Should we get rid of Ray Rice?

[PerpetuallyBored74]

Flacco can scramble when he wants and no he is not from VA.  What he can't do is put the ball in the air 40-50 times a game, behind a bad o-line, receivers who can't beat press coverage in a scheme that is still too vanilla and easy for opposing defenses to read and prepare for,, especially if he isn't always given full rein over the offense like other top QBs, and win a football game.  Flacco without a running game in this scheme is average at best.

ftfy
 
Didn't you hear Wilcotts point out over and over and over...how Flacco was reading the D and when he saw there were 6 defenders in the box, he checked down to a run--every time in the 1st half. That sort of predictability is on our coaches who lack the imagination and creativity to come up with anything that isn't so obvious. When faced with 3rd and short, 4th and short, we send Wagner out there as an extra blocker, even though that's a dead giveaway that we're running the ball, for 2 reasons:
Our tight ends are horrible at blocking.
Our coaches don't know of any other way to compensate for our tight ends being such horrible blockers other than to use a lineman as a substitute tight end.
Flacco & the passing game has been shaky in the 1st half while he and the WRs get settled in and get their timing down; why do you think the passing game always comes alive in the 2nd half? For that reason plus adjustments mad at halftime, like putting Flacco in the shotgun, and even running the ball out of the shotgun. But where are the WR screens? Where are the pick and rub plays to help these WRs get open, especially against the press? There are things we can do that other teams do schematically to help our players, but for whatever reason we don't do them, or if we do, we quickly abandon them and go back to the Schembecler style that Harbaugh learned from his father and from Cam.

[Poes Crows]

Ray Rice has become the new Shaun Alexander. I am disgusted by his 1 yard run and fall down plays. Should we just cut him and cut our losses? He is hurting this football team in so many ways.

 

He's still hurt.

 

But the Front Office will shop Ray, Haloti, Ladarius, Terrell and Flacco this off season.  The F.O. is going to make these players the scapegoat for their own mistakes.

 

You can't illustrate the inequity of the salary cap here and how it deviates from our economic model.  But that is the root of the problem.  The masses have been conditioned to it however and hear only the music of the flute as they march merrily toward the edge of the cliff.

[The Raven]

Here's a question...

Have we run a single screen all year? I can't think of one...

 

We actually tried one yesterday but Rice and his grandma in a wheelchair speed got caught quickly. We've run them often, maybe not often enough, but probably once a game. They just haven't been effective because of either missed blocks or Rice's ineptitude.

[The Raven]

What are you talking??? Ray Rice WAS a perfect RB for ZBS.

 

His vision has always been overrated. His vision is terrible. You need vision for the ZBS.

[PeRK82]

Anyone else sick of the Boot leg to the Left, Where Flacco has to turn 270 degrees and then set his feet to throw acrossed his body.

 

Why are we not doing the same thing but going to the right where its more natural.

 

They have to see this in the Film room. Im sick of seeing it , it has worked maybe once or twice but when it does work. Its only for a 3 yd gain because the defense has so much time to catch up with the rb or wr to make the tackle.

[easternshore97]

He's still hurt.

 

But the Front Office will shop Ray, Haloti, Ladarius, Terrell and Flacco this off season.  The F.O. is going to make these players the scapegoat for their own mistakes.

 

You can't illustrate the inequity of the salary cap here and how it deviates from our economic model.  But that is the root of the problem.  The masses have been conditioned to it however and hear only the music of the flute as they march merrily toward the edge of the cliff.

Do you know what the going price is for franchise QBs these days?

 

2 options. You can either

• Pony up and pay it (kind of like when the ravens chose not to acquiesce to a measly extra $1m a year, to where they ended up having to do an extra $4m a year, and who knows how much extra guaranteed money), OR
• Go the route of Jax, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Cleveland, NYJ, Minnesota, Arizona, St Louis

Cheap things cost in case you didn't already know

[GrimCoconut]

He's still hurt.

But the Front Office will shop Ray, Haloti, Ladarius, Terrell and Flacco this off season. The F.O. is going to make these players the scapegoat for their own mistakes.

You can't illustrate the inequity of the salary cap here and how it deviates from our economic model. But that is the root of the problem. The masses have been conditioned to it however and hear only the music of the flute as they march merrily toward the edge of the cliff.

You are clearly mistaken if you think we'll shop all of those players. We might shop one but I doubt all of them.

[RedFire]

What are you talking??? Ray Rice WAS a perfect RB for ZBS.

How do you know that? We never truly tested Rice Vision and ability to take on a dude in the hole solo as a staple if the offense.

Cam had him running behind a FB most of the time aka bread a butter. Single back formations hitting a hole solo and Zone blocking reads were for a change of pace.

