Who Else Here Thinks Suggs Is Or Will Be The Face Of The Ravens..

[Tiz]

[quote name='Ravenslifer' timestamp='1323311050' post='899024']


Actually the other day I heard on some sports talk station (local so I don't know who it is) that it isn't all Matt Ryan's fault, or even the majority Ryan's fault - apparently Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White are getting older, and Julio Jones is still a young receiver who is developing. It was some local geek talking fantasy numbers, but still, I seriously couldn't think of anything at that point. I've come to accept that nobody outside of Baltimore will ever put Joe in the same class as these guys, no matter what he does. Maybe it's because we're the Ravens, maybe it's because all of these guys are from big time programs and Joe came out of Delaware - I don't know. But I don't care, as long as we're winning, and as long as Ravens fans, or people who claim to be Ravens fans, talk about Joe with the respect he's earned by helping lead us to the playoffs three times and beating the Steelers the way he has this year.
[/quote]

I am so done with matt ryan nonsense. Joe catches flak for not beating ben. He does it and no respect. Ryan hasnt won a playoff game but still gets respect...ugh.

[Passepartout]

Honestly I think it will be Ray Rice. But still, you can't go also wrong with Ray Lewis, the heart of the franchise!

[Ravenslifer]

[quote name='Tiz' timestamp='1323312106' post='899040']
I am so done with matt ryan nonsense. Joe catches flak for not beating ben. He does it and no respect. [b]Ryan hasnt won a playoff game but still gets respect...ugh[/b].
[/quote]

I keep forgetting about that. He was at home with a bye week last year too, I believe.

[Militant X 1]

imo Ray Rice will be the face of the Ravens franchise.

~Mili

[Ravenslifer]

[quote name='Militant X 1' timestamp='1323316423' post='899107']
imo Ray Rice will be the face of the Ravens franchise.

~Mili
[/quote]


As long as he doesn't end up on a Madden Cover, I'm cool with that.

[BloodRaven]

At 29 his age and career workload will soon start to slow him down, especially at a position that relies on being explosive. If Kindle and Kruger develop into starters I could see Suggs move inside in his later years.

[codizzle]

I want to say and do believe it will be Flacco. In today's NFL, the QB is usually the face of the franchise and is always the player put on a pedestal.
Joe has the fire and the ability to carry this team. The defense has made it a point to say Flacco is our leader in different interviews. Obviously as of now Ray and Ed are our veteran leaders, but I think Flacco will be carrying this team a few years down the road

[PeRK82]

[quote name='Ravenslifer' timestamp='1323311050' post='899024']

Actually the other day I heard on some sports talk station (local so I don't know who it is) that it isn't all Matt Ryan's fault, or even the majority Ryan's fault - apparently Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White are getting older, and Julio Jones is still a young receiver who is developing. It was some local geek talking fantasy numbers, but still, I seriously couldn't think of anything at that point. I've come to accept that nobody outside of Baltimore will ever put Joe in the same class as these guys, no matter what he does. Maybe it's because we're the Ravens, maybe it's because all of these guys are from big time programs and Joe came out of Delaware - I don't know. But I don't care, as long as we're winning, and as long as Ravens fans, or people who claim to be Ravens fans, talk about Joe with the respect he's earned by helping lead us to the playoffs three times and beating the Steelers the way he has this year.
[/quote]


Honestly, the pass 3 yrs, Thats all Joe has done Help lead, This Year i see a change, he is LEADING this team. Some people might disagree because of Rice but if i had to choose between Joe and Rice, sorry Rice, Flacco all day, even with his mutinchops,lol

[Dudeman]

I agree with a lot of the above comments. Flacco has started to show signs of leading on and off the field. Suggs, Rice, and Ngata are arguably our best players. Webb, and Torrey Smith were both considered "leaders" in college, and in a few years I see them bringing the rookies along.

I believe that Ray Lewis was/is the face of the franchise because for so long he was by far and away our best player, and the unquestioned leader in the locker room. Anyone who is a potential hall of famer is going to garner this kind of respect in and out of the locker room. But in a future without Ray I think it will be a leadership by committee as I said before.

[LittleSuggs777]

I think that it will continue as is. As much as we hate to face it, Ray Lewis will retire eventually. As we all know, Ray is and has been, the face of the Ravens. When people think of the Ravens, Ray Lewis and his highlight reel hits come to mind. When Ray leaves, i think people will think of Suggs as the "Ravens Represenative" as well as Ray Rice, escpecially considering his recent performance. Overview: Ray Lewis will be the Ravens until he retires, then i believe it will be Suggs, Rice, and somewhat Flacco.

