Unbalanced Line

[Shadowalker]

I mean it was effective initially but wasn't that a pivotal game for Cam to try these new things. The unbalanced line is used only if you have bad tight ends or in a short situation.

Among other things if Rice (Anyone know his injury update?) was effective and so was Mcclain why the heck did we go back to Willis. I mean i love the guy and I think he is as explosive as any back but when a guy keeps getting stuffed at the line why the heck would you keep trying. It reminds me of billicks running style. Run Run Run and if its not working it'll work eventually mentality. "Bottom Line" is the coaching decisions where very poor.

Your thoughts guys and ladies?

[rlh445]

[quote name='Shadowalker' post='100696' date='Dec 8 2008, 01:37 PM']I mean it was effective initially but wasn't that a pivotal game for Cam to try these new things. The unbalanced line is used only if you have bad tight ends or in a short situation.

Among other things if Rice (Anyone know his injury update?) was effective and so was Mcclain why the heck did we go back to Willis. I mean i love the guy and I think he is as explosive as any back but when a guy keeps getting stuffed at the line why the heck would you keep trying. It reminds me of billicks running style. Run Run Run and if its not working it'll work eventually mentality. "Bottom Line" is the coaching decisions where very poor.

Your thoughts guys and ladies?[/quote]


Usually, an unbalanced line scheme is used once or twice in a drive..and usually the RB goes towards the 'heavy' side. The way Cam was using it, was totally unpredictable. He'd have a guard and Heap at one end, and three tackles at the other end..and then have Neal and McClain run towards the 'light' end..totally confusing the defense. Then they WOULD run towards the heavy end, and cut through the middle. He saw after the first few times that the Slurs D was confused by this, and called his plays accordingly. I think it worked beautifully.

Edit - And on a side note, I also think this WAS a pivotal game as you said, and as such the perfect time to try it out. Although they're trying to tone it down, the Ravens obviously want into the playoffs in a bad way. This was a great time to try it, against a team who statistically is a damn good defense, but are unraveling on the offensive side of the ball. We were up by one score, and both of our other backs were hurting. Why NOT do it? Damn..I love our coaching staff.

[MKdave]

[quote name='Shadowalker' post='100696' date='Dec 8 2008, 06:37 PM']I mean it was effective initially but wasn't that a pivotal game for Cam to try these new things. The unbalanced line is used only if you have bad tight ends or in a short situation.

Among other things if Rice (Anyone know his injury update?) was effective and so was Mcclain why the heck did we go back to Willis. I mean i love the guy and I think he is as explosive as any back but when a guy keeps getting stuffed at the line why the heck would you keep trying. It reminds me of billicks running style. Run Run Run and if its not working it'll work eventually mentality. "Bottom Line" is the coaching decisions where very poor.

Your thoughts guys and ladies?[/quote]

I disagree. Firstly, the game sealing series that ended in the Flacco to Mason bomb was largely run out of an unbalanced line. Secondly, while Willis played badly and I was screaming at the TV 'stop giving him the ball', out of the heat of the moment, I think the coaches are obliged to give Willis the football, because of his talent, and because of his paycheck. How will we know if he's out of his slump unless we give him the ball?

And finally, it seems like there's something fundamentally flawed about questioning coaching decisions after a comprehensive win.

[rlh445]

[quote name='MKdave' post='100702' date='Dec 8 2008, 01:44 PM']I disagree. Firstly, the game sealing series that ended in the Flacco to Mason bomb was largely run out of an unbalanced line. Secondly, while Willis played badly and I was screaming at the TV 'stop giving him the ball', out of the heat of the moment, I think the coaches are obliged to give Willis the football, because of his talent, and because of his paycheck. How will we know if he's out of his slump unless we give him the ball?

[b]And finally, it seems like there's something fundamentally flawed about questioning coaching decisions after a comprehensive win.[/b][/quote]

No doubt, the coaches manned up and delivered a good win. But, as Ravens fans, there are obviously still question marks..and a lot of them are about Willis McGahee's performance. Some part of me last night wondered if the only reason he got so many touches in the first half stemmed from them being totally behind Willis all week about the 'benching' during the Cincy game. Was that a political play? 'Hey, we gave Willis a full half to prove himself. He didn't, now we can go with who we REALLY want.' Was that it? I don't know..but that's what it felt like. Any other coach would've pulled him after the first fumble and been done with it. After all, he hasn't been the 'hot hand' since Houston. Even Andy Reid had the nerve to pull McNabb when he was messing up, and they are best friends. It just seems as if Willis isn't putting his best foot forward, period. I don't want to hear about injuries, because EVERYONE is injured, and still playing up to the level that their paycheck demands of them.

