Playoff Scenarios & Discussion

[callahan09]

It's pretty nice that the Ravens could potentially LOSE OUT, and the Bengals and Steelers can both WIN OUT (except for one of them has to lose the head to head game to the other), and yet the Ravens could still make the Playoffs as the 6th seed, just as long as the Colts lose at least 3 more of their games (they play Detroit, Tennessee, Kansas City, and two times against Houston, so it isn't outside the realm of possibility).

Alternatively, and regardless of what the Colts do, If whoever loses the Bengals/Steelers rematch also loses one other game, then we would be guaranteed a playoff spot.

So basically, for the rest of the season, we are guaranteed in if:

A) We beat either the Bengals or the Steelers
Whoever loses the Week 16 Bengals/Steelers game also loses one other game the rest of the season.
or
C) The Colts lose 3 games.

There might be other scenarios ... it's still a little complicated with the vast array of ways the season can go for every AFC team. I'm not really sure if it's a guarantee or not, but from every playoff scenario I've tried to run so far, even with the Colts winning out, it seems as though we are going to make it to the post-season as long as we just win any game, just one more game, between now and the end of the season.

[nextgen_RavensFan]

What do we need to do to get Home field and a bye week ? That would be our best scenario. Let some guys get healthy and time to double and triple check our offensive game plan as can does not change for the Play-offs. H estill plays it moderate to lame until we are in to deep.

I am starting a Donation area for the "Let's buy Cam some Balls charity" but knowing him he would not use them either as he hates to admit things need to be changed. Get the guy a skirt and some panties. He is the biggest offensive [profanity deleted] in the NFL.

[A Fish Called Yanda]

[quote name='nextgen_RavensFan' timestamp='1354131171' post='1237249']
What do we need to do to get Home field and a bye week ? That would be our best scenario. Let some guys get healthy and time to double and triple check our offensive game plan as can does not change for the Play-offs. H estill plays it moderate to lame until we are in to deep.

I am starting a Donation area for the "Let's buy Cam some Balls charity" but knowing him he would not use them either as he hates to admit things need to be changed. Get the guy a skirt and some panties. He is the biggest offensive [profanity deleted] in the NFL.
[/quote]

There are tons of scenarios that give us home field and bye (either 1 or 2 seed).

Basically, we just need to have a tying or better record than the Patriots (assuming Denver doesn't win out) to clinch the #2 seed.

If the Pats beat Houston, and we all end up with the same record, we clinch #1 seed.

[nextgen_RavensFan]

Excellent, i never grasped the math etc to figure out who needs what. I think if we can beat either Denver or the Giants (both would be great though) it will put our confidence at a much higher level and that will make the guys play at a higher level then normal. I would love to see us beat Denver as Eli has had issues but Peyton has been doing a very good job his first year back.

[JO_75]

The Ravens have now fallen to 9-3, which results in a three way tie with the Patriots and Broncos. Due to the three way tie, it negates the H2H tiebreaker we have over the Patriots meaning we now are the third seed in the AFC. The Patriots are now the second seed.

[nextgen_RavensFan]

We still are in a very good position and maybe this can be our wake up call to get our act together. A terrible 2nd half by all like we expected to win no matter what and nobody gave a true "Raven Game" during the last 2 quarters.

You can bet that the NFL Network will have a field day with this loss so i cannot watch it for a few days.

[SecretAgentMan]

[quote name='JO_75' timestamp='1354495380' post='1242992']
The Ravens have now fallen to 9-3, which results in a three way tie with the Patriots and Broncos. Due to the three way tie, it negates the H2H tiebreaker we have over the Patriots meaning we now are the third seed in the AFC. The Patriots are now the second seed.
[/quote]
San Fran will beat the Pats, and if we beat Denver then we have the Second Seed locked up. If we win out we are fine.

[ratedr]

No NFLN or ESPN for a while.

That said, finish 11-5 and the division is still wrapped up. So they must go .500 over the next four. Anything less than that is risky.

[cnyravens]

[i]We are NOT in a very good position![/i]
[i]If the Ravens can't at least get the #2 Seed you might as well stick a fork in them![/i]
[i]We are mediocre on the road and considering we just lost at HOME to a banged up team lead by a washed up has-been in Charlie Batch every game from here on out will be against a tougher team than today.[/i]
[i]CHOKER PERFORMANCE![/i]

[GrimCoconut]

Good. Perhaps I am the only one here, but I like the Ravens better without the #2 seed locked up. Here's why:

We just don't play our best football when we have a lead for whatever reason. I'm not sure why, but I've noticed the Ravens just loosen up when they have a lead. For instance, today. We were beating the Steelers then we started to loosen up and they wiggled their way back and won the game. Another example is having the #2 seed.

