some player turnover and improving the speed and football intelligence of the talent.

And Suggs is not a beast. Mediocre and overpaid, potentially a liability if you ask me. He is constantly exposed and undisciplined. The few plays he makes a year do not outweigh 20+ gash running plays or screens he is burnt on every year, while losing contain or going lone ranger trying to gamble and make a play he is incapable of making this late in his career. Once was dominant, but start dumping these players before they cash in and become unproductive.

The front office cannot evaluate/draft a wide receiver. They may as well just stop drafting them and wasting the picks. I count 10 in the last 6 years, with only Torrey being productive one out of them all to date. Seek a low cost free agent who is not over 30. I would put that low on the list, because Flacco will just ignore them to check down regardless. You can stick anyone at WR to not get thrown to.

They have passed on solid and productive CB's the past 3 years at least and would rather stock pile a 7th DT to ride the bench than a starting CB. Dont ask me the wisdom on that philosophy. I think they have needed at least 1 or more because the pass rush is non existent. I would frankly go multiple OLB who can rush (not defensive ends), CB and interior OL. Draft at least 2 of each or acquire a quality starter via free agency.

We do not need RB, TE, ILB, DT, DE, WR. No need to have 9 guys at one position when others are thin. For that reason, I never enjoy the draft selections made by the ravens and the "best player" idea.

  59 minutes ago, cookiedood said:

As a life long Raven fan who lives in South Carolina, I don't have the option of saying things like I will cancel my season tickets, or I will never pay another penny to attend a Raven game, but I do have the option of dropping Direct TV's Sunday ticket, and that is precisely what I intend to do. It is apparent to the entire football viewing world that Harbaugh is only going to hire his good buddies as coaches, and hope that they will somehow pull a rabbit out of their butt and all of a sudden become good coordinators. Anyone that watches Raven games can see the problem for what it is. The offensive line is one of the weakest in the NFL, and not only do they not pass protect, but they are unable to create holes for the RB's. Flacco has about as much leadership ability as Elmer Fudd. He does nothing to inspire his team mates, and just does not have that fire in the belly that all great Quarterbacks possess. Defensively, there is not a team in the NFL that fears playing them. If the little sisters of the poor had a football team with a QB that could deliver deliver passes, they would salivate over the chance to play against this secondary. Pass rush, what pass rush? And Harbaughs answer is to keep his buddies employed, give me a break. Good luck Raven fans, I'm done.

Understand the frustration. Our offense was awful at times, but at other times, they looked great. Consistency is key to being successful in any pro sport. Over the last couple weeks (except this past Sunday) our offense looked better than most of the season. We moved the ball great against Pittsburg. My biggest issue with us all season was finishing drives. We were terrible in converting nice drives into touchdowns, and that's the difference between being 8-8 or 11-5. We left 10-14 points off the board against the Steelers. I want to see us run the football more. Flacco is more successful with a good running game, we can't lead the league in pass attempts, that a recipe for losing. Our offensive line actually wasn't bad when full strength. Stanley graded out as the best LT (pass protection at least) in the league the past 4 games before Sunday. Yanda is the best guard in the league, doesn't matter which side. Zuttah made some boneheaded plays, but he is better than fans give him credit for. Ducassae (spelling?) did a decent job filling the void for Alex Lewis or Yanda for that matter. And Rick Wagner played very well until he was hurt the last few games. For a couple of weeks in the season our line was filled with guys who should never see the field, but injuries happen in this league.

Our secondary is frustrating, but we are also better than years past, and it would be nice to see Jimmy Smith stay on the field. Tavon Young was a good draft pick, we need another solid corner to help solidify our CB group. Webb is a question mark, does he stay or go. I wouldn't mind seeing us draft another S that provides some more playmaking ability and speed on the back end. Weddle had a great year. Nice pick up.

Yes, Pass rush is an issue. We need a young speed rusher off the edge. I really don't care if they are an edge setter, we just need a pure pass rusher. Doom and Suggs are on their last legs.

I like Pees as our DC. Is he to conservative at times? It may seem like it. But what can you do when you design nice blitz calls but then you have matchup problems or the offense just picks the blitz up nicely. What can you do when you try to drop 7 in coverage and rush 4 but they don't get there? You can't give a QB all day, and its hard to blitz when QBs get the ball our so quick or just win the battle sometimes. You're going to lose some battles plain and simple. The offense has been game planning for our defense as well.

