sibelius

Probably more indicative of the fact that the weak links on the line are C and RG.

I'm putting this on Joe. It's clear at this point in his career that the OC still has way too much say over what he does on the field. Joe should know the playbook. Joe should be able to read the defense and make the right call in late game situations. I almost threw up when I was watching the presser and he said "Marty is giving me another touchdown." What the heck?? You're a QB with 9 years in the league...take some freaking ownership of the playbook. I've come to realize that Flacco simply isn't a bright guy. All the physical talent in the world (much moreso than a guy like Brady), but he just doesn't have enough going on upstairs to overcome mediocre coordinators and bad play calls. We need a young, cerebral OC that can grow here for the rest Joe's career. I still think we can make it happen this year with a firmer hand from Harbaugh, but moving forward we need a stud at OC if we're going to be a consistently dominant team.

The drafts have been lean? There are two starters on this defense that didn't begin their career as Ravens...Weddle and Dumervil. Wha? In terms of the next Rah Rah guy, don't sleep on Judon. If you watch his college pregame tape you'll see a guy that doesn't shy from being a team's heartbeat. I think in 2 years once Sizzle and Doom pass the torch, Mosley will be the leader but Judon will bring the noise.

The cognitive dissonance must be brutal. You're a D fan. Your D is #1. Yes, sadly, the DC gets a lot of credit for that. Weddle and Frazier work for Pees. They both chose to do so. Let's enjoy it.

This needs to be a statement game for Powers. He is the weak link the secondary (not a flat out liability like an Elam, Melvin, or Wright), but he needs to prove that he belongs on the best defense in the league.

well done

Factor in that he has at least 2 national spotlight moments left, plus any potential playoff success, and it's not a stretch to see him getting a top contract offer from someone next year if he continues performing at his current level. If he starts getting sacks, forget about it.

I think weather plays into our favor because I don't care who's playing for the Patriots, there isn't a team in the league that can match the physicality or intensity of the Ravens. When it's bitter and cold out, that intensity chips away at the psyche. Adam Gase on the game: "I called my friends around the league leading up to the game and they all complained about how their offense plays against them." The Patriots hate playing us not because we can beat them, we beat them because they hate playing us. It hurts. Let's go.

I'm hoping this year is what we thought we would have post '14 was going to be — the year it becomes the Joe Flacco offense and not a set scheme. That way we can keep Marty and let him be what Tom Moore was for Manning...a savvy offensive mind that would give sound input and develop gameplans but ultimately defer to the QB for execution.

Their running game has been better, but the ceiling for ours is much much higher. I think we'll see a glimpse of that Monday. Dixon is going to put their LBs on skates.

We can agree to disagree. In my view you're just flat out wrong here -- condescension notwithstanding.

Urban and Guy, for sure.

Agree. Some of the names are debatable but overall this is clearly an front office with a winning method. We just need to sit back and enjoy the blessing.

Agree. You can legitimately knock the FO for reaching on Upshaw, Elam and Brown, misjudging Monroe's character, the Rice debacle, and repeated FA blunders in the secondary (i.e. K. Lewis, K. Arrington, M. Huff, etc.). Beyond that they've been straight up maestros in rebuilding this team for the end of Reed/Lewis' career and the years following whilst remaining competitive and built for the long haul.

That's similar to the baseball hitter's argument (i.e. McGwire, Bonds, etc.) that PEDs can't give you better hand-eye coordination. No, but they can turn pop-ups/foul balls into homers, they can give you more opportunities at the plate that you wouldn't have had otherwise, and over time those advantages will be reflected in your stats. The Patriots have a baseline of practices that they use to create a competitive advantage and then compound that with superior organizational talent that puts them over the top. Thought Experiment: Take every game the Pats won by a score or less in the Brady/Belichick era prior to 2016 and make half of them Ls. You're looking at a very different narrative around that franchise. No one is saying they are not generational talent. We are saying that they clearly are willing to flat out cheat to gain an edge and it has contributed to their W/L record. If not, they wouldn't be doing it.