I like the Ravens more as an underdog team trying to make a statement than a team at the top, because I just don't like the way we play. I believe we'll rebound from this and beat the Redskins & Broncos and go on to win out the rest of the season, making us the #2 seed again.

[Neil]

[quote name='nextgen_RavensFan' timestamp='1354131171' post='1237249']
What do we need to do to get Home field and a bye week ?[/quote]
At this point, a miracle. The Ravens are unlikely to win out, whereas the Patriots might lose to Houston, but certainly won't lose to anybody else. And Denver's pass rush is going to feast on Flacco unless he stops holding the ball forever.

[JO_75]

[quote name='Mr. Irrelevant' timestamp='1354495581' post='1243024']
San Fran will beat the Pats, and if we beat Denver then we have the Second Seed locked up. If we win out we are fine.
[/quote]

Looking at our schedule I think we could have a late season collapse, I don't know how our D will stop RG3, then both Manning brothers, I just don't know.

[SecretAgentMan]

[quote name='JO_75' timestamp='1354495909' post='1243075']
Looking at our schedule I think we could have a late season collapse, I don't know how our D will stop RG3, then both Manning brothers, I just don't know.
[/quote]
Anger man, we need to be angry.

[Medications]

as absurd and hyperbole spewing as cnyravens sounds, i agree that this was too big a game for us to lose, if we dont get that #2 seed we lose in Houston

[GrimCoconut]

[quote name='JO_75' timestamp='1354495909' post='1243075']
Looking at our schedule I think we could have a late season collapse, I don't know how our D will stop RG3, then both Manning brothers, I just don't know.
[/quote]
[quote name='Mr. Irrelevant' timestamp='1354496003' post='1243084']
Anger man, we need to be angry.
[/quote]
I really think this loss will do just that: make us mad. I think we'll rebound big from this, and if this loss is handled appropriately it may be what we need to get to the Super Bowl.

[cnyravens]

Fine...let me ask you this:
Situation reversed. Big Ben is playing...Flacco is out...we are down to our third string QB AND we go to Pittsburgh.
Prediction:
Steelers grind us into the turf!!!
Not only don't we score 23 points I doubt we cross midfield unless on a turnover.

[The Prestige]

Early on, I knew the kind of game it was going to be. Same old, same old. I am only emotional about the fact that I wasted time watching it.

I thought there was a 40% chance I was going to end up regretting watching the game, and it's my fault for sticking with it anyways.

Here's what we KNEW going in about the Ravens:

1. Harbaugh likes to give away possessions. He did it again before the half, not using any of his time-outs to try to move up to get 3 more points that would have been huge in this game.

2. Cameron would refuse under any circumstances to truly attack the Steelers' secondary. We saw a handful of 3-WR plays, usually with Doss or Jones instead of Thompson, Williams or Reed. Why are Ravens fans surprised on Facebook and stuff when Flacco gets sacked for a fumble? When you consistently put a FB, a TE, and a slow WR like Boldin out there when you have speed standing on the sidelines, what should convince Lebeau not to keep sending guys? [b]If the Steelers sneak in and end up at Gillette, watch how Brady will dismantle their team. It won't be with slow, mostly 2-WR formations.[/b] Besides, Hernandez and Gronk are much more elusive than Pitta. Pitta is a shorter Kyle Rudolph. He knows how to work in space, and is good in the red zone but he's just too slow, allowing defenses to condense.

Here's what we learned:
1. MLB Dannell Ellerbe is a solid notch above Ray Lewis, and about three notches above Jameel McClain. He was definitely missed on the field today.

2. Harbaugh may have had the worst decision of the day not to let the Steelers run into the end zone with 1:47 left. The odds of an 80-yard TD drive were considerably better than the odds of a FG block or miss.

As for the officials, I think it was pretty random that most of their bad calls either took off points, ended drives, prolonged drives or gave points. The 3rd and 4 bad call that helped the Ravens on the Q passing TD drive only helped because we know Harbaugh and Cameron wouldn't have gone for it on 4th. A lot of stuff hurt the Ravens (no call on the goal-line Boldin incompletion, roughing the passer, one more that would've given Baltimore a first down), but there's just so much the Ravens could have done that I'm not upset over the officials.

[Markus92]

Ive always been a flacco fan but geeeez wow...

I dont understand why it seems like we have nobody open....ever...When i say ever i mean like when there's a completion there's super tight coverage...idk maybe just me....Anyways yeah we will never be anything great with Cam...but theres no reason the talk about that anymore...Our defensive PLAYERS played great in my opinion its just Dean Pees Sucks like i said week 2 ...When you play zone coverage you have to have pressure or even I can put up 200 yards.....oh well no point in talking about that anymore either.... John I understand that cam and Dean are your buddies but if you want to be a great team and coach you have to light a fire under them or let them go.... Charlie batch though guys? CHARLIE BATCH!

