63 replies to this topic

[BR News]

The Ravens react to earning their fifth straight postseason bid Sunday.

View the full article

[Zeus]

I really hope we're not going to be one and done in the playoffs but after being batch slapped at home I don't expect much. Rookie QBs, subpar teas with losing records have all had success against us.

Last year was our time to win it all

[bpytnjr58]

I really hope we're not going to be one and done in the playoffs but after being batch slapped at home I don't expect much. Rookie QBs, subpar teas with losing records have all had success against us.

Last year was our time to win it all

Anything can happen once a team is in but looking at the injury situation on defense and offensive woes do not count on advancing past the first round.

[Mystigo_Dragon]

In the weeks leading up to yesterday, any Raven would have said we don't care how ugly it is as long as it gets us in the playoffs!

Well, I guess having an NFC team push us backwards into the playoffs while our Offense fell through it's collective kiester (again) gives no solace at all!

Well, don't whine,... do something about it! Play football!

[CxM_27]

We just need to get healthy, bottom line.

[crabby]

How about dangling a carrot in front of our starters and tell them that if we win this weekend against NY it wins the division and we rest all our banged up players in week 17 creating our own bye. We have no shot at a higher seed than 4th anyway.

[KWRaven]

If the O play does not improve dramatically, it is going to be tough for our D to carry us. We have a very desperate NYG team coming in here on sunday. Let's lock up at least one home PO Game!

[ravlivie]

the way we are going, we will be one & done in the playoffs. The coaches have no idea
how to correct our situation. You can't blame our lack of offence all on play calling.
We need better coaching & an upgrade at QB, Flacco is not ELITE. He and Harbaugh was given a very good team, but they are turning it into an average team at best. The
head coach does not know how to evaluate & hire proficient coaches.

[roamingcharges]

On pure talent alone the Ravens offense should be lights out and carrying a defense that has saved their rear ends for as long as we, the fans, can remember. It is funny that in a year where all of us accepted that the defense will not be its usual dominant self we still silently blame the defense for not bailing out the offense. Some of us would say they are not blaming the defense, but we should actually give the defense a pass. That's right, I said it: We should give our defense a pass this year. I am not into making excuses, but where you fail to see the obvious then you become irrational and that, I choose not to be. Realistically speaking, this defense has given us their all and it is still not enough because our offense can't hold their own.

Let's see, our defense has lost coordinator after coordinator to franchises that hope to replicate our success, with mixed results, from Marvin Lewis, to Mike Nolan, to Rex Ryan, to Chuck Pagano... and several others in between-- defensive line coaches, quality control personnel (see Jack Del Rio, Mike Smith)... you name him, we lost him. Our players on defense parlay flash-in-the-pan seasons in the Ravens' marquee defensive system into monster contracts with other teams (see Anthony Weaver, Edgerton Hartwell, Dwan Edwards...). Other good players left and have not been as good (Bart Scott, Duane Starks, Adalius Thomas...) still the Ravens chugged and plugged and remained a force on Defense. Eventually all of the subtractions and age to the core catches up with you.

Ray Lewis tried to reinvent his body by slimming down and that failed. Ed Reed has played the past few years on a partially damaged neck. This past season the defense lost the two back-up safeties; Nakamura and Zbikowski, starting LB Jarrett Johnson, starting DT Cory Redding (who replaced Edwards in the line up as an upgrade in free agency). Sergio Kindle, the team's top draft pick a few years ago-- we all know how that worked out. Haloti Ngata is hurt and playing through his injuries... We have had several undrafted free agents starting at several linebacker spots simultaneously (Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Albert McClellan, Josh Bynes...)! Our cornerbacks... never mind.

I can go on rambling about the defense's tales of woe that symbolize a maestro that has become the victim of his own success, but the point is that our defense has done it for years without asking much of the offense. In the meantime the front office has pumped money and draft picks into the offense in the hope that they will at least give the defense a breather-- that ain't happening by a long shot. Our offense is pretty much intact-- few injuries if any, and they sit on the sidelines, after going 3 and out, preening themselves like peacocks. It is time for those guys to put on the big boy pants, show up, and earn their paychecks. The longer this MASH unit defense stays out on the field, the more the injuries are going to pile on. This has got to stop.

[Militant X 1]

"I don't think that there was any doubt in our mind that we were going to make the playoffs," tight end Dennis Pitta said. "We just have to play better, especially at this time of the year. The last thing we want to do is kind of back our way into the playoffs.

"I don't think anyone is relieved that all of the sudden we're in the playoffs. That's been the expectation since day one and nobody really thought that we wouldn't be in there. We're just disappointed in how we played and we just have to be able to put it behind us."

^ i'm disappointed with how you guys have been "playing" for 3 games now. at some point...just making the playoffs is not enough anymore! win the Superbowl!

