Next up: Indianapolis

[1/28/01]

You know, it almost slipped past me that Joe hasn't been sacked since week 1. Pretty crazy!

[gabefergy]

But, that DID happen against the Panthers. Didn't we have a couple big plays there? If you compare, that to the game against the Steelers, when we went deep like twice, you can definetly see the improvement. It's really hard to complain about the QB play, when Joe had two 70+ comp. perc. games and only one that was slightly under 60 (the season opener and that's more on the receivers than Joe).

 

I'm not at all concerned about the offense. I just hope our secondary will be able to deal with Luck, who is on a hot streak himself. Hopefully Webb can kick of that rust, come out and play well for us.

 

 

 

Flacco played well against Cinci, though (outside that one mistake at the end of the first half). The receivers were just all off on this day.

Not really. The first long TD, Joe had tunnel vision on Daniels and was lucky to get the result from the play. Torrey Smith was wide open in the middle of the field and would have been a big completion. I can't complain about the result, but Joe should have gone to Torrey.

 

 

Earlier in the 2nd Quarter, Joe takes a 3 step drop and has the ball out to Steve Smith for a short gain. If he goes through his progressions for a second he would find a wide open Juice on the wheel route.

 

 

On the TD to Torrey, Joe did not wait to let the play develop, because he didn't need to. He had three great options after the quick drop from the shotgun pass, and he didn't wait to get the ball out.

 

 

On this pass play to Juice, Torrey is coming wide wide open on the rub route. He even throws his hands up in disgust after the play is over. 

 

 

So like I said, Joe is getting the ball out very fast and the results have been good so far. I think it can get a lot better with a touch more patience and comfort in this offense.

[ravensdan]

I think you are right about joe taking the fast completion a big too early. The good thing is I think it could lead to more regular season wins. High completion percentage. Clock running drives etc. I'm afraid it is going to hurt us in the big games and playoff games where yiu are facing better defenses with their A game plan and A game. This is where you need Flaccos big throws into tight windows. The difficult big throws which make him special.

[PolishRifle]

So like I said, Joe is getting the ball out very fast and the results have been good so far. I think it can get a lot better with a touch more patience and comfort in this offense.

 

You put alot of thought into this, that's awesome (+1), but my point still stands. I like Flacco getting rid of the ball fast. That no sack in 3 games statistic is really impressive to me (especially after last season) and I definetly can see Joe getting more comfortable with the offense with time as he's getting used to it. That's why I brought up the Steelers game, where Joe was almost exclusively going with the quick pass. I would've liked it, if Flacco could've capitalized on those opportunities that you brought up, but I see the progress still. It's a new playbook, what you gonna do except live and learn? I'm sure Gary and Joe are watching the game tape over and over as we speak (or post).

[Static]

Flacco will get his shots in but for right now we have an UNFA at LT and our WRs aren't playing too well outside of SS. 

 

 

Also I am officially on the team brooks bandwagon. 

[PolishRifle]

Flacco will get his shots in but for right now we have an UNFA at LT and our WRs aren't playing too well outside of SS. 

 

Jacoby has been really disappointing so far this season. 9 dropped passes total by our WRs is pretty disgusting. The Ravens O was pretty good last week, but can get ALOT better.

[gabefergy]

You put alot of thought into this, that's awesome (+1), but my point still stands. I like Flacco getting rid of the ball fast. That no sack in 3 games statistic is really impressive to me (especially after last season) and I definetly can see Joe getting more comfortable with the offense with time as he's getting used to it. That's why I brought up the Steelers game, where Joe was almost exclusively going with the quick pass. I would've liked it, if Flacco could've capitalized on those opportunities that you brought up, but I see the progress still. It's a new playbook, what you gonna do except live and learn? I'm sure Gary and Joe are watching the game tape over and over as we speak (or post).

I'm not saying getting the ball out fast is necessarily a bad thing. No sacks and the high completion percentage are definitely good. I just think that he is leaving some plays on the field that could be made. As he gains more comfort with the system and the OL, I think he will get even better. There is some room for improvement, which is also a good thing.