I was down for letting Marty go, but I'm also not angry about keeping him. Let's see what happens this year. Hopefully we run the ball more effectively.

One last thing, can we just drop the discussions about Flacco's leadership. It's been 9 seasons now, and he isn't going to change now. I'd play for him though. I haven't seen Flacco confront guys for dropping passes, yell at lineman for getting him crushed, or call guys out publicly. He takes a beating, get right back up. His WRs drop a pass, he isn't scared to come right back to them, and if he has an issue with someone, he is man enough to discuss it but not publicly. Is he the best in the league? Obviously not. But he is our QB, good enough to win big games, proven that already, and can deliver when it matters. I'm going to defend him as long as he is wearing purple and black.

Last thing, I don't care how bad of a season the Ravens have, I won't give up on them. I'm a fan until I die, and hell I might get buried with a purple and black casket with a Ravens logo. I believe we will turn it around soon. We had a great draft class this past season, a couple core pieces in place, and a hell of a coach. We are close, just not there yet and they know that. So, don't let the door hit ya in the butt walking out of Ravens Nation. We don't need ya.

don't kid yourself into thinking this team is close. they could have been 5-11 easily. we barely can beat the browns and jags. flacco cannot make an audible to change a play and we are paying him 24 million dollars. furthermore, they have invested first round picks the past 2 years to help Joe plus paid Wallace, and yet the offense is getting worse. that does not add up to a good football team.

Proving once again, he is at bad at evaluating coaching performance as he is at evaluating players to draft. The only competent coach we have had under Harbaugh is Kubiak, who was brought in at the request of the owner if my memory serves correctly. The offense was probably the worst it has ever been in 10 years this year, with arguably the most talented skill position players with speed and potential than ever. But somehow they managed to stall 5 out of 6 drives a game and look like a complete wreck doing it. I would expect nothing less from this hack who lucked into a SB championship and would otherwise be as bad as Jeff Fisher since his on field coaches left. One more season of bumbling ineptitude before we get someone in here who can actually coach, rather than cheerlead.

I agree with Minionhunter. I actually can believe this is the reaction because of the lack of football IQ by both Joe and Harbs. They are both clueless. If they feel offensive production of 20 TD's the entire season is adequate, no offensive rhythm the entire year and horrific ineffectiveness, it is even more disturbing than the on-field product. It proves they have no self awareness of their performance and are severely disillusioned that they had a good year. This is completely deserving of a house cleaning including Harbaugh, Marty M., Pees, and perhaps Ozzie. If they are satisfied with being in the bottom tier of the league, they should be immediately relieved of their positions. Flacco is ripe for a trade in the offseason too.

  48 minutes ago, TheRavengers said:

Amazing how 2017 will be the 5th year in a row we've played the Dolphins and the 4th year in a row we play the Jaguars.

Yup... I've been to a couple of them down here. I was just asking, "Why do we play the dolphins every year"?

the non division afc conference opponents are determined by place. we must just be finishing in the same place each year, 2nd place play second place, and so on. i feel like we play oakland every year too.

He is great at either position, but I sort of like the idea of Stanley/Yanda dominating the left side to be unstoppable for a few years, plus protect Joe's back side. Plus, probably easier to find a serviceable RG and RT. At the money he is making, LG would make more sense and allow them options. One thing is for sure though, Zuttah better be a distant memory if they want to dominate. He is horrible and will compromise any good blocking with his complete rubbish play.

  2 hours ago, ravens4life86 said:

Looking forward to a new OC,
And I believe 2 more years locked into Flacco contract if Im not mistaken.
He aint getting another extension without another AFC title run/ SB run..
That 20mil contract and average performance has cost Ravens the ability to keep gamechangers in other areas Defense, Oline. (KO, multiple raven defenders over years Mcphee, probably B.Williams etc)
If your not going to be Aaron Rodgers and throw 35 tds a year..

