huntrgathrr

The offensive line clearly needs a boost and hopefully inserting Urschel at center will do that. The Jags have a very good defense despite their debacle in San Diego. We will need a running game and better protection for Joe or we may be in for a long day in Jacksonville. Thy have big time talent on offense which could severely test our defense. I'm not sure how we win this game but I will be overjoyed if we come out of there with a win.

Yes you are absolutely correct and I apologize. It's just that I am so overjoyed by the play of Pierce and the D in general that my fear that external forces will negate their superiority was heightened by the events that occurred in the Green Bay Jacksonville game.

The NFL hasn't recognized it yet but the Raven defense is "Bad to the Bone". They will keep us in every game we play. They have the strongest, deepest and most physically dominating front seven in the league. A good secondary will and has benefited from play of the front seven. The emergence of Pierce, Judon and Wright makes the play off Suggs, Weddle, Williams, Jenigan, Mosely, J. Smith and Z. Smith that much more effective. It will take a great team playing their best to beat the Ravens this year.

This guy is an incredible bonus for an already stout DL. With him and Williams in the middle accompanied by Urban, Jernigan and Guy the Ravens have an incredible front seven. Plus the emergence of Orr and McClellan as very good linebackers gives the Ravens the deepest, strongest and most talented front seven in the NFL. We are rotating 12 players in the front seven without a drop off in talent. That's really sick. Their prowess does nothing but help a pretty good secondary giving the Ravens one of the top defenses in the NFL.
The first quarter against Cleveland was an fluke that won't be seen again the entire season.. Plain and simple, they got very lucky. But when push came to shove the defense beat McGowen unmercifully and took him out of the game. Then they shut out the Browns on the road for the next 50 minutes. Make no mistake, this is a big, fast and physically dominating defense that has left opposing offenses with a slew of injury problems. I wouldn't bet a nickel on any team in their next game after playing Baltimore. Rex Ryan, who knows something about defense, recognized a little too late how good the Baltimore defense was and said so publicly. Holding Buffalo to 7 points and shutting out Cleveland for 3 quarters is the reason the Ravens are 2-0. What is comforting for Raven fans is that defense travels. It is realistic to say that the Ravens will have a chance to win every game they play. Beating them will take a very good team playing very well and getting the breaks (i.e. officiating). Of course there is the gambling influence which bought the officiating crew in the Jags-Packers game and stole the win from the Jags with 16 bad calls favoring the Packers. After that fiasco every one that cares about NFL football should be screaming for a federal investigation of all officiating individuals including bank accounts, personal surveillance, all phone records and all known contacts. Letting the mob pay these refs to fix games should be targeted and eliminated. The mob guys have a term for this they have used for the last 30 years..."buying a whistle" and I state this from personal knowledge. The problem is that Goodell and the owners are complicit in the process and share in the profits....no matter how clean they claim to be. Certain games are fixed and fans have to suffer the disgrace.

Give credit to Flacco for schooling Trestman and letting his guys make the plays they needed to make to win the game. I really think Joe's time with Kubiak has made him a better QB that will refuse to be limited by any OC.
But one thing is not being mentioned in the posts I have read. The Raven defense is Bad To The Bone. They are bigger, faster and more physically dominating so much that their opponents can't handle it so far. The front seven goes 12 deep without any drop off in talent. They are physically punishing people and leaving teams with serious injury problems. What they did to McGowen left him useless after the first quarter. IMO that punishment negated the Browns ability to score and allowed them to pitch a shutout the last 3 quarters. Every team that plays the Ravens will be hard pressed to win their game the following week. The lack of any significant injuries the Ravens have suffered so far is due to the fact that they are bigger and more physically dominating, specifically in the front seven. Urban, Jernigan, Williams, Suggs, Pierce, Guy, and Mosely are just beasts up front. The talent and depth in the front seven is the best in the NFL.
They may lose some games they shouldn't but that is commonplace in the NFL. I have a bad feeling about this Jacksonville game. But in the long run they are going to have a really good season and have the roster to make a deep playoff run.
Winning close games and coming from behind to win on the road is the mark of a team with superior talent and superior coaching. And special teams usually makes the difference. So their first 2 wins mean a lot.
If they can eke out a win against a very good Jags team I will be very impressed. The Jags beat Green Bay but the refs stole the game from them....plain and simple. The NFL acknowledged 16 calls that went against the Jags that should not have. Somebody bought that officiating crew, someone who had big money on the Packers. It's a shame that gambling can influence a game like that but it's a fact of life. The Jags are better than Cleveland and Buffalo and beating them at their place will be very difficult.

