pangefous52

So release the best player by far on the Ravens defense? Are you perhaps a fan of another team who really wants an elite CB? Otherwise, I don't really think you watched the Ravens play that much because he carried that secondary. He is hurt...a lot. I'm torn with Jimmy Smith. He didn't have much production last season, and I know that's just as much about QB's not throwing his way as it is any other factor. But I would almost rather have two better-than-average CB's on the field for an entire season than one elite CB that runs the risk of riding the pine for a good portion of it. I struggle with JS...I like him as a player, but he's like Leveon Bell in my opinion. Amazing athletes, top tier at their positions...but just as likely to be a game time scratch as they are to play.

He led the league in catches (for Tight Ends) with 86, but only managed 8.5 yards a catch and 2 touchdowns with 4 plays of 20+ yards and none over 40. Travis Kelce had 85 catches, averaged 13.5 yards per play, had 4 touchdowns and 14 plays of +20 yards, with 4 at plus 40. Based on the way their contracts work out, Pitta will make slightly more than Kelce...seems a bit silly to me. Pitta has lost his edge, and his play-making is showing it. Not to mention the lingering hip worries. Imagine losing him in the first or second game this season...then it's dead money either way.

Holding calls slow the game down even more than PI. I've seen some unbelievably bad calls on players that wouldn't even impact the play...causing a loss of 10 yards and replay of down...and stifling the momentum of the drive. The refs are guilty of really bad judgment, in a lot of PI, holding and illegal contact calls.

2016: Drove his team down the field in Pittsburgh and scored the go-ahead touchdown that our defense crapped on the next Steelers possession, that possibly cost us a playoff spot and the division. Threw for over 4000 yards (for the first time in his career) and kept his team in a position to win games with one of the worst ground games in the NFL (ranked 28th). Had the highest completion percentage of his career (64.9%). Finished the season with an 8-8 record after coming back from reconstructive knee surgery, changing OC's mid-season, and having his (aged) number one wide receiver out for a good part of the season. Based on his completion percentage alone, which has been creeping up each year...you can argue he's getting better. Granted, we had to throw it a lot because our ground game sucked. I guess I'm just not ready to close the door on Joe just yet. I think he is a talented QB that could/will win the team another ring. We can come back to this conversation in a few years and you can rub it in my face if he just implodes over the next few seasons, but I'm optimistic.

I think everyone is a little off base where Joe Flacco is concerned. The problem is with the term "elite". We, as Ravens fans, need to drop the term completely from our vocabulary. He's not elite. Neither are the QB's for most NFL teams. What we need to consider; where Joe ranks in terms of current QB's in the league, compare his career path, and weigh the pros and cons. -Joe Flacco is the only QB in the AFC to start (and win) in a Superbowl in the last 14 years that wasn't either Tom Brady, Big Ben or Peyton Manning. Considering Peyton did it with 2 teams, that leaves 11 AFC teams that haven't hoisted the Lombardi trophy in that span. Oddly enough, the last AFC team to do it prior to Brady, Ben and Manning was...the Ravens...in 2001. Get this; you have to go back to 1984 to find an AFC team that won the Superbowl that wasn't the Patriots, Steelers, Broncos, Colts or Ravens. 32 freaking years since the LA Raiders won!!! Joe Flacco has a proven record in the playoffs. He also managed a crucial drive this year, in Pittsburgh, that realistically should have won the game (and possibly division) if the defense had not Crap the bed. -With Peyton Manning retired, Big Ben considering retirement (and honestly, Flacco is kind of owning Big Ben recently), that leaves Tom Brady as the QB to beat in the AFC. And Joe has beaten Brady twice in the playoffs IN Foxboro. We have owned the Steelers recently (6 of 9 since 2013 with a playoff win in there). With the rag-tag crew of receivers we had this year, he beat Ben once, was within a score of Brady, and lost to Ben by an outstretched arm. To me, you can't put a price tag on composure, which Flacco has against these guys. If Tom Brady were to win this year, and then retire along with Big Ben, who would be the Ravens main competition in the AFC? -Ravens fans are used to making the playoffs, and we've gotten spoiled. How consistent is Dalton in the Playoffs? The Texans? The Chiefs? Not a whole lot of winning in that group. Flacco has had an inconsistent support system around him, and the carousel of OC's has got to stop for him to develop into the passer he has the potential to be. I think what a lot of fans fail to realize, is that Joe has put our team in the position to win a lot of games, and our defense has let us down. Granted, more consistent play from Joe could potentially negate our less-than-stellar secondary, but if your QB scores a go-ahead TD with less than a couple minutes to play...and you can't stop their team from scoring...that's hardly the QB's fault. You can argue all you want that Joe makes too much money, that he's not consistent enough, etc. But when it comes down to brass tacks, there's only a handful of consistent QB's in the league, and an even smaller class of QB's that are consistent when it matters...in the playoffs. Given the option, there's only 4 or 5 QB's in the league I'd consider over Flacco. Brady, Rodgers, Brees and (possibly) Derek Carr or Matt Ryan. Other than that, every team is struggling with inconsistency at QB...and have no hardware to show for it. Andrew Luck? Andy Dalton? Ryan Tannehill? Tyrod Taylor? Come on guys, our position is a lot more solid than 80 to 90% of the league. We are a couple key guys away from being back on top while it looks like the Bengals unraveled this year, and it looks like the Steelers are headed that way. Take a deep breath my friends. The AFC north is ripe for the taking, and we are poised to be that team. Peace.

What I remember most is how horribly bad Matt Elam's tackling was (which accounted for at least 2 touchdowns in that game). Seeing Weddle come up and make some big hits and how active Shareece was in getting after the QB makes me feel like we have a much better secondary than we did in that playoff game.

I really hope Perriman stays healthy. That kid is going to spread out some defenses.

The one play I'd have changed is the play the front office made to sign Elvis Grbac. Other than that, it's a revisionist history. I love the brief 20 year history of this team...and while I'd love to have a couple more rings, we are a top 3 franchise in football over the last 10 years. 8 playoff appearances and a superbowl win...are you kidding me? You might argue Patriots, Seahawks, Green Bay or New York, but we are on par or better than each of those teams...in my humble Purple opinion...GO RAVENS!!!