Defensive Line Disappointment

[BMORE_96]

Generally, when you sign 3 defensive lineman(Spears, Canty, and Dumervil) and draft a stud at NT Brandon Williams, you expect the defensive line to stop the run and keep a team at least under 4 yards a carry every game. Especially with the talent on our front 7. Well , ozzie must be scratching his head because in all three of our losses(besides denver) we have not stopped the run. 140 yards to pitt and green bay and whopping 200 to buffalo. 

 

So, blame the offensive line for the team's struggles. Gino is terrible. Yanda and Osemele are suffering from injuries.They are arguably the worst in the league, but I thought I was guaranteed  a ferocious ravens run d of 2011, 2010 and past ravens defenses this season. Not the same ravens run defense from last year. 

 

The entire D-line failed yesterday. No one got off blocks. Arthur Jones, Spears, Canty, Ngata were all terrible. From the opening snap, we let the steelers, the steelers, rush routinely for 5 yards in any formation including the wildcat. What makes it even more maddening is the fact that their oline is in shambles. It is an absolute wreck. And our d-line still folded to them. We only had 7 offensive possessions and the average is 12. That should speak volumes about our ineptitude defending the run.

 

The only standout from the d-line among all those seasoned veterans was Brandon Williams, a rookie.  

News-Flash: Ravens fans, if the ravens cannot stop the run and cannot run the ball we will not make the playoffs and could very well be 7-9 or worse. That is just fact.

 

Some may throw away that performance and others before it as anomalies, citing the absence of cody as a viable reason. This is totally false and asinine. That performance yesterday is the exact reason we spent all that time on the d-line this offseason, instead of the offense.Basically, the entire offseason spat back in our face. Heart-wrenching.

 

I attribute it to the line being perhaps tired or beat up. But that is the homer in me. Deep down, I think we are facing a talent deficiency we have not seen in a long time.Plus, the deficiency is gonna take some time to clean up too. 

 

The worst thing is I started a similar thread last year but held hope we could win the super bowl because there were so many ravaging injuries. We just needed time to get pieces back. This year I have no logically sound answer and am now languishing in defeat. Remember: we used to just assume we were going to draft above 20 every year. This year we will be drafting below that; surprisingly, I welcome the sight.

 

what are your general thoughts on our fraudulent d-line?

[jimjim5]

We don't have a talent deficiency, but we have only one player that scares anyone right now and that player is SUGGS. Negate him, and the other team can exploit the Ravens. Try that with Pollard, Reed, and Lewis in there too. The only way you could exploit that team was with speed and good QB play working hand in hand.

 

Collectively the defensive line is VERY good. But they don't and can't tee off on oppenents when the offense and ST and coaching is playing so poorly.

[BMORE_96]

We don't have a talent deficiency, but we have only one player that scares anyone right now and that player is SUGGS. Negate him, and the other team can exploit the Ravens. Try that with Pollard, Reed, and Lewis in there too. The only way you could exploit that team was with speed and good QB play working hand in hand.

 

Collectively the defensive line is VERY good. But they don't and can't tee off on oppenents when the offense and ST and coaching is playing so poorly.

if we are very good,why could we not stymie the anemic steelers running game. They got over 100 yards this season. Reed, Lewis were all over the hill. Lewis even retired. reed has done squat in houston. We made all the right moves. It is just hard to be good all the time in this league.

[SizzleSuggs55]

if we are very good,why could we not stymie the anemic steelers running game. They got over 100 yards this season. Reed, Lewis were all over the hill. Lewis even retired. reed has done squat in houston. We made all the right moves. It is just hard to be good all the time in this league.

Your calling the Steelers running game anemic but that was without Bell now they haver him back and he is a powerful patient runner. I agree we are struggling to stop the run, but i think people are discrediting the steelers run game. There by no means great but, the stats just dont tell it all. a lack of talent is not the problem.

[PurpleCityLights]

Not to mad our D, but how long do we have to look at is very very bad offence?

[izvoodoo]

Your calling the Steelers running game anemic but that was without Bell now they haver him back and he is a powerful patient runner. I agree we are struggling to stop the run, but i think people are discrediting the steelers run game. There by no means great but, the stats just dont tell it all. a lack of talent is not the problem.

The problem I have guys got moved around.

 

As far as Bell goes, I think he's going to be a really good player in this league.  He seems to bring a lot of physicality. 

[jimjim5]

if we are very good,why could we not stymie the anemic steelers running game. They got over 100 yards this season. Reed, Lewis were all over the hill. Lewis even retired. reed has done squat in houston. We made all the right moves. It is just hard to be good all the time in this league.

 

Agree, however we scare no one.

[BMORE_96]

Agree, however we scare no one.

I feel  like this is the best possible roster we could have got after the super bowl win. we just have to come to term to the fact that no team is impermeable to the parity of the league- not even the ravens.

 

The problem I have guys got moved around.

 

As far as Bell goes, I think he's going to be a really good player in this league.  He seems to bring a lot of physicality. 

Good run defenses are able to contain running games. We do not have a good run defense based on this last string of games. we have shown dominance but it needs to be consistent. Overall, it is still a disappointment. I, and I think everyone else, thought we would have a havoc-wrecking defensive line. Instead, we got a line that gets routinely pushed back in the running game. It is all very tough to swallow. Bell had a 3.2 ypc before us. And then got 5 ypc against us. There is something in that beyond his skills that includes the team's inabilty to stop the run. we have to reconcile with reality.

[GrimCoconut]

The DL has been soft since Cody left. We had a good game against Miami but I'm not sure where it's been since then. 

[jimjim5]

The DL has been soft since Cody left. We had a good game against Miami but I'm not sure where it's been since then. 

