Which Situation?

[PWNEDbyDEANO]

[i]Say we're down by three or fewer points with less than two minutes left in the game, would you have faith in Flacco leading us down the field. Or, flip that, would you have more faith in the Defense preventing the other team getting the win in that situation.[/i]

I was thinking about which side of our team I would rather see 'in the clutch'. Obviously I would rather we weren't in either position but seeing as it's happened more than once this season I thought I might as well find out your guys' opinions.

Personally I would say the defense. Always better to be sitting with the lead than without it. I know we aren't the immovable object that we always were, but I still think that a great deal of the time we have the players and the mentality to close the tough games out. It's not that I don't have faith in Flacco and the rest of the offense, just more faith in the D.

[Ravensdiciple96]

I personally think it depends on who we are playing. We obviously played that role in the first game at Pittsburgh and the offense came through for us, and actually the defense was in the same scenario to protect that lead with the Lewis pick.

Man that's a tough one to pick, I mean who would ever pick against our defense but then I keep getting flash backs of the Atlanta game. They also stopped Tampa this past game, but I think you can make the argument that Ryan and Freeman are on two totally different playing levels.

I know and we have all seen Joe lead fourth quarter come backs and wins, so we know he and the boys on offense canget it done. But in my heart I have to go with our defense, they may have let us down a few times and lost a game or two, but they have been STELLAR for years and I have to go with them!!

[ravensdfan]

I voted offense. Mattison's been dialing up that soft D too much for my liking and it's been costing us.

[robbcs3]

I voted for the offense, I think we've shown we can come back to win games. The defense is the bigger liability.

[Twistidfunk]

at this point in the season and waht we have seen against the Falcons and Pats, both tough teams, I would have to say Offense. We were in position to win both of those games but the defense caved

[bmorefan444]

I voted offense. Our defense has surrendered a lead more than once this year partly because of penalties, bad calls, and soft defense. I like seeing Flacco in those situations, bc he gets a little better everytime.

[ravensgal1101]

First thought would be the defense, but this year's version of the Ravens, considering the offensive drive to win the game in Pittsburgh and the defensive collapse at the end of the Falcons game, lead me to believe I'll take either. Of course without the bogus non-call on Roddy White we don't know what would have happened, but dumb penalties gave the Falcons life.

[1/28/01]

Man, good poll.......I guess (given what others have said about NE and ATL) I'd rather have our offense with a chance to win it? Wait, what did I say? Huh? Wow!!

[Alexir]

If neither was an option I would of selected it. It changes week to week. Some games our defense wants to save the day, other days its the offense.

I voted defense because it's steeler weak and our defense plays that game like a super bowl. Hopefully Joe Flacco won't hang Willis out to dry this year....

[PuRock]

[quote name='Ravensdiciple96' timestamp='1291198413' post='556023']
I personally think it depends on who we are playing. We obviously played that role in the first game at Pittsburgh and the offense came through for us, and actually the defense was in the same scenario to protect that lead with the Lewis pick.

[/quote]

Overall I voted Offense.

But I agree with you. It depends on who we are playing. If its a team like Tampa Bay, Carolina or a team with a bad offense, it's the defense I have faith in. Barely.
If it's the Steelers, Pats, Jets, etc. Its the offense I have faith in to keep up the pace and make a comeback.

OT: It has finally happened, someone has the exact avatar as me, I must go into hibernation forever now.

[berad]

Three or fewer? Easy. Offense.

If it was 3+ points, I would have considered the defense but they've shown, through their own performance and the officials', that they can't stop a team consistently.

The offense, though, has pulled through multiple times - Browns, Steelers, Bills, Falcons, etc

[K-Dog]

amazing
at the time of this post it is 20 to 7 favoring offense.

When in Ravens history have we ever said such a thing?

I agree whole heartedly too. I am not sure what but something is a miss with our D. ( I weep when I say such things)
Our offense eight times out of ten WILL get the job done.

Its a new Ravens my friends.




great question by the way.

[ravensdfan]

[quote name='K-Dog' timestamp='1291254758' post='556818']
amazing
at the time of this post it is 20 to 7 favoring offense.

When in Ravens history have we ever said such a thing?

I agree whole heartedly too. I am not sure what but something is a miss with our D. ( I weep when I say such things)
Our offense eight times out of ten WILL get the job done.

Its a new Ravens my friends.




great question by the way.
[/quote]

Hey, our defense is by no means shabby. They are in the top 10 for everything. I know we've grown accustomed to expect better but top 10 ain't bad. I would take our defense for the first 3 quarters but honestly, in that 4th Mattison hits that soft D button and we get burned. I want soft D banned! Banned I tell you!

[ravens13]

I voted offense too, but I don't necessarily think there is a problem with the D. I would vote offense for nearly every team in the league. Every rule change and rule interpretation the nfl makes favors the offense. Like it or not, the nfl wants to see more points and has changed the game to help offenses succeed.

It also doesn't hurt that our offense has more talent than it ever has.

[harfordravenfan]

Agreed, a good poll. I went with offense but if the d keeps playing and improving Like the last 2 games... I'd be ok with either side finishing. Naturally I would prefer to just have such a crazy lead going into the fourth that it wouldn't matter :-)

[purple.n.black]

Against the Steelers if that is the question, I choose defense. Without Ben. But his comeback ability is too much. But also it is a lot to come back against their defense, although I remember something like that happening earlier this year

[rlh445]

[quote name='ravensdfan' timestamp='1291255102' post='556837']
Hey, our defense is by no means shabby. They are in the top 10 for everything. I know we've grown accustomed to expect better but top 10 ain't bad. I would take our defense for the first 3 quarters but honestly, in that 4th Mattison hits that soft D button and we get burned. I want soft D banned! Banned I tell you!
[/quote]


What are other fans watching or seeing that I am not? I fully acknowledge that other fans are probably better at pointing out schemes and such than I am. But I don't see us letting up on defense at all....we're just flat out doing stupid things or getting beat. What constitutes 'soft'? We can't run bump coverage so it's either zone or man, blitz or hang back. I think we mix it up quite well in the fourth quarter, but we just continuously mess up or get beat, like with the Falcons. We had the right play called, we keyed in on the guy they were going for (Gonzalez, and we guessed right) and Josh Wilson just got shoved over by Roddy White and he scored. If Josh would've held firm, who knows..we could've blown them up and kept the lead and the win. That's the kind of stuff our defensive players have been doing, but the scheme itself has been for the most part the right calls.

[George70]

I voted defense, mostly because when a defense gets going in the late-season contests, the team can advance and do well - especially when said team makes the playoffs.

[Rav'n Maniac]

I have to go with the D. Although our D hasn't been as dominant this season, they have been stepping it up of late. To me, it's almost magical to see Ray just about will the team to victory. There's nothing better or gets me more fired up than those key stops, like last years' 4th down drop of Sproles, Ed's pick 6 with Landry or Ray's pick on Batch this season. Can't get enough of it!