Ravens Defensive Mystique? 1,2,3 Gone!

[ellicottraven]

With Dean Pees at the helm, our Ravens mystique on defense is gone! No longer is our defense feared, but he has brought us to a point that we can't hold our leads any more. A QB of Dalton's stature beat us Sunday. 

 

We may in fact be leading the NFL in blown leads and to think we are the Ravens D - shame on Pees for his 'bend but don't break' philosophy! What happened to our traditional attacking D which always led the league in turnovers and defensive TDs?? Gone with our last good coordinator Pagano. 

 

Yes, Pees did win us a SB but really was it him? Or was it the presence of Lewis and Reed who shepherded our defense to a title? Or was it Flacco's superlative (but incredibly rare 4 game stretch) heroics? If Pees continues down this path, we would have eroded our fame as being a rugged and dominant D for ages to come... 

 

If Pees can't look at some old Rex Ryan tapes (in this copy cat league) and simulate that aggression on our D, then we need to find someone who does!

 

You may not agree with me, but somewhere in your heart you all know we are not the same feared Baltimore defense anymore thanks to Dean Pees (we have no dearth of talent mind you)...

[Rinbee]

Yes, the defense is not as feared and unpredicable as it used to be, the five FG's (not to mention one blocked) could have been 5 TD's.  the D is not what it was in 2002, but the fact is many of hte blown leads is due to fatigue because the Offense cannot stay on the field to score points or at least burn clock.  All parts of the team are interconnected and must be looked at collectively/

[pep_meister]

our mentality should be to bend opponents faces and break their jaws!!!!!!!!!!!     

[PurpleSnowman]

Our offense was unable to drive down the field for the entire first half. Every time we punted, the Bengals got great field position often around midfield. The fact that we held them to no TD's was a miracle. After we got the offense going, the Bengals got the ball with terrible field position and our Defense finally got rested. That was the difference. First half: 15 points. Second half: 1 lucky touchdown. 

[Dr. Kelley]

Yes, the defense is not as feared and unpredicable as it used to be, the five FG's (not to mention one blocked) could have been 5 TD's. the D is not what it was in 2002, but the fact is many of hte blown leads is due to fatigue because the Offense cannot stay on the field to score points or at least burn clock. All parts of the team are interconnected and must be looked at collectively/

This is false. Time of possession was almost equal, as it was for most of the other blown leads last year. The offense is for sure underpreforming at times, but they aren't to blame for the defensive woes.

[JEEPercreepermd]

Dude, the defense didn't lose that game. A back up CB got beat by one of the premier WR's in the league..that was AJ making a play just as much as it was Chykie giving it up to him.

In today's NFL it's all about not giving up touchdowns. ..that's what the Ravens do.

If the Offense can ever get some traction, we will be a DANGEROUS team.

If the defense isn't getting worn out by so many 3 and out's all game, maybe they have a little gas left in the tank to stop one of these 4th quarter drives.

[JEEPercreepermd]

This is false. Time of possession was almost equal, as it was for most of the other blown leads last year. The offense is for sure underpreforming at times, but they aren't to blame for the defensive woes.

By the end of the game it was equal. You can't judge a ball game strictly by stats..football is much more than that.

The defense is fine. They limited the Bengals to 70 yds rushing on 23 carries, Dalton passed for 300, but considering the personell we had matched up with their receivers/TE's only giving up 1 td was a major victory for the defense considering how many short fields the Bengals got.

Plain and simple, if the offense didn't blow so many opportunities, the Ravens could have walked away with that game by at least 10 points

[organizedchaos007]

This is false. Time of possession was almost equal, as it was for most of the other blown leads last year. The offense is for sure underpreforming at times, but they aren't to blame for the defensive woes.

Time of possession only equaled out because our offense held the ball in the second half. During the first half, we had 36 yards of total offense? (and our D allowed only 15 points on 5 field goals).... sure they gave up yards, but they kept the Bengals out of the end zone....5+ times. Four of which I believe was in the Redzone.