 

Very astute observation. Cody has been hurt, or so the team says.

[easternshore97]

I'm pretty disgusted that that was Elvis's 3rd offsides yesterday

[GrimCoconut]

I'm pretty disgusted that that was Elvis's 3rd offsides yesterday

He's apparently had this problem. This isn't something new from what I've heard from Broncos fans. 

[Chris K]

To be honest, I will point to injuries. I have said it before.

 

Most guys on our D-Line are banged up. The majority of them. This bye should fix, or at least significantly aid that.

 

Canty, Chris DL Thigh

 Cody, Terrence NT Knee

Ngata, Haloti DT Elbow

Spears, Marcus DT Knee

Upshaw, Courtney OLB Foot

 

While Upshaws an LB, still applies for the Run D. Those are our big guys we rely on to free up our LB's to make tackles and they are hurting = our run D will hurt. Give the Defensive line time to heal, if they have a good game against the Browns, we shouldn't expect more performances like this.

 

Go Ravens

[easternshore97]

He's apparently had this problem. This isn't something new from what I've heard from Broncos fans. 

1 of the 3 was him lining up in the neutral zone.

 

Like you can't see where the football is or something?

[ThePurpleWall]

they are fine

[Ravenseconbeast]

The DL has been soft since Cody left. We had a good game against Miami but I'm not sure where it's been since then. 

 

so has jones, canty, ngata.   

[BMORE_96]

To be honest, I will point to injuries. I have said it before.

 

Most guys on our D-Line are banged up. The majority of them. This bye should fix, or at least significantly aid that.

 

Canty, Chris DL Thigh

 Cody, Terrence NT Knee

Ngata, Haloti DT Elbow

Spears, Marcus DT Knee

Upshaw, Courtney OLB Foot

 

While Upshaws an LB, still applies for the Run D. Those are our big guys we rely on to free up our LB's to make tackles and they are hurting = our run D will hurt. Give the Defensive line time to heal, if they have a good game against the Browns, we shouldn't expect more performances like this.

 

Go Ravens

i hope you are right. the d-line performance has been a major contributor to our last three losses. if we stop the run against the browns, we should be okay for the majority of the later season. If not,"houston, we got a problem."

[Sami84]

whats disaapointing is we drafted courtney upshaw to be morethenwhat he is. being an edge setter is not first or high seond round material. 

 

if i could bring back 1 player ...a time machine for this d line that would need the most it would be adalius thomas. no weakness..a consistant playmakerwho could do it all.

[BloodRaven]

Yeah health is the real issue here, they can all ball but they're not helping anyone stuck at 50%

[H8R]

whats disaapointing is we drafted courtney upshaw to be morethenwhat he is. being an edge setter is not first or high seond round material.

if i could bring back 1 player ...a time machine for this d line that would need the most it would be adalius thomas. no weakness..a consistant playmakerwho could do it all.

I'd take Corey Redding even ... and Trevor Pryce would be amazing.

Upshaw is doing what he's asked to do, for the most part.

[Sami84]

I'd take Corey Redding even ... and Trevor Pryce would be amazing.

trevor pryce at his best would be by far the best i  his position if playing today.

 

coreyredding is basicaly a better version of canty.

 

adalius thomas i would play over doom as he could stuff therun as well as rush.

[BMORE_96]

cory redding is balling. Making the ravens look dumb for not resigning him. canty and the d-line need to step their game up off the bye.

[BMORE_96]

whats disaapointing is we drafted courtney upshaw to be morethenwhat he is. being an edge setter is not first or high seond round material. 

 

if i could bring back 1 player ...a time machine for this d line that would need the most it would be adalius thomas. no weakness..a consistant playmakerwho could do it all.

upshaw is not a dynamic pass rusher. he can do everything else. He can bull rush okay but is no von miller off the edge. btw von miller looked downright menacing off the edge last night- like a blur. I guess decosta was right, crowning him as our highest rated player ever.

[H8R]

Michael McCrary, another beast

[Sami84]

upshaw is not a dynamic pass rusher. he can do everything else. He can bull rush okay but is no von miller off the edge. btw von miller looked downright menacing off the edge last night- like a blur. I guess decosta was right, crowning him as our highest rated player ever.

de costa also gave us the impression he would have drafted jamarcus rusell over calvin johnson if given the chance.

[Sami84]

Michael McCrary, another beast

bit overrated but his determination was second to none. ngata take notes!

[BMORE_96]

de costa also gave us the impression he would have drafted jamarcus rusell over calvin johnson if given the chance.

i was just making an analogy between upshaw and von miller. upshaw is not that gifted but still a solid football player. He wasn't very good yesterday. Hopefully, bye magic will cure everyone of their injuries.

[H8R]

bit overrated but his determination was second to none. ngata take notes!

the knees went way.

[jdynamite]

Your calling the Steelers running game anemic but that was without Bell now they haver him back and he is a powerful patient runner. I agree we are struggling to stop the run, but i think people are discrediting the steelers run game. There by no means great but, the stats just dont tell it all. a lack of talent is not the problem.

That was L.Bell's 3rd game, although he may have potential as a runner to improve their run game , it's still not good that the D-Line and front seven were pushed around by a Bad Steeler Oline. They have been shuffling guys in an out both Tackles have struggled all season for the steelers

[GrimCoconut]

That was L.Bell's 3rd game, although he may have potential as a runner to improve their run game , it's still not good that the D-Line and front seven were pushed around by a Bad Steeler Oline. They have been shuffling guys in an out both Tackles have struggled all season for the steelers

To be fair, Velasco was signed late so his addition possibly stabilized the line.