With the salary cap and good overall parity across the league, it's often the little things that make the difference in wins versus losses. That being the case, it looks like the Raven's special teams may be the difference in a lot of games this year.
This may not be necessary though if the offensive line improves and we can generate a running game. Once we have reliable pass protection and a running game this will be a very tough team to beat. I really hope the return of Urschel (who IMO should take over immediately at center) will allow this to happen.

  2 hours ago, sami said:

So Elvis's return is in his foot's hands?

I see what you did there. :D

Very funny!

The defense in general has been very good. This is a tougher, faster defense than last year. The front seven is deep and really good. The play of Pierce, Judon, Urban and Jernigan is exceptional. Getting Dumervil back will probably give us the deepest, strongest and most talented front seven in the NFL. The play of Orr was IMO the unexpected and critical piece of the puzzle to turn this into a top defense.
Getting Dixon back could help but IMO the return of Urschel and his insertion at center will help the entire offensive line. God knows they need some help. Zuttah's play has been uninspiring.
Once the Raven's can generate a run game they will be a really tough team to beat.

There are a lot of ways to win in the NFL but coming back from 20 point deficits, on the road, to a division rival is definitely not one of them.
The ability of the Raven's defense to shut out the Browns for three quarters was exceptional and allowed the team a chance to win the game. This performance was so clutch that it has to be encouraging for the team's future. IMO this looks like one of the top defenses in the league and may take them a long way this season.
The offensive line needs to improve their performance. I don't know what the answer is but hopefully it is just taking time for the 2 rookies to get up to speed and for the line to gel as a unit. It is clear that with the return of Pitta and the play of Wallace we have all the play makers that Flacco needs to have a pretty good offense. But he needs protection and a running game to make this an upper level offense.
The addition of Hester and the play of Tucker gives us the best special teams group in the league.
This team has potential for a deep playoff run. Knock on wood when seeing that our injury status is negligible. We have a tough game in Jacksonville this week and I will be glad to eke out a 3 point win.
But there is nothing better than being 2-0 after 2 weeks into the season.

Getting out of Cleveland with a win is all that really matters. There were a lot of bright spots despite the dismal 1st quarter. The return of Pitta is a real shot in the arm. The shut down performance by the D in the last 50 minutes was exceptional. The emergence of Pierce bolsters an already deep and strong front seven. The secondary is greatly improved from last year. Special teams play was outstanding. Tucker was money and Hester looked great.
IMO the offensive line and the running game need to improve but they should be able to step up in the weeks to come.
This team still looks good to me. They have time to work on and improve the areas of weakness and doing it while 2-0 is a luxury.

The Browns aren't even close to the worst team in the league and will probably win 6 or 7 games this year. They are young, fast and talented.
But to go down by 20 in the first quarter was ridiculous. It was a "perfect storm" situation and hopefully won't happen again.
But to comeback from 20 points on the road against a division opponent was pretty special and required some very good football. The defense played shut out ball which was exceptional. Tucker was money, again. And Flacco did enough to win in the end.
The game also exposed several weaknesses in the Raven team. Specifically the offensive line and the running game need to improve.
But we also can take comfort in the fact that we have a very good defense and have added many quality players through the draft and FA. Pierce, Weddle, Wallace and Orr have been making unexpectedly big contributions. The return of Pitta is huge.
Being 2-0 is really important. Having no significant injuries is wonderful.
I said before the game I would be happy to eke out a 3 point win in Cleveland so I'm overjoyed at a 5 point win. Winning on the road is the sign of a good NFL team. Now we have to go to Jacksonville and do it again. This will be another nail biter and again I will be ecstatic with a 3 point win.

