Ravens offseason - Coaches

[gabefergy]

I've heard around here, so there isn't much credibility, that he added inside zone blocking to the scheme and we used it this season. We used it a lot yesterday, and it worked, no matter how much people will say it didn't.

I think Castillo also isn't to blame because we couldn't even execute the zone stretches, iso, and power runs we made our money on last year. How does Castillo ruin what we have been using for three seasons when all he really did is add inside zone blocking?

I think its more than just adding inside zones. We ran those before too. I gathered it was more like a couple of technical wrinkles and changes to terminology. Our outside zones required more "reach blocking" than I remember in the past and it was clearly a problem.

[redrum52]

Regarding Castillo, I heard a report earlier that he won't be coming back, but we'll have to see.

Please don't get our hopes up.  I feel anyone associated with the o-line should be out. A new WR couldn't hurt either.  For whatever reason, this team has had a difficult time developing guys.  Would also like for us to look into college guys for OC.  I would love this opportunity to clean house at coordinator, but don't see guy better than Pees available.  You never know what can happen either, I remember last year many called for Rosburgs head and he ended up turning it around this year, despite a slow start.

[The Raven]

I think its more than just adding inside zones. We ran those before too. I gathered it was more like a couple of technical wrinkles and changes to terminology. Our outside zones required more "reach blocking" than I remember in the past and it was clearly a problem.

 

I paid close attention to it, and our blocking scheme for outside and stretch runs was the same. It's all the same, really. Reach block and double team, get to the second level as needed, seal and drive. 

 

It's probably more than adding inside zones. I do believe he changed the terminology. 

[BmoreBird22]

Not even true, lol. I've seen quite a few times where it was a pass out of the gun or play action, or anything. You are incorrect. :)



What advantage does that give the defense?

Okay always was an exaggeration because I have seen pass plays out of it (I was a little shocked), but it is significantly more stacked toward run than it is pass.

[5aiah]

I paid close attention to it, and our blocking scheme for outside and stretch runs was the same. It's all the same, really. Reach block and double team, get to the second level as needed, seal and drive. 

 

It's probably more than adding inside zones. I do believe he changed the terminology. 

The injuries(and lack of depth) and the inexperience and ineffectiveness of Gino Gradkowski did more damage to our blocking then any scheme change. It wasn't even a full on scheme change we had been moving in this direction for a while. People can keep making this about the coaching staff all they want but the lack of talent and depth did us in more than anything. 

[PurpleCityLights]

No Shannahans.

Norv Turner, maybe.

Norv is a control freak so is John, it would never work.....

[T3hRaven]

Hostler needs to get fired.  He's been here a long time and we've had the same complaints over and over about our receivers being unable to get open.  Time to dump that failure, I don't think he's doing us any good.

 

But I'd like to see a Caldwell demotion and a new OC brought in to install a completely different offense.  Castillo and Moeller should both be on the chopping block.  Honestly, I'm not overly impressed by anyone not named Teryl Austin.

[BmoreBird22]

Black Monday came and went, but there is still time for a pink slip. Who should get it?
The popular candidates are Caldwell, Pees, and Castillo.
Personally, I'm on favor of bringing Caldwell back. Caldwell did a marvelous job in the playoffs, so we know he can do well. I understand he didn't do that we'll this year, but he was working with hurt running backs, a piss poor offensive line, a tight end with the dropsies, and an in drafted rookie free agent wide receiver as a starter. How much could he really do? I was happy to see Joe improve in mobility and the Ravens move to a spread offense and implement the pistol. It shows he was trying despite all the missing pieces. I think if the Ravens focus on the offense, we could see some of the playoff form return.
Pees, I'm not happy with. The Ravens defense could not hold a lead at all in games because I feel Pees was way too conservative. Sure, he had a good record of bend but don't break for the first two quarters, but the second half usually brought a drop off in results, with other teams finding much better success. Against the Bengals I noticed often times that the corner backs would be sitting back and waiting for the receiver to catch the ball on third down before trying to tackle. I don't understand this unless you're up by a ton. Bend don't break is cool and all when you're up by a lot, but what happened to organized chaos? I understand Pees can't make the players tackle or hit their assignments, but he can have a more aggressive scheme. What if a lot of late game collapses were from the defense themselves being tired out from the bend but don't break mantra allowing teams to get all the way down the field before a stop was made? I'd like to see a move aggressive coordinator come in. A more creative mind with exotic blitzes and one who isn't scared to play a lot of man coverage.
I do not like Castillo at all. I understand that he can't make the players block correctly, but the ZBS was not new to the Ravens. They began running a hybrid system when they brought in Leach, so obviously the offensive line knows how to run that scheme. Instead of building off that, he changed up all the language and communication, something the players were very upset about. That could have attributed to the sieve in the running game. In the passing game, I think it's a miracle that the Ravens didn't allow the most sacks. I think that had to do a lot with Joe being able to throw it away a lot because he was hit frequently before he could plant his back foot. Sure, a lot had to do with Gino being inexperienced, but most players expressed grief with Castillo.
Who do you think should go?