 

And in the second half when our offense actually held the ball and flipped time of possession to balance itself out, our defense gave up one long ball TD, and a 2 point conversion.

 

Whether you want to believe it or not, our offensive performance is absolutely related to our defensive performance. Outside of the TD, our defense played a lot better in the second half. They were rested and refreshed after half time, and not having to be on the field 75% of the second half (which they did in the first half)

 

My thoughts are this.... we looked sloppy yesterday overall. Offense and defense in the first half. We looked poorly Coached and poorly prepared. We were receiving defensive calls late, often our linebackers/dline, and secondary looked confused and looked like they were often times looking around talking to each other as the ball is snapped, which wasted at the very least a second, which affected dline push, pass rush, and pressure. Offensively I have to say this.... Kubiak can adjust on the fly, and I like that ... a lot. Its been a while since we have seen an offensive coach on this team who can and does emphasize adjustments during games. I am comfortable in knowing Kubiak will be able to offer us this throughout the year. Defensively, sure we aren't aggressive like Pagano/Rex days, Pee's philosophy on defense is to bend but don't break. And he values more (points allowed, redzone scoring), which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sure I think he could put more emphasis on getting off the field on 3rd downs, on pressures and turnovers. I think ALOT of the problem is he coaches from the booth. Although I think it has its advantages, I think it neglects a lot of the things that is offered by a coach who sits on the sidelines. (More efficient play calling, easier to make adjustments and consult with players, etc.) I would like to see him on the sidelines honestly. What do you all think?

[Corvus_corax]

I agree with the OP, I hate the bend but don't break philosophy of Dean Pees. Sure our Defense is great in the redzone but it's much too passive for my liking the rest of the time. I want to see our Defense taking the initiative more and imposing itself on opposing offenses instead of reacting to what the offense is doing.

 

We have Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil on our roster yet we can barely muster a pass rush? Something's not right there. Those guys are both talented pass rushers therefore I have to conclude that it is the scheme that is the problem.

 

It's actually kinda sad watching this present Ravens Defense compared to the Defenses of the past. We're not feared anymore, I used to love it when opposing teams were scared of going up against our hard hitting, in your face D.

[5aiah]

By the end of the game it was equal. You can't judge a ball game strictly by stats..football is much more than that.

The defense is fine. They limited the Bengals to 70 yds rushing on 23 carries, Dalton passed for 300, but considering the personell we had matched up with their receivers/TE's only giving up 1 td was a major victory for the defense considering how many short fields the Bengals got.

Plain and simple, if the offense didn't blow so many opportunities, the Ravens could have walked away with that game by at least 10 points

Then you have to remember the angle that anything other than forcing a turnover or giving up a TD would have likely resulted in a FG with time running out and no chance for the Ravens offense to respond. Not only did the defense give them so much time to get in the game but they gave them a shot to win it. We don't have enough talent to play a hyper aggressive defense.

[Sami84]

terrell suggs and elvis are not the players they used to be

 

people here dont understand..ed reed and ray lewis made QBS nervous..with there football IQ

 

HALL OF FAME TALENT DOES THAT..even at older ages

 

this team doesnt have that anymore

 

why?

 

Ozzie hasnt struck gold in the draft in along long time

[Gtown Purple]

People forget that our defense was put on a short field at least twice in the first half leading to 2 fgs. They only gave up 8 points in the second half.

[5aiah]

terrell suggs and elvis are not the players they used to be

 

people here dont understand..ed reed and ray lewis made QBS nervous..with there football IQ

 

HALL OF FAME TALENT DOES THAT..even at older ages

 

this team doesnt have that anymore

 

why?

 

Ozzie hasnt struck gold in the draft in along long time

Exactly.

[Hardbaugh]

1,2,3, gone ..... That sounds like the Ravens average offensive drive. 

 

Seriously the Ravens offense has to help the defense,

 

The defense gave up one touchdown yesterday, the Ravens had 9 minutes and some change TOP at the end of the half.  I'm a believer the only reason we saw some rhythm in the passing game was because Burfict went out coupled with the 15 point deficit allowed the Ravens to find some footing.  The offense has to start faster and also pull their weight.

