MERGED: Mourning After and Similar Threads

[callahan09]

Here's what I honestly feel after seeing that game:

I was actually happy with Cam's play-calling.

In the first quarter, it seemed like maybe he was making a mistake with all the runs on first down, but honestly, there's nothing wrong with that call, and it set it up for play-action on first down a few drives later which got our offense moving. I think it was a well-called game, but Cam is made to look worse in this particular game than he really was because once again his offensive line played like crap, gave his QB no time, made no blocks for the pathetic running game.

And we still essentially outperformed the Patriots on offense in their home stadium.

I was frankly impressed with Cam, I think that as a man who was auditioning for a job, he called a fantastic game and was let down by the execution of his players. I am not one to normally make that argument in support of Cam, I've been calling for Cam's head for weeks in fact, but I think that his play-calling and gameplan for yesterday are absolutely going to help him land a job somewhere, even if not with the Ravens, next season.

Now, here's the problem: our entire offense outside of Joe Flacco is incredibly anti-clutch. Not only are they anti-clutch, but they are inconsistent.

After this game I can say with 100% confidence that Joe Flacco improved significantly in 2011 season from his prior campaigns. His "inconsistent" play, as everybody has liked to point out, is, in my opinion and from my perspective, actually just a symptom of the inconsistent play of the surrounding pieces he has to work with. Whenever his numbers don't astound, it's usually because his offensive line turns in an utter failure, his receivers drop easily catchable passes, his running backs run into a wall, and often times he is forced to run the run plays at the wrong times.

Ray Rice is significantly less consistent than Joe Flacco. How many sub-4.0 yards per carry performances did he turn in this season? He turned in only about 3 yards per carry between the two games this postseason. A lot of that is in his offensive line's blocking failures, sure, but he also stutter steps and hesitates and cuts back at the wrong times and in the wrong directions. He failed to break a play in this entire postseason, while Flacco carried the team on his back.

In the previous 3 postseason games that Flacco has played in, his running backs have contributed only 2.9 yards per carry, and his receivers have dropped a minimum of a dozen passes, including a game-winner in each of the two losses.

Flacco is the guy. He just needs to be surrounded by quality supporting pieces, as any QB needs to be. When you're getting somewhere between pedestrian to awful performances from your receivers, o-line, and running backs, what more can a QB do? He still almost wins us these games, despite those surrounding pieces failing him. He has put up a 93.0 QB rating in his past 4 post-season games, which is extremely impressive, even if you don't consider how awful his surrounding players have had a tendency to be.

Flacco is more important to this offense than Ray Rice. There, I said it.

[SecretAgentMan]

We have to be in fury. The game was blown by one player, and Reed might retire. There is good news, we could be very dangerous. Ray is returning, so we will have great leadership, and we will still have a great D. Rice is going to be Franchised. Grubbs and Webb are likely to be resigned. But most importantly I think yesterday was the indication that Flacco broke out. He he can outgun Brady in Cams system he is elite. We are really pissed, and we have a loaded team. Do you think next year we will playing with a large mean streak.

[Dfence4champs2052]

It has to be the most frustrating thing for a defensive mind. Limit two of the best QBs the NFL has arguably ever seen and we still can't win the game. I know everyone is frustrated but I can't help but think this should be Ray's third SB year at a minimum. That 2006 season when we were 13-3 and the #1 seed we held manning without a TD in any fashion and still came up short 15-6. I was incredulous then and to see us limit one of the top three most explosive teams in the NFL's pass happy era to no passing TDs again and still not win is just too bitter a pill to swallow. I truly hope there are some sweeping changes and we hold onto our "building blocks" those franchise players and build around them. And solve the drops.....

And for everyone here I publicly must say "all hail Joe." I had my moments against him but he showed he has "it."

[Gordo52]

19-0 next year

[MsMarvel73]

Oh yesterday was categorically my worst sports day ever...to lose Joe Pa and then have the Ravens lose on the same day was almost more than my heart could take last night....and worse for me I was alone as my bf was passed out asleep in the bedroom. Kinda wish I could have been in State College yesterday....

But a relatively good night's sleep....boatload of caffeine and my sorrows are much lessened.

[ratedr]

I hate this comparison, but it seems to be getting more true every year. Always in the playoffs, but we can't seem to get over the hump. 2000 isn't recent anymore...