[edthehead]

pre season I called this game a loss, but looking at our team,,,to me,,, this is our statement game.this team is beatable ,it will be up to our defense,,,,,,,,,,, c'mon pees 

[Ravenseconbeast]

Yes the offensive patch job is working great....for you know, this year & maybe next. After that it is yet another crap shoot which is why I felt we should have drafted a high WR now.  Get their feet wet and any development under their belt before they are asked to be "that guy". But I have no problem admitting my concerns at the beginning of the season seem unwarranted at this point.

 

Honestly, I felt overall Pees did a good job Sunday. He called a way more aggressive game than his usual - my original post complained about the 4 rush & soft zone on 3rd and long. Talking about how he seems to do that way too often.  Playing it too conservative. If he continues (seriously praying he does) to call a more aggressive game like Sunday, I will come back and say he's made those adjustments and is changing to fit our players. That is pretty much all I've been asking of him and what he previously seemed unwilling to even attempt.

 

I agree.  But I think young WR carries risk just like the vets.  If we can keep steve around for 2 years with this kind of production, you can almost argue this might be one of the best acquisition our FO has ever made in offense.   Steve is on pace to be around 1,500 yards 8tds.   

[52N19]

i'm not optimistic. joe may throw for 400 and we may still lose. our secondary sucks and luck is good and has good weapons. we will have to be patient and run the ball if we get behind. we will find out a lot about kubiak in this game.

 

if webb were healthy and his usual shutdown self this would be a totally different defense even with suspect safety play.

[BmoreBird22]

Flacco played well against Cinci, though (outside that one mistake at the end of the first half). The receivers were just all off on this day.

I'm more referring to the end of the game where he was sacked and he's likely trying to get the ball out quicker to avoid taking sacks in crucial situations or distances to go.

[BmoreBird22]

I'm not saying getting the ball out fast is necessarily a bad thing. No sacks and the high completion percentage are definitely good. I just think that he is leaving some plays on the field that could be made. As he gains more comfort with the system and the OL, I think he will get even better. There is some room for improvement, which is also a good thing.

I'd be worried if there weren't room for improvement. That'd mean we're settling for what we have at the moment, and while I like it, it can definitely be a lot better.

[BmoreBird22]

I agree.  But I think young WR carries risk just like the vets.  If we can keep steve around for 2 years with this kind of production, you can almost argue this might be one of the best acquisition our FO has ever made in offense.   Steve is on pace to be around 1,500 yards 8tds.   

1,700 and 12 TD's if you do a simple four times his stats currently to get what it would be over 16 games.

[izvoodoo]

1,700 and 12 TD's if you do a simple four times his stats currently to get what it would be over 16 games.

doesn't that just slap the taste out of your mouth?

[Ravensfan23]

My only concern with this game is that it's on the road. Other then that I love the Ravens chances. Yes Luck is a beast no doubt but unless he plans on playing defense as well, I think the Ravens have a great chance to get a win here. Over the first 2 weeks of the season that defense gave up over 30 points in each game. Then they were able to bounce back with a couple offenses they could beat up on. They are giving up like 10 yards per play and even though Landry isn't a cover guy, he was their starter nonetheless. Now I'm hearing they'll have a 4th string guy play. Despite Chuck P being the coach, that Defense is soft from what I see. Honestly I think this is the worse defense we've seen this year, or at least tied with the Steelers.

 

I expect to see Pees go the bend but don't break route this game and as much as I hate it, I think that's smart this game. I don't like our current secondary matched up with those WRs and Luck man to man. Just continue to take away the run which they don't have, limit the big play and have well timed blitzes. If he defense can make the Colts take long drives, and force FGs I really like our chances.

 

It's gonna be a really touch game but it should be fun. The Ravens get a chance to be road warriors against a playoff team and a  really, really good QB.

[DomMcRaven]

I'm wondering how much pressure we'll get on Luck. He's playing out of his mind and I don't trust our secondary though I would like to see Brooks get more snaps for him to gain confidence.