[nextgen_RavensFan]

At this point a play-off game scares me as we have played awful on the road and we are not getting home field. Lets hope Tucker keeps that leg at the ready no matter what as our games are always to close for any comfort.

[CorvusCorax]

We'll make the playoffs. But the Superbowl? No way. Ravens will break our hearts again.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='CorvusCorax' timestamp='1354496907' post='1243233']
We'll make the playoffs. But the Superbowl? No way. Ravens will break our hearts again.
[/quote]

Every Super Bowl champion of the past decade has been imperfect.

This is an imperfect team that, aside from today, has found ways to win. Road bump, but the Ravens are still in control of the AFC North.

[Ravenseconbeast]

To all flacco homers.

Lets all marvel at flaccos #'s shall we?

[url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/11252/joe-flacco"]http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/11252/joe-flacco[/url]

9 out of 12 games, he had 1TD or less(75%). WAKE UP homers!

[CorvusCorax]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' timestamp='1354497064' post='1243263']
Every Super Bowl champion of the past decade has been imperfect.

This is an imperfect team that, aside from today, has found ways to win. Road bump, but the Ravens are still in control of the AFC North.
[/quote]

I'll give you that. However, Joe seems to be making slumps, at the wrong time. I'm afraid that this will be a losing streak we cannot afford to make. We're the type of team that needs home field advantage.

And I have Joe Flacco on my Fantasy [s]Team[/s] Bench.

[ratedr]

[quote name='Ravenseconbeast' timestamp='1354497114' post='1243272']
To all flacco homers.

Lets all marvel at flaccos #'s shall we?

[url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/11252/joe-flacco"]http://espn.go.com/n...1252/joe-flacco[/url]

9 out of 12 games, he had 1TD or less(75%). WAKE UP homers!
[/quote]This isn't a fantasy league. I'm not concerned about that as long as he puts the team in position to score (which he has been relatively successful in doing). But his inconsistency is something intolerable.

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

After all the "wake up calls" we should have had over the last 3 years, I have a hard time believing that anything significant will actually change. Bottom line is, we have to find a way to execute and play mistake free football and we haven't consistently for a long time.

[reediddy]

The biggest qualm that I have with Flacco in this game is that his throws seem predetermined, and when he releases the ball and you see it travel into double coverage it leaves you scratching your head. Not to mention the fact that his deep throws lack any semblance of accuracy; they end up being jump balls rather than lead passes that hit the receiver in stride.

I said it before, though we are in "good shape" even with the loss, closer examination of this team would lead an objective football fan to believe that this team is incapable of winning a game against the current playoff pool. Run gets abandoned too often, even with success; defense is inconsistent; Flacco is too inconsistent; WR's lack separation skills; OL is porous in terms of pass protection.

9-3 is 9-3 but as much as I hate to say it, there's a definite asterisk there

[reediddy]

[quote name='BALTIMOREFLACCO' timestamp='1354497711' post='1243372']
After all the "wake up calls" we should have had over the last 3 years, I have a hard time believing that anything significant will actually change. Bottom line is, we have to find a way to execute and play mistake free football and we haven't consistently for a long time.
[/quote]

One would think the Texans game was a wake-up call....for a while it seemed like we understood that, but with all that was on the line today, I'm surprised we wet the bed like we did

[Larryterri]

If we give Peyton the same amount of time we gave Grandpa Batch, he will make every throw a play of the week candidate.

Pees never rushes the passer...

[jdynamite]

I was thinking about this too. Then I looked ahead at the schedules of patriots , broncos , texans and us. To see what are chances we can still lock down a bye week and some form of home-field in the playoffs.
Broncos vs raiders , Ravens, Browns, Chiefs

Pats vs Houston, 49ers, jags, dolphins

Houston vs pats, colts, Vikings, colts

Ravens vs Redskins, Broncos, Giants, bengals

I know no game is a gimme game evidence in our loss tonight to Pittsburgh but it would appear Denver has it easiest.

[jdynamite]

[quote name='Medications' timestamp='1354496124' post='1243102']
as absurd and hyperbole spewing as cnyravens sounds, i agree that this was too big a game for us to lose, if we dont get that #2 seed we lose in Houston
[/quote]

That's all assuming that Houston would win their divisional round playoff game at home. If we were to get the #2 seed that would mean either Broncos or Pats would be 3 , 4 seed in this scenario so texans could fall to either of them before playing us. Just saying alot can happen. No one expected the Packers to lose in lambeau last year.