Week 1 Can't Get Here Soon Enough!

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='Ngata92NT' timestamp='1314557475' post='769439']

Woah there, McPhee has great talent and I'm excited about him, but don't you think your expectations are a little high? McPhee won't come out week 1 and be a game-changer against the Steelers. I'm not sure about your analysis, Ben tends to make most of his big plays when he rolls out of the pocket, interior pass rush would help but really it comes down to whether our outside LBs and DEs can keep contain and prevent him from buying time to throw down field. I'd be pleasantly surprised to see McPhee get any significant playing time at all, you can't expect him to suddenly become the savior of our pass rush.
[/quote]
Our pass rush was terrible last year so no I don't think my expectations are too high. McPhee has proven to be a playmaker so far in preseason and I feel has earned a spot in the rotation.

As for Ben rolling out of the pocket being more about our OLB's I can't disagree more. When Ben gets out of the pocket it is mostly by stepping up into the pocket and allowing our OLB's to run past him. Interior pass rush will prevent him from stepping up and allow our OLB's to get there for the sack. I think most people will agree that interior pass rush is the most difficult kind for a QB to handle.

[The Raven]

It's not the front 7 I have concerns about. This pass rush looks legit, and it looks scary. It's the DBs that scare me. They have not had a good preseason. The offense will do better than last year, but I still have minor concerns. If Bryant does okay, and if Evans gets his foot outta the boot, we'll be alright.

[Militant X 1]

[quote name='cdog82' timestamp='1314495597' post='769056']
man im watching the steelers play the falcons and all i can say is, [b]i hope our corners can handle antonio brown and mike wallace[/b].
[/quote]

you said a mouth full right here! that game was crazy! the steelers offense looked crisp and smooth for the most part of the game. they flowed like a team ready to make a SB run. we will definitely have our hands ful BUT i believe that our Ravens have the tools and weapons in place on both sides of the ball that we need to beat these cats.

the main ingredient we need imo is THAT SWAGGER!!! yes...i said...THAT SWAGGER!!! what is "THAT SWAGGER?" it's the feeling (in your body language, demeanor, posture and atitude) as though you can't be beat! the steelers have and play like that! once the Ravens players get THAT SWAGGER on both sides of the ball they will be the team that no team wants to face all season long!

LET'S GOOOO RAVENS!!!

~Mili

[scrock]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1314498324' post='769098']

Between A Brown and M Wallace. They will stretch the field like crazy against us. I can see Brown going nuts on us. We need to get pressure fast, and we can't allow Ben to bounce off like always.
[/quote]

yeah its going to be tough with the speed they have at WR, and with that it will open up their run game..so we really have to be good against the run so we can try to shut down their passing game. Our D usually rises up and plays great against the Steelers, one thing to note is ATL is not as familiar with them as we are, we know the Steelers very well so we usually play them pretty well

I think we can win, I'm cautiously optimistic...anything can happen, as we have learned thru the years

[pick6raven]

im dreading it. i would LOVE to get excited, but i just cant. my hearts too broken! and they look fantastic this preseason and our DBs dont. our offense will be better(heres praying for McKinnie to swallow Harrison!) but i just cant get my hopes up. my wife wont even watch the game she gets stressed just thinking about it. im worried, but i sure hope the ravens arent. i hope they walk out with that swagger, and smoke them so i have some fingernails left. i hope. i dont think i can take another heartbreak.

[scrock]

[quote name='pick6raven' timestamp='1314567955' post='769614']
im dreading it. i would LOVE to get excited, but i just cant. my hearts too broken! and they look fantastic this preseason and our DBs dont. our offense will be better(heres praying for McKinnie to swallow Harrison!) but i just cant get my hopes up. my wife wont even watch the game she gets stressed just thinking about it. im worried, but i sure hope the ravens arent. i hope they walk out with that swagger, and smoke them so i have some fingernails left. i hope. i dont think i can take another heartbreak.
[/quote]

they have looked good in the preseason, except against the Redskins and against the Eagles..well the Eagles have problems too, we just didnt look very good against them...their OL has trouble protecting Vick, and in their game against the Steelers Vick was so awful that the throws he was making just didnt make any sense, i dont know what he was seeing out there

