Ravens who must bounce back / step up in 2014?

[display name]

I think that Webb will be fine. He simply needed to knock off some rust in the beginning of the year. He played better in the second half of the season. Obviously Suggs and Dumervil started the season off on fire, but faded off somewhat near the end. I know that the drop off from Dumervil can largely be attributed to injury, but I have no idea what the heck happened to Suggs. Assuming that you're not hurt (which I don't think he was), how to you go from having 9 sacks in the first 8 games of a season and only 1 throughout the next 8?

I think that a lot of people need to have bounce-back years this season in order to justify a high salary and/or draft choice. They would be Flacco, Rice, Pierce, Yanda, Taylor, Pitta, Ngata (who may only have a season or two left in his career anyway), Suggs, Doom, Asa Jackson, and basically the entire 2013 draft class, which had a disappointing inaugural season overall. Those players will continue to improve.

Everybody else needs to step it up.

[The Raven]

What about poor ol' Daryl Smith?

 

Forgot him somehow. He's good too!

[codizzle]

This team rides and dies with flacco

Glad we're attempting to get some kind of oline established

[Tank 92]

Who needs to bounce back/step up?   Every player on the field wearing purple and black.

[Inqui]

Who needs to bounce back/step up?   Every player on the field wearing purple and black.

They also need to step up in the away games.

[airconteka1]

Harbaugh in clock management

[JoeyFlex5]

I think the obvious "step up" candidate is rick wagner, the coaches have faith in him, and if he doesn't live up to their expectations, we'll see another year of really rough offense.

 

the obvious bounce back candidate is ray rice and Bernard pierce, its unfair to down them bcause of the line they played behind, and the injuries they dealt with, but ray rice would've looked awful with any line last year, he tripped on his own feet, stumbled on every cut, and went down long before contact even occurred, he looked like kyle boller on a 7 step drop.

 

I think rays days as the workhorse are numbered honestly, veteran RB's rarely bounce back from such a down season and return to original form, and I think if pierce doesn't enter camp healthy, STAY healthy, and make the transition to the real workhorse(which would be perfect for him under kube's ZBS) then I think ray struggles again, at this point in his career, I think its best we limit his snap count to being a 3DRB and an occasional draw threat and obvious receiving threat, because I just don't see him succeeding much longer at 20-25 carries a game.

[ellicottraven]

Haloti Ngata comes to mind immediately. He must become the indomitable force he showed us he could be for one season. Other than that, Joe Flacco must step up and get to over 30 TDs this season which he has never been able to do his first 6 yrs, but now has the coordinator to get him there. The RB corps needs to step up big time as does the O-line.

Individually I am expecting Torrey to become a total WR and a threat on every down and not just a deep ball threat. I would like Marlon Brown to continue his progression. I would also like Pitta to put up great numbers due to Kubiak's schemes. I would like Sizzle and Doom to get 25 sacks between them! I would like Art Brown to fulfil his promise as a 3 down LineBacker. So many more but I have to stop.

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

Joe Flacco first and foremost. KO should be back. Monroe's locked up. They invested a pick to shore up center. I'm guessing we use our first round pick on a RT. Pittas been resigned along with Daniels and smith. Jacoby was brought back and brown will be further along. I'm one of his biggest supporters but there won't be any excuses this year. They've re-built around him. Time to prove the supporters right Joe or be prepared for some serious flack.

Rice and Pierce both need bounce back years.

Ngata will need to bounce back and lead that d-line with dominance. He will need to take the lead on filling the void left by jones.

Suggs needs to bounce back from his end-of-year slump.

Elam should break out being in his natural position. Brown or Jackson need to step up into that 3rd corner role.

Arthur Brown needs to really grab the starting spot next to smith and own it. I'm confident he can and will. He'll be a great weapon matching up with the new breed of TEs and pass catching backs. His cover skills and closing speed should be huge bonuses so long as he's put in the work learning the defense so he can just fly around.

Kubiak needs to really step up and make this offense work. Build it around our talent and use everyone to their strengths. No more forcing square pegs into round holes. Most excited about this.

Unfortunately this isn't everyone. But this is what happens when you turn over a roster and have an 8-8 year. The good news is I fully expect us to bounce back and compete for a title. A lot of things need to happen and a ton of guys need to step up, but we're not depending on a people to do things that are above their abilities. Plus this isn't including the draft, the rest of FA, other young players who have yet to have opportunities, or unknowns like Rolando or kapron Lewis-Moore who are immensely talented but have yet to get on the field. Any contributions from them will just be icing.

Go ravens baby!

[hawkprey]

"Bounce back" - we understand why you underperformed.