[wizard1]

If I'm John Harbaugh right now I bench Flacco and Rice and go with Tyrod Taylor and Pierce!

[AsianRice]

If I'm John Harbaugh right now I bench Flacco and Rice and go with Tyrod Taylor and Pierce!

That's y you are not.....

[wizard1]

That's y you are not.....

The idea has some merit and a major shake up is needed. What possible harm could it do? we just got beat by Jason Cambell and the Cleveland Browns and that is unthinkable!

[The Raven]

The idea has some merit and a major shake up is needed. What possible harm could it do? we just got beat by Jason Cambell and the Cleveland Browns and that is unthinkable!

 

It has no merit and it could doom our season for good. Just silly all around.

[Ravens1991]

If we cut him how much money will be wasted on our cap next year? I saw his cap hit is roughly 8.75 million and his base salary is 4 million. So if we cut him does it still count against 4 million on the cap?

[AsianRice]

The idea has some merit and a major shake up is needed. What possible harm could it do? we just got beat by Jason Cambell and the Cleveland Browns and that is unthinkable!

I know it's the losing Browns but they have been loaded with talents with all the high draft picks every year; they are one step away from becoming a very good team, which starts with the coaching staffs.  This year they are revamped with better coaching staffs...

 

BTW, we played like crap on Sunday, and any team can beat us.  It happened to be the Browns bring their A games on Sunday and we were bringing our facepalm....

[ThePurpleWall]

its hard to run the ball when there  are no holes!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest RBates]

Didn't you hear Wilcotts point out over and over and over...how Flacco was reading the D and when he saw there were 6 defenders in the box, he checked down to a run--every time in the 1st half. That sort of predictability is on our coaches who lack the imagination and creativity to come up with anything that isn't so obvious. When faced with 3rd and short, 4th and short, we send Wagner out there as an extra blocker, even though that's a dead giveaway that we're running the ball, for 2 reasons:
Our tight ends are horrible at blocking.
Our coaches don't know of any other way to compensate for our tight ends being such horrible blockers other than to use a lineman as a substitute tight end.
Flacco & the passing game has been shaky in the 1st half while he and the WRs get settled in and get their timing down; why do you think the passing game always comes alive in the 2nd half? For that reason plus adjustments mad at halftime, like putting Flacco in the shotgun, and even running the ball out of the shotgun. But where are the WR screens? Where are the pick and rub plays to help these WRs get open, especially against the press? There are things we can do that other teams do schematically to help our players, but for whatever reason we don't do them, or if we do, we quickly abandon them and go back to the Schembecler style that Harbaugh learned from his father and from Cam.

One question.  At 120 million are you allowed to be shaky consistently in the first half of every game?

[jimjim5]

His vision has always been overrated. His vision is terrible. You need vision for the ZBS.

You just said he was a one cut runner and he has proven that he can beat a man one-on-one time and again in the off tackle ZBS we have run for about 4 years.

Also, what is this thought that zone block scheme involves beating a man in the hole? You guys couldn't be more INCORRECT! Zone blocking requires the RB to beat his man at the second level after the hole is created. Not much different than power running once the runningback gets through the hole. However, the HUGE difference between the two is that the open hole "floats" a bit. The RB has the option to choose a gap based on the OL read and block! If you wish to see it work and see mastery of it watch tape of the Broncos in the Mike Shanahan era or Kubiak's Texans.

You said - Rice is a one cut runner, right? Well, Foster is the best one cut runner in the business and he murders in the ZBS.

[The Raven]

You just said he was a one cut runner and he has proven that he can beat a man one-on-one time and again.

Also, what is this thought that zone block scheme involves beating a man in the hole? You guys couldn't be more INCORRECT! Zone blocking requires the RB to beat his man at the second level after the hole is created. Not much different than power running once the runningback gets through the hole. However, the HUGE difference between the two is that the open hole "floats" a bit. The RB has the option to choose a gap based on the OL read and block! If you wish to see it work and see mastery of it watch tape of the Broncos in the Mike Shanahan era or Kubiak's Texans.

You said - Rice is a one cut runner, right? Well, Foster is the best one cut runner in the business and he murders in the ZBS.

 

I said no such thing. Go read my posts. 

[jimjim5]

I said no such thing. Go read my posts.

I stand corrected in quoting you in my reply. I see your point. You are correct. He has not been tested as a ZBS runner between tackles. I will say he is good off tackle, in zone blocking though. Second, I think it is less of Rice's vision. I think his vision WAS superb. I think his flaw that he didn't run downhill then cut after hitting a hole. I think he fixed that issue running in the power scheme, however now he needs to back away from thinking like a power runner, and open his vision back to pre-2010. Rice's issue with that is that his body is not fit to cut quick like that anymore.