The preseason is a time for teams to get better, the Steelers can look great now but when the regular season comes who's to say they dont lay an egg? they still have their issues to deal with too, their secondary is banged up, and even when healthy as we saw last year and in the SB you can pass against them..that is their weakness on defense, also, their OL has issues as well and I expect us to get plenty of pressure on Ben, hopefully we get plenty of sacks too because against their speed at WR we need to get to Ben early and often

[pick6raven]

oh what i would do for a repeat of our first matchup 2006 season when we sacked that ogre 9 times and bart scott damm near killed him. thats another big thing hard to count on tho, coming off our season w/ a franchise low sack total. pagano looks aggressive, but if sending all those DBs didnt stop rex grossman from exploiting man to man, it sure wont stop big ben. i know washingtons line is better than pitts, but im sorry webb aint getting ben down. yeah right.

[latenighthero]

As scrock said: anything can happen. I'm very much looking forward to this game. I think the Steelers have 2 BIG holes. Those being their secondary - especially if Ike Taylor isn't back from his broken hand - and their O-line. If we are going to win we need to exploit these 2 areas.

[ball hawkin 20]

I'm getting pretty anxious. I wanna know how the O-Line will handle week 1, and how Jimmy Smith and Cary Williams will do, Brown has been scaring me all preseason, and we still only have 2 proven WRs, i don't doubt Doss/Reed/ but still, It wouldn't hurt us to sign Housh would it?

[scrock]

[quote name='ball hawkin 20' timestamp='1314570553' post='769649']
I'm getting pretty anxious. I wanna know how the O-Line will handle week 1, and how Jimmy Smith and Cary Williams will do, Brown has been scaring me all preseason, and we still only have 2 proven WRs, i don't doubt Doss/Reed/ but still, It wouldn't hurt us to sign Housh would it?
[/quote]

We have a better chance of signing another veteran WR after teams make their cuts, TJ is gone and isnt coming back

[Ronthekeys]

I wouldn't be too concern.. the falcon secondary sucks and there defense is no where near as good as ours. We kno the steelers like the back of our hands. We wont get beat for 77 and 40 yard plays like the falcons did. All we need to do is stretch the field out that's the way to beat them. White put up a 100 yards on them and Jones almost did too if he didn't drop that TD pass. Brown had me alil concern to, but he's not going to beat us on his own he's not going to torch our secondary. We will be prepared.. this game is way to important for us to let or think a second year player will be the deciding factor in this game. We are better then that.

[hawkprey]

The Steelers won't have time for long bombs. I am worried about quick slants against Cary Williams. That's probably his weakest route to cover. But as long as Reed is playing, there goes half of Roethlisberger's options. Smith will be fine against young WRs who aren't "tricky" like the vets are. They can fake their way open. With Pitt's WRs it's just about raw talent which Jimmy can match.

[FerrariFan87]

I never look forward to our games against the Steelers... Week 1 won't come and go soon enough!

[ratedr]

I'm more concerned about week 9. I think we'll lose week 1, but I hope we'll have everything together to beat them on SNF. I want a win in primetime.

[Militant X 1]

[quote name='FerrariFan87' timestamp='1314573186' post='769667']
[b]I never look forward to our games against the Steelers[/b]... Week 1 won't come and go soon enough!
[/quote]

to me...this is the type of atitude that needs to change around here. stop being scared of the steelers! LOL!

~Mili

[dontbnvus]

I look forward to games against the Steelers. Always have. I have some friends that are Steeler fans. So I cant wait for the chance at a win to shut them up! LOL

[scrock]

[quote name='dontbnvus' timestamp='1314578450' post='769699']
I look forward to games against the Steelers. Always have. I have some friends that are Steeler fans. So I cant wait for the chance at a win to shut them up! LOL
[/quote]

yeah Ravens vs Steelers are the two games I look forward to the most, I dont like losing but its such a great game most of the time and when we do win it feels sooooooo good

[darklight1216]

[quote name='Militant X 1' timestamp='1314577033' post='769688']

to me...this is the type of atitude that needs to change around here. stop being scared of the steelers! LOL!

~Mili
[/quote]
That may have been sarcasm, but regardless, it's the Ravens that need change. If they start beating the Steelers consistently, people will stop doubting them.

[The Raven]

[quote name='Militant X 1' timestamp='1314577033' post='769688']

to me...this is the type of atitude that needs to change around here. stop being scared of the steelers! LOL!