 

"Step up"  - we don't understand why, but you need to do better this year.

 

 

Rice needs to step up; Suggs needs to bounce back.

[Bullrush]

To throw in some new names. These guys don't have to "bounce back" (meaning they weren't elite before) but just make a big step forward next season:

 

- Upshaw

- Cody

- Pierce

- McPhee

- A. Brown

[HoldingCall]

It has to begin at the top with the QB. If Joe has a bounce back season then it will mean that the OL and RBs improved and did their jobs better. Defensively, I can't think of much that would be more exciting than watching Ngata, Dumervil and Suggs terrorizing opponents' OLs and backfields week after week. It's OK to dream, right?

[PolishRifle]

It has to begin at the top with the QB. If Joe has a bounce back season then it will mean that the OL and RBs improved and did their jobs better. Defensively, I can't think of much that would be more exciting than watching Ngata, Dumervil and Suggs terrorizing opponents' OLs and backfields week after week. It's OK to dream, right?

 

Agreed. People like to talk up how much Kubiak likes to run the ball, but everything that is done on offense nowadays, even in the run game, is there to aid the QB. Joe is getting alot of help from Oz in FA and will probably get even more in the draft, while Kubiak has shown in the past that he can even make a mediocre QB (Schaub) look great.

Everything is set up for Flacco to be successfull this season. He just has to bounce back or he will prove alot doubters right.

[Malkavian Raven]

If the guys in the trenches are able to bounce back and hold the line, then everything else will fall into place.

[bpytnjr58]

Everyone of the remaining 2012 Ravens who received a SB Ring.

[GrimCoconut]

Rolando Mc--...oh, wait....

[Inqui]

Rolando Mc--...oh, wait....

Haha, too soon man.

[beanfigger]

Everyone of the remaining 2012 Ravens who received a SB Ring.

Sounds about right, aside from Tucker.

[CTRavensgirl]

Flacco, the million dollar man needs to step it up.   Ray Ray, yes he was hurt last season but he has to step it up BIG time this year.   O'line in general needs to get their act together and play some good solid football... Back to basic boys!!!  

[flynismo]

Offense and defense

[ellicottraven]

Flacco, Rice, Pierce and the entire O-line on offense with the emphasis on Flacco and the O-line.

On defense, Ngata, Williams and Webby needs to play lights out like he is capable of. Jimmy needs to continue his growth and Art Brown should show us why we traded up to pick him...

[Bruce_Almty]

The new acquisitions need to STEP UP and show why they are worth what Oz paid them: Steve Smith, Owen Daniels, Jeremy Zuttah; Pitta & Monroe need to prove their worth now that they've been paid along with Joe. BOUNCE BACK: well, everyone on the team needs to bounce back from an 8-8 season and win the division.

Go Ravens

[beasy2487]

Jack Harbaugh. Clearly wasn't analyzing film effectively for either son.

[supaB]

Probably anyone whose contract year will step up.  Just in time for us to let them go as usual...

[Underdogsontop!]

Ravens who must bounce back? Good topic!

T.Cody- either you're in, or in the way!? We need way more production out of this guy!

Upshaw- don't come into camp overweight again this year, come prepared and ready to get better from the year before!

Suggs/Doom- play consistently the whole season! If they continued with the sacks, that would have caused more 3 and outs.

Canty- be more productive! More pass deflections, sacks and more push in the trenches!

Ngata- hopefully he can some how or some way return to his elite play he once had!

A. brown- find a way to stay on the field and be a 3 down LB!

Webby- I'll give him the 1 year back from his injury, but I'd like to see him be the best he can be.

Rice- stay in shape, and stay out of trouble. Hopefully he can go back to being an elite RB!

Pierce- I was wondering how much this guy weighs now? Anyone know? I think he needs to bulk up a lil so hopefully that could help him stay healthy!

K.O- hopefully he'll be 100% or better! Welcome back KO!

Lets go RAVENS! We need to get back to being play off contenders!

[52liveforever]

bounce back:

 

Ngata- we lost arthur jones so ngata is going to have to return to his former self or just better than he was last season. its going to take a little while for these young guys to give him help and canty is nothing spectacular. Ngata bouncing back is a must!

 

Sizzle- he needs to play the whole season like he starts. he proved at the beginning  of last season so he needs to stay healthy and stay consistent throughout the season.

 

Why not ray rice- i believe he is declining so i dont believe he will bounce back and with all of the issues he has had this offseason i believe he has probably been distracted so i dont expect much.

 

Step up

Marlon brown- he needs to do what he did last season and then some.

young defensive lineman- we need these guys to really step up and take over. hopefully one of them can take over for arthur jones and one outperform canty.