[In_ozzie_we_trust]

I can see him around for a long time and having a street named after him along with Ray lewis

[PeRK82]

[quote name='americanmade2012' timestamp='1323390936' post='899785']
I can see him around for a long time and having a street named after him along with Ray lewis
[/quote]


I can see that, " Sizzle Street"

[Alexir]

Suggs will be after Reed and Ray hang up the boots. Flacco never will be just because Baltimore is a ground and pound, tough football city. It will never be a QB again...RIP JU

[RavenousBG]

It is Suggs tentatively but if Joe Flacco has a special year with big numbers, it will be him. He's the QB it is a QB league. He just has to put it all together and have that 'wow season' that everyone believes he has the potential for. If we go to a SB and he has a great game, you know who will be saying I am going to Disney World. Sorry Trent.

[flynismo]

When you talk about the 'face' of the franchise, that means a lot of things. Talent is only part of the equation; our face has to be well spoken, have leadership qualities and represent the city as well of the field as on.
For those reasons, I dont see Rice ever being the face of this team. He's too rough around the edges, and other guys have much deeper roots / ties to the community.

I see either Suggs or Flacco, or both, being the franchise's top dogs over the coming years.

[SirPainsalot]

[quote name='Jamal' timestamp='1323306752' post='898972']
Yeah statistically, this might be Flacco's worst year. But actually watching him, I've been impressed. Especially with how clutch hes been. Everyone remembers Pitt, but hes been consistently clutch this year.

Naturally if a QB and RB are both good, the QB will always be the more popular player. But like I said, I don't think Flacco will be able to take that next step in to a top 10 QB as long as Cam Cameron is the OC. (yes I know I'm beating a dead horse at this point)
[/quote]

I can't agree more. Flacco has been exceedingly clutch this year.
And let's face it, if the defense stopped the Seahawks on their last drive, Flacco would've gone down to the endzone. That's how he is. And to be honest, I wouldn't doubt that.
That's why I thought the Seahawks was a team loss. Misplays by David Reed and a crucial last stand missed by the defense at the last second messed it up.

So I do think Flacco has the potential to be a huge part of our team, possibly the leader. This year was the first year we saw this, and of course it's still a growth year for him, but that's the reason why he hasn't performed his best. Because he's taking the reins now and leading the team. And with that, you'll get miscommunication, drops, and inaccurate passes. But that's all part of the process.
That's how I feel.

[Raven Hammer]

I see Suggs as a Ra Ra type player who after Ray is gone will be the emotioal leader. I see Flacco as the face of the Franshise. He has the ability to make people trust and believe in his vision.

[OUravensfan]

When Joe Flacco throws for 4 TDs including the game winning TD in the SuperBowl with 0:0 on the clock left he will be the new face of the Ravens.

[Tiz]

[quote name='flynismo' timestamp='1323414344' post='900871']
When you talk about the 'face' of the franchise, that means a lot of things. Talent is only part of the equation; our face has to be well spoken, have leadership qualities and represent the city as well of the field as on.
For those reasons, I dont see Rice ever being the face of this team. He's too rough around the edges, and other guys have much deeper roots / ties to the community.

I see either Suggs or Flacco, or both, being the franchise's top dogs over the coming years.
[/quote]

You say ties to the city then mention a guy who goes back to az in the offseason. Mention guys who are well spoken and again mention a guy who isn't so well spoken.

its not simply about being articulate, its about the passion behind the words thats why Ray is the face now.

I dont think it will be ray rice simply because flacco is the guy now that all the pundits ask about. It will either be suggs because he is the one defending joe on espn or simply flacco himself because he will step up and start pointing out his own accomplishments for the pundits

[cobrajet]

I think you are right, it will be Suggs. I can tell you one thing, he is the most hated man in Pittsburgh. When I go up to visit my in-laws, that is all they talk about is how they hate this man. Everytime they show him on the field, they go crazy hating on him.

[True]

On defense probably.

Offensively Ray Rice looks to be the face of it, Joe's coming along slowly since he's opening up recently but he doesn't have a good stigma with the media so it's a tossup.

[Dudeman]

[quote name='cobrajet' timestamp='1323434742' post='900930']
I think you are right, it will be Suggs. I can tell you one thing, he is the most hated man in Pittsburgh. When I go up to visit my in-laws, that is all they talk about is how they hate this man. Everytime they show him on the field, they go crazy hating on him.
[/quote]

You are so right on the money about how much the Steelers and their fans really hate him. I also notice that a lot of the talking heads (like Skip Bayless) who lean on the Steelers usually omit Suggs in their "rankings/lists" time and time again.

Let's just say, that I am glad Suggs is on our side!

[PurpleReign92]

This guy is the real deal, he is edge rusher and the best in the business at edge rushing nobody in the NFL does it better!