So frustrating.

[Guest RBates]

Are we the new eagles?

[beasy2487]

Eh, Philly's never won one and they've been around forever. We're just spoiled.

Oh, and you two should get a room.

[Ravenslifer]

[quote name='Dfence4champs2052' timestamp='1327334898' post='968670']
It has to be the most frustrating thing for a defensive mind. Limit two of the best QBs the NFL has arguably ever seen and we still can't win the game. I know everyone is frustrated but I can't help but think this should be Ray's third SB year at a minimum. That 2006 season when we were 13-3 and the #1 seed we held manning without a TD in any fashion and still came up short 15-6. I was incredulous then and to see us limit one of the top three most explosive teams in the NFL's pass happy era to no passing TDs again and still not win is just too bitter a pill to swallow. I truly hope there are some sweeping changes and we hold onto our "building blocks" those franchise players and build around them. And solve the drops.....

And for everyone here I publicly must say "all hail Joe." I had my moments against him but he showed he has "it."
[/quote]

In 2006 McNair and the offense just couldn't get it done. That was the problem that whole season. If we had that defense still here, we probably would have held the Patriots to even fewer points and maybe won the game. Like it or not, I feel like this is a defense in transition - which is pretty awesome when you consider how good we still are, and how good we can be in the future. But that 2006 defense still had Bartt Scott and AD, still had Dawan Landry, Ed Reed wasn't even 30 yet, Trevor Pryce was a monster that season, Kelly Gregg was still only 30, not to mention we still had Jamal Lewis who was unstoppable as a running back. That season we didn't have a quarterback capable of playing this well. This season our receiving corps is inexperienced and the defense is long in the tooth mixed in with very green and inexperienced. And still we came within one missed catch of going to the Superbowl.

[scrock]

I think there's a lot of teams who wish they were us

we're doing something right

[Gordo52]

I literally cant force myself to smile

[scrock]

I know, its got to kill Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and Suggs and those guys, they have spent their best year dominating but not getting any wins in return when it matters most

its gotten better on offense because of the QB but things still need to be fixed, but its nothing major right now

[NE_winning]

First off I want to say I'm a New England fan and I did not come on here to talk any trash. It was a game that Baltimore should have definitely won. The Patriots turned the ball over 3 times, Flacco played much better than Brady, the whole world knows that the Ravens defense is top 3 in the league and the Patriots defense is non factor. That being said, it is quite obvious that the Ravens lost the game (the Pats did not win it). In order for the Ravens to get to the next level obivously they need more weapons on offense. Lee Evans (a hand me down receiver from Buffalo) shouldn't have been an option at all on the possible winning play...why not ride Boldin? Boldin (once the Ravens coaching staff realized that Julian Edleman was not Revis, although it took 3 and a half quarters to realize this for some reason) should have attempted to go to their toughest receiver in the red zone. Tough loss Ravens it really was. Cundiff blew a field goal that is similar to a point after (something he could make blind folded). Sorry Ravens...Adam Vinateri is not walking through that door.

[SecretAgentMan]

To unleash the rage we must
Trade for Burfict. He is rage itself, would be great addition.
Find a new safety to replace Reed. Laron Landry mabey.
Get a center in the draft, get guard in the draft.
Get Hue Jackson. West Coast Offense is something Flacco would Flourish in.
Resign Rice
Nuff said

[Dfence4champs2052]

Wow, mods are just as bad as NFL referees........my thread had nothing to do with the morning after. It was pointing at stopping elite QBs.....SMH.

[Tatelli]

[quote name='scrock' timestamp='1327321659' post='968139']

Ozzie and those guys have shown time and time again they are the best at what they do, I have faith the team we field next year will once again be one of the best
[/quote]
I'll agree with this when the plug that is stopping Cam from going down the drain is finally pulled!!!

I can't imagine another season with us guessing what Joe and this O could be under another OC, It is time to make the change.

[Ravens>Steelers]

I thought Evans caught the ball and I screamed, "HE CAUGHT IT!" but then the next thing I know the ball comes out and I prayed that he had it long enough for it to be a touchdown. Half an inch away from getting his second foot down before the ball was knocked out. Half....an....inch... To go from thinking we just scored the go-ahead touchdown and were going to the Super Bowl to a shanked kick is the worst feeling ever. I'm still in shock. This just plain sucks.

