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.

Well that's why Weddle is leaning on Webb so much. You saw in his presser that he's trying to convey the concepts to Webb and get him up to speed as quickly as possible because he does have the range to make those gambles (see: Tannehill interception). There aren't many safeties in the history of the league that can make that play. To diagnose the pass, disguise the coverage on the opposite hash, and then have the athleticism to beat a receiver like Devante Parker (4.4 speed) to the spot is an All-World safety play. That's the type of play that makes QBs start to question throwing at all. Then they start writing your name on their wrist ;).

I was just thinking batted passes will be a factor as well. I could see us with Urban and Guy in on early downs to turn the short throws into long throws. Then we pin our ears back. The best part is we have versatility on the line so even if they hurry us up we can stay balanced between our ability to stop the run and defense the pass.

I'd say our best "sack-getter" but not our best pass rusher at this point. Suggs is on another level this season. I was watching an interview with Branden Albert (Miami LT) and he was asked if it was disheartening to play against Sizzle and his response was, "He's one of the best pass rushers to ever play this game, but next week is a new game." The way 55 is impacting games this season is underrated.

Pees' defense is predicated on being able to shut down one side of the secondary and ball hawk on the other. It just doesn't work for 4 quarters without a guy like Jimmy. Tavon Young should never be put in position to guard Dez 1v1, if not because of physical mismatch alone then because of the experience differential. Garrett is a smart offensive coach. Once the Dline got a little tired in the middle (thanks to offensive inadequacy) there was no way to stop Dez, Zeke AND Witten. Our only hope was to blitz, but without Jimmy they just ate us up by scheming matchups for Dez/Witten and letting Zeke do his thing. The Raiders had a similar game plan but Young was still on the sharp end of the learning curve and Wright just doesn't have the talent to be anything higher than CB4. If we can add one more competent outside CB3 so we can move Tavon to the slot in 3+ CB situations (and keep the rest of the defense together) I think we'll finally see the rare form of Pees' design.

I'm setting the under at 1 hr until our new friend is banned (although for all the talk about rules, Mods around here let trolls live for a surprisingly long time). If Sunday was a statement game for the passing attack, I expect Monday to be a similar outing for the running game and the ILBs. It's been masked by the increasingly solid play of the secondary and the DL, but Mosley and Orr have been abused in coverage when QBs had time. Guys like Lewis and Bennett will eat them up if they continue to underperform in that aspect. But given the pride and work ethic of the team, combined with the leadership of Suggs in the LB room, I see them being locked in. In terms of the running game, I don't think there's an LB in the league that's ready for Dixon's acceleration and jump cutting ability. Stanley, Zuttah and Ducasse are getting much better each week. I see inside runs early and often. That will open up PA and those "Joe Flacco Moonshots" that Pats Fans fear so much. Except this time they're going to Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman. This is going to be a fun game . I've said it before, but if Harbaugh really wants to have a Chuck Noll-type legacy (or better), this is exactly the kind of moment he needs.

This is a year I'd like to see the Ravens use every cent to retain our guys long term. We've been drafting and developing extremely well and have enough veterans that I don't really see us going after starters in FA.

If anything, I'm encouraged we have a QB that has finally proven that he can do both. He needs to do it against better defenses but a Joe Flacco that can consistently beat you at any level of the field is one something the rest of league wants no parts of.

I'd feel this way if I was just checking scores and not following the team...what does a game from 10 years ago have to do with Monday? All that matters is how we're playing now, and that pretty darn good. I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised by Monday's effort.

One improvement I do want to see is more production from Jernigan. He seems to be doing his disappearing act again. That or I'd like to see us find more ways to get Urban on the field. All he does is make impact plays when given the chance. Brady's quick passing is susceptible to being batted down.

Agree to disagree. The base in Cincinnati is extremely unhappy with Zampese and feel that Dalton has regressed. Hue has a proven track record there, is best friends with Marvin Lewis, and has worked for him on 2 separate occasions. Given that the Bengals are all but guaranteed to kiss the playoffs at this point, if Hue becomes available I think that job opens up in a heartbeat. Hue is also a well known egomaniac and I just don't see Harbaugh bringing him back at this point in his regime.