[BmoreBird22]

Christ man doesn't that just slap the taste out of your mouth?

So far, he could be the best receiver the Ravens have ever had... in just one season.

[Ty745]

i really mad that matt elam not watching the ball when he play the slot wr at least he could count one Mississippi two Mississippi three Mississippi then and see if he can maybe knock the ball down or tip the football to make a interception matt elam fast so he dont have to worry about the wr beating him he need to use his intent nd speed to his advantage...nd jacoby jones he needs to catch theball in practice untill his hands swell up nd fall off im so mad he drops passes he has so much speed joe flacco can be joe cool but he needs to get serious when these young wr drop the ball peyton manning wouldnt let that slide nd look how long he came.and i think ravens need some diving catches sorta like pitta would do but pitta has got injured from that so we need to watch out how we use that tactic to sum it up good football fundamental this game nd watch out for injuries im so serious a lotta other teams banged up nd ravens one of the lucky ones

[funky141]

Does anyone know any weak spot on the colts offense or defense?

attacking the Colts safeties if I was the Ravens Offensive Coordinator.

[1/28/01]

attacking the Colts safeties if I was the Ravens Offensive Coordinator.

Hey, same for you. Ha!

[TheRavenouseD2008]

Point fest 2014 where -  Lucas oil stadium ........  Expect it to look like a Father son game  2 old hat wrs and 2 young gun qbs  

[callahan09]

Not really. The first long TD, Joe had tunnel vision on Daniels and was lucky to get the result from the play. Torrey Smith was wide open in the middle of the field and would have been a big completion. I can't complain about the result, but Joe should have gone to Torrey.

 

 

Earlier in the 2nd Quarter, Joe takes a 3 step drop and has the ball out to Steve Smith for a short gain. If he goes through his progressions for a second he would find a wide open Juice on the wheel route.

 

 

On the TD to Torrey, Joe did not wait to let the play develop, because he didn't need to. He had three great options after the quick drop from the shotgun pass, and he didn't wait to get the ball out.

 

 

On this pass play to Juice, Torrey is coming wide wide open on the rub route. He even throws his hands up in disgust after the play is over. 

 

 

So like I said, Joe is getting the ball out very fast and the results have been good so far. I think it can get a lot better with a touch more patience and comfort in this offense.

We've seen literally thousands of posts of fans complaining on this web site that Joe doesn't get the ball out quickly enough... and now, we're getting posts asking him to hold the ball for an extra second so a potentially bigger play could happen?  It strikes me as a little odd... The longer he holds onto the ball, the more chance of the protection breaking down.  The longer he holds onto the ball, the more likely it is that someone who looks open in the moment you're seeing isn't open anymore when he gets rid of the ball to them, or that a route can be read and jumped for an INT.  This was happening to the golden boy Tom Brady against the Chiefs the other night.  He was holding the ball for an extra second and then that pick 6 happened because he was too late getting rid of the football.

 

I just see nothing to complain about with making quick reads and quick releases as Flacco has been doing.  Not only is there no problem with it, it's actually by design.  He is supposed to be doing that.  If he were holding the ball longer, he'd be doing so in order to make reads that Kubiak doesn't intend him to be getting to, he's supposed to get rid of the ball early.  The results are a higher completion percentage, fewer tackles for a loss, and fewer turnovers, and that's the game plan I'm happy to be seeing, even if it means not a lot of big plays are likely to be broken.  Ball security, time of possession, first downs, high probability plays, that's what we're getting for the first time ever, and it's working wonderfully, and here we have people nit-picking and asking for Joe to hold the ball longer, go through more reads, and wait for the big play to open up... which is exactly the failed strategy we all complained about through 6 years of Cam Cameron's system.

