Special Teams Struggles

[rmw10]

It's no secret that our ST units have been terrible this year.  Blocked punts, terrible field position, etc. have all played key parts in some our losses.  I know a lot of people are going to point to the offseason changes on offense and defense being the most significant, but I disagree.  I think the loss of those ST guys has played a much more crucial role.

 

While both Ayanbadejo and Considine weren't very good last year, did they mean much more to us as leaders than many of us realized?  They may not have played well, but they were able to position guys correctly and make sure there were no holes.  They controlled their units.

 

Is lead blocking an issue?  Jacoby doesn't seem comfortable with Juice.  I mentioned it in another thread, but it seems that Jacoby is pointing Juice out to the hole.  Last year, Allen picked the hole himself and just led Jacoby through it.

 

I'd venture to say that guys like LaQuan, David Reed, and Bryan Hall are missed as well.

 

It may be a unit that still needs to gel, but are the ST losses as significant as they seem?

[billick]

Didn't John Harbaugh coach special teams.

 

Maybe he is ST genius, and his coaching is too involved for our players to grasp ?

[The Raven]

I don't know if the lead blocking is an issue. Juice has been pretty physical and he's done well. Though, Jacoby does not seem comfortable with Juice. Juice has done well, but Jacoby doesn't read his blocks as well as he read Allen's, I suppose. 

 

I think it's the rest of the blocking. Just like on offense, we aren't getting a hat on a hat.

[rmw10]

I don't know if the lead blocking is an issue. Juice has been pretty physical and he's done well. Though, Jacoby does not seem comfortable with Juice. Juice has done well, but Jacoby doesn't read his blocks as well as he read Allen's, I suppose. 

 

I think it's the rest of the blocking. Just like on offense, we aren't getting a hat on a hat.

 

Yeah I mean Juice isn't doing bad, but there's an obvious drop off compared to what Allen was doing for us.  I'm not sure how much it's affecting Jacoby, but there's an obvious difference.  I'm sure some has to do with his injury, but some definitely has to do with the overhauled unit, including Juice.

[arnie_uk]

This one time on Sunday, Jacoby almost had to come to a stop until juice hit his man, he's almost too fast for him

[The Raven]

This one time on Sunday, Jacoby almost had to come to a stop until juice hit his man, he's almost too fast for him

 

 

Yeah I mean Juice isn't doing bad, but there's an obvious drop off compared to what Allen was doing for us.  I'm not sure how much it's affecting Jacoby, but there's an obvious difference.  I'm sure some has to do with his injury, but some definitely has to do with the overhauled unit, including Juice.

 

One thing I noticed is that Juice gets set a lot deeper than Allen did. Juice comes back almost all the way to the end zone, whereas Allen would barely cross that ten, it seemed. Also, I feel like Jacoby has been a little impatient waiting for lanes this season.

[Ravenseconbeast]

This one time on Sunday, Jacoby almost had to come to a stop until juice hit his man, he's almost too fast for him

 

happens all the time.   But i think its safe to say that's the least of our worries @ ST.

[TSizzle00]

Didn't John Harbaugh coach special teams.

 

Maybe he is ST genius, and his coaching is too involved for our players to grasp ?

IMO where a coach came from is vastly overblown as to how he will impact that area on his new team.

[Guest Im An Ozzie Newsome Guy]

You brought-up Brendon Ayanbadejo and, while the coverage unit struggled, last year, I think his presence is being missed. It's not a leadership issue; it has nothing to do with that. Rather, I'm pretty sure Ayanbadejo was a captain on the team, he was here for 5 years and he did everything to command the special teams unit.

 

Whether it's blocking for the kick or punt returner, or covering the opposing team's return, special teams is lot harder than it looks. The Ravens may have Jacoby Jones and Tandon Doss, both whom are capable of returning the football for a touchdown; however, like the offense and defense (as other users have mentioned), it comes down to communication and execution. And, right now, something very, very minor is amiss, which is why Baltimore seems a bit sluggish, out there, on special teams.

