Maryland

Maxx seems to be the primary blocking TE. He's already made a big leap in that aspect. Not sure if he'll ever become a good receiving threat though, not if he can't get separation.

I don't see why everyone is talking about Urschel or Jensen as the magical solution to Zuttah. Are we forgetting how badly Jensen was getting pushed back on some plays in preseason? He's probably not going to be much better than Zuttah, if he's better at all. Urschel is probably seen as a backup guard and 3rd-string center behind Jensen, looking at the preseason snaps.

On defense, I foresee Wright getting picked on a lot, Webb being slow to provide help on deep balls, and a lot of frustrating near-sacks. On offense, I foresee a lot of passing, and a lot of runs that get disrupted by pressure up the middle by Malik Jackson. We're going to need to win in a high-scoring shootout. Our pass-rushers are going to need to play out of their minds to mask a struggling secondary.

And I agree with the original point of this thread: going full-prevent when you're only up 7 or less is not the best strategy. I think it's better to keep playing the defensive scheme that you were playing--the defense that shut them out for the previous 2 quarters and 13 min--for just a little longer. Pees' 2-minute defense worked this time, but the Browns were going to have some shots to the endzone were it not for a penalty. I understand the logic of preventing the big play and allowing the opposing offense to use time completing easy underneath routes, but the DBs either need to tighten-up just a little or Pees needs to initiate his current prevent defense just a little later, since it's too soft to stop competent teams from getting into scoring range with 2 minutes left. What Pees does do well, however, is blitz a minimum of 4 guys during his 2-minute defense. Sending 3 is an automatic surrendering of a completion, whereas sending 4 actually can generate some pressure, and he understands this. Pees isn't the only one to do this though. A lot of DCs get too conservative on defense to end games. Dom Capers actually makes Pees look like an awesome end-game DC by comparison when you see the way he ends games, sending 3 and giving the softest coverage you'll ever see.

In general, our pass-rushers need to finish their pressures by getting sacks. I know not every pressure can be a sack, but it seems like it's happening too often that a guy gets all over the QB without actually getting the sack, and then the QB gets a pass off (in each game so far, at least 1 very deep pass completion off a slipped sack). I would like to see Trestman run a higher percentage of plays under center. There was one situation in particular where snapping the ball under center for a play-action pass would have been perfect. It was on our final set of downs before settling for the the field goal instead of a game-ending TD. After getting some successful runs on their defense and being in an obvious run situation, a play-action pass would have been perfect on first down, since everyone expects another run. Instead, Trestman predictably ran out of the shotgun for no gain. Situational football needs to be improved. Forsett needs to stay in-bounds on our final drive of the game to take the clock down to the 2-min warning (or force a timeout). Wright needs to protect the sideline when playing prevent defense--that missed tackle was just inexcusable. I questioned eschewing the field goal early in the game for a failed 4th down attempt. I never like the idea of doing this from the 30-ish yard line, since, even if you convert the down, it's hardly a sure-thing you score a TD anyway (there's still a lot of yards to go). It was way too early in the game to be chasing points; a field goal makes it a 2-possession game. But I know to expect this from Harbaugh--that's his MO, and I'm ok with it. It seems to work more in his favor than against. I find it unlikely that Correa is a worse pass-rusher than Albert McClellan. McClellan is average at best at getting pressure, but Pees had him out there for every snap (I think) on the Browns' final drive. It's almost like they're sitting Correa just on principle. Surely we have a better edge-rusher than McClellan. Even Carter is probably better. As an Orioles fan, watching Wright play CB reminds me of watching Ubaldo pitch--he's either really good or really bad.

From RSR There was a 3rd and short where he gave up a 1st down on a rec by... Hawkins (?) but it seemed like a good play design by Hue, and a very difficult assignment for Jimmy. And I just have to assume it's coaching if guys are playing too far behind the sticks on third down, but I'm sure it's on the players too, at least some of the time.

If someone still has PFF, I'd like to know his yards per passing route run, if possible (not sure if that's a premium stat now). All I can glean from PFR is snap counts and targets, but you can't know how many of those were passing plays. Week 1: 21 snaps, 2 targets, 1 rec Week 2: 31 snaps, 5 targets, 2 rec Just wondering how efficient he is per passing route run.

In reference to the 3rd almost-INT, Joe has always had a penchant for chucking it deep for a jump-ball instead of taking a sack. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I think they dumped Torrey Smith and drafted Perriman for situations like this. Torrey would rarely break-up an INT, but Perriman has shown the ability to fight for 50/50 balls and break-up a would be INT (even though he failed to do that in the endzone on INT#2). We might be seeing more of these contested jump-balls, for better or worse.

Elvis Dumervil could return this week... or he could return next week... or the week after that... who knows. Seems like one of those weekly injury stories like what we had /w Perriman last year, meaning I'd rather just not hear about him until he's actually practicing.

