Great Win, But WR Play Must Improve

[neoi78]

Too many dropped passes by offensive players. We got away with a clutch win - props to Flacco and Company - but in the playoffs we cannot afford dropped passes like the 4 Torrey had, or even the one Boldin had.

Pittsburg's WR's make catches when they are uncatchable balls. Our young guys are still learning, yes, but they often don't catch what most would deem, catchable.

On the other hand, Pitta is a new fav player of mine, he's showed his sticky fingers. Boldin is emerging as the ALMOST true number one clutch WR. Dickson is making plays. If Doss and Evans eventually get on the field, Doss has sticky fingers too, and Evans can burn em with Torrey...

Torrey.. Drops alot of balls, but always seems to come up big at the 'clutch' moment. Torrey is showing growth ever week, alot of promise for him in the future. He needs to keep learning though, but needs to become more consistant, and that comes with time.

We need to improve. We have room to improve. I think with time we WILL improve..but will it be too late?

Season is halfway over and our record is better than I expected. We swept Pitt.

Great win..GREAT win, But room for improvement from WR and Co.

[rlh445]

I agree. Not so much with the rookies....I just can't totally say that they sucked. I agree they need to catch those balls but they ARE rookies, and this is the only year they really get a pass on some of that stuff. Otherwise though, Q man..you can't be dropping passes like that. Ed and Dennis are two year guys, they can't be doing that either. So I guess in all, I agree with you all the way.

[Ray Ray Ravens]

I think missed balls are part of the game. You wont catch everything even when you are a veteran. We made the catches that matters and we swept the steelers. How can you complain about anything?

[1/28/01]

[quote name='Ray Ray Ravens' timestamp='1320649143' post='858051']
I think missed balls are part of the game. You wont catch everything even when you are a veteran. We made the catches that matters and we swept the steelers. How can you complain about anything?
[/quote]
Im not much of a complainer, but it WAS over the top. Sooooo many dropped balls and they did ALMOST cost us the game. Id say it could be a cause for concern. BUT not right now. RaVENs WiN!!

[The King]

Dickson lost one after a tough (and illegal) hit by Ryan Clark, and that I can definitely forgive. Q should have hauled in both of his big drops long before he got hit (I thought he had made the catch on that first one until I saw the replay). With Torrey, we knew hands would be an issue when he got drafted, and I think he has done a better job than many of us expected so far. Coupled with the fact that he just continues to get open I don't think we have to worry about him improving his hands. If he keeps burning DBs like he has he will have plenty of practice.

I just assumed that Joe had issued personal insults to the mothers of each of our WRs with how hard they were working to ruin his big win, but they made catches when they counted.

[BMORElegacy]

I can't help but compare Torrey to a young Roddy White. White had problems catching the ball as a young WR, and I have the utmost confidence that Torrey will overcome the same issues.

The dropped balls can be so deflating, and it shows great fortitude on the part of Joe and Torrey to put those behind them and hook up for the game winner.

Kudos to LaQuan for that 3rd down conversion. We found a possible gem in FA.

[neoi78]

[quote name='Ray Ray Ravens' timestamp='1320649143' post='858051']
I think missed balls are part of the game. You wont catch everything even when you are a veteran. We made the catches that matters and we swept the steelers. How can you complain about anything?
[/quote]

Great win, but it scares me when I think about playoffs and the 'one and done' state that goes with them. Pitts WR's are young also, seasoned more than rookies, yes, but I am saying Joe needs consistant targets to throw to. For Joe's sake - we need them to improve before January.

Thats all im saying. Just wanted peoples thoughts.

[Free Agent]

It would help to get Doss and David Reed more involved, and Lee when he gets back. Right now, only WRs who have caught passes this season are Boldin, Evans, Torrey, and LaQuan. If we got Doss and D. Reed more involved, we could have more spread WR sets, and we could present some new looks on offense.

[Ray Ray Ravens]

[quote name='1/28/01' timestamp='1320649270' post='858055']
Im not much of a complainer, but it WAS over the top. Sooooo many dropped balls and they did ALMOST cost us the game. Id say it could be a cause for concern. BUT not right now. RaVENs WiN!!
[/quote]
We could also say the Rice Td on the first play could have cost us the game. But we came up big when we needed to. Thats what I care about. I saw the dropps and was like ahhhhhh he should of got it but our players made it up and thats what matters to us as fans.

[Ray Ray Ravens]

[quote name='neoi78' timestamp='1320649400' post='858064']
Great win, but it scares me when I think about playoffs and the 'one and done' state that goes with them. Pitts WR's are young also, seasoned more than rookies, yes, but I am saying Joe needs consistant targets to throw to. For Joe's sake - we need them to improve before January.

Thats all im saying. Just wanted peoples thoughts.
[/quote]
Watch all the teams and everyone has that moment they should have caught the ball. Good teams overcome it and bring it back for the win and thats what we did hands down

[neoi78]

[quote name='BMORElegacy' timestamp='1320649376' post='858062']
I can't help but compare Torrey to a young Roddy White. White had problems catching the ball as a young WR, and I have the utmost confidence that Torrey will overcome the same issues.