[Romo Ravens]

There's a few positive things you can take away from that ball being knocked out and Cundiff missing the kick, and Cam Cameron being let go helps me cope with the loss

[TreTheRaven]

I so agree with the title. When Joe was driving the team down the field, I had flashbacks of the Pittsburgh game. Week 9. I was feeling great. I screamed, I jumped, when I thought Evans had caught it. Then I figured, at least Cundiff will send this game into overtime and give the Ravens a chance.

Soon as he had missed it, my life & spirits just completely sunk. Been in a crap mood and haven't talked to anyone really except you folks on here. In the words of your title ... you go from feeling on top of the world ... to in the gutter in a matter of seconds and I can not dig myself out of it.

[Jamal]

Like I said before, it will take years of therapy for me to get over this loss.

[omar586]

in all honesty, i swear i thought we were gonna beat the pats straight up, i had a good feeling about the ravens, especailly when everybody picked the pats, i was like the ravens will shock the world and beat the pats, heck i even requested the feb. 5th off at my work i was so freaking confident that they will win and go to SB, so close..............yet another looooooooooooooooooooooong wait for the next season.

[Ravenslifer]

I swear, reading into it that whole thing was just strange. The special teams guys didn't know it was fourth down because the New England scoreboard happened to malfunction and read "3rd Down". That's why Billy wasn't ready for the kick, and that's why I don't get not using a timeout if we had one. But still, for the scoreboard to malfunction right then? But like Romo Ravens said, if this hastens the end of the Cam Cameron Experiment, I can live with it.

[Gordo52]

And on top of all of this pain we must go to bed every night knowing that the moronic patriot fans think their team is unstoppable

[chesapeakeaviator]

Yep. That about sums it up.

Life goes on, and the sun comes up, though. Listen to Ray Lewis' speech after the game. Seriously, nothing else could have gotten me over that quite like that speech did. I think I speak for most Ravens fans when we say it's not just the players that look to him for leadership... we all could take something from it.

That man has a bright future when he hangs his cleats up.

[scrock]

I never doubted Joe would lead the team down the field and even after the drop by Lee Evans I still thought Joe would get it done but they went for the FG and missed and it all flew by so quick

its the same thing two years running, Joe Flacco runs us down the field to win and delivers the ball, the receivers didnt make the plays that mattered most

[bauer77]

[quote name='TreTheRaven' timestamp='1327376556' post='970491']
[b]I so agree with the title. When Joe was driving the team down the field, I had flashbacks of the Pittsburgh game. Week 9. I was feeling great. I screamed, I jumped, when I thought Evans had caught it. Then I figured, at least Cundiff will send this game into overtime and give the Ravens a chance[/b].

Soon as he had missed it, my life & spirits just completely sunk. Been in a crap mood and haven't talked to anyone really except you folks on here. In the words of your title ... you go from feeling on top of the world ... to in the gutter in a matter of seconds and I can not dig myself out of it.
[/quote]


I was saying the SAME EXACT thing to my buddy sitting next to me. The whole drive was oddly similar to the Pittsburgh game. The 2-3 passes to boldin with him running out of bounds, and everything. It set up perfectly. I jumped in the air when i thought Evans caught it, thought that could've been game. And then i fell to the floor when i saw the ball on the ground. And then i was questioning why they didn't take another look at it.

And then cundiff comes on. I saw him sort of rushing it. Idk why we never called out last timeout to give him more time. And then he kicks it, i heard my dad upstairs, his tv is like a second faster than mine, and he yells "He missed it" and then i saw it happen. Utter disbelief. Jaw to the ground for a good 5 minutes, i didnt talk the rest of the night. And the only people I've talked to today have been on here as well.

[codizzle]

We would have never been in the situation if our offense had starte out better.. Blame it on whomever..

We shoulda had that one wrapped up earlier honestly.. We dominated in every category besides penalties

[gotekiraven]

Once with do finally get the second Lombardi, most fans will have vague memories of this game. As I see it, the Patriots didn't beat us, they got pass us.

[GrimCoconut]

Yeah, it's a shame. It's hard to let it go, but it happened and it's over now. I'm worried about next season. I wonder if we will make it as far or further this time. I want Ed Reed to get his ring. He deserves it, man.

Here's hoping.

[BloodRaven]

Coulda, woulda shoulda.

Next season.