 

My biggest problem has been with the "musical chairs" approach the Ravens have taken with fielding players on special teams. Guys like Ayanbadejo were released (mostly due to his age), LaQuan Williams got hurt and Anthony Allen blew his roster spot with a poor (running) performance against the Rams in the preseason. So, right there, there was going to be a new group of players on special teams, this year. Then, when the Ravens got Robert James from the Falcons, I was thinking, after leading the league with the most special teams tackles in 2012, James was going to be the new Brendon Ayanbadejo. But, he was immediately put on "I.R.", only to be cut (when the Ravens brought-back Doss). Brynden Trawick didn't pan out; so, the team signed Jeromy Miles.

 

So, basically, the Ravens are definitely relying on new players to just fill-in on special teams. It has been hit-or-miss, up until this point. Hopefully, after the bye week, the blocking assignments will gel better.

[jimjim5]

My biggest problem has been with the "musical chairs" approach the Ravens have taken with fielding players on special teams. Guys like Ayanbadejo were released (mostly due to his age), LaQuan Williams got hurt and Anthony Allen blew his roster spot with a poor (running) performance against the Rams in the preseason. So, right there, there was going to be a new group of players on special teams, this year. Then, when the Ravens got Robert James from the Falcons, I was thinking, after leading the league with the most special teams tackles in 2012, James was going to be the new Brendon Ayanbadejo. But, he was immediately put on "I.R.", only to be cut (when the Ravens brought-back Doss). Brynden Trawick didn't pan out; so, the team signed Jeromy Miles.

 

So, basically, the Ravens are definitely relying on new players to just fill-in on special teams. It has been hit-or-miss, up until this point. Hopefully, after the bye week, the blocking assignments will gel better.

 

I personally think Laquan Williams and Antony Allen were squeezed out by K Juice's draft position and because Dumervil being picked up after Simon was drafted too. (Simon wasn't needed after Dumervil, but he was drafted, so he gets the spot. This position could have been addressed in 2014). Also, because of D. Thompson's "potential', I don't think Laquan fit in the plan after Pitta got hurt. There were too many question marks with the offense after Pitta got hurt, and the offense needed a weapon to emerge. Hope upon hope was that Thompson would be that guy. Then, Thompson gets hurt and the team needed a ready replacement, Stokely. This sealed his fate. I think the injury settlement was just a goodwill gesture.

 

I think Antony Allen was the better ST player vs Juice. But Juice's draft position allowed him to keep his roster spot. I think Juice was a reach for his draft position and a major gamble that didn't pay off this year.

[Ravenseconbeast]

Bringing back Anthony Allen might not be such a bad idea.   He was pretty good ST.   

[izvoodoo]

I personally think Laquan Williams and Antony Allen were squeezed out by K Juice's draft position and because Dumervil being picked up after Simon was drafted too. (Simon wasn't needed after Dumervil, but he was drafted, so he gets the spot. This position could have been addressed in 2014). Also, because of D. Thompson's "potential', I don't think Laquan fit in the plan after Pitta got hurt. There were too many question marks with the offense after Pitta got hurt, and the offense needed a weapon to emerge. Hope upon hope was that Thompson would be that guy. Then, Thompson gets hurt and the team needed a ready replacement, Stokely. This sealed his fate. I think the injury settlement was just a goodwill gesture.

 

I think Antony Allen was the better ST player vs Juice. But Juice's draft position allowed him to keep his roster spot. I think Juice was a reach for his draft position and a major gamble that didn't pay off this year.

Nah, Juice was graded around a mid 4th.  People were expecting him to go around there, not to say the pick looks good now but it wasn't surprising..  We're old at some places that traditionally play special teams.  We'll be better when Bynes and McClain are both there, as Arthur Brown has not been an exceptional special teamer.

[jimjim5]

Nah, Juice was graded around a mid 4th.  People were expecting him to go around there, not to say the pick looks good now but it wasn't surprising..  We're old at some places that traditionally play special teams.  We'll be better when Bynes and McClain are both there, as Arthur Brown has not been an exceptional special teamer.

 

Regardless, I still see Ant Allen as an exceptional special teamer, which I don't see out of Juice. Based on the roster need and his skill at the ST/RB position, I don't think he deserved the boot.