So Much For The Improved Run Game

[ravensfan160]

We actually got worse! Rice had 19 carries for only 54 yards. Thats 2.8 YPC. I don't see how thats possible when we're playing against a team with the worse secondary in football. Yet every rush it seemed like Ray was running into a brick wall.

Meanwhile their running game made it look easy with their zone blocking scheme. For all the talk about needing more beef on the line, thats why Cousins was playing afterall, the Texans with the lightest offensive line in the league made it look easy.

[TSizzle00]

Ravens have no run blocking or pass blocking.

[Jamal]

[quote name='TSizzle00' timestamp='1292334887' post='574549']
Ravens have no run blocking or pass blocking.
[/quote]
This.

[ravensfan160]

Its clearly too late to fix whatever is wrong with our run game. Maybe Matt Birk is over the hill or something because there has been too steep of a drop off in run blocking from years past for me to believe its all just the loss of Gaither.

We're looking more and more like a one and done playoff team.

[Militant X 1]

[quote name='TSizzle00' timestamp='1292334887' post='574549']
Ravens have no run blocking or pass blocking.
[/quote]

O-line is garbage!

[rlh445]

You know what? To marshmallow everyone who keeps coming up with this stuff. What the marshmallow do you people not get out our O-Line NOT GETTING ENOUGH PUSH?!?!?! How many times do you have to see our lineman getting pushed back at the LOS before you get it through your heads? WE AREN'T RUN OR PASS BLOCKING WELL AT ALL. It's not the calls, it's the players!!!!!! OUR STARTING LT IS OUT. OUR STARTING RT IS AT LT. My God people, get a clue! Actually watch the games! Oher can't even pick up frequent safety blitzes, the guy thinks he's doing his job blocking AIR. Argh. I'm sorry, but it's just old now guys. Real old. You know what the problem is (or you should if you've spent even one night watching the team) and it shouldn't surprise you or spurn you to make yet ANOTHER thread about the running game. They TRIED to switch guys around, but there's just no substitute for a good LT. Period. Bank it, we've all said it, it's out there, if you don't know it I feel bad for you. You marshmallows!

[rlh445]

[quote name='ravensfan160' timestamp='1292335536' post='574581']
Its clearly too late to fix whatever is wrong with our run game. Maybe Matt Birk is over the hill or something because there has been too steep of a drop off in run blocking from years past for me to believe its all just the loss of Gaither.

We're looking more and more like a one and done playoff team.
[/quote]

The loss of Gaither is the sole reason. His loss made us jumble up our entire line. We've got guys playing positions they should never be in. Yanda at tackle, Cousins/Chester/whoever at guard, Oher clearly outclassed at LT..the one loss of Gaither IS the reason and sometimes you just have to believe what you're seeing with your own eyes.

[BirdWatcher]

[quote name='rlh445' timestamp='1292336144' post='574602']
The loss of Gaither is the sole reason. His loss made us jumble up our entire line. We've got guys playing positions they should never be in. Yanda at tackle, Cousins/Chester/whoever at guard, Oher clearly outclassed at LT..the one loss of Gaither IS the reason and sometimes you just have to believe what you're seeing with your own eyes.
[/quote]


I need to disagree with this. IMHO Birk is a real problem. He may be smart, but he is not strong enough anymore. He is getting pushed back into Flacco time and again. That draws the guards into helping him and semi-abandoning their assignment. That in turn sucks in the tackles. We have to pick up a younger/stronger center this coming off-season.

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='Moderator 3' timestamp='1292336749' post='574624']
I need to disagree with this. IMHO Birk is a real problem. He may be smart, but he is not strong enough anymore. He is getting pushed back into Flacco time and again. That draws the guards into helping him and semi-abandoning their assignment. That in turn sucks in the tackles. We have to pick up a younger/stronger center this coming off-season.
[/quote]
That guy out of Penn State, Wisniewski, looks really good. But I would hate like heck to have to spend another 1st round pick on and offensive lineman.

[rlh445]

[quote name='Moderator 3' timestamp='1292336749' post='574624']
I need to disagree with this. IMHO Birk is a real problem. He may be smart, but he is not strong enough anymore. He is getting pushed back into Flacco time and again. That draws the guards into helping him and semi-abandoning their assignment. That in turn sucks in the tackles. We have to pick up a younger/stronger center this coming off-season.
[/quote]


So what are you disagreeing with? The fact that Gaither wouldn't make a difference if he was on the field? Or that Yanda wouldn't be better at guard than tackle? Or that Oher isn't less of a LT than he was a RT? Or that Cousins shouldn't be on the OL to begin with? Birk is getting shoved around, but I believe that if the line was as it was last year, a lot of these problems would never have risen up.