The dropped balls can be so deflating, and it shows great fortitude on the part of Joe and Torrey to put those behind them and hook up for the game winner.

Kudos to LaQuan for that 3rd down conversion. We found a possible gem in FA.
[/quote]

Totally agree. Torrey keeps improving which is great to see. You mention the confidence thing, how Joe went from being scared to throw to Torrey in the beginning of the year, to the trust they show in each other now.

I was hyped when Laquan grabbed that 3rd down conversion too. He is also showing improvement being worked into the rotation. Good post, thanks.

[BMORElegacy]

[quote name='neoi78' timestamp='1320649734' post='858074']
Totally agree. Torrey keeps improving which is great to see. You mention the confidence thing, how Joe went from being scared to throw to Torrey in the beginning of the year, to the trust they show in each other now.

I was hyped when Laquan grabbed that 3rd down conversion too. He is also showing improvement being worked into the rotation. Good post, thanks.
[/quote]
You're welcome. I will be the first to admit I was a Torrey doubter before the draft, after the draft, and throughout the preseason. I had concerns about his hands, his experience against talented teams in college, and his route running. But I gave him my support 100% and the time he needed to develop. Am I saying this is the ceiling of his potential? Of course not! But the way he improves from week to week is extremely impressive. I can now say I'm happy we drafted Torrey and that he wears black and purple.

Our stable of young receivers have much room to improve, but the fact still remains that they are making plays when needed and helping us win games like tonight. When grouped with our TE duo I am extremely excited for our future, and Joe should be too.

[SnOoPy]

i wish Lee Evan was healthy! Our WR core is pretty awesome!

[Ray Ray Ravens]

[quote name='SnOoPy' timestamp='1320650505' post='858094']
i wish Lee Evan was healthy! Our WR core is pretty awesome!
[/quote]
At this point in the season if he does come back I hope he doesnt hurt us instead of help us. We have been adjusting all season and just now hitting a stride and with a new receiver could set us back even if he is a elite presence when healthy.

[tctony]

Agreed. Even Boldin has a drop every now and then. He had a huge drop in the playoffs last year. But, as Al Michaels said, Boldin is as sure handed as they come. Even the best drop some every now and then.

Torrey Smith needs to work on his hands. The off the fingertips woulda-been-touchdown is somewhat forgivable, but he has a lot of balls that bounce off his chest. He needs to fix that ASAP.

Pitta showed great hands tonight. We know Rice has good hands. Dickson is usually good. Laquan Williams reeled in some nice catches tonight as well.

[Radinho84]

has anybody seen the chargers game or the bugs game before? there were dropped passes all night. it happens when you play in the nil. sometimes when i am in here i get the feeling that we are the only team with wry dropping balls. of course that is not true. i think we could have caught two or three more but those of pitta an little Q where as spectacular as it gets.

we finally have more then one receiver to throw the ball to!!! love it don't hate it!!!

[jdynamite]

Speaking of "drops". I was shocked that Laquan Williams held on to those tough catches in ( this game) given how he dropped a few easy catches the last 2 weeks.

[Radinho84]

[quote name='jdynamite' timestamp='1320669574' post='858315']
Speaking of "drops". I was shocked that Laquan Williams held on to those tough catches in ( this game) given how he dropped a few easy catches the last 2 weeks.
[/quote]
yeah those where great!!!

[Ravenslifer]

Everyone besides Boldin and the injured Evans is a rookie or second year player who hadn't started a single NFL game in their career until this season, a season in which they lost OTAs, minicamps, and part of training camp. Torrey Smith is on pace to shatter every Ravens rookie receiving record even with all of this. I think we'll be fine at WR as long as David Reed, Tandon Doss, and LaQuan Williams get playing time so we can count on them in the playoffs.

[Radinho84]

[quote name='Ravenslifer' timestamp='1320672335' post='858360']
Everyone besides Boldin and the injured Evans is a rookie or second year player who hadn't started a single NFL game in their career until this season, a season in which they lost OTAs, minicamps, and part of training camp. Torrey Smith is on pace to shatter every Ravens rookie receiving record even with all of this. I think we'll be fine at WR as long as David Reed, Tandon Doss, and LaQuan Williams get playing time so we can count on them in the playoffs.
[/quote]
it was a little funny when they showed that stats at the beginning of the game. the guy with the second most catches after bolding was torrey with 16 in his short nfl life. david reed still does´t have a catch. but never the less do they have to see the field because they are the future of our team.

and for me the oline has to improve the most. flacco had no time to throw the whole day. unbelievable what he did though!!!

[arnie_uk]

i cant wait to evans comes back though.. cause it that game we had reed and torrey out wide and boldin in the slot quite a bit and he done great.. So im hoping when lee back we will have him and torrey out wide with boldin/dickson/pitta in the slot. boldin should Thrive in that situatuion!!

[berad]

4 drops by Torrey, 2 drops by Anquan. They definitely need to play better but they came through when it mattered.