Why does the offense refuse to take more shots down field?

[jdynamite]

Well Rice did totally wiff on Woodley on that play. It was like ray was trying to cut him, and was treated like a speed bump.

Ray rice did get shrugged to the side. And Gino began the play looking to help KO so he essentially didn't touch anyone

[Guest RBates]

Which Boldin? The Boldin that did nothing all regular season, or the one that had a few nice grabs in the playoffs last year?

Dont act like you don't know that Boldin would have had that. 

[Ravensfanspls]

Yeah as other people have said the deep ball thrives in big part of a good run game which you can then do play action. Once we get the run game going and bring a safety down in the box you will see A LOT more success with the deep ball. But with a non existent run game the opposing teams can just play 2 safety deep which makes it hard to hit the long ball. And it also makes it harder when teams know we love to go deep and without the run game they can focus even more on the deep ball.

[CorvusCorax]

We should go to more of a dink and dunk offense, like NE does. But sometimes that doesn't work.

 

Man I'm so sick of watching an inept offense play. What happened?!

 

:gaah:

[jimjim5]

This is a very legit question. We don't take enough long strikes at the sideline to soften up the defense.

I am starting to think Cam wasn't wrong with his offense combined with our personnel. However, he was very predictable and just refused to implement the middle of the field in his sets. Caldwell implemented this tweak. Then subsequently, forgot about the foundation of this offense.

We are now Peyton Manning's offense, less PM. And a WR / offense coach to teach the nuances and quarterback to hold them accountable because of indifference and/or him running for his life.

[Militant X 1]

Joe and the Ravens THRIVE on play-action. With the hilarious joke, being our running game... nobody cares enough to honor it. We've taken a good amount of shots , just haven't converted enough.

exactly!  and some of those shots have been over and under throws!  we get an occasional great pass and catch combo when going deep! 

 

#Mili

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

I think the lack if a shirt passing game in the first half was a failure. We need a move the chains offense. Our short passing game started in the 2nd half too late

[GrimCoconut]

Well, when Joe doesn't have an offensive line but has five bodies in front of him (well, maybe four) then he's not going to have time to set himself and make those long throws. He's clearly uncomfortable. It's as plain as day. How can Joe throw a deep ball if he has no time to throw them? They take longer to develop, you know.

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Well, when Joe doesn't have an offensive line but has five bodies in front of him (well, maybe four) then he's not going to have time to set himself and make those long throws. He's clearly uncomfortable. It's as plain as day. How can Joe throw a deep ball if he has no time to throw them? They take longer to develop, you know.

Exactly!
So why not design creative ways to get the ball out of his hand quicker. Actually use the pieces you have in a better way. Short passing gane willnopen up deep stuff

[GrimCoconut]

Exactly!
So why not design creative ways to get the ball out of his hand quicker. Actually use the pieces you have in a better way. Short passing gane willnopen up deep stuff

Not sure. I think part of it is that our guys aren't great route runners--at least some of them. I think that's the area with the short passes to get YAC but the problem we're seeing is a) Joe is inaccurate on short passes b) Guys catch the ball and come up short of the marker c) guys are dropping the ball. I think the dropped short passes is mainly because of lack of receiver concentration, a desire for the receiver to make more out of a play before securing the ball, and the way Joe throws the ball because he throws a very hard ball. 

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Not sure. I think part of it is that our guys aren't great route runners--at least some of them. I think that's the area with the short passes to get YAC but the problem we're seeing is a) Joe is inaccurate on short passes b) Guys catch the ball and come up short of the marker c) guys are dropping the ball. I think the dropped short passes is mainly because of lack of receiver concentration, a desire for the receiver to make more out of a play before securing the ball, and the way Joe throws the ball because he throws a very hard ball.

But you have the speed...Torre across the middle has been gold

[GrimCoconut]

But you have the speed...Torre across the middle has been gold

Yeah, I won't argue that but Torrey has had struggles too. I think he had two guys on him a lot yesterday. I think Haden was in his hip pocket the whole game. I think the safety also played against Torrey as well. It's not easy when you have that kind of respect. Other guys should be getting open and it seems they do but they're not making the most of it. 

[jimjim5]

Not sure. I think part of it is that our guys aren't great route runners--at least some of them. I think that's the area with the short passes to get YAC but the problem we're seeing is a) Joe is inaccurate on short passes B) Guys catch the ball and come up short of the marker c) guys are dropping the ball. I think the dropped short passes is mainly because of lack of receiver concentration, a desire for the receiver to make more out of a play before securing the ball, and the way Joe throws the ball because he throws a very hard ball. 

 

You hit the nail right on the head. Receivers don't read/react and sit on zones. Joe was / maybe still is slow to read the windows if the WR's could sit in the opening anyway.

[Guest Omerta]

Time....We dont have it.

[K-Dog]

Cause usually there is a defender with his sholder pad in Flaccos sternum by the time the receivers get five yards past the line of scrimmage.

[Guest Mr. Nobody]

Yeah, I won't argue that but Torrey has had struggles too. I think he had two guys on him a lot yesterday. I think Haden was in his hip pocket the whole game. I think the safety also played against Torrey as well. It's not easy when you have that kind of respect. Other guys should be getting open and it seems they do but they're not making the most of it. 

most teams will try to shut torrey down bringing safety help more often, that's why things opened a little bit when we used him underneath and got marlon involved in the game more... spread them more with jj and doss too and you got the safety to decide where they go...  that un-decided time will help Joe develop a bigger play

[Inqui]

On the subject of the running game being terrible (which I do think is a fair reason to avoid taking shots), is Juan Castillo still the "run game co-ordinator"? I remember that was his role at the start of the season and we all assumed it was some made up title to get him on the staff while he made his ingenious tweaks to our o-line. If that actually is still his role, it would explain rather a lot.