Then its better to have a Loaded up defense and pay your Qb nothing, draft 1 every 5 years until you hit on Rodgers or Marino type

Can't agree with you more. I thought we should've let flacco walk instead of extending him an build the team. I don't think he can get us to the big game again.

definitely. give me anyone else making under 15 million, including alex smith who may have been an option at the time if they had not resigned him. half the cost and twice the production. flacco has not evolved or improved marginally at best in 9 years. i can get anyone in the league to "almost" get me a win 8 out of 16 times.

we have enough talent on this team to be fine. nobody has 10 antonio brown quality stars. jesse james and guys i have never heard of were making our touted defense look like swiss cheese. this claim that we need "playmakers" is old. we just need our guys to execute against average defenses and not look inept. we need Flacco to see open receivers. Tom Brady and others are throwing to no name chumps and performing well. Time for a new regime in Baltimore.

Flacco and Harbaugh continue to prove they have absolutely no football IQ whatsoever. Crucial moments are becoming crumbling points, fumbling deep in their own territory and making foolish decisions when they nearly have the game out of reach, only to hand the opponent more opportunities. They break the long Wallace pass up by 10. Stop being stupid - just ground a few runs to see where it gets you and take 3 if not. The stupidity is baffling. They cannot make a sound decision when it is staring them right in the face. It won't matter because Pittsburgh is going to end our season next week. I hope Harbaugh is gone in 2 weeks and we can start building a winner.

The Ravens will find a way to squander it away and lose at least 2 of the last 3 games and blow the playoff chances again. Harbaugh is going to be canned after the Bengals game. Mark it down in sharpie. If Ozzie was smart, he would find a way to get rid of Flacco in the offseason and get a competent QB in here to play some actual football. 85% of his passes and under 5 yards. That is a clueless quarterback who cannot read of bait a defense into any successful play.

  1 hour ago, Militant X 1 said:

So we waive Hester...good riddance; but we call up Campanaro...a cat that can't stay healthy? Smh!

Whom or what do you suggest? Camp provides reliable hands and an extra weapon In the slot to move the chains.

He is a real threat for the ice tub and training staff nursing injuries. weapon on the field, not so much.

This is part of the problem with the Raven's historically, and especially under JH. They are either too scared to allow young players to develop with playing time, or they simply cannot mentor them into better players. Invest high draft picks, and let them rot away on the sidelines or playing special teams, while they fill the roster with declining and expensive veterans. There was nothing to lose by letting Keenan Reynolds field punts this season and perhaps develop into a weapon. Instead they spent additional money and got a washed up Hester and are on the hook for his full contract. Webb could have easily filled in with such a conservative roll, essentially making fair catches. I just don't get the front office decision making. It is really declining quickly over the past 2-3 seasons.

  29 minutes ago, purpledown said:

This loss probably ends the Ravens playoff hopes. Will the Ravens find a WR next year someone besides old man Steve Smith. Will Harbaugh be back? The word elite should not be associated with Flacco , no running game , no wins.

Steve Smith is the only WR we have that can run a route, get open, and catch the ball.  As for the rest, the whole offensive scheme has been exposed by the Pats and their superior coaching.

flacco is dumping the ball to the flat within 3 seconds. i do not know how a WR could get open that quickly. he is like a wind up toy. unless the primary receiver is obviously open based on coverage immediately before the snap, he is essentially throwing to the check down every time. there has not been a completed pass thrown beyond about 10 yards at the point of catch yet the entire game.

This loss probably ends the Ravens playoff hopes. Will the Ravens find a WR next year someone besides old man Steve Smith. Will Harbaugh be back? The word elite should not be associated with Flacco , no running game , no wins.

actually, as long as they win out, this loss does not hurt the chance to win the afc north. either way, we have to beat the steelers. had they won, they still would have had to beat them to maintain the tie breaker. it definitely erases any chance of a wild card, but they can still win the division, as long as they beat pitts on xmas and do not stumble on the eagles or bengals. if they lose another game against anyone they are out.

As far as Alex Lewis is concerned there is no need to rush him back. Yanda is great at LG and Ducasse is playing well enough at RG. Let him heal up for the rest of the season and get him time studying RT because that's where he's playing next season when Wagner cashes in on a new contract. Right now Lewis can be the number one option at swing G and swing T, which is actually about as versatile as you can get on the OL.

I am sure Bennett will be playing on Monday night and he will have a good game against us. I am not saying the Ravens are bad, it is just that he's a very good and very athletic TE who can give us some trouble.