[PerpetuallyBored74]

One question.  At 120 million are you allowed to be shaky consistently in the first half of every game?

No.

 

But the real question is why is he so inconsistent in such a consistent manner?

How do you explain that? It seems like the most logical explanation is that a lot of it has to do with adjustments that are made at halftime combined with Joe needing a few throws to get settled in and get into a rhythm.

So I ask you, why aren't we coming into the game with a workable gameplan and why can't our coaches focus on getting Flacco into a rhythm as early as possible instead of focusing so much on establishing the run, by running the ball on nearly every 1st down--is it that important to Harbaugh to prove that his decision to bring in Castillo and his ZBS was not a mistake?

I agree that Flacco had a bad 1st half, but I'm not putting it all on Flacco because I think the problems begin with coaching, and that there's a cascading domino effect that comes from bad coaching that impacts all other facets of the team, especially when the team no longer has the talent or leadership to overcome bad coaching like it has in recent years.

[K-Dog]

No question Flacco thrives on rythem.

You can USUALLY tell with in the first three possessions what kind of day Flacco will have.

[cursona pirate]

No question Flacco thrives on rythem.

You can USUALLY tell with in the first three possessions what kind of day Flacco will have.

Most QB's do. Most athletes in general too.

[GrimCoconut]

I don't think the issue is entirely Rice. I think he's a part of it but Bernard Pierce isn't running that great either. I think both RBs have lost faith in their OL and I believe Flacco has as well. I feel the bad accuracy from Joe and the hesitation our RBs are showing is a result of a very poor OL. 

 

The trust is broken.

[Militant X 1]

No.

 

But the real question is why is he so inconsistent in such a consistent manner?

How do you explain that? It seems like the most logical explanation is that a lot of it has to do with adjustments that are made at halftime combined with Joe needing a few throws to get settled in and get into a rhythm.

So I ask you, why aren't we coming into the game with a workable gameplan and why can't our coaches focus on getting Flacco into a rhythm as early as possible instead of focusing so much on establishing the run, by running the ball on nearly every 1st down--is it that important to Harbaugh to prove that his decision to bring in Castillo and his ZBS was not a mistake?

I agree that Flacco had a bad 1st half, but I'm not putting it all on Flacco because I think the problems begin with coaching, and that there's a cascading domino effect that comes from bad coaching that impacts all other facets of the team, especially when the team no longer has the talent or leadership to overcome bad coaching like it has in recent years.

lol!

 

#Mili

[cobrajet]

ypu get me his wins and losses when he's forced to throw a lot, he's won a lot more than he's lost. He doesn't need a run game

I agree! Drives have stalled this year because we run the ball, not pass the ball. The reason we have any wins at all is because of Joe and IMHO we would have more wins if they would of spread teams out and let Joe sling it.

[cobrajet]

I don't think the issue is entirely Rice. I think he's a part of it but Bernard Pierce isn't running that great either. I think both RBs have lost faith in their OL and I believe Flacco has as well. I feel the bad accuracy from Joe and the hesitation our RBs are showing is a result of a very poor OL. 

 

The trust is broken.

I don't disagree with this. I do think Rice is playing poorly despite our serious o-line problems, but our o-line is just playing horrible this year.

[GrimCoconut]

I agree! Drives have stalled this year because we run the ball, not pass the ball. The reason we have any wins at all is because of Joe and IMHO we would have more wins if they would of spread teams out and let Joe sling it.

Well, drives have stalled passing and running but the issue is with conversion not how we convert. Joe didn't require a run game but he needs something to get into a rhythm and that's lacking due to poor OL, receivers not holding onto the ball or coming up short of the markers and a weak run game.

[flynismo]

Let's not start name calling on Rice man, that's just disrespectful. He's given us everything he can, even though it's no longer much for him to give.

I can understand wanting to get rid of him but calling him a sellout? what the hell?

It's ridiculous. Typical even.

The sentimental part of me who loves Ray Rice the person makes it very hard to accept the fact that Ray Rice the football player probably should be wearing another uniform if there were any possible way to make that happen.

[Radinho84]

I don´t think that we should cut him now. they say he is playing injured and we all know what he is able to do when healthy and behind a decent OLine.

Let´s wait how he plays the rest of the year. nothing on the market to jump in right away. as pierce is also playing bad this seems more of a scheme issue than a personal one...

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

Ray Rice looks like hes gotten too big in his upper body. Its made him stiffer and hurt his balance.

 

He just looks top heavy, and unable to get his feet back under him when he takes a hit. Maybe he's been overdoing that offseason workout a bit. Strength is great, but not at the expense of functionality.