[JoeyFlex5]

We need time to set up the down field stuff.  When we spread the ball out we are more dangerous instead of the Ray Rice dump offs and the 5 yard Dallas Clark catch and runs. 

 

Sidenote: with the under throw to Jacoby i was watching that and thinking, Boldin would have caught that. 

boldin would have never been open, nor would he have made it that deep as quickly as jacoby did. boldin also would have found a way to wind up in double coverage running that long of a route.

 

boldin is long gone, get over it, marlon brown has outproduced him this year anyway(aside from week 1)

[Guest RBates]

boldin would have never been open, nor would he have made it that deep as quickly as jacoby did. boldin also would have found a way to wind up in double coverage running that long of a route.

 

boldin is long gone, get over it, marlon brown has outproduced him this year anyway(aside from week 1)

Your joking right?  He makes catches all the time against coverage.  When you can catch and have his physical gifts you are always open.  You just need a Qb to throw you the ball. But I'm over it, I'm not sure Flacco is though.

 

FYI - Boldin caught more deep passes than anyone on the team last year.  

[arnie_uk]

Your joking right?  He makes catches all the time against coverage.  When you can catch and have his physical gifts you are always open.  You just need a Qb to throw you the ball. But I'm over it, I'm not sure Flacco is though.

how can he be when our receivers are never really open minus torrey smith on a few crossing patterns. Our route concepts leave a lot t be desired and our receivers 8 or 9 times from 10 are making contested catches.

We don't get open

[arnie_uk]

Actually I forgot about Dallas Clarke, he, and no coincidence he's a vet, is the best player on their team at getting open, especially in zone coverage

[PurpleCityLights]

Which Boldin? The Boldin that did nothing all regular season, or the one that had a few nice grabs in the playoffs last year?

If you're going to say he did nothing all regular season find out how many times he was targeted under Cam's offense before he catch fire in the playoffs under Caldwell......

[flynismo]

If you're going to say he did nothing all regular season find out how many times he was targeted under Cam's offense before he catch fire in the playoffs under Caldwell......

 

He was targetted 112 times. Caught 65 of the 112 passes thrown his way. My point still stands.

[rafahash]

Time....We dont have it.

 

I agree, I think that's a big part of it. I'm not saying it's the only issue, but it's a big one. If you can't protect your QB he can't possibly throw downfield.

[Guest RBates]

how can he be when our receivers are never really open minus torrey smith on a few crossing patterns. Our route concepts leave a lot t be desired and our receivers 8 or 9 times from 10 are making contested catches.

We don't get open

As a Qb he has to throw the receivers open.  Joe has shown that he likes to throw to the receiver instead of throwing the ball to where they are going.  Its also a QB's job to lead his receivers.  Throw them open so to speak. 

[Ravens Lover]

we dont have a good enough O-line to give us time to make those kind of plays, yea a few times they've worked, but more often than not Joes probably gunna get sacked or hurried into a bad throw

[JoeyFlex5]

Your joking right?  He makes catches all the time against coverage.  When you can catch and have his physical gifts you are always open.  You just need a Qb to throw you the ball. But I'm over it, I'm not sure Flacco is though.

no im not joking, this whole board acts like boldin is some invincible, unstoppable football god. yea hes the toughest receiver in the league, hes a beast at boxing out smaller, weaker, and INEXPERIENCED cb's, but hb would have never even been in position to make that catch you were referring to, and if he was, its not like it wouldhave been a definite catch.

 

a majority of this board needs to do 2 things: a) stop acting like if we still had boldin we would be winning, losing boldin has been the VERY LEAST of our problems. and b)accept the fact that hes gone and most likely not coming back, its sad how that is still the biggest complaint from 99% of ravens fans.

[FerrariFan87]

I don't think it's a refusal to go down the field as much as it is that they simply can't do it with our horrendous O-line.

[Guest RBates]

no im not joking, this whole board acts like boldin is some invincible, unstoppable football god. yea hes the toughest receiver in the league, hes a beast at boxing out smaller, weaker, and INEXPERIENCED cb's, but hb would have never even been in position to make that catch you were referring to, and if he was, its not like it wouldhave been a definite catch.

 

a majority of this board needs to do 2 things: a) stop acting like if we still had boldin we would be winning, losing boldin has been the VERY LEAST of our problems. and b)accept the fact that hes gone and most likely not coming back, its sad how that is still the biggest complaint from 99% of ravens fans.

I disagree with your entire post. 

 

Not for nothing but we were winning with Boldin!

[omar586]

When they do, good things seem to happen. Whether that be Torrey making a great catch or a welcomed PI flag. Jacoby was wide open down field on a ball Joe under threw. Other than those two plays, I don't recall seeing another downfield pass.

 

We have plenty of speed on this team and the predictable run up the middle on 1st down and the dump off to our back on 2nd is getting real old.

 

Spread the field and let it rip!!!!!!! In turn this would hopefully open up lanes for the run game.

 

It's pretty frustrating when you see Ryan light up the Bucs for 3 TDs with no run game and without his 2 top receivers and all we can muster is one late TD against a 1-4 Steeler team.

 

The offensive philosophy, coupled with questionable coaching decisions, and poor center play is killing this team.

cant agree more, its like coaches are stubborn or something, they doing the same thing even if its not working, the sad about it is we can wasting talent on the bench , we have the speed in our WRs to spread them out and sling it,