[AlaskanRavensFan]

We ran the ball pretty effectively with pretty much the same crew last year. I think that they just need to execute better. At the the end of the day, that's what it comes down to. Let's hope they can get it going quickly, because there's not much time to fix it at this point.

[rlh445]

Why do people keep saying, 'pretty much the same crew'? It's the same crew, but they were all at their native positions. That makes all the difference in the world. Having guys playing their secondary or third positions and no chemistry because of it is a pretty big deal, saying 'pretty much' doesn't really cover it at all.

By the by, why am I getting a warning? I haven't used any curse words, I haven't flamed anyone, and I haven't broken any rules.

[bmorefan444]

[b]Our O-line needs to get their act together[/b]. Its sad when you have some of the best backs in the game and they can't show their talent. It felt like the Texans knew where we were going on every running play. There were also a lot of missed blocks.

[BirdWatcher]

[quote name='rlh445' timestamp='1292337138' post='574633']
So what are you disagreeing with? The fact that Gaither wouldn't make a difference if he was on the field? Or that Yanda wouldn't be better at guard than tackle? Or that Oher isn't less of a LT than he was a RT? Or that Cousins shouldn't be on the OL to begin with? Birk is getting shoved around, but I believe that if the line was as it was last year, a lot of these problems would never have risen up.
[/quote]


I'm disagreeing with the premise "The loss of Gaither is the sole reason." It's a multi-dimensional problem.

[jimmypowder]

63 total yards rushing is not gonna cut it in the playoffs,if we make it in.

[PuRock]

It's really quite night and day without Gaither. Wish he was here and healthy. But it is what it is. This is our run game. Nothing magical is going to change.

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1292338034' post='574663']
It's really quite night and day without Gaither. Wish he was here and healthy. But it is what it is. This is our run game. Nothing magical is going to change.
[/quote]
I refuse to believe one player makes that big a difference. Especially, when you consider we played several games without him last year and our running game was still pretty darn good.

[PuRock]

[quote name='ravensfan160' timestamp='1292338644' post='574684']
I refuse to believe one player makes that big a difference. Especially, when you consider we played several games without him last year and our running game was still pretty darn good.
[/quote]

What else is it. We have virtually the same other O-Line men. Same Coordinators, same running back. The only thing that's truly changed is the loss of Gaither.

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1292338762' post='574689']
What else is it. We have virtually the same other O-Line men. Same Coordinators, same running back. The only thing that's truly changed is the loss of Gaither.
[/quote]
Like I said, we still got it done last year when Gaither was hurt. I think the problem is Birk. I think age has finally caught up to him.

[20ravens52]

The main reason is the absence of Gaither. Oher is better at RT in my opinion.

Our O-line is so much better like it was last year

LT- Gaither
LG- Grubbs
C- Birk
RG- Yanda
RT- Oher

That is an extremely balanced young O line(with the exception of Birk).

[PuRock]

[quote name='ravensfan160' timestamp='1292339108' post='574699']
Like I said, we still got it done last year when Gaither was hurt. I think the problem is Birk. I think age has finally caught up to him.
[/quote]

A center is rarely the problem in the run game.

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1292339390' post='574715']
A center is rarely the problem in the run game.
[/quote]
When you are trying to run it up the middle it is. There is too much penetration in the center of our line on running plays.

[jagans]

Maybe I am just oversimplifying things, but it is fairly obvious to me what is wrong with our running game. When you have a back like Ray Rice, you have to get him into some open real estate. That is where his squat size, and breaking ability will shine. You dont run a guy like that into a pile of refrigerators, where he has no room to maneuver. We have to get him to the outside. That of course requires guards that can pull, and judging from the physical condition of the players I saw on that field last night, The only thing that they are pulling is their you know whats.

One thing I wanted to mention, and I could not find out where, or how to create a new post was the very classy move by Daryl Suggs at the very end of the game last night when he went up to the opposing quarterback and gave him a hug. He could have pulled his usual dance routine, but he took the time to feel another's pain.

Classy Act. I was indifferent before the game, now I really like the guy.

Class Move, Daryl, all the way.

PS When are we going to get rid of CC? The guy is useless, or worse. Any OC with half a brain would be up in the booth so he could view the game in plan view. Maybe he's one of those guys who just keeps doing the wrong thing, not able to beleive that it doesn't work.

PPS Where did our offensive line go ??????????

[H8R]

I really wonder what would have happened if Jason Brown didnt get a TON of money in free agency?

