Receivers Need To Step Up....and Now

[OUravensfan]

I know its being discussed in other threads, but lets be honest, this receiver play needs improve and fast. I can't watch them drop any more perfect passes or not get separation from DBs. From watching the Lions and Chargers game, I was thinking just how fortunate Stadford and Rivers are. Their receivers consistently get wide open, with great separation. They go up and get jump balls, they make plays. The Giants game today, their receiver Hicks, i think, turned a slant route into a 99 yard td run. Some of this falls on Cam.

Lets be honest here, 20 points won't be enough to win some of these games against these playoff teams. It took 31 to beat the Bengals last game. Our receivers will need to make some plays during our SB run, if we're going to have one. They can help Flacco out.

One play that I really liked today was the short crossing route by Torrey Smith that isolated him onto one side of the field that enabled him to utilize his speed for great YAC. This needs to be done more.

Lee Evans, for christ sake step up. You're supposed to be a #1 guy, you didn't even go up for that pass in the endzone. Thank god Boldin is coming back, we need him.

[jimmypowder]

Evans at this point is a bust. No aggressiveness ,routes look sloppy and when he does get open
Joe seems late getting him the ball which I attribute to the lack of playing together.

[bauer77]

Well first, it was Victor Cruz, and second it would be Nicks, not Hicks. xD

But anyway back to the topic. While i agree Lee needs to step up, he can't exactly do much when he isn't thrown to till the 3rd quarter. And it was under thrown at that. Not blaming Flacco for all of this, I'm just saying. I dont know if Cam dialed up that play or what, but Dennis Pitta was WIDE open in the flat, that would've gave us that first down there. Instead we throw it downfield, get picked off, and give them the ball to march down the field and score that TD on us.

Lee isn't the only one that needs to step up either. Dickson dropped at least 2 passes for big gains, Torrey had one that, granted, it was thrown high, he still jumped for it and it hit him in the hands. And Doss dropped a very catchable pass. All our guys need to step up.

[Dfence4champs2052]

I agree. Everyone needs to show up and get all cylinders going. We need momentum especially if we are going to be off for an extended period of time. We will be rusty for our first game (assuming we get a 1st Rd bye).

[Jillester]

Where O where are the good old "Stickum" days of yore.

[Gordo52]

Im not judging any of our WRs until Cam is gone. Its like, he doesnt even try to get them involved or play their strengths. Or let Joe become a better QB. I know we have heard it over and over but all offensive problems are connected to Cams stupidity. And in time I think Joe and Evans develope more chemistry, the sooner the better!

[Gordo52]

[quote name='Jillester' timestamp='1324779113' post='921886']
Where O where are the good old "Stickum" days of yore.
[/quote]
What? lol

[Jillester]

[quote name='Ravens<3' timestamp= 1324779343' post='921896']
What? lol
[/quote]

Stickum was an adhesive substance that NFL wide outs placed on their hands and forearms to increase their percentages of catching a pass. It was banned in 1981

[EdReedFTW]

[quote name='Ravens<3' timestamp='1324779276' post='921894']
Im not judging any of our WRs until Cam is gone.
[/quote]

I hope cam gets fired like the next man but it is not his fault that people keep dropping passes. Its gotten so bad we've started to celebrate routine catches being completed.

[OUravensfan]

[quote name='bauer77' timestamp='1324778803' post='921873']
Well first, it was Victor Cruz, and second it would be Nicks, not Hicks. xD

But anyway back to the topic. While i agree Lee needs to step up, he can't exactly do much when he isn't thrown to till the 3rd quarter. And it was under thrown at that. Not blaming Flacco for all of this, I'm just saying. I dont know if Cam dialed up that play or what, but Dennis Pitta was WIDE open in the flat, that would've gave us that first down there. Instead we throw it downfield, get picked off, and give them the ball to march down the field and score that TD on us.

Lee isn't the only one that needs to step up either. Dickson dropped at least 2 passes for big gains, Torrey had one that, granted, it was thrown high, he still jumped for it and it hit him in the hands. And Doss dropped a very catchable pass. All our guys need to step up.
[/quote]
I get mad watching other team's receivers bail/help their QBs out by making awesome catches and coming wide open out of their routes. Ours need to do much better

[OUravensfan]

[quote name='Ravens<3' timestamp='1324779276' post='921894']
Im not judging any of our WRs until Cam is gone. Its like, he doesnt even try to get them involved or play their strengths. Or let Joe become a better QB. I know we have heard it over and over but all offensive problems are connected to Cams stupidity. And in time I think Joe and Evans develope more chemistry, the sooner the better!
[/quote]
If Cam is back next year, I don't even want to think about it. He can't come back, the only way he could come back is if our offense puts up 40 points in every game here on out on way to winning the super bowl.

[K-Dog]

[quote name='EdReedFTW' timestamp='1324780051' post='921911']


I hope cam gets fired like the next man but it is not his fault that people keep dropping passes. Its gotten so bad we've started to celebrate routine catches being completed.
[/quote]

Seriously. I dont know how half hearted play comes from play call.

[ROH522155]

[quote name='Jillester' timestamp='1324779113' post='921886']
Where O where are the good old "Stickum" days of yore.
[/quote]

Haha what?....nevermind I read the whole thread

[tsizzle95]

agreed they do need to step up. joe flaco is getting a lot of heat and his recievers arent really giving him any help there...

[Gordo52]

[quote name='Jillester' timestamp='1324779950' post='921910']

Stickum was an adhesive substance that NFL wide outs placed on their hands and forearms to increase their percentages of catching a pass. It was banned in 1981
[/quote]
Oh. Neat. lol

[1/28/01]

Receivers are not helping, but Flacco is looking REALLY sloppy of late!!

