Next up: Miami

[funky141]

1. I said nothing about winning the division. I already said that it would take an 11-5 record on our part to win the division, which  means winning out.

 

2. What I'm suggesting is that there's a fall notion that 10-6 isn't going to make the playoffs, which I say almost certainly will. Most of it will probably come down to tiebreakers, naturally, but it normally does.

 

I think because fans see an 8-4 team and six 7-5 teams, they assume that there's going to be like four 10-6 teams at season end. I just don't see it.

 

I've laid out what I think before, and I'll lay it out again...

 

1. I think SD wins one more game this season at best, and they might possibly lose all four. I think they are a 9-7, non-playoff team.

2. KC still has plenty of tough games on their schedule... at Arizona, at Pittsburgh, vs SD to end the season. I actually kind of like them to win out or come close to it, which would put them at 11-5 or 10-6.

3. Miami is in a must-win game at home against us, because they play Baltimore and at NE the following week. If they lose both of those games, they're basically out of it. This game against us is sort of an elimination game for Miami if you ask me.

4. Buffalo is a write off to me. They play Denver and New England on the road, and have to host GB. 8-8 football team, 9-7 at best.

5. Pittsburgh is going to beat themselves, as they've continue to do throughout the season. Two games remaining against Cincinnati, host KC, still have to play in Atlanta. I predicted they'd lose 4 of their last 5 (including last weekend), and I'm sticking by that. I think they are a 9-7 team at the very best.

6. Cleveland still plays Indy, Cincinnati and Baltimore, and are probably transitioning to a new QB.

 

Put it simply... KC is a credible threat for a wildcard, and I consider Miami and possibly Cleveland as threats. I've completely written off Buffalo, I give SD very little chance, and Pittsburgh is the most inconsistent team in the league, so winning four straight games seems unlikely for a team that is Jekyll and Hyde on a week to week basis.

I don't know how you write of SD who now has a tie breaker over Baltimore with their win on Sunday.

SD. I can see SD beating New England this week, its at home and playing well at late.

SD always plays Denver and the Chiefs tough since it's a division game

and the 49ers are a train wreck now.

 

I'll meet you half way and say they finish these last 4 games 2-2.

 

The Ravens Dolphins game is a must win for both teams.

[rmcjacket23]

Um, Miami already beat New England, and they can do it again.

Well, by definition, any team can beat any other team. That's called the NFL.

 

I try to go with things that are more likely. I don't consider Miami winning in NE that likely.

[rmcjacket23]

I don't know how you write of SD who now has a tie breaker over Baltimore with their win on Sunday.

SD. I can see SD beating New England this week, its at home and playing well at late.

SD always plays Denver and the Chiefs tough since it's a division game

and the 49ers are a train wreck now.

 

I'll meet you half way and say they finish these last 4 games 2-2.

1. Because SD isn't really playing that well of late at all. Two straight (close wins) against Oakland and STL, in which SD played well in neither game, doesn't exactly qualify as playing well. I wasn't impressed at all with them against us... they did nothing well, except torch a secondary that everybody in the league will continue to do. They didn't play a good game in any other phase of football.

 

2. They match up extremely poorly with NE, who isn't losing back to back games to anybody. I don't give them barely any chance to beat Denver, who again, they don't match up well with. That leaves two road games against KC and SF, who will both need wins to stay in the playoff hunt. I completely stand behind the idea that they're a 1-3 or 0-4 football team to finish the season.

[The Mom Gene]

I think Funky is playing Devil's Advocate....  I just don't see all the upsets....  Whereas ours shouldn't be considered upsets at all.

[Militant X 1]

And a lot of those teams could finish 8-8 or 7-9 or 9-7...

 

As a fan yourself, where do you see the Ravens finishing?

[rmcjacket23]

As a fan yourself, where do you see the Ravens finishing?

10-6.

 

I think we lose Sunday and then win our last three.

 

I do see us winning out if we win Sunday.

 

I am torn on Sunday's game though, because sometimes Miami looks great and sometimes (like last night) they look like a 6-10 team. If our defense can play better in the redzone and on 3rd down, I think we have a pretty good shot to win, but it is a road game, so who knows.

 

I think we are ultimately a 10-6 team that doesn't make the playoffs.

[Bruce_Almty]

Drew P, on 02 Dec 2014 - 10:13 AM, said:

As much as the Ravens peed me off the last two years Im thankful we dont have that disaster like the Jets. Not one NFL QB on the roster, awful GM, no core players...thanks Oz I forgive you for Elam and the secondary woes after watching that garbage.