Ten minutes.......down 18 then win 23-0 the remaining 50 minutes. Shutting out any team in the NFL for 50 minutes when you absolutely must is quite a feat. Hope we don't rely on that type of performance too often. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the Browns win 6 or 7 games this year.

This article is about Pees on the field so my comments will address that subject. Obviously Pees communicated better and his play calling reflected the improved communication. He got a better feel of what the players felt were their strengths and where they had an advantage. This makes so much common sense it is almost unbelievable that he didn't seek this information as a routine practice. After watching the Bills and the Jets I'm impressed with the shutdown job the defense did. Taylor, Watkins and McCoy are a pretty talented trio and left Baltimore with nothing talk about. Their only score was on a broken play thatn could easily have been a sack.
Watching a very talented Jets team makes me wonder how the heck Cincy beat them. I think the Jets would win the Cincy game 9 out of 10 times. It tells me Cincy is better than most realize and Pittsburgh may be in big trouble this weekend without a defense. They survived Washington due to the Redskins self destruction via penalties and some pretty favorable officiating.
I love our matchup with Pittsburgh. Smith will shut Brown down once again and our front seven will stop the run and keep Ben running for his life. This is why we have beaten them 4 out of 5 times in the last 2 years. We are deeper and stronger at every position on the offensive line and defensive front seven. Our secondary is light years ahead of their embarrassing back end.
But I hate our matchup with Cincy. They are strong where we are strong. One or two bad calls in their favor could make the difference and that makes me uncomfortable.
Once our offensive line gets it together (and they will) we should be much more effective. But for now, not committing any turnovers should suffice. That was they key stat in the win over buffalo....NO Turnovers. In the long run I don't see how anyone can stop Air Flacco with the weapons he has. Wallace, Perriman, Smith, Aiken, Moore, Pitta, Gilmore and Williams are the best group of receivers in Raven history. Forsett, West, Dixon and Allen are the best group of RBs we have ever had. I don't know how Juice gets on the field.....injuries??
No one is really giving due credit to the incredible defensive performance we put on last Sunday. The emergence of Orr and Wright to play at such a high level answered the 2 biggest pre game question marks on the defense. Plus the exceptional play of Pierce and Judon makes this one of, if not the, top defense in the NFL. Also, lets not overlook the healthy return of Suggs, His ability to play well and lead the defense cannot be overestimated. And Weddle made everybody in the secondary play at a higher level, especially Webb. Every OC in the NFL that saw the film on Orr was overly impressed. Watching Wright was almost surreal. This is a defense without a weakness. And the depth in the front seven is the best in the NFL.
My realistic hope is that we sweep the Steelers (again) and split with Cincy. It should come down to overall record between us and Cincy for the AFC North title.
But I hate to say that I will be happy if we eke out a 3 point win in Cleveland. Such is the nature of the NFL

This game was good in that we won. A win is a win in this league, we learned that last year.
But I'm left wondering if we will be a playoff team. The only real things that were established were 1) Wright is a pretty good starting corner 2) Wallace will add some spark to the offense and 3) the front seven is just as tough as was expected.
The offensive line clearly needs to play better for the offense to reach it's potential. Trestman needs to call a better game....he was lackluster at best.
One thing that will hopefully become a trend is that Pees will continue to call an aggressive game now that he has the talent to do so. The third down pressure the Raven's applied was good to see.
I don't look forward to the Raven's trying to eke out a win in Cleveland but will be happy if they do.

What may be true is that Buffalo has a really good team. Ryan put together an excellent defense with one of the top secondaries in the league. They have a lot of play makers on offense as well.
This game was like a chess match. The performance by the Raven defense was impressive and bodes well for the team's success this year. The offense was up against a very strong defense yet did what was necessary to get and keep the lead.
We lose this game last year. I'm very happy that we showed the talent and determination to come out of this game with a victory. IMO Ryan will get this team into the playoffs and NE should be sweating.