[MJSMOOTH]

i like it it will help us protect flacco well we face the steeler and there 2 HARRISON BOYS

[MKdave]

[quote name='MJSMOOTH' post='100930' date='Dec 8 2008, 10:41 PM']i like it it will help us protect flacco well we face the steeler and there 2 HARRISON BOYS[/quote]

I doubt that we'll see it against the Steelers. You're gonna have a real hard time running on the Steelers when they know the run is coming. And they will know the run is coming because they know we aren't stupid enough to pass with an unbalanced line when the have James Harrison and Lamar Woodley outside.

[I*Bleed*Purple]

[quote name='MKdave' post='100702' date='Dec 8 2008, 12:44 PM']I disagree. Firstly, the game sealing series that ended in the Flacco to Mason bomb was largely run out of an unbalanced line. Secondly, while Willis played badly and I was screaming at the TV 'stop giving him the ball', out of the heat of the moment, I think the coaches are obliged to give Willis the football, because of his talent, and because of his paycheck. How will we know if he's out of his slump unless we give him the ball?

And finally, it seems like there's something fundamentally flawed about questioning coaching decisions after a comprehensive win.[/quote]

Week 14 isn't the time for us to see if a RB is "out of his slump". This year McGahee is averaging only 3.4 yards/carry. He has only gone over 4.0 yards/carry 3 times out of 10 games played with a long of 17. To the contrary, when McClain has had more than 5 touches he is averaging over 4.3 yards/carry with a long of 28. Rice is averaging over 4.2 yards/carry with a long of 60! Rice is averaging almost 7 carries less per game played than McGahee and only has 67 less total rush yards. McGahee is averaging 4.4 yards more than Rice even with 7 more touches per game.

As I have said before, I honestly believe that McGahee has lost that fire, is injured or whatever. That being said, why would you not start Rice? Why would you not give the man more touches? He is a smaller, quicker, faster version of McGahee but can also make a man miss in the open field. Something I haven't seen McGahee do in quite some time!

Just a thought.

[WACKO4FLACC0]

[quote name='Shadowalker' post='100696' date='Dec 8 2008, 01:37 PM']I mean it was effective initially but wasn't that a pivotal game for Cam to try these new things. The unbalanced line is used only if you have bad tight ends or in a short situation.

Among other things if Rice (Anyone know his injury update?) was effective and so was Mcclain why the heck did we go back to Willis. I mean i love the guy and I think he is as explosive as any back but when a guy keeps getting stuffed at the line why the heck would you keep trying. It reminds me of billicks running style. Run Run Run and if its not working it'll work eventually mentality. "Bottom Line" is the coaching decisions where very poor.

Your thoughts guys and ladies?[/quote]
The unbalanced line is just like the gadgets we use with the wild cat formation...it is not used only when u hv bad te or when u r in a short situation because if that is true then the redskins would hv surely ran

that offense (they had a center playing the tackle position). But I like the unbalanced line as long as the side with only te's can set up blocks for when we run to that side/ play action to that side....

I dont think we are going to see much of it during the Steelers game just because there defense is so good... plus they will surely bring lots of pressure and it will be hard to contain the exotic blitz's with only

te's on one side of the ball.

I also think that we should bench McGahee, I like the McClain and Neal running style with hard, smash mouth football. I say we release McGahee or trade him for a wr/draft picks.

[Mahatma_Sloth]

[quote name='Shadowalker' post='100696' date='Dec 8 2008, 11:37 AM']I mean it was effective initially but wasn't that a pivotal game for Cam to try these new things. The unbalanced line is used only if you have bad tight ends or in a short situation.

Among other things if Rice (Anyone know his injury update?) was effective and so was Mcclain why the heck did we go back to Willis. I mean i love the guy and I think he is as explosive as any back but when a guy keeps getting stuffed at the line why the heck would you keep trying. It reminds me of billicks running style. Run Run Run and if its not working it'll work eventually mentality. "Bottom Line" is the coaching decisions where very poor.

Your thoughts guys and ladies?[/quote]
have you been watching this season? we run the unballanced line more than anyone else all over the field and i think it is effective anywhere any time. also are you trying to say that last drive that ate up like 7 min and sealed the deal with a touch was poor coaching?!?!? cuz i thought it was metodical and brillant

[Mahatma_Sloth]

the thing about willis is i think he needs the majority of run plays to really get a feel for the other team and bust out like last year.... i dont think this is his scheam. i like him but i like this scheam better than him its sad really