 

The way Matt E is playing and the way Art Brown is not playing....to bad Ozzie couldn't bring himself to draft a WR in their stead. But you're right about the Ravens thanks to Steve B and Ozzie. We had 3 great years recently with one culminating with a Lombardi. We're still in reloading mode, so a couple of less than stellar years is expected.

[funky141]

I think Funky is playing Devil's Advocate....  I just don't see all the upsets....  Whereas ours shouldn't be considered upsets at all.

I'm not calling upsets just simple logic without purple shades. 

[The Mom Gene]

I'm not calling upsets just simple logic without purple shades. 

Why would my shades be purple when I'm looking as a sub-par team going up against some of the best teams in the league... with SD playing Denver, New England, San Fran, and Kansas City???  It has nothing to do with my shades.  Am I a fan??? Absolutely!!!  Can I be a realist???  Again, Absolutely.

[rmcjacket23]

I'm not calling upsets just simple logic without purple shades. 

No, you're not using logic at all, and that's the problem.

 

You are basically saying that a bunch of 7-5 teams are all going to go at least 3-1 the rest of the season, despite many of them playing each other or teams that are already better than them.

 

All of my assertions were very logical based on what I've actually seen on the football field this season. I'm not interested in discussing whether a team can beat another team, because as I said, every single team can beat every single team.

 

I deal with what is most likely to happen.

 

I'll make it as simple as I can... I don't think any realistic football viewer thinks both wildcard teams are going to finish 11-5. That means at least one wildcard team is going to be 10-6. Every single 7-5 team right now has a realistic shot of winning a tiebreaker at 10-6, particularly when a lot of those teams will have already played each other.

[funky141]

1. Because SD isn't really playing that well of late at all. Two straight (close wins) against Oakland and STL, in which SD played well in neither game, doesn't exactly qualify as playing well. I wasn't impressed at all with them against us... they did nothing well, except torch a secondary that everybody in the league will continue to do. They didn't play a good game in any other phase of football.

 

2. They match up extremely poorly with NE, who isn't losing back to back games to anybody. I don't give them barely any chance to beat Denver, who again, they don't match up well with. That leaves two road games against KC and SF, who will both need wins to stay in the playoff hunt. I completely stand behind the idea that they're a 1-3 or 0-4 football team to finish the season.

SD is playing as well as you can.. They just beat Baltimore IN Baltimore.

They do match up well with Denver, it was a close game in Denver a few weeks back.

Your seeing all this with hoping they lose and not being realistic.

[funky141]

No, you're not using logic at all, and that's the problem.

 

You are basically saying that a bunch of 7-5 teams are all going to go at least 3-1 the rest of the season, despite many of them playing each other or teams that are already better than them.

 

All of my assertions were very logical based on what I've actually seen on the football field this season. I'm not interested in discussing whether a team can beat another team, because as I said, every single team can beat every single team.

 

I deal with what is most likely to happen.

 

I'll make it as simple as I can... I don't think any realistic football viewer thinks both wildcard teams are going to finish 11-5. That means at least one wildcard team is going to be 10-6. Every single 7-5 team right now has a realistic shot of winning a tiebreaker at 10-6, particularly when a lot of those teams will have already played each other.

I think we are getting off topic from the original discussion when I said this is a must win for both the Dolphins and Ravens this Sunday.

[rmcjacket23]

SD is playing as well as you can.. They just beat Baltimore IN Baltimore.

They do match up well with Denver, it was a close game in Denver a few weeks back.

Your seeing all this with hoping they lose and not being realistic.

No, they aren't. Please specific and tell me what SD has been doing well the past couple weeks in their victories. Are they stopping the run well? Are they stopping the pass well? Are they defending the run or pass well?

 

Yes, they just beat Baltimore IN Baltimore. They also scored 13 points at home against Oakland two weeks prior.

 

I honestly have no clue whatsoever why you think the Denver game was close, because it wasn't. They never led in that game if I recall, and they were down double digits in the fourth quarter.

 

SD will be an underdog in every single game they play for the rest of the season.

[rmcjacket23]

I think we are getting off topic from the original discussion when I said this is a must win for both the Dolphins and Ravens this Sunday.

In which I pointed out its a must win for the Dolphins and NOT a must win for the Ravens. Its a must win for the Ravens if they want a shot at winning the division.

 

This is probably Baltimore's toughest game left on the schedule, which the Dolphins can't say, because they play in NE the very next week.

 

I really don't understand what part of this is difficult to understand...

 

This is the only game remaining on the Ravens schedule where they won't be favored to win. They are better than Jacksonville and Houston, and they should be able to beat Cleveland at home. That means that the Ravens, at a minimum, should go 3-1, which includes a loss at Miami.

 

In order to keep pace, Miami would also have to go 3-1. They should win their last two games, which means they need to go at least 1-1. Given that one of those games is a road game in NE (who rarely loses at home and is a better team), I'd say Miami's best chance at winning 1 of those games is to win vs Baltimore.