 

I'm hoping things change when the Ravens get a true free safety in 5 weeks. My main complaint about the defense last season was they need to generate more turnovers.

[Ravenskid52752]

I just don't like dean pees sorry.

[dhstandard]

Playing aggressive defense involves having great corners.  Going against a guy like AJ Green shows why being aggressive isn't always the correct approach.

[PerpetuallyBored74]

Our defensive mystique can currently be seen standing like a statue just outside the stadium entrance.

[MTRavensFan]

terrell suggs and elvis are not the players they used to be

 

people here dont understand..ed reed and ray lewis made QBS nervous..with there football IQ

 

HALL OF FAME TALENT DOES THAT..even at older ages

 

this team doesnt have that anymore

 

why?

 

Ozzie hasnt struck gold in the draft in along long time

I don't know, Mosley looked pretty durn impressive yesterday.

[Purple Punishment]

I don't know, Mosley looked pretty durn impressive yesterday.

To piggyback, we've been drafting in the back end pretty much since 2001. Any down season was followed up by a great pick.

[ravensnick]

With Dean Pees at the helm, our Ravens mystique on defense is gone! No longer is our defense feared, but he has brought us to a point that we can't hold our leads any more. A QB of Dalton's stature beat us Sunday. 

 

We may in fact be leading the NFL in blown leads and to think we are the Ravens D - shame on Pees for his 'bend but don't break' philosophy! What happened to our traditional attacking D which always led the league in turnovers and defensive TDs?? Gone with our last good coordinator Pagano. 

 

Yes, Pees did win us a SB but really was it him? Or was it the presence of Lewis and Reed who shepherded our defense to a title? Or was it Flacco's superlative (but incredibly rare 4 game stretch) heroics? If Pees continues down this path, we would have eroded our fame as being a rugged and dominant D for ages to come... 

 

If Pees can't look at some old Rex Ryan tapes (in this copy cat league) and simulate that aggression on our D, then we need to find someone who does!

 

You may not agree with me, but somewhere in your heart you all know we are not the same feared Baltimore defense anymore thanks to Dean Pees (we have no dearth of talent mind you)...

Dalton has beat us before. Oops. He's actually was third in the league in tds pass last year. We have also lost to Charlie Batch, last year. It happens, and Dalton is a top 14 QB.

 

Bend don't break is how you have to play these years. You can't be dominant unless you have the Seahawks back 4. The aerial assault is too deadly these days.

 

I hate to break it to you: Nobody feared Lewis his last two years. he was respected and help as a leader but his play was subpar, around league average for a MLB. Reed was nearing that, but too deadly to be consider to be thrown at, especially when the opposing QB could just pick on Carry Williams and Bernard Pollard. Look at our defensive stats, Joe and the rushing gaem won us that SB.

[Sami84]

watched a 2006 ravens D just now.

 

 

insane..its like im watching 2 different sports.

 

Adalius and Terrell were rushing or hitting the QB everytime if its not a sack!..The pentration down the middle was there with pryce.

 

Ozzie enough with the bargain buys..get some studs please

[Bltravens]

Part of the problem is our athleticism is extremely young on our defense.  We had a few draft stretch runs when we continually traded down (which has always irked me).  The guys on this team who are going to lead this defense are Elam, Smith, Mosley and Jernigan.  They're still trying to learn the NFL game outside of Smith who has really come on the last 2 years.

 

In our front 7 we have 1 starter who is under like 28 and is actually any good, Mosley.  That's your problem right there.  Upshaw keeps showing up fat, stunting his growth, then we have to spend money on Dumervil to pass rush because Upshaw is like a miniature DT on the edge and can't get by anyone.

I say it a lot but that Kindle pick set us back a good 5 years.  He doesn't fall down stairs and essentially ruin his life, we don't take Upshaw, which means we don't have to sign Dumervil, Kindle would be 26 now and in his prime.  The Upshaw pick was a first rounder before we traded down.  Who knows what we get there instead.  Dumervil's  4-5 mil cap can be spent elsewhere.  Its really a kind of crazy trickle down effect.  Plus Kindle was dirty at Texas.