I agree that it doesn't seem in our best interest right now to have cut Brooks or Butler. But neither was going to start. Butler would only figure if both Perriman and Smith go out but we have Waller coming back in week 4. He has more potential to not only start but star in this league. Brooks is more questionable to me. I have to assume the coaches and Ozzie think that he was less able than Tavon Young, Levine, Lewis, Wright, Powers and Davis. IMO Kendrick Lewis should have been cut instead of Brooks. They also must feel that Webb and Weddle will hold up and do well on the back end. If all these assumptions are correct then they did the right thing to cut Brooks....time will tell.
I'm far more interested in knowing how much Gilmore and Smith,Sr. will play. If they are full speed then I really like our chances.
I'm not worried about left guard because I believe Harbaugh can figure out who is the best between Urschel, Lewis, or Jensen....all should play well in the company of Stanley, Yanda and Wagner. IMO, Wagner's healthy return is exceedingly important. We didn't have anyone that could replace him except Hurst and i think that is a significant drop in talent. I hope Zuttah is healthy and doesn't get pushed all over the field....Urschel better be healthy if Zuttah is under performing or this could negatively impact our offense significantly.
It would be really great to see Urban step up and show some the domination that has been long expected. If he does then our front 3 of Williams, Jernigan and Urban could be one of the best in football. God knows they are big enough. I like Z. Smith to establish himself as a premier linebacker this year....the kid is just plain good. But I am praying that the coaches haven't overestimated the ability of McClellan and Orr. Both will be called on to play big roles in the defense and could easily make or break the defensive success we need. Again,.....time will tell.
Any production from Judon, Moore or Henry will just be a bonus, and a welcome one at that.
But the guy everyone is overlooking this year is Flacco. IMO he will have a record year and throw at least 4 TD passes against the Bills to lead the Ravens in a rout......44-17.

All of this has to do with backup players that will only play in the event of injury. Still it was pretty slick. I'm still surprised about letting Brooks go...he seemed like he was starting to develop. I was disappointed to see that Brown couldn't beat out Orr or McClellan for the ILB job....I didn't expect either Brown or Brooks to be a bust.but I guess that is the case. The bumper crop Ozzie got in this year's draft softens the blow from these two misses.

This was a pretty slick move by the Ravens and they counted on a player with character to pull it off. Hopefully it will benefit the team as the season plays out. It's good to see Forsett back because they were to thin @ RB with Dixon being out for 3-4 weeks. I give Ozzie credit for some creative thinking in order to accomplish his goals. It was necessary because they got a bumper crop in this year's draft. Looks like 2 rookies might start ( Stanley and Lewis ) and 5 others will see significant playing time ( Moore, Dixon, Judon, Henry and Correa). That's a big shot in the arm at least from a depth perspective. I can't think of any other team that did this well in this year's draft
i really like the way this roster has come together and am cautiously optimistic for the Ravens to return to playoffs.

They will keep Butler, especially considering that Campanaro is so darn fragile. I actually think they will keep 7 WRs and a total of 26 on the offense
What will be interesting is when Waller returns. I think his spot will determined by injuries. I guess the same applies to Boyle. Everyone else must be holding their breath on Perriman like I am.

Hensley is pretty close but IMO they will keep Josh Johnson, Buck Allen and Hurst...3 QBs, 5 RBs, 7 WRs, 3 TEs and 8 OLs (26)
I also think they will keep KLM and cut Elam, Carter and Kendrick Lewis..that's 7 DL, 8 LBs and 9 in the secondary. (24).
IMO Campanaro will be holding Waller's place and injuries will determine if Boyle has a place when he returns from suspension.
I can't see them letting the Steelers or Cowboys get their hands on Johnson for free.

If T Sizzle says the boy can play....you best believe it. Once Suggs gives you the nod then you are a part of, and expected to perform. He didn't endorse any one else like he did Judon. It's really crazy how the Ravens get these small school standouts that just jump in and kill it in the NFL. That's 2 in the last 3 years....Williams and Judon. Ozzie and his people are just way above the rim when it comes to evaluating talent.