 

Again, my entire premise isn't rocket science. I look at the team they are playing and I look at where that game is played. Can upsets happen? Sure, but that goes both ways. Miami could beat NE and then lose to the Jets. Could happen, but not close to the most likely scenario.

[DomMcRaven]

As a fan yourself, where do you see the Ravens finishing?

Before the season I had us going 10-6. I'm sticking by that.

 

10-6.

 

I think we lose Sunday and then win our last three.

 

I do see us winning out if we win Sunday.

 

I am torn on Sunday's game though, because sometimes Miami looks great and sometimes (like last night) they look like a 6-10 team. If our defense can play better in the redzone and on 3rd down, I think we have a pretty good shot to win, but it is a road game, so who knows.

 

I think we are ultimately a 10-6 team that doesn't make the playoffs.

Ditto everything I just bolded.

[Militant X 1]

10-6.

 

I think we lose Sunday and then win our last three.

 

I do see us winning out if we win Sunday.

 

I am torn on Sunday's game though, because sometimes Miami looks great and sometimes (like last night) they look like a 6-10 team. If our defense can play better in the redzone and on 3rd down, I think we have a pretty good shot to win, but it is a road game, so who knows.

 

I think we are ultimately a 10-6 team that doesn't make the playoffs.

 

Hopefully, we can pull off this win Sunday and then run the tables.  Not sure about that though cause the Texans may play us really hard at home.  But, as you mentioned not only is the defense my concern but also, the inability (at times) of our offense to score TD's when in the red zone.  This has been the teams Achilles heal since last season and its still a lingering issue.

[rmcjacket23]

Hopefully, we can pull off this win Sunday and then run the tables.  Not sure about that though cause the Texans may play us really hard at home.  But, as you mentioned not only is the defense my concern but also, the inability (at times) of our offense to score TD's when in the red zone.  This has been the teams Achilles heal since last season and its still and lingering issue.

I feel pretty good about the Houston game honestly. Houston wants to run the ball a ton, and we stop the run pretty well. If we can block well in pass and run blocking on the O-line, I think we will be fine in that game.

[funky141]

In which I pointed out its a must win for the Dolphins and NOT a must win for the Ravens. Its a must win for the Ravens if they want a shot at winning the division.

 

This is probably Baltimore's toughest game left on the schedule, which the Dolphins can't say, because they play in NE the very next week.

 

I really don't understand what part of this is difficult to understand...

 

This is the only game remaining on the Ravens schedule where they won't be favored to win. They are better than Jacksonville and Houston, and they should be able to beat Cleveland at home. That means that the Ravens, at a minimum, should go 3-1, which includes a loss at Miami.

 

In order to keep pace, Miami would also have to go 3-1. They should win their last two games, which means they need to go at least 1-1. Given that one of those games is a road game in NE (who rarely loses at home and is a better team), I'd say Miami's best chance at winning 1 of those games is to win vs Baltimore.

 

Again, my entire premise isn't rocket science. I look at the team they are playing and I look at where that game is played. Can upsets happen? Sure, but that goes both ways. Miami could beat NE and then lose to the Jets. Could happen, but not close to the most likely scenario.

You just don't get it after I made it as simple as pie.  The Raven's need to win out to assure a playoff birth. If the lose any game or games the next 4 weeks they will need help. Do the yahoo scenario you will see...Simple as that jack...

 

I'd rather win then bank on someone losing why these games are a must win.

[Militant X 1]

I feel pretty good about the Houston game honestly. Houston wants to run the ball a ton, and we stop the run pretty well. If we can block well in pass and run blocking on the O-line, I think we will be fine in that game.

 

So, you don't think that the Texans may change their game plan up?  Meaning; they have seen how both the Saints and Chargers have lit up the Ravens through the air by attacking their weak secondary.  Teams know that the Ravens defense is more stout against the run and now have film showing how ineffective our secondary has been.  Can't remember the Texans WR's/TE's core at the moment.

[funky141]

So, you don't think that the Texans may change their game plan up?  Meaning; they have seen how both the Saints and Chargers have lit up the Ravens through the air by attacking their weak secondary.  Teams know that the Ravens defense is more stout against the run and now have film showing how ineffective our secondary has been.  Can't remember the Texans WR's/TE's core at the moment.

Fitzpatrick just had a day against Tennessee, he tossed 6 TD's

[rmcjacket23]

You just don't get it after I made it as simple as pie.  The Raven's need to win out to assure a playoff birth. If the lose any game or games the next 4 weeks they will need help. Do the yahoo scenario you will see...Simple as that jack...