[Gtown Purple]

Did anybody notice that we didn't give up 100 yards rushing?

[DomMcRaven]

Did anybody notice that we didn't give up 100 yards rushing?

I believe it was just under 80 too. Not a bad start. I remember that the Bengals have a good offensive line and they DID get the ball out quickly often. Gotta give them credit for that. Let this becomes a trend and I expect adjustments some way some how. If not....well ummm...yeah.

[arnie_uk]

We are def very bland no doubt. But we need more from suggs elvis and ngata to reestablish ourselves as a force

[RaineV1]

I think the main issue isn't really the lack of a pass rush, at least in this specific game though it is a worrying trend. The main problem is that the Ravens don't swarm to the ball carrier like they used to. Before when someone caught a short pass, a lb or safety would be there within a couple steps and take the guy down. Now, people are always getting yards after the catch, so we keep failing to get third and long situations.

 

Another major issue is missed tackles, and this goes along with the yards after the catch issue. People are getting yards after first contact. It used to be a fundamental part of the Ravens identity that they're players knew how to properly tackle and bring someone down. You're seeing missed tackles a lot more than we did in the past.

[redrum52]

1,2,3, gone ..... That sounds like the Ravens average offensive drive. 

 

Seriously the Ravens offense has to help the defense,

 

The defense gave up one touchdown yesterday, the Ravens had 9 minutes and some change TOP at the end of the half.  I'm a believer the only reason we saw some rhythm in the passing game was because Burfict went out coupled with the 15 point deficit allowed the Ravens to find some footing.  The offense has to start faster and also pull their weight.

 

I'm hoping things change when the Ravens get a true free safety in 5 weeks. My main complaint about the defense last season was they need to generate more turnovers.

This. 

 

I'd also like to ask why our fan base of all fan bases has the nerve to talk about "A qb of Dalton's stature"?  Really?  This is why people hate us.  We want respect for our team yet rarely give out respect for others.  All the hell Flacco's caught and people here still throw salt at Dalton, even though he's part of the reason that franchise has turned around.  You'd think our fans at least would give him more credit.  He not only had better stats than Flacco, but did you what you all who hold Flacco on that pedestal cherish... He won

[RaineV1]

This. 

 

I'd also like to ask why our fan base of all fan bases has the nerve to talk about "A qb of Dalton's stature"?  Really?  This is why people hate us.  We want respect for our team yet rarely give out respect for others.  All the hell Flacco's caught and people here still throw salt at Dalton, even though he's part of the reason that franchise has turned around.  You'd think our fans at least would give him more credit.  He not only had better stats than Flacco, but did you what you all who hold Flacco on that pedestal cherish... He won

The reason people think of Dalton that way is because of how he plays in the playoffs. He's done really poorly every time. I think he's the only qb in the league that has lost in the opening week of the playoffs three straight years. But regular season Dalton is a top ten quarterback and shouldn't be dismissed as being bad.

[5aiah]

This. 

 

I'd also like to ask why our fan base of all fan bases has the nerve to talk about "A qb of Dalton's stature"?  Really?  This is why people hate us.  We want respect for our team yet rarely give out respect for others.  All the hell Flacco's caught and people here still throw salt at Dalton, even though he's part of the reason that franchise has turned around.  You'd think our fans at least would give him more credit.  He not only had better stats than Flacco, but did you what you all who hold Flacco on that pedestal cherish... He won

Exactly.

[redrum52]

The reason people think of Dalton that way is because of how he plays in the playoffs. He's done really poorly every time. I think he's the only qb in the league that has lost in the opening week of the playoffs three straight years. But regular season Dalton is a top ten quarterback and shouldn't be dismissed as being bad.

I can't deny the play off struggles, but he has brought stability to their team. I'd also like to say that we've had our own struggles with those very same Texans teams that knocked them out twice, even with a rookie back up.