The What If Game

[3-4ravdef509]

Let's say Flacco leads us down the field for the GWTD against the Patriots, and we smack the Colts the following week.

 

Could we have beat the Seahawks?

 

And by could, I mean do we likely? So none of those cop out "well of course we could have."

 

Put your opinion on the table: If we had been there on Sunday, do the Ravens come out on top?

 

I say yes. For one, they don't have an offense to really take advantage of our secondary. We have the running game and toughness on offense to score and move the ball on their defense.

 

Honestly, while not a blowout, I feel like we would have won somewhere in the neighborhood of 29-17.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

In case you can't tell...still not over that loss lol.

[Purple Punishment]

Let's say Flacco leads us down the field for the GWTD against the Patriots, and we smack the Colts the following week.

Could we have beat the Seahawks?

And by could, I mean do we likely? So none of those cop out "well of course we could have."

Put your opinion on the table: If we had been there on Sunday, do the Ravens come out on top?

I say yes. For one, they don't have an offense to really take advantage of our secondary. We have the running game and toughness on offense to score and move the ball on their defense.

Honestly, while not a blowout, I feel like we would have won somewhere in the neighborhood of 29-17.

What are your thoughts?

In case you can't tell...still not over that loss lol.

I say we lose that game. Our style is more conventional and the Hawks would have keyed in very early on that. Brady was getting smacked sometimes in less than 2 seconds. Joe holds the ball much longer than Tom does. Our run D is much better than NEs, however, Lynch is a monster and would've been very hard for us to stop. Their receivers whom I can barely name one, did exploit the patriots secondary. They definitely would've exploited out couch corners. 35-17 Hawks. I didn't put Joe in this convo. Which may be warranted but it would have been a team effort and our receivers wouldn't have helped against their secondary. Sorry. Love the Ravens but the Hawks are built for us and mostly any other team in the league....except the Rams

[Tru11]

doubtfull.

 

we would had trouble running on them and passing on them.

 

on defense we would probably handle their run game but I don't think we would have been discipline enough to contain Wilson nor would we had the cbs that can cover long enough after Wilson is buying time.

 

heck Dalton was killing us with the option lol.

 

we also aren't a dink and dunk , checkdown all day team anymore .

 

65-35 in favor of the hawks.

 

pats got lucky hawks lost both Maxwell and lane TBH.

[3-4ravdef509]

doubtfull.

 

we would had trouble running on them and passing on them.

 

on defense we would probably handle their run game but I don't think we would have been discipline enough to contain Wilson nor would we had the cbs that can cover long enough after Wilson is buying time.

 

heck Dalton was killing us with the option lol.

 

we also aren't a dink and dunk , checkdown all day team anymore .

 

65-35 in favor of the hawks.

 

pats got lucky hawks lost both Maxwell and lane TBH.

 

We had no trouble moving the ball against the Patriots - another physical secondary and defensive front.

 

I don't buy at all that our offense would be stifled. 

 

In a regular season game maybe, but not in the Superbowl.

 

Our front seven could contain Wilson probably better than the pats did. They might get some chunks here and there but I don't see them running it all over us. In the red zone we'd tighten up and they'd have to settle for field goals.

[Gordo52]

I hate this game. There's a million different possibilities for what could have happened. I wouldn't be too confident going up vs Seattle but I am confident we'd give em a fight.

Any given Sunday for anybody......Except Cleveland.

[zwerrell]

Could we? Yes.

Would we? Entirely different question.

I think we would have matched up well scheme-wise - their zone scheme vs Joe and the intermediate PA passes. Our running game would probably put up more than 70 but less than 110 yards - not a great match up.

Our D would have had trouble containing their offense. I would assume we hold Lynch to around 100 yards. We would have sacked Wilson more than the Pats did, but I would worry about big pass plays.

I would say approximately 4 times out of 10 we would beat them. It would have been a good game though, for sure.

PS - FWIW I think we would have beaten the Pats 5 times out of 10, and the Seahawks beat the Pats 7 out of 10 times...

[Purple_City39]

I have no reason to believe we couldn't move the ball against Seattle.  We weren't supposed to be able to move the ball against the top ranked Broncos and 49ers defenses in 2012, we weren't supposed to move the ball against the Pats and their dominating secondary, and yet Joe had 10 passing TDs in those 3 games combined.  I also like our pass rush much better against Wilson than the Pats' pass rush.  

