The Missing Pass-Rush

[Cillmatic]

This trend started around the second half of last season. Our pass rush has been TERRIBLE lately. Dalton had so much time in the pocket he could do algerbra. I don't know where Suggs' skills went, it seems like half way through last season he just disappeared. I don't know WHERE Elvis was against the Bengals yesterday. Did he even play? I think the only QB hurry we had was one by Mcfee(who's basically a backup). The pass rushers better turn this trend around or we're gonna have an exposed secondary throughout the season. We have a lot of wholes we need to fill.

[balfan23]

Given Suggs extension and Dumervil's current contract, they are going to be on this team for the foreseeable future. We are definitely needing them to step up and play like true leaders on this defense. 

[hawkprey]

They threw screens all day. That's what teams do to limit the pass rush. Their gameplan was to not let Dalton get under pressure. It worked to keep him upright but it didn't get them many points. So I'm not worried.

[Florida Ravens Fan]

I think Mcphee should be on the field more.

[Bltravens]

Suggs was going up against Whitworth, who is a top calibre LT.  Dumervil not doing anything is kind of perplexing but as someone else stated, they screened the crap out of us and it was pissing me off how our LBs or safeties couldn't read it earlier. They converted one on like 3rd and 16th.

[PerpetuallyBored74]

They threw screens all day. That's what teams do to limit the pass rush. Their gameplan was to not let Dalton get under pressure. It worked to keep him upright but it didn't get them many points. So I'm not worried.

 

Which is why we need to do a better job of defending those screens or teams will dink and dunk us to death with them.

[Inqui]

Which is why we need to do a better job of defending those screens or teams will dink and dunk us to death with them.

In the second half we did. In the first half we were getting penetration but Dalton was getting the passes off crazy quickly. The pass rush tailed off in the second as we began focusing on blowing up the screens and other quick routes.

 

Not an ideal showing, but I'd rather wait a few weeks before panicking.

[Militant X 1]

They threw screens all day. That's what teams do to limit the pass rush. Their gameplan was to not let Dalton get under pressure. It worked to keep him upright but it didn't get them many points. So I'm not worried.

 

Exactly!  However, the Ravens pass rush has been atrocious as of late and it is pissing me off!  Suggs and Doom can't get to the QB?  C'mon now!

 

@Mili

[Bltravens]

I think Mcphee should be on the field more.

I agree with this.  McPhee gets constant pressure, even on downs he doesnt get a great burst or a Olineman kind of stiffles him. He finds a way to fight through that initial stop and at least get hands in the QBs face or push the lineman backwards.

McPhee is a natural pass rusher.  He needs to get on the field more.  Even if that means taking Dumervil or Suggs off.

[T3hRaven]

Part of it is scheme as well.  You're not going to get a lot of creative pressure designs with Pees in charge.

[Bltravens]

Part of it is scheme as well.  You're not going to get a lot of creative pressure designs with Pees in charge.

Has irked me from day 1.  No stunts, twists or loops.  Just 4 guys rushing in their lanes the entire time.  Like we're playing against RG3 or Vick every week.

[CalvinSmoke]

This past week the read options and screens prevented anything exotic. Run a stunt on a read option and the lineman goes straight to the second level. But it is a little hard to watch, our edge guys don't win 1v1 on passing downs

[jaege]

They threw screens all day. That's what teams do to limit the pass rush. Their gameplan was to not let Dalton get under pressure. It worked to keep him upright but it didn't get them many points. So I'm not worried.

 

Good point. The way a QB avoids getting sacked is by getting rid of the ball quickly. Maybe Joe could learn something from that.

[The Raven]

After thinking on this more, I think the DL/OLBs played a decent game. I think that losing the way we did just pissed me off last night, and I wanted to blame the easy group. Suggs and Dumervil were getting off the ball like lightning and they DID get close. Suggs beasted against the run. The Cincy game plan called for the ball to come out fast. You can't deny that they gameplanned for a fast passing game to neutralize the pass rush. And when the offense does that, you need help from the secondary to force coverage sacks. 

 

Think about it. Did Dalton have a lot of five or sevem step drops? No, they killed us on screens and timing routes. 

 

Moreover, our offense's inability to score points allowed that to happen. If our offense gets points on the board, Cincy can't just dink and dunk down the field. They can't just own the clock like they did. They'll have to go deep. When they start testing the intermediate and deep routes, the sacks come. When coverage happens, sacks come. Three seconds aren't enough to get to Dalton with that oline.