[Gordo52]

[quote name='EdReedFTW' timestamp='1324780051' post='921911']

I hope cam gets fired like the next man but it is not his fault that people keep dropping passes. Its gotten so bad we've started to celebrate routine catches being completed.
[/quote]
True, and yea you got a point lol. But Cam needs to set up the situations better by calling better plays

[Token]

[quote name='OUravensfan' timestamp='1324780439' post='921921']
I get mad watching other team's receivers bail/help their QBs out by making awesome catches and coming wide open out of their routes. Ours need to do much better
[/quote]

I know how you feel sometimes.
But hey, some other teams have to be jealous that we have Torrey. Not everyone has a WR that can burn CBs literally multiple times every game.

[BloodRaven]

Ed Dickson needs to be dropped to 3rd on the depth chart. That was a disgusting game.

[PuRock]

[quote name='BloodRaven' timestamp='1324783962' post='922004']
Ed Dickson needs to be dropped to 3rd on the depth chart. That was a disgusting game.
[/quote]

I wouldn't go that far. But it was quite bad. 2 drops were on 3rd downs as well I believe. I don't know why we don't see more Pitta. Not that it means anything but Joe and Pitta are like best friends. Why not try and work that chemistry onto the football field.

[Sizzlebshu]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1324784743' post='922024']

I wouldn't go that far. But it was quite bad. 2 drops were on 3rd downs as well I believe. I don't know why we don't see more Pitta. Not that it means anything but Joe and Pitta are like best friends. Why not try and work that chemistry onto the football field.
[/quote]
double the power of the awesome FU MANCHU

[BloodRaven]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1324784743' post='922024']

I wouldn't go that far. But it was quite bad. 2 drops were on 3rd downs as well I believe. I don't know why we don't see more Pitta. Not that it means anything but Joe and Pitta are like best friends. Why not try and work that chemistry onto the football field.
[/quote]

He reminds me of Ben Watson, physical freak but can't catch a cold. I'll never understand showcasing a player over someone better because of draft position. Pitta has been money in the limited chances he's had.

[UMDan]

I didn't realize how short Lee Evans was until today. That can be a real issue with tall corners.

[Ravenslifer]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1324784743' post='922024']

I wouldn't go that far. But it was quite bad. 2 drops were on 3rd downs as well I believe. I don't know why we don't see more Pitta. Not that it means anything but Joe and Pitta are like best friends. Why not try and work that chemistry onto the football field.
[/quote]

I agree, Pitta may have the best hands on the team outside of Boldin. Every time it's on the field it's like Joe sees a young Todd Heap. He's definitely the tight end I'd prefer to be on the field most of the time.

[BigDawg]

[quote name='Ravens<3' timestamp='1324779276' post='921894']
Im not judging any of our WRs until Cam is gone. Its like, he doesnt even try to get them involved or play their strengths. Or let Joe become a better QB. I know we have heard it over and over but all offensive problems are connected to Cams stupidity. And in time I think Joe and Evans develope more chemistry, the sooner the better!
[/quote]
I would bet good money cam tells them to catch the dam* ball. Them dropping balls isn't on cam.

[PuRock]

[quote name='BigDawg' timestamp='1324788224' post='922073']
I would bet good money cam tells them to catch the dam* ball. Them dropping balls isn't on cam.
[/quote]

We have to be in the lead for most dropped balls by a team. It seems like every year something new plagues us. One year its injuries, the next its penalties, the next its drops. Its always something.

[RavensAllTheWay]

What I did like was getting Dickson getting the ball near the goaline. Joe has thrown some goal to go TD passes as of late. AT LAST, I've been calling for better passing near the goaline all season and it's starting to happen.

But you're absolutely right about the drops. He came back in the second half and dropped two sure catches, one of which he might've taken for a TD. The one to Torrey on the sideline route in the first half was high, yes, but it hit Torrey in the hands. And does anyone know, the incompletion on third down to Torrey right before the Cribbs TD, was that a bad throw, a drop, or both? Because I thought it hit Torrey in the hands, but Rich Gannon was on Joe for not keeping it in bounds.

Speaking of Joe, I agree that he's been sloppy lately. I think someone on the team needs to talk with him this week about settling down and not trying to do too much because it looks like he is. His play has looked careless the last few weeks, and he and Evans are certainly not on the same page.

That said, I don't wanna freak out, lol. These are relatively easy fixes I would think.

[RavensAllTheWay]

Also, one more question. I've seen Joe throw a lot of sideline passes to Smith and a lot of them have been high throws. Are the throws high because they're off target or is Joe throwing them up to keep the ball away from coverage?

[EdReedFTW]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1324788414' post='922081']

We have to be in the lead for most dropped balls by a team. It seems like every year something new plagues us. One year its injuries, the next its penalties, the next its drops. Its always something.
[/quote]

The last time I checked we were pretty bad at number 3. However we're not even close to first. Cleveland is number 1 and Greg Little already had 14 drops when we played the browns last time. That's probably more the most of the teams in the league.

[True]

[quote name='PuRock' timestamp='1324784743' post='922024']

I wouldn't go that far. But it was quite bad. 2 drops were on 3rd downs as well I believe. I don't know why we don't see more Pitta. Not that it means anything but Joe and Pitta are like best friends. Why not try and work that chemistry onto the football field.
[/quote]
Because Ed Dickson is the better blocker so he gets the primary TE role. Pitta usually comes in on 3rd down situations or when the Ravens play 3 receiver sets and he substitutes for the last WR.

Dickson's going to be the future TE given his amount of playing time he's earned. Drops are a problem, but he's not the only one since Boldin, Smith, and Rice are right alongside him. He'll get better.