You said McPhee....you mean Smith.
If Cleveland let Kruger go it means he lost the edge he needed and developed while a Raven. When he left Balt he was done playing in the NFL and just took his payday. He was never an individual force but was an effective part of a well oiled machine. His personal achievements were the product of many of his teammates efforts. But if someone wants to pay him like they were due to his overwhelming skills, can you blame him for not disagreeing. Part of the reason Cleveland is a loser is they don't know this is a team game....they overpay excessively and repetetively for players that cant make a difference by themselves.......i.e. Terrell Suggs.
Speaking of which, the Ravens should be soundly slapped on the back for the Ronnie Stanley pick. At number 6 they grabbed the best 1st rounder in the draft.
He is a repeat of their Ogden pick. Putting him on the same offensive line with Yanda will make our offense much more productive. They are both road graders and stone walls in protection. THANK YOU OZZIE for great judgement. If Perriman comes through this year like expected, people will once again consider you the wizard of Oz. You are a HOF general manager just for your ability to judge talent.

What I am feeling real optimistic about is seeing Perriman line it up. He is a mismatch nightmare and will draw a lot of attention. Try and single cover this dude and Flacco should air it out. There are no corners in the NFL that can run with him. That should open it up for Smith Wallace and Aiken, not to mention Gilmore and Pitta.
This is the most talented group of receivers Joe has ever had and probably the best in Raven history. With what looks to be a dominating offensive line and at least 2 (3 with Dixon) very fast scat backs that can catch the ball it seems that Joe just needs to read the defense correctly for good results.
If these guys don't put up 30 a game then we need to fire Trestman at once.

Come Sept. 11...911...Williams and Pitta as well as Gilmore will be ready to go. Harbaugh already clearly said he wants pre season games eliminated. Think he hasn't found a reason to keep these guys in the wings waiting for Buffalo.
He had to play Flacco but he knew that was minimal risk and that he is as healthy as he has ever been. Plus with Josh J. and Mallet he probably feels we are deeper than any other NFL team at QB. IMO the ravens will keep 3 QBs this year due to the outstanding play of Johnson......if we cut him the Steelers will take him instantly. Can't have that.
What I can't wait to see is Perriman line it up. This guy may be "uncoverable". He will draw such a big part of the coverage that Wallace, Aiken and Smith should have a field day. It's hard to put a price on Joe's big arm and the threat it poses to defenses with these receivers. I may be the only one that sees this but this is a lethal offense. With a road grader offensive line and 3 fast scat backs, not to mention 2 of the top 5 TE's in the NFL, they should put up 30 by the 3rd Q against anybody.
I just put $100 on them to win the whole thing at 35 to 1 odds. If they stay healthy no one will ever get those odds again.

This is a huge development for the Raven's D. To have this guy show he can play well at the NFL level gives us some quality depth where we need it most....LB. Now that Suggs has emerged from the shadows in great form, the addition of Judon and Correa give us a very strong LB group. We already have a top 5 defensive front and a very good secondary so this defense should make the difference in close games and be one of the better units in the NFL.
Couple this with an offense which IMO will be the best the Ravens have ever had and I see us winning a lot of games. IMO West and eventually Dixon will be more effective than Forsett which is incredible. Hard to say this but when Dixon returns I don't even see Allen making the active roster. Once Waller and Boyle are active I don't see Juice here anymore either.
This is by far the best receiver group we have ever and if Perriman stays healthy it will be a lethal passing game. The offensive line looks like top 5.... Stanley was the pick of the draft and the rookie from Nebraska looks like he deserves to start at left guard. That leaves 2 starters from last year offensive line as backups.....what depth!
A healthy Raven's team will be a nightmare to face. They are so deep with talent due to the return of IR players that it really irritates me we will have to cut some of these guys and the Steelers may get them. The Steelers are so devoid of talent I hate to even give them one of our guys (except Elam).
Here are the guys that will make a big difference this year: Stanley, Perriman, Wallace. Weddle. Correa, and Judon. These guys represent a big upgrade in talent from last years team.
Buffalo is in for a shock in week one. We may beat them by 30.