[Ravenslifer]

Black Monday came and went, but there is still time for a pink slip. Who should get it?
The popular candidates are Caldwell, Pees, and Castillo.
Personally, I'm on favor of bringing Caldwell back. Caldwell did a marvelous job in the playoffs, so we know he can do well. I understand he didn't do that we'll this year, but he was working with hurt running backs, a piss poor offensive line, a tight end with the dropsies, and an in drafted rookie free agent wide receiver as a starter. How much could he really do? I was happy to see Joe improve in mobility and the Ravens move to a spread offense and implement the pistol. It shows he was trying despite all the missing pieces. I think if the Ravens focus on the offense, we could see some of the playoff form return.
Pees, I'm not happy with. The Ravens defense could not hold a lead at all in games because I feel Pees was way too conservative. Sure, he had a good record of bend but don't break for the first two quarters, but the second half usually brought a drop off in results, with other teams finding much better success. Against the Bengals I noticed often times that the corner backs would be sitting back and waiting for the receiver to catch the ball on third down before trying to tackle. I don't understand this unless you're up by a ton. Bend don't break is cool and all when you're up by a lot, but what happened to organized chaos? I understand Pees can't make the players tackle or hit their assignments, but he can have a more aggressive scheme. What if a lot of late game collapses were from the defense themselves being tired out from the bend but don't break mantra allowing teams to get all the way down the field before a stop was made? I'd like to see a move aggressive coordinator come in. A more creative mind with exotic blitzes and one who isn't scared to play a lot of man coverage.
I do not like Castillo at all. I understand that he can't make the players block correctly, but the ZBS was not new to the Ravens. They began running a hybrid system when they brought in Leach, so obviously the offensive line knows how to run that scheme. Instead of building off that, he changed up all the language and communication, something the players were very upset about. That could have attributed to the sieve in the running game. In the passing game, I think it's a miracle that the Ravens didn't allow the most sacks. I think that had to do a lot with Joe being able to throw it away a lot because he was hit frequently before he could plant his back foot. Sure, a lot had to do with Gino being inexperienced, but most players expressed grief with Castillo.
Who do you think should go?

 

I believe Jim Zorn is available - I'd like him back as the QB coach.  I like Caldwell personally, but Joe and Zorn really had something.  Whether or not Caldwell is retained, I would like Joe working with Zorn.  Castillo should be replaced.  Pees I really don't know what to do with.

[Brandon22]

Honestly We Need To Boot Both Our Coordinators In Dean Pees,Jim Caldwell, and also our line coaches in Juan Castillo and Andy Moeller

[PerpetuallyBored74]

Caldwell - Keep at OC unless someone better is available

Pees - Keep at DC unless someone better is available

Castillo - Keep at OL coach as 3 of our OL finally grasped his ZBS towards the end of the year and Jensen and Wagner look to be good fits in the ZBS

Moeller - Fire him

Hostler - Replace him with someone who actually played WR and was known for their solid fundamentals (Mason?)

 

Keep the rest, but hire somebody to be a full-time QB coach--no more of this "OC moonlighting as one in his spare time" nonsense.

 

Btw, did you guys know that in addition to Moeller and Castillo, we have an assistant offensive line coach?