I agree with this for sure. I have liked Ducasse at RG and Yanda at left. I think Yanda is able to help Stanley as he grows. Lewis is a solid 6th man, and I think is better than Wagner, who seems like he gets nicked a lot. Lewis at RT next season to replace Wagner or at RG if Ducasse does not resign. I do think we need an upgrade at center soon.

why do we keep hearing the same excuses week after week after week? frustrated with penalties but not eliminating them. we should have won, we can play better. well, that is not going to happen unless the effort and discipline is better. so why are we continuing to see it over and over? offside penalties, personal fouls, late hits, false starts. all mental mistakes which echo the head coach on down failing to have enough preparation or instilling the mental capacity to stop these things from happening.

Ducasse did not look horrible to me. If Yanda is back, play Ducasse at LG. Since Zuttah has looked horrible and is injured also Urschel will probably need to slide to center also this season.

I beginning to lose faith in Flacco.  Joe needs some coaching up on his mechanics.  I counted one pass, all day, where his weight was going forward when he released the ball.  I am not a QB expert by any means.  But, any football fan can see he has tunnel vision and his pocket awareness is regressing.  

In training camp he was working on throwing to a spot for his receivers to meet the ball.  Haven't seen that at all this season.  Instead he is throwing behind, low or way overhead.  He needs to get better quick as the second half of the season, the tougher part of the schedule is upon us.

i agree. but he is beyond help really. if you are a veteran of 9 years and are still perplexed by man coverage or blitzing and cant figure out how to counter your blocking or audible into a favorable hot read, you are probably not going to win many games.

Flacco is complete garbage at this point. We would be better off if he had torn up his knee on his uncoordinated slide attempt. Continual 3 and outs. Cannot capitalize on defense and special teams giving them turnovers and field position. No offensive flow or ability to exploit any coverage because he is clueless and suddenly inaccurate. How we find ourselves in first place is beyond me, but if the offense cant produce 2 first downs in a row, they will not stay in contention for long. Essentially (again) the offense made 1 big play on the Wallace TD, then was abysmal for the other 59 minutes of the game. Had it not been for a blocked punt, Flacco would not have been bailed out of a loss.

The fact that they are grasping at Elam coming back as "news" and some boost to the roster should tell you all you need to know about the state of the ravens and their strength of secondary. The game is passing Ozzie by and he or the scouting staff cannot recognize pro level talent any more, or the coaching staff is not developing their potential like other teams. They have been completely whiffing on safeties for years and disregarding their need to get at least 2 corners for the past 4 drafts or more. Kendrick Lewis, Webb, Brooks, Elam, Will Hill, Nick Perry, Darian Stewart, and maybe Weddle have all done little to nothing and that is just at 1 position. The front office is fumbling around all over themselves with no clue what they are doing.

Perriman looked great in off season practice with much more rhythm and coordination. Now he looks gawky and hesitant. The only thing that has changed is the qb throwing the passes. Mallet was throwing all off season. Perhaps it is time for a change to see how the offense clicks without Flacco. I have always thought Flacco has no touch or timing. He cannot setup a screen pass to save his life. No feel for anything other than chucking it to a predetermined location. If Flacco starts off with any problems in week 9 against the steelers he should be yanked before half time. There is no time to be floundering around with a horrible offense every week.

A few of the players said it best and it is totally true every player has got to look at themselves and fix what they are messing up on. If they honestly do that then it will carry over on the field for the team. Football is the ultimate team sport. Each guy has got to be accountable for their role on the team. The 2 int's were on Joe but hey he was getting chased and jacked up quite often and that falls on the O-Line. If the ball is thrown to you and it is catch-able then catch it if you don't then that's on you. Thats just the offense. The defense has got to get to the QB and they got to tackle and cover their player or section of the field. JUST FACTS!!! Coaches have got to call the right formations and plays depending on the situation. Every thing I said above is why we have lost the last 4 games....

but, how many times can you say "we need to fix this" or ""we need to get better"? going on 2 years now easily. at some point, if you are not making good on that rebuttal it is time to cut bait. perhaps they just are not capable of fixing it under the harbaugh and flacco regime. we have changed offensive coordinators 5 times and the results do not change. obviously #5 is the common denominator.