[Ravenseconbeast]

It was increbily frustrating. With so many money thrown onto vets and high potential young players falling short. It was a joke. Just all around SLOPPY team.

Wake UP on thursday. You call this RAVENS football? Shameful! Move on and get the best damn training TOMMOROW before a game! We need a win. I expect Suggs, Doom, Ngata to lead the example by making a BIG play right off the bat! Show us why we need to pay you three +40m a year! Get with it!

[DomMcRaven]

I don't know why, but I refuse to believe that we will go a full season without correcting the lack of pass rush without making adjustments and whatnot. 

[Sami84]

Ngata really has been..contract wise..the biggest waste of money since 2012

 

its shocking really..he stuffs the run..but with that kind of talent ( maybe overrated) and that amount of pay with his reputation his lack of sacks is really pathetic and dont give me this double team crap..the best get sacks, double teamed or not

[radicals]

I think Mcphee should be on the field more.

This. I think he's a very talented player being underused. I think he could be a starter. 

 

 

We did have pressure from Williams & McPhee, but I don't think too many players had much pressure at all on Dalton.

I am hoping that the problems we saw in Sunday's game was just a fluke and we will look much different on Thursday.

[1/28/01]

Ngata really has been..contract wise..the biggest waste of money since 2012

Webb says hi. Ugh!

[Rav'n Maniac]

I think Mcphee should be on the field more.

I agree. He should at least be in on passing downs as a DE alongside of Suggs or Doom.

[Ravenseconbeast]

I think Mcphee should be on the field more.

Yes and no. He was actually pretty horrendous at run stop.

[ratedr]

Webb says hi. Ugh!

We have a lot of awful contracts. Gonna be a bumpy few years.

One of the smartest organizations. How long does it take to kill a reputation? Not long, apparently.

[NeoZer0]

How do you get to Dalton when the he takes 1 or 2 steps and the ball is gone?  Couple that with screens all day and you have a formula for short yardage gains and 0 pass rush.  Look at the film all their yards were YAC and that one AJ Green touchdown.  C'mon guys, chill.

[izvoodoo]

Yeah, if we could have sniffed out some screens we'd have been much better off.  

[Drew P]

How do you get to Dalton when the he takes 1 or 2 steps and the ball is gone?  Couple that with screens all day and you have a formula for short yardage gains and 0 pass rush.  Look at the film all their yards were YAC and that one AJ Green touchdown.  C'mon guys, chill.

 

True but as people are lamenting the issue goes back to mid season last year...I like what the Cards did last night at a critical point and that was monster blitz...it doesnt work against a Manning caliber QB but against a loser like Dalton it would force his hand

[berad]

How do you get to Dalton when the he takes 1 or 2 steps and the ball is gone?  Couple that with screens all day and you have a formula for short yardage gains and 0 pass rush.  Look at the film all their yards were YAC and that one AJ Green touchdown.  C'mon guys, chill.

 

No sacks and no hits, though... It's not like they only ran those quick patterns and, even still, not making contact with the QB all game is poor. The only time we hit Dalton was on those strange QB-keep plays.

[Dr. Kelley]

I don't know why, but I refuse to believe that we will go a full season without correcting the lack of pass rush without making adjustments and whatnot.

did you even watch last season?

[DomMcRaven]

did you even watch last season?

That's why I believe it can't happen again. At some point, these coaches and players need to see the errors of their ways and make adjustments.

[Blackbirds Rule]

That's why I believe it can't happen again. At some point, these coaches and players need to see the errors of their ways and make adjustments.

I was like it's 3rd down stop blitzing on the edge they are just going to throw a screen. One positive though is our defense is alot faster than last years. Those screens would've gone for a touchdown or two last year. We held them in check for the most part but we should've prepared better for them. I still don't know why at the end of the game Jimmy was not shadowing AJ Green.

[BBoogieMan]

I think it's too early to judge the pass rush given Bengals game plan which was pretty good. The screen pissed me off b/c of a lack of adjustment and shabby tackling. I wanted to keep Hamilton and/or Simon to spell Doom and Sizzle. We need a consistent outside pass rushing force. Mcphee was impressive. Big Brandon & DeAngelo looked good with an interior presence also. No doubt, next year's draft, an OLB will be a need...behind first, a CB (or two).