~Mili
[/quote]

I'm with you on that one! It annoys me how scared people are of them.

[scrock]

[quote name='The Raven' timestamp='1314586298' post='769770']

I'm with you on that one! It annoys me how scared people are of them.
[/quote]

Yeah, and because its week 1 and a loss immediately puts us 1 game back of the Steelers, but its a marathon not a spring, a lot can happen over the course of a year and I expect this team to get BETTER as the year progresses, the Ravens will be playing their best football as the year goes on...

[ravensfan160]

I hate all the bunch formations the Steelers use with their WR's. Our big corners won't be able to play to their strength which is bump and run as much as we would like. I wish there was some way to counter the bunch formation besides zone.

[jaege]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1314497493' post='769082']
Why do people think that what Madden score they got matters to anybody?

"Oh crap, I can't believe he did it! He simulated the game on Madden! Brave man. 24-0? That must be a crystal ball reading!"
[/quote]

I know. Whenever I see that sort of thing I laugh at the absurdity.

[Militant X 1]

[quote name='darklight1216' timestamp='1314581353' post='769723']
That may have been sarcasm, but regardless, it's the Ravens that need change. If they start beating the Steelers consistently, people will stop doubting them.
[/quote]

i said what i meant dark. no sarcasm! too many Ravens fans are afraid to face the Steelers. maaaan! i look forward to facing those cats. to be great you must beat those who are great! Ali had to beat Frazier and Foreman to be great! Jordan had to beat Isiah Thomas and the Pistons to be great! "Sugar" Ray Leonard had to beat Duran, Hagler and Hearns to be great! and now....

the Ravens MUST beat the Steelers to be great! can't do that by being scared of them!

LET'S GOOOOOO RAVENS!!!

~Mili

[wayne]

[quote name='Militant X 1' timestamp='1314648891' post='770240']

i said what i meant dark. no sarcasm! too many Ravens fans are afraid to face the Steelers. maaaan! i look forward to facing those cats. to be great you must beat those who are great! Ali had to beat Frazier and Foreman to be great! Jordan had to beat Isiah Thomas and the Pistons to be great! "Sugar" Ray Leonard had to beat Duran, Hagler and Hearns to be great! and now....

the Ravens MUST beat the Steelers to be great! can't do that by being scared of them!

LET'S GOOOOOO RAVENS!!!

~Mili
[/quote]
Mili, it doesn't matter the mind state of the fans, it's the players and the coaches .

[The Raven]

[quote name='wayne' timestamp='1314649205' post='770250']
Mili, it doesn't matter the mind state of the fans, it's the players and the coaches .
[/quote]

I'm sure he was aware of that Wayne. He (and myself) are tired of the pessimism surrounding games against Pittsburgh. The whole city goes pessimistic for the week before and the week after.

[Militant X 1]

[quote name='The Raven' timestamp='1314650094' post='770268']

I'm sure he was aware of that Wayne. [b]He (and myself) are tired of the pessimism surrounding games against Pittsburgh[/b]. The whole city goes pessimistic for the week before and the week after.
[/quote]

i was Raven. Wayne and i are cool and buddies from a madden site as well. lol

but you are right! cats around here begin to post with fear in their hearts when it is time to play the steelers. i believe (imo) that we have "given" the steelers more wins than their actually dominating us. most games the steelers won were due to the Ravens self-destruction. clean that up....and the Ravens are on top!

~Mili

[izvoodoo]

Week 1 has never meant so much.

[ravensdfan]

[quote name='PaintinPGPurple' timestamp='1314502874' post='769156']
Im wondering how Jimmy and Cary stack up against Wallace and Brown. I know theyre both fast, and have Reed helping over the top. Theyre big guys--bigger than Wallace and Brown, so hopefully they can bump them aggressively and throw off their routes with the pass rush collapsing the pocket. We just need to control the gaps when the pocket breaks down and keep a spy on the right side where Ben often scrambles to.
[/quote]

This is the key IMO. Both Brown and Wallace are lanky, not solid. We need Cary and Smith's big, physical play to hit them early and slow down their routes. This will allow our newly aggressive pass rush to get to Ben.

[blitzking33]

I just had a dream that we beat the steelers 31-13.. lol.

[Juviebest]

I ain't scared of no ghost...

Or the Steelers.

We will beat them, it's our year.