[rlh445]

[quote name='jagans' timestamp='1292339762' post='574731']
Maybe I am just oversimplifying things, but it is fairly obvious to me what is wrong with our running game. When you have a back like Ray Rice, you have to get him into some open real estate. That is where his squat size, and breaking ability will shine. You dont run a guy like that into a pile of refrigerators, where he has no room to maneuver. We have to get him to the outside. That of course requires guards that can pull, and judging from the physical condition of the players I saw on that field last night, The only thing that they are pulling is their you know whats.

One thing I wanted to mention, and I could not find out where, or how to create a new post was the very classy move by Daryl Suggs at the very end of the game last night when he went up to the opposing quarterback and gave him a hug. He could have pulled his usual dance routine, but he took the time to feel another's pain.

Classy Act. I was indifferent before the game, now I really like the guy.

Class Move, Daryl, all the way.

PS When are we going to get rid of CC? The guy is useless, or worse. Any OC with half a brain would be up in the booth so he could view the game in plan view. Maybe he's one of those guys who just keeps doing the wrong thing, not able to beleive that it doesn't work.

PPS Where did our offensive line go ??????????
[/quote]

Ha, his name is Terrell Suggs, but you're right it was a pretty classy move. I'm glad I'm not the only one noticing that it's pretty obvious that it's Gaither's absence that's making the run/pass game a lot more shaky than it has to be.

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='jagans' timestamp='1292339762' post='574731']
Maybe I am just oversimplifying things, but it is fairly obvious to me what is wrong with our running game. When you have a back like Ray Rice, you have to get him into some open real estate. That is where his squat size, and breaking ability will shine. You dont run a guy like that into a pile of refrigerators, where he has no room to maneuver. We have to get him to the outside. That of course requires guards that can pull, and judging from the physical condition of the players I saw on that field last night, The only thing that they are pulling is their you know whats.

One thing I wanted to mention, and I could not find out where, or how to create a new post was the very classy move by Daryl Suggs at the very end of the game last night when he went up to the opposing quarterback and gave him a hug. He could have pulled his usual dance routine, but he took the time to feel another's pain.

Classy Act. I was indifferent before the game, now I really like the guy.

Class Move, Daryl, all the way.

PS When are we going to get rid of CC? The guy is useless, or worse. Any OC with half a brain would be up in the booth so he could view the game in plan view. Maybe he's one of those guys who just keeps doing the wrong thing, not able to beleive that it doesn't work.

PPS Where did our offensive line go ??????????
[/quote]
Is this a joke? What kind of Ravens fan thinks Terrell Sugg's first name is Daryl?

[rlh445]

[quote name='Moderator 3' timestamp='1292337603' post='574650']
I'm disagreeing with the premise "The loss of Gaither is the sole reason." It's a multi-dimensional problem.
[/quote]

Yea, and the problem starts with the tackle positions, trickles into the guard positions, and goes from there. Birk hasn't had any major injuries, he's been the same player he was last year. You're right in that he's getting blown off his stance at certain times, but he usually holds his ground and it's what's happening off the edges that's making Flacco attempt to step up and/or take a sack/run away.

[Twistidfunk]

The offense and lack of a running game is the most disappointing thing about last night.

That o-line was overloaded and flat out manhandled. We miss Gaither and Heap big time.

Oher is still a young guy so mistakes are going to happen but for safeties to continue to rush off the edge untouched like that is inexcusable. Cameron said he kad "corrected" the flaw but it sure doesn't look like it to me.

The Saints defense is much bettet than the Texans and they know how to blitz....I wonder where they come from???

[Mick0311]

[quote name='TSizzle00' timestamp='1292334887' post='574549']
Ravens have no run blocking or pass blocking.
[/quote]


Even in open space with blockers we are horrible. Not sure what time in the game it was, but Rice had it in open space on the right with two blockers on two defenders, both defenders converged on Rice. Horrible.

[Ravenseconbeast]

[quote name='Moderator 3' timestamp='1292336749' post='574624']
I need to disagree with this. IMHO Birk is a real problem. He may be smart, but he is not strong enough anymore. He is getting pushed back into Flacco time and again. That draws the guards into helping him and semi-abandoning their assignment. That in turn sucks in the tackles. We have to pick up a younger/stronger center this coming off-season.
[/quote]


This. Yanda MUST move back to guard. Gather must come back to LT. Oher move back to RT.


Flacco is polar opposite in terms of performance when he isn't pressured.

Ray Rice benefits play load with opening gaps Gaiter can punch out. (remember that 1st drive in patriots Playoff last yr? )