[Ravenslifer]

[quote name='PeRK82' timestamp='1323375902' post='899571']


Honestly, the pass 3 yrs, Thats all Joe has done Help lead, This Year i see a change, he is LEADING this team. Some people might disagree because of Rice but if i had to choose between Joe and Rice, sorry Rice, Flacco all day, even with his mutinchops,lol
[/quote]

I would agree actually. Obviously at this point Rice is the better player compared to the rest of the league at their respective positions, but I remember when we had Jamal Lewis who got at least 1700 all purpose yards 3 seasons here and had over 1100 yards rushing every season but 1. We missed the playoffs in 02, 04, and 05. Stability at the qb position and having a qb who is at least solid is much more important than having even the best running back in the NFL - see the Titans and the Vikings.

But in terms of the "face" of a franchise, it's all about the respect factor, and people don't respect Joe at all. His rookie year he got us to an AFCCG, and it was "The defense carried him". His second year he lit up the scoreboard early and got hurt badly at the end of the season but still helped get us to back to back playoff appearances for the first time in 8 seasons, but "the defense and Rice carried him". Last year he was the second highest rated qb over the second half of the season and finished 6th or 7th overall in the NFL in passer rating, number 2 behind Brady during the last 10 weeks of the season or something, but "the defense and Rice carried him".

This year, he's beaten Pittsburgh twice in epic fashion, took down the number 1 rated 49ers defense, played one of his best games ever against Cinci, etc. "But look at his completion percentage. Look at his touchdown-INT ratio." Forget that the only receiver he'd ever thrown to before August was Anquan Boldin. Forget that the Ravens' receivers lead the league in drops. Forget that the offensive system he's in is one that makes it harder on the quarterback to complete passes in general. Flacco has done things that, if a more respected quarterback had done, he would undoubtedly be the face of the franchise. But I can't tell you how many people I've met, the last three years in D.C. and this year in Philadelphia, who keep telling me that the only thing that kept the Ravens from winning a Superbowl in the last 4 years is that our QB is a scrub. Actually had one guy I knew last year try and tell me that if the Ravens traded up for the 1st overall pick and grabbed Newton, we'd be the Superbowl favorites for the next decade. It's hard to be called "The Face of the Franchise" when the only people who seem to [i]somewhat[/i] respect you are current and retired quarterbacks.

[Marc2k6]

Sounds to me that when you think of the face of the Raven's you guys are seeing more than 1 face, I think that is how it should be!

[big hits and ball hawks]

Suggs says what most of us think/feel and he supports all his talk up with his awesome play making. I want to word this right but I'm not sure how. He's like the voice of the fans, most of us anyway. He's still a leader on the field and will continue to be, but I don't think he will necessarily be the "face" of the Ravens.

Flacco, in a way, embodies the Ravens. Stick with me on this. I'm not talking about the smash mouth thing, although I do think he's one of the tougher QBs in the league. I'm talking about the "Ravens get no respect" thing. Think about the excuses of why we're "not good enough". Flacco can't compete with elite QBs like Rodgers, Brees, and Brady. The Ravens can't hang around with teams like GB, NO, and NE. A lot of the criticism is aimed at Flacco and he's the one holding us back, but they're really calling our whole team out with the Ravens can't do this or that kind of talk.

Ray Rice kind of seems like he would be. He's accountable for the majority of the offense's production, maybe behind Flacco. He's got that "face of a franchise" kind of charm. At the end of the day though, I think it will be multiple players.

[Ravens Lover]

As long as Rays here no one will take that title from him, but after he leaves I think itll either be Suggs, Ngata, or Rice

[PeRK82]

[quote name='cobrajet' timestamp='1323434742' post='900930']
I think you are right, it will be Suggs. [b]I can tell you one thing, he is the most hated man in Pittsburgh.[/b] When I go up to visit my in-laws, that is all they talk about is how they hate this man. Everytime they show him on the field, they go crazy hating on him.
[/quote]

lolol, wow, i didnt know that. Thats crazy, Guess it is how it used to be here with Ward, I say USED To because he is an after thought now after we beat the crap out of him in both games. He doesnt Smile so much anymore,lol. I think Every Ravens got their kicks in,lol. I honestly think we took a full playing season out of Ward this yr, i really do. He will be retiring soon and it will be because of the RAVENS D.

[Tiz]

[quote name='PeRK82' timestamp='1323488798' post='901536']


lolol, wow, i didnt know that. Thats crazy, Guess it is how it used to be here with Ward, I say USED To because he is an after thought now after we beat the crap out of him in both games. He doesnt Smile so much anymore,lol. I think Every Ravens got their kicks in,lol. I honestly think we took a full playing season out of Ward this yr, i really do. He will be retiring soon and it will be because of the RAVENS D.
[/quote]

I would love to gloat and cheer and agree with this but beating down an aged hines doesnt eliminate what he has done to us and with pitt over the years

[busterblue52]

Obviously Ray is the face of the franchise. Most assume that when he leaves that Ed will leave at the same time. After they are gone i would think Flacco would be the face of the franchise especially with that amazing stache.Other then Flacco i would pick Ray Rice and then sizzle.