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/coaches/Todd_Washington/0604a00b-4e2d-42bb-a560-51df6dbaa591

[GrimCoconut]

Caldwell - Keep at OC unless someone better is available
Pees - Keep at DC unless someone better is available
Castillo - Keep at OL coach as 3 of our OL finally grasped his ZBS towards the end of the year and Jensen and Wagner look to be good fits in the ZBS
Moeller - Fire him
Hostler - Replace him with someone who actually played WR and was known for their solid fundamentals (Mason?)

Keep the rest, but hire somebody to be a full-time QB coach--no more of this "OC moonlighting as one in his spare time" nonsense.

Btw, did you guys know that in addition to Moeller and Castillo, we have an assistant offensive line coach?
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/coaches/Todd_Washington/0604a00b-4e2d-42bb-a560-51df6dbaa591

Washington's resume sounds better than Moeller's

[Ravenslifer]

Caldwell - Keep at OC unless someone better is available

Pees - Keep at DC unless someone better is available

Castillo - Keep at OL coach as 3 of our OL finally grasped his ZBS towards the end of the year and Jensen and Wagner look to be good fits in the ZBS

Moeller - Fire him

Hostler - Replace him with someone who actually played WR and was known for their solid fundamentals (Mason?)

 

Keep the rest, but hire somebody to be a full-time QB coach--no more of this "OC moonlighting as one in his spare time" nonsense.

 

Btw, did you guys know that in addition to Moeller and Castillo, we have an assistant offensive line coach?

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/coaches/Todd_Washington/0604a00b-4e2d-42bb-a560-51df6dbaa591

 

I keep saying this, but I'm pretty sure Jim Zorn is available, and I doubt very much the two Jims would clash as much as Zorn seemed to clash with Cam.

[T3hRaven]

Harbaugh has no plans to make coaching changes.

 

 

Can't say I'm surprised, he 'believes in our coaches' or whatever nonsense he spouts.  Has he met with Bisciotti yet?  Hopefully he can save us from mediocrity and get some of these fools fired like he did with Cam.

[gabefergy]

Harbaugh has no plans to make coaching changes.

 

 

Can't say I'm surprised, he 'believes in our coaches' or whatever nonsense he spouts.  Has he met with Bisciotti yet?  Hopefully he can save us from mediocrity and get some of these fools fired like he did with Cam.

He also said "he isnt making an oath" so it just sounds like no decision has been made yet.

[GrimCoconut]

He also said "he isnt making an oath" so it just sounds like no decision has been made yet.

Sounds like he's saying "Right now we're not overly impressed by any of the coaches on the market but if someone is fired soon then we might make some changes. Stay tuned." At least that's how it sounds to me.

[T3hRaven]

Sounds like he's saying "Right now we're not overly impressed by any of the coaches on the market but if someone is fired soon then we might make some changes. Stay tuned." At least that's how it sounds to me.

 

That's a very out of character interpretation of what he said.  Mine's much more likely, based on who he is.

 

But I hope you guys are right.  Some of these coaching failures have been going on for years, especially with a guy like Hostler.  Someone has got to go.

[Militant X 1]

I keep saying this, but I'm pretty sure Jim Zorn is available, and I doubt very much the two Jims would clash as much as Zorn seemed to clash with Cam.

And if I recall properly, Flacco was very surprised when the Ravens fired Zorn.  If he helps Joe further improve his mechanics, reads and accuracy...bring him back!

 

#Mili

[Inqui]

That's a very out of character interpretation of what he said.  Mine's much more likely, based on who he is.

 

But I hope you guys are right.  Some of these coaching failures have been going on for years, especially with a guy like Hostler.  Someone has got to go.

To be fair, (John)Harbaugh-speak doesn't really give away a whole lot. 

 

That said, it sounds like we have a fair bit of deadweight we could stand to cut, so the fact that no moves have been made yet could be indicative of an intention to keep everyone on.

[runamuk]

Caldwell seems to be garnering lots of attention. I haven't heard of anyone interviewing Pees. anyone?