[rmcjacket23]

We've seen literally thousands of posts of fans complaining on this web site that Joe doesn't get the ball out quickly enough... and now, we're getting posts asking him to hold the ball for an extra second so a potentially bigger play could happen?  It strikes me as a little odd... The longer he holds onto the ball, the more chance of the protection breaking down.  The longer he holds onto the ball, the more likely it is that someone who looks open in the moment you're seeing isn't open anymore when he gets rid of the ball to them, or that a route can be read and jumped for an INT.  This was happening to the golden boy Tom Brady against the Chiefs the other night.  He was holding the ball for an extra second and then that pick 6 happened because he was too late getting rid of the football.

 

I just see nothing to complain about with making quick reads and quick releases as Flacco has been doing.  Not only is there no problem with it, it's actually by design.  He is supposed to be doing that.  If he were holding the ball longer, he'd be doing so in order to make reads that Kubiak doesn't intend him to be getting to, he's supposed to get rid of the ball early.  The results are a higher completion percentage, fewer tackles for a loss, and fewer turnovers, and that's the game plan I'm happy to be seeing, even if it means not a lot of big plays are likely to be broken.  Ball security, time of possession, first downs, high probability plays, that's what we're getting for the first time ever, and it's working wonderfully, and here we have people nit-picking and asking for Joe to hold the ball longer, go through more reads, and wait for the big play to open up... which is exactly the failed strategy we all complained about through 6 years of Cam Cameron's system.

Think its sort of a catch-22 from the fan perspective at this point.

 

On one hand, we've sort of got the offense that we wanted all along during the Flacco era. At the same time, we probably have the best and most consistent offensive line we've had during Joe's tenure (remember, the O-line has really never been great in pass protection throughout Joe's entire career), and that would seem to cater more towards Joe staying in the pocket longer and working through progressions.

[beasy2487]

Think its sort of a catch-22 from the fan perspective at this point.

 

On one hand, we've sort of got the offense that we wanted all along during the Flacco era. At the same time, we probably have the best and most consistent offensive line we've had during Joe's tenure (remember, the O-line has really never been great in pass protection throughout Joe's entire career), and that would seem to cater more towards Joe staying in the pocket longer and working through progressions.

 

Yea I think it's a matter of looking at an issue as black-and-white when it's more gray. I've always felt that part of the reason guys like Manning have "always had good lines" is because of the pace at which they get the ball out of the pocket. Now, as we've seen with Brady and Rodgers, you need a baseline of talent on the line even when you have a quick release but the scheme definitely helps.

 

Like many others, I agree that Joe is probably erring on the side of a quicker pace as he gets more and more comfortable with the line and the system, but as he settles in I think we'll start to see him take that extra half second and hit those longer throws more often.

[ravensdfan]

We've seen literally thousands of posts of fans complaining on this web site that Joe doesn't get the ball out quickly enough... and now, we're getting posts asking him to hold the ball for an extra second so a potentially bigger play could happen?  It strikes me as a little odd... The longer he holds onto the ball, the more chance of the protection breaking down.  The longer he holds onto the ball, the more likely it is that someone who looks open in the moment you're seeing isn't open anymore when he gets rid of the ball to them, or that a route can be read and jumped for an INT.  This was happening to the golden boy Tom Brady against the Chiefs the other night.  He was holding the ball for an extra second and then that pick 6 happened because he was too late getting rid of the football.

 

I just see nothing to complain about with making quick reads and quick releases as Flacco has been doing.  Not only is there no problem with it, it's actually by design.  He is supposed to be doing that.  If he were holding the ball longer, he'd be doing so in order to make reads that Kubiak doesn't intend him to be getting to, he's supposed to get rid of the ball early.  The results are a higher completion percentage, fewer tackles for a loss, and fewer turnovers, and that's the game plan I'm happy to be seeing, even if it means not a lot of big plays are likely to be broken.  Ball security, time of possession, first downs, high probability plays, that's what we're getting for the first time ever, and it's working wonderfully, and here we have people nit-picking and asking for Joe to hold the ball longer, go through more reads, and wait for the big play to open up... which is exactly the failed strategy we all complained about through 6 years of Cam Cameron's system.

 

Thank you!

