30 replies to this topic

[mdrsharon]

One question - how is it we can get up to play great against good teams and so badly against not so good teams?
I realize the parity in the NFL makes no really bad teams (just underperforming) but we just don't seem to show up when we should be blowing them out!
Can we get a decisive win before the last 2 seconds?

[GrimCoconut]

One question - how is it we can get up to play great against good teams and so badly against not so good teams?
I realize the parity in the NFL makes no really bad teams (just underperforming) but we just don't seem to show up when we should be blowing them out!
Can we get a decisive win before the last 2 seconds?

My personal opinion without much factual evidence? I think some players underestimate their opponents. Not sure who, but it has to be some younger players. I don't think it's on the coaches anymore.

[rlh445]

You pretty much answered your own question. Even bad teams (and there ARE bad teams, like the Browns) can get themselves up for a game. Even bad teams have pride. I don't fully agree with Grim that the Ravens specifically underestimate opponents, at least not anymore. I know that was a big problem during the Billick/Ryan era. I just think when you're part of a bad team, you have a unique fire in your belly that makes you wanna go out there and beat someone's butt, and usually that someone is the Ravens. I'm not trying to say we're not a hungry team but rather that we're hungry for a championship, a feat that encompasses an entire season.

Teams like the Browns, Chiefs, Jags, etc are just hungry for a win. Have you ever been hungry mdrsharon? Like you haven't eaten in a week and that half eaten burger on the top of the trash bin in the early morning hours looks like a five star meal? I have. It sucks, but you'll do ANYTHING to eat. I think that's the best analogy I can think of off the top of my head right now to equate to this situation. The aforementioned teams are really hungry for a trashy half burger, and teams like the Ravens are hungry but they're not sure if they want to hit up the Charleston or The Prime Rib.

[mdrsharon]

I realize a win is a win in this league - but we can't get it together enough to be dominant.
I want us to win - really big, especially against teams that are nowhere as good as us.
The Pats put up 50 pts two weeks ago - why can't we?

[rlh445]

I realize a win is a win in this league - but we can't get it together enough to be dominant.
I want us to win - really big, especially against teams that are nowhere as good as us.
The Pats put up 50 pts two weeks ago - why can't we?

If we had Tom Brady, we'd be putting up 50 points

[GrimCoconut]

I realize a win is a win in this league - but we can't get it together enough to be dominant.
I want us to win - really big, especially against teams that are nowhere as good as us.
The Pats put up 50 pts two weeks ago - why can't we?

What rlh445 said is very true. I think the reason we don't blow teams out is multifaceted. For one this is the NFL. I know that's a cliche but it's normally true. We just haven't had a good draw this year, too. Losing teams put an extra umph sometimes into winning. It just so happens the teams we played haven't been that low yet. Sometimes teams give up. It happens.

And you just can't always blow teams out, either.

And back to my point about underestimating: I don't think the team as a whole underestimates opponents; rather, just certain players.

[cobrajet]

Well with our schedule we pretty much have all good teams left, except for the one Browns game left.

[PolishRifle]

If we had Tom Brady, we'd be putting up 50 points

Uh-oh. Here we go.

Well with our schedule we pretty much have all good teams left, except for the one Browns game left.

What about the Raiders?

Edited by PolishRifle, 08 October 2012 - 07:30 PM.

[rlh445]

Uh-oh. Here we go.

What . Tom Brady (and I suppose Belichick's go for the throat mentality) are what make them score so many points in a game. They have a fast no huddle type spread offense going on and because Brady's so good, they really aren't stopped a lot of the time. That isn't a knock on Joe, but everyone here would agree he's not Brady. Joe sure has outplayed him though in what, three consecutive games though .

[PolishRifle]

What . Tom Brady (and I suppose Belichick's go for the throat mentality) are what make them score so many points in a game. They have a fast no huddle type spread offense going on and because Brady's so good, they really aren't stopped a lot of the time. That isn't a knock on Joe, but everyone here would agree he's not Brady. Joe sure has outplayed him though in what, three consecutive games though .

Nothing against you, but I am new here and literally every thread turns into a Joe Flacco conversation in seconds.
People are jumping on and off that Flacco bandwagon like crazy. I don't know, if it's Joe's fault, that we always play to the other teams level, he still seems more accurate than ever. I still am shocked, that I have seen Boldin drop an easy pass or Pitta drop a pass at all. It was a crazy game.