[Guest Mr. Nobody]

Caldwell seems to be garnering lots of attention. I haven't hear of anyone interviewing Pees. anyone?

maybe there's a bonus there... get a Caldwell, you get your Pees for free... one can only hope they'll be both gone soon

[RavenObserver]

I've been politely questioning the evaluation process of the position coaches for years. Just like head coaches, position coaches need to be evaluated and held accountable also. It's obvious to me that are interior lineman on both sides of the ball have been an area of concern for sometime now, with the one exception of last years incredible playoff run. And I can honestly say that had very little to do with great coaching so late into the season. Our new "Run Coordinator" has not looked very good based on last years statisitcal numbers. Almost all aspects of our offense went backwards this year, and our defensive line play was inconsistent. It's very difficult to stockpile, let alone aquire talented lineman when your always drafting as low as we draft year in and year out. That being said, some teams to some degree are either extremely lucky, or seem to have an inside edge on figuring that riddle out, ie; The Ravens,Patriots,Steelers,49ers, etc. What ever happened to good old fashioned teaching of fundamentals? Blocking and tackling is a lost art form in the NFL. The Patriots amaze me every year on how effective their fundamental line play is. And it's not because they have a stockpile of #1 picks. Building a great team is not easy. I understand that. If it was easy everyone could do it. But look at the teams that are consistent. I believe the under the radar position coaches are so very important, and need to get back to teaching fundamentals. How many times do we need to see our QB under assault, or our running backs stopped for no gain? How many times do we need to see poor tackling techniques allow running backs, or receivers, gain many yards after initial contact. This is our teams most pressing concern in my opinion. We can't replace all our players, but we can sure do a better job of coaching them up with very talented coaches.

[RavenObserver]

I've been politely questioning the evaluation process of the position coaches for years. Just like head coaches, position coaches need to be evaluated and held accountable also. It's obvious to me that our interior lineman on both sides of the ball have been an area of concern for sometime now, with the one exception of last years incredible playoff run. And I can honestly say that had very little to do with great coaching so late into the season. Our new "Run Coordinator" has not looked very good based on last years statisitcal numbers. Almost all aspects of our offense went backwards this year, and our defensive line play was inconsistent. It's very difficult to stockpile, let alone aquire talented lineman when your always drafting as low as we draft year in and year out. That being said, some teams to some degree are either extremely lucky, or seem to have an inside edge on figuring that riddle out, ie; The Ravens,Patriots,Steelers,49ers, etc. What ever happened to good old fashioned teaching of fundamentals? Blocking and tackling is a lost art form in the NFL. The Patriots amaze me every year on how effective their fundamental line play is. And it's not because they have a stockpile of #1 picks. Building a great team is not easy. I understand that. If it was easy everyone could do it. But look at the teams that are consistent. I believe the under the radar position coaches are so very important, and need to get back to teaching fundamentals. How many times do we need to see our QB under assault, or our running backs stopped for no gain? How many times do we need to see poor tackling techniques allow running backs, or receivers, gain many yards after initial contact. This is our teams most pressing concern in my opinion. We can't replace  our players, but we can sure do a better job of coaching them up.

[Static]

As much as I hate it, I doubt we change any coaches unless they find a job elsewhere which I doubt because we looked really under-coached( because we were)

 

I like Harbuagh but he gives his buddies jobs and doesnt hold them accountable. Seems to be his only major fault but it had too big an impact on our season,

 

IF anything PLEASE PLEASE draw up a new offensive playbook,

[PurpleCityLights]

Caldwell is going to take the Lions or Skins HC job & John will bring in another one of his " Friends/Butt Buddy" to be the new OC making us 6-10 in 2014 season....

[The Mom Gene]

Caldwell seems to be garnering lots of attention. I haven't hear of anyone interviewing Pees. anyone?

I don't see Pees going ANYWHERE...  our defense improved immensely this year.  The bulk of our problems were on offense.

[GrimCoconut]

In that case I hope Harbaugh is buddies with Turner, Chudzinski, or someone actually good and not Hostler or someone else mediocre.

[GrimCoconut]

I don't see Pees going ANYWHERE... our defense improved immensely this year. The bulk of our problems were on offense.

I don't hate Pees but we could upgrade and his name is Horton.

[runamuk]

I don't see Pees going ANYWHERE...  our defense improved immensely this year.  The bulk of our problems were on offense.

that's why I am surprised no one came calling for him

[Hardbaugh]

After the first few games of last season I've become a fan of Pees.  He's a solid football coach and has given us a quality effort.

 

This season the Ravens led the league in three and outs.....On Defense too.  

 

 

As good as the defense was they would have been even better if the offense could have mustered together something that reminded someone of an average NFL caliber offense.