 

I'd rather win then bank on someone losing why these games are a must win.

1. Technically, none of these games are "must win" yet, because by definition, a "must win" game means that a loss eliminates them from playoff contention, which this does not.

 

2. I don't need to see the Yahoo scenario, the ESPN scenario, the NFL network scenario, etc. They are all the same. Do the Ravens need "help"? Sure, I guess. If you consider help to mean that every other contending team needs to lose a game, then yes, they need "help". But again, I'm not banking on six 7-5 football teams all winning their last four games, and I'm not sure more than 1 of them actually does.

 

"Help", as it were, basically comes in the form of a playoff contender losing a game that everyone expects them to lose anyway. If that's what's considered "help", then so be it. Me, I just call that standard protocol in the NFL.

[The Mom Gene]

Fitzpatrick just had a day against Tennessee, he tossed 6 TD's

yup....  against Tennessee.

[The Mom Gene]

Hopefully, we can pull off this win Sunday and then run the tables.  Not sure about that though cause the Texans may play us really hard at home.  But, as you mentioned not only is the defense my concern but also, the inability (at times) of our offense to score TD's when in the red zone.  This has been the teams Achilles heal since last season and its still a lingering issue.

Mili...  I'd agree but Miami can't stop a runny nose.  They're run D is awful... and if we Camp back and Marlon...  They won't know which way to turn.  We just need to get a hold of Wallace, and keep him under wraps....  easier said than done, but with Asa back, at least it adds another body back there.

[rmcjacket23]

So, you don't think that the Texans may change their game plan up?  Meaning; they have seen how both the Saints and Chargers have lit up the Ravens through the air by attacking their weak secondary.  Teams know that the Ravens defense is more stout against the run and now have film showing how ineffective our secondary has been.  Can't remember the Texans WR's/TE's core at the moment.

Perhaps, but that implies that they have the QB capable of doing that, an O-line capable of blocking for him, and the other team offering very little resistance offensively against them.

 

And yes, I get it, Fitzpatrick just threw 6 TDs, so that means he will throw 10 against us. Fortunately, this isn't Madden, and the real world doesn't really operate that way. Tennessee had 0 sacks and four turnovers in that game. I don't suspect the Ravens will play that badly, nor has there been any indication they will.

[MTRavensFan]

So, you don't think that the Texans may change their game plan up?  Meaning; they have seen how both the Saints and Chargers have lit up the Ravens through the air by attacking their weak secondary.  Teams know that the Ravens defense is more stout against the run and now have film showing how ineffective our secondary has been.  Can't remember the Texans WR's/TE's core at the moment.

Andre Johnson?

Deandre Hopkins who has over 1000 yds this season including a 200+ yd game on Sunday?

 

Anyway, we digress. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Miami, and Tannehill, look very beatable. And Wallace, while he flashes at times, is an over-rated diva. I think we can do this.

[redrum52]

If the jets dbs can hold down the dolphins then ours should be able to. Losing this game means we lose control of our destiny.

Division game and different DC. You really can't compare us to them.

[52N19]

tanehill may not be great but every qb is great in the NFL if they don't have pressure. if the front seven don't perform then the back end doesn't make any difference. the steelers are proof of this. they never invested in the back end because they could neutralize a QB with their pass rush. its not about sacks its about pressure and after sundays performance i donlt think you can assume any victories other then jacksonville.

[Militant X 1]

Mili...  I'd agree but Miami can't stop a runny nose.  They're run D is awful... and if we Camp back and Marlon...  They won't know which way to turn.  We just need to get a hold of Wallace, and keep him under wraps....  easier said than done, but with Asa back, at least it adds another body back there.

 

That's the truth Gene.

 

Perhaps, but that implies that they have the QB capable of doing that, an O-line capable of blocking for him, and the other team offering very little resistance offensively against them.

 

And yes, I get it, Fitzpatrick just threw 6 TDs, so that means he will throw 10 against us. Fortunately, this isn't Madden, and the real world doesn't really operate that way. Tennessee had 0 sacks and four turnovers in that game. I don't suspect the Ravens will play that badly, nor has there been any indication they will.

 

I never mentioned that!  Lol!

 

Andre Johnson?

Deandre Hopkins who has over 1000 yds this season including a 200+ yd game on Sunday?

 

Anyway, we digress. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Miami, and Tannehill, look very beatable. And Wallace, while he flashes at times, is an over-rated diva. I think we can do this.

 

Of course I remember Andre Johnson but haven't given any thought to any other WR's on the Texans roster.  Don't keep up with'em.

[Sami84]

Jj watt is a heck of a receiver

[The Mom Gene]

Jj watt is a heck of a receiver

He's a tight end....  but yeah...That...