[The Raven]

If we had Tom Brady, we'd be putting up 50 points

Disagree. If we had Josh McDaniels or Bill Belichick we'd be putting up 50 points. I like Cam for the most part, but those guys are football geniuses

[omar586]

its CAM's fault , he did it.

[Donte]

i think it was stated that we arent that good on the road....a great home team and great all around but on the road we are just a really good team....we arent the same team anymore and the no huddle wasnt effective in that stadium which caused problems, i guess we dont have a plan B if the no huddle isnt working.....

i dont think its joe's fault really, as a team if its a bad week then no one stands out on offense and its been like that...maybe the gameplan didnt work or we got out coached in the matter but i though against the jags last year we just got out played in every area besides the bad ones....but the browns dont count because they know us just as good as anybody in the league but the no huddle and our new threats like jacoby and doss are new so we should still have the upper hand but i guess thats what film is for

[-Truth-]

It is a concern, but it's better than losing to the underwhelming teams, such as what happened last season. The Chiefs are a talented ball club, however, better than their record indicates. Their OL has been lights out this season, their RB is one of the most explosive in the league, and their defense is filled with play-makers. With that in mind, I personally wasn't surprised by how highly contested it was, and neither were the Ravens considering their pre-game and post-game interviews. So I wouldn't push the panic button just yet.

[rlh445]

Nothing against you, but I am new here and literally every thread turns into a Joe Flacco conversation in seconds.
People are jumping on and off that Flacco bandwagon like crazy. I don't know, if it's Joe's fault, that we always play to the other teams level, he still seems more accurate than ever. I still am shocked, that I have seen Boldin drop an easy pass or Pitta drop a pass at all. It was a crazy game.

I know you're new, it's fine. I hope you understand my original post wasn't a jab at Flacco at all, but more of a reality check. Pointing out the Patsies scored 50 points in a game this year and then asking why the Ravens can't do that against 'lesser' opponents is a pretty easy answer: Brady.

[rlh445]

Disagree. If we had Josh McDaniels or Bill Belichick we'd be putting up 50 points. I like Cam for the most part, but those guys are football geniuses

You could be right, if you're suggesting that Tom Brady is a product of coaching and nothing more. I tend to err on the side that if a guy produces on the level of a Tom Brady it's probably more due to the fact that he's just that good. Belichick and McDaniels are great coaches, but let's be real: Boller wouldn't be Brady at this point in his career even with them at his side. Cam has his issues, but Brady is Brady because he's just a super intelligent, super good quarterback. I'm quite sure Bill and/or Josh would throw 100 percent of the credit towards him as well. Josh just came to the team this year...Brady's been getting it done like this for many years no matter who the OC is.

[RavensAllTheWay]

Don't forget the 44-13 blowout in week 1.

[UMDan]

Don't forget the 44-13 blowout in week 1.

I was going to bring that up.

[UMDan]

My answer to this: any given Sunday anyone can win. There's so much parity in the league. I think people underestimate the strategy that goes into beating a specific opponent. The film and the play and scheme creation resulting from it has a big role as well as the individual matchups. Some teams are just bad matchups for other teams, whether they are 'better' or not. That's why nobody should ever really be underestimated. So much of this league is dependent on knowing your opponent and making the right calls against them. But then again, those are only predictions. Teams can adapt to game plans and I was at least glad to see that the Ravens sort of did that (at least defensively) on Sunday vs. the Chiefs.

[arnie_uk]

You could be right, if you're suggesting that Tom Brady is a product of coaching and nothing more. I tend to err on the side that if a guy produces on the level of a Tom Brady it's probably more due to the fact that he's just that good. Belichick and McDaniels are great coaches, but let's be real: Boller wouldn't be Brady at this point in his career even with them at his side. Cam has his issues, but Brady is Brady because he's just a super intelligent, super good quarterback. I'm quite sure Bill and/or Josh would throw 100 percent of the credit towards him as well. Josh just came to the team this year...Brady's been getting it done like this for many years no matter who the OC is.

hes always going to be questioned by how well Matt cassel played when he went down, and how they haven't won anything since the taping the opposing defences scandal.