I dislike Pees because he coaches the DBs to generally always play too far off in coverage, but he coached a good game today. The 1st quarter failures were mostly on the players for not making plays. Wright was absolutely awful, easily the worst performer on the team today. Jimmy gave up a bad 3rd and long completion by not defending the line to go. Webb was... where was Webb? I like Pees because he really does get creative with blitzes at times and he's not afraid to send it; he usually understands that blitzing 4 is much more effective than sending 3 late-game; and he seems to do well vs the run for different reasons (mostly because he prioritizes stopping the run, but also because it's easier to pass on his weaker secondaries). He does have a problem with abandoning his game-plan during the final drive of a game and going full prevent-nothing defense, but a lot of coaches do that. It's a league-wide philosophical problem imo. Teams like the Vikings and Broncos have multiple high draft picks and big-name FAs invested in their secondaries, and it's paying off--they have great secondaries. In contrast, since the SB, we have not spent money well in the secondary, and our DB draft picks have busted. If the Ravens want to improve their secondary, then they need to acquire better talent, ideally through the draft (though Weddle is a nice FA addition). Scheme is only part of the problem. We haven't had the personnel to field a good secondary, not when Jimmy is hurt and not playing up to his contract, not when Webb is hurt and not playing up to his contract, and not when fielding a bunch of discarded DBs from other teams. The best way to improve this secondary is to spend draft picks on improving it, which is something we haven't done well lately. Yeah, Pees plays his corners too far off, but he hasn't exactly had a stellar secondary to work with, either.

We hit McCown a TON, but it was always just a fraction of a second late. Maybe with a healthy Doom and Sizzle those hits become incompletions or sacks

Pierce is having the hottest start of any UDFA I've ever seen (granted, I don't go around studying everyone's UDFAs every year, but Doug Baldwin was a huge impact his rookie year, and that's the best I can remember). He destroyed Cam Erving, who, granted, is a bust, but he also blew by Bitonio for a sack, and he's one of the best guards in the league. He is one of those rare nose tackles who can help as a pass-rusher (though he's been used more as a DT I think). He might not stop the run like B.Williams, but Pierce has got the pass rush skills that he lacks. If he keeps up this pace, he'll have to be in the conversation for Def. Rookie of the Year--a rare thing for an interior DL, and unheard of for a UDFA. He has to keep it up though and not hit that rookie wall.

Michael Pierce is having the most dominant season of any UDFA I've ever seen, and one of the most dominant performances of any Raven rookie to my memory. Amazing that this guy went undrafted--he looks like a 1st round pick out there, even beating one of the best guards in the league, Bitonio, for a huge sack.

My prediction: I think it'll be a high-scoring game tomorrow with a lot of passing and frustrating defensive showings for both teams. Ravens will prevail in the end though, getting good pressure on McCown on the final drive of the game to force a turnover on downs for the win.

Ben seems to have really improved himself after turning 30. His best season was at age 32. Though, you could also attribute much of that to the team around him improving mightily with the rise of Brown and Bell, and the hiring of a new OC.

You ruined my reverse-jinx with your regular jinx. Now we're back to square one

I'll never forget drafting him in fantasy for $1 (auction league), dropping him just before his big game, and then buying him back off waivers for $15 ($100 waiver budget for the year) lol

Torrey exploded in week 2 after doing nothing week 1, iirc That's a good historical comparison, I hope

I'm thinking they play Carter more than Correa on obvious pass-rush situations, but maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

Bills +1 @ Browns +1 It'll be close; the secondary gets exposed, and the run-game struggles, but they win in a shoot-out @ Jaguars +.5 High-powered passing game could give the Ravens' secondary problems. I see this as a 50/50 shootout, last one with the ball wins Raiders +1 Same as above, but vs. a lesser defense, and it's at Baltimore. Ravens should win this. Redskins +1 I really don't think the Redskins have anything more than an average offense, and their defense is kind of bad despite their CBs. Ravens should win this @ Giants +.5 Giants improved themselves on defense, but they still look average at best. Their passing game could give us problems if our pass-rush fizzles. Comes down to the last possession @ Jets +.5 If the Ravens' OL handles the Jets' DL, then the Ravens win. Both teams have shaky secondaries and good passing games. Steelers +.5 I expect to split with them on the year Browns +1 @ Cowboys +.5 Their defense is awful vs the pass and run, but their offense looks intimidating on paper. Seems like this could be a shootout. Bengals +.5 I expect to split with the Bengals on the season despite recent history. Dolphins +1 Flacco owns the Dolphins (he's undefeated in 5 games iirc). @ Patriots +0 Seems like the Ravens should lose this game, but that's not to say I give us zero chance to win--Ravens are one of the few teams that actually does okay in Foxborough. Eagles +1 Ravens usually do well against rookie QBs. Eagles have a decent DL and LB corps, but their secondary is bad, and so is their offense. @ Steelers +.5 I expect to split on the year @ Bengals- +.5 I expect to split on the year Total: 11 wins, though 10 or 9 seems more realistic, since a lot of those 50/50 games come on the road. And really all of this comes down to attrition anyway. Some of those end of the schedule teams could be decimated by the time we play them. Or we could be decimated lol. A fun game nonetheless.

I'm expecting Chris Carter to get more snaps at rush-LB on passing downs than Correa at this point. Harbs seems like the type to value experience over potential when giving his backups playing time.

I'm know I'm just going to say the same ones as everyone else, but Perriman and Dixon are two obvious choices. If they can get/stay healthy, then each should demand more snaps as the season progresses--they're just too talented. However, it's easier to call with younger and/or injured players, since they have so much room for improvement. I guess, just to be different, I'll mention Tavon Young as my 3rd pick. He seemed to be the #3 CB if week 1 was an indicator of the future--I'm thinking that experience will help him as the season progresses.

We are 6.5 point road-favorites. I hate it when we're big road favorites, seems like we disappoint far too often in that position. I'm thinking of Oakland last year and the Jaguars on MNF a few years before that.

Honestly, if you're going to take anything away from that game, it's how much the Jets tested the Bills' lack of safety help down-field. Our offense could have thrown deep more frequently week 1, but they chose not to. They seemed to be much more conservative the second half.

Does anyone know what he had done to his foot anyway? That in and of itself seems to be as big of a mystery as his prognosis for return.