 

Man that's all we ever heard around here "he has to get rid of the ball faster" over and over and over. I know there are times there's a play left on the field but this system is not designed to sit back there and go through all your reads. Plus,the quick release eases the pressure on the O line as well.

 

So far I see no reason to change up anything the offense is doing. AT all. Outside of JJ getting out of his funk.

[HoldingCall]

I am happy to See Joe get the ball out early because it avoids indecision that can arise from holding the ball longer. I just hope he's ready if or when teams figure out how to slow or neutralize Smith Sr.  We know DCs are working on possible solutions to the Problem that Smith Sr poses.

[beasy2487]

I am happy to See Joe get the ball out early because it avoids indecision that can arise from holding the ball longer. I just hope he's ready if or when teams figure out how to slow or neutralize Smith Sr.  We know DCs are working on possible solutions to the Problem that Smith Sr poses.

 

I am actually excited to see what happens when defenses really commit to taking Smith Sr. away. I think guys like Juice, Daniels and M. Brown will really shine. I also think our offense is going to be downright terrifying if Gilmore develops into a pass catching threat. I think we're in the midst of seeing Joe Flacco make the leap we've all been waiting for.

[Gordo52]

Two little things I'd like to see more:

1. Getting Juice consistently involved. We saw how dangerous he could be against Cleveland. I'm confident he'll be used more due to injury but I would like to see him get a couple catches/targets every single game.

2. More screens. We've been good at these with Steve & our TE's, but I want Torrey and Jacoby to get some. Can't believe I'm saying this, but also some Jacoby end arounds. Just do something to break him out of his funk.

That's nitpicking though. The offense has already exceeded my expectations so early on. What's scary is I don't believe they hit their peak yet.

[gabefergy]

We've seen literally thousands of posts of fans complaining on this web site that Joe doesn't get the ball out quickly enough... and now, we're getting posts asking him to hold the ball for an extra second so a potentially bigger play could happen?  It strikes me as a little odd... The longer he holds onto the ball, the more chance of the protection breaking down.  The longer he holds onto the ball, the more likely it is that someone who looks open in the moment you're seeing isn't open anymore when he gets rid of the ball to them, or that a route can be read and jumped for an INT.  This was happening to the golden boy Tom Brady against the Chiefs the other night.  He was holding the ball for an extra second and then that pick 6 happened because he was too late getting rid of the football.

 

I just see nothing to complain about with making quick reads and quick releases as Flacco has been doing.  Not only is there no problem with it, it's actually by design.  He is supposed to be doing that.  If he were holding the ball longer, he'd be doing so in order to make reads that Kubiak doesn't intend him to be getting to, he's supposed to get rid of the ball early.  The results are a higher completion percentage, fewer tackles for a loss, and fewer turnovers, and that's the game plan I'm happy to be seeing, even if it means not a lot of big plays are likely to be broken.  Ball security, time of possession, first downs, high probability plays, that's what we're getting for the first time ever, and it's working wonderfully, and here we have people nit-picking and asking for Joe to hold the ball longer, go through more reads, and wait for the big play to open up... which is exactly the failed strategy we all complained about through 6 years of Cam Cameron's system.

Well first off, I'm not one of those fans complaining about what Joe has or hasn't done in regards to getting the ball out  fast. It's more a function of the system than anything else. It's clear he is getting the ball out faster this year, and it has had it's benefits. That said, there are also negative accompanied with not progressing through all of the reads. His 6.9 YPA is not ideal, and before this past game it was closer to 6.0. A little more mastery of the offense should improve that number.

 

Secondly, I wasn't complaining. I was using film to point out where Joe could be better. Is that a crime around here?  If you want to look at statistics that's fine, there is a place for that, but I'm going to actually watch the film and be objective about what I see. 

 

Joe can be better, point blank. I see that as a positive thing, and I hope he gets more comfortable in this offense. Considering that it's only been 4 games there is a lot to look forward to. Hopefully, there will be less plays left on the field as we progress through the season.

[funky141]

Looks like there might be some shake up for the Colts O-line at center and guard positions.