~Mili

Edited by Militant X 1, 17 December 2012 - 03:42 PM.

[TheRavengers]

I think the picture of Q in the article says it all. But anyway, what's done is done. The Ravens are in the playoffs again, though by luck because they looked awful yesterday and they know it. They have the Giants next week, which given that they didn't score AT ALL yesterday is some consolation. Me personally I'd say the last 2 games are very winnable, but for the sake of everybody loyal to purple & black, I hope that is the absolute last time I see a game played like that ever.

[D3x3001]

I don't take solace in the fact that we are so dinged up that an SEC team could have their way with us. We needed a bye but couldn't finish, just like every year. I think either Flacco takes us to the big game or he gets the boot because he sure isn't worth the money he is asking for.

[Ravensfan4life2010]

Our ooffensive line is simply garbage basura. Like reallly 85% of the time joe drop back for the pass he got lit up. Even when he did scramble. If john harbaugh can't see that something is wrong.
Mckinnie-osemele- Birk/Gino-Yanda oher/reid. Secondly drop passes. Lastly joe needs to be more confident.

[relentless52]

can we just focus on WINNING again?!?!

[NCMan]

Pitta was actually one of the few bright spots in that game. If he stays healthy and we fins a QB who can get him the ball consistently, he should be a good one. I didn't see anyone on the field (for us, anyway) playing any harder and determined as him.

[jwrob3rd]

i agree with both Q and Pitta. the playoff berth iz kool, but i've come to expect tht out of these guys. every yr i expect tht we will compete for the division crown and make the playoffs. maybe the harbaugh era has me spoiled me. wht i dont expect iz a 3 wk losing skid and lackluster performances @ home. if we want to make any noise come january-february we need to gt going now......... like 4 mins ago.

[rmcjacket23]

Jameel McClain - LB - Ravens Ravens ILB Jameel McClain is done for the rest of the season with a spinal contusion.
McClain suffered the injury in Week 14 and experienced swelling in his spine, so the Ravens are shutting him down. A 13-game starter this season, McClain racked up 79 tackles. He's under contract with a $3 million salary in 2013.

[Big G]

How about dangling a carrot in front of our starters and tell them that if we win this weekend against NY it wins the division and we rest all our banged up players in week 17 creating our own bye. We have no shot at a higher seed than 4th anyway.

If we win the last 2 and NE looses 1 we will be the 3rd seed. I do not expect that, but if we win against the Giants we will have a choice to rest or go for 3rd seed. No way to get any better than that and not a lot of difference between 3rd or 4th seed, so I say beat the Giants and rest against Cincy.

[YankeeRaven]

With a win over the Giants on sunday we will clinch the AFC North, I will cheer my Ravens as far as they get in playoff hopefully Super Bowl, but I do hope alot that the defense will be it usually till next season.

[frozen joe flacco fan]

This looks like a team that has given up on itself. Who has the Quarterback's back literally. Nobody! On successive plays late in the game the OL allowed sacks against Joe. It appears that nobody cares whether he gets hit or not. Where is the pride that prompted the slogan "Play like a Raven?" We looked like a bunch of chickens out there yesterday. Who is looking out for their dogs? Look at the highlights of other games! You see WRs making one-handed catches, coaches coaching their players during the game, QBs looking at pics to study what is working and what isn't, owners cheering for their teams in their private boxes.
QBs with time to throw the ball from the pocket and wide open receivers. Our offensive line is offensive. Our defense is horrible and that is understandable given how many players are injured but the thing about excuses is that evrybody has one. What about "the next man up?" Someone needs to man up!!! Flacco finally did. The others need to do likewise. We're lucky to be in the playoffs given the injuries we've had to overcome and the lack of inspired play by a number of players including(insert your favorite one here).

Probably the most discouraging thing to me was watching the game on TV and listening to the boo birds cheer their team on. The so-called 12th man that Baltimore is known for sounded like the fickle Eagle fans. Its OK to be frustrated. So am I but that was pathetic! The announcer Dan Dierdorf even commented on the stands emptying out in the third quarter. If the fans have given up on their team and the team has given up on itself, there isn't much left is there?

Situation: 1st and goal on the 4 yard line and the score is 10-0. There are ~40 seconds to go in the half and you have 3 TOs in your pocket.
Play call: Quick throw to the front corner of the endzone presumably to catch the other team off-guard.
Result: Touchdown for the other teamand and the turning point of the game.
Blame: Execution or Play-call? You tell me. I've made my mind up. That was one of the most bone-headed albeit aggressive play calls I've seen all year. Unfortunately, it was called at the wrong time of the game. Its the type of call you make when your team is ahead by twenty points. Who made the call? This team needs to clean house in the off-season and bring in some football minds, young man, that is, Mr. Bisciotti.