 

Could we have won? I can't say for sure but I definitely would have liked our chances.  

[3-4ravdef509]

I have no reason to believe we couldn't move the ball against Seattle.  We weren't supposed to be able to move the ball against the top ranked Broncos and 49ers defenses in 2012, we weren't supposed to move the ball against the Pats and their dominating secondary, and yet Joe had 10 passing TDs in those 3 games combined.  I also like our pass rush much better against Wilson than the Pats' pass rush.  

 

Could we have won? I can't say for sure but I definitely would have liked our chances.  

 

I agree, I feel like even if we lost we would have had a decent game offensively.

[JustinB]

I hate this game. There's a million different possibilities for what could have happened. I wouldn't be too confident going up vs Seattle but I am confident we'd give em a fight.

Any given Sunday for anybody......Except Cleveland.

I guess we find out this season if we could compete now that we face them.  I think here i'm not sure though

[redrum52]

I hate this game. There's a million different possibilities for what could have happened. I wouldn't be too confident going up vs Seattle but I am confident we'd give em a fight.

Any given Sunday for anybody......Except Cleveland.

Lmao.. this

[Seseau]

I don't know if this is a what if general thread but

 

What if...

 

We had drafted Dez Bryant? Ugh I remember watching the draft and seeing that that Cowboys had traded up I was so upset...couldn't even

[3-4ravdef509]

I don't know if this is a what if general thread but

What if...

We had drafted Dez Bryant? Ugh I remember watching the draft and seeing that that Cowboys had traded up I was so upset...couldn't even

It wasn't supposed to be but an alternate universe thread would be fun, though I would want clarification from a mod as to where to post such a thread

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

What if Chuck Pagano never got a HC offer, and was still our DC with Teryl Austin still our Secondary Coach?

 

Would we have won the Superbowl in 2012?

 

Would we have won more? Would we have been the best team in the league this year with Pagano and Kubiak as our coordinators?

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

What if Owen Daniels didnt drop that TD pass?

 

What if Joe never threw that INT to Torrey and instead hit a wide open Marlon Brown over the middle for an easy 1st down?

 

 

this could go on infinitely.

[K-Dog]

Swiss cheese secondary....

A win would have been possible of course, but highly unlikely.

[52520Andrew]

I don't think beating the Colts would have been a given either, I mean Luck is a bit overrated but that passing game could very easily torch our secondary and we would play them in Indy where we lost in the regular season.

[FlocksGottaFeed]

I believe that we would have beaten the Seahawks.

• When comparing the win over Pittsburgh and how our patch-work defensive secondary held-up against a more superior receiving scheme and players - I think that we hold our own. Seattle's not complicated scheme wise.
• When considering opponents running games with dominant Running Backs (like Lynch) our front 7 usaully allows them to have some of their lowest outputs (sub-100 yds or under their season average). If the Patriots allowed Lynch 102 yds, 24 carries with 1 TD, then a much more superior Ravens DL would probably have allow 20 less yds. 24 carries, etc.
• Last but not least - Wilson would have to play lights-out to balance the game. If he had a 1st half performance like he had in this SB I'm sure the Ravens would have gotten at least a 17-20 point lead by halftime. Remember, if not for trick plays and missed (proven illegal afterwards) substitutions - the Patriots wound have been down by 20+ by halftime.

All said, Steve/Torrey owned Revis/Browner (they put up some of most respectable numbers against them all season compared to several receiver combos in the league). They may have not done the same against the legion, but our other receivers (Owen, Aikens, Brown, Cap, etc.) would have had a lot of openings with a Kubiak Offense with one of the best playoff/SB QBs at the helm.

 

imo - It would have been a great matchup, a closely fought battle and the Ravens would have won. Yet, it is what it is. We win it the next time. I don't know who'll we will face, but they need to get ready for Ravens 5.0. We'll be even better next season.

[Moderator 3]

It wasn't supposed to be but an alternate universe thread would be fun, though I would want clarification from a mod as to where to post such a thread

As long as we're talking about a Ravens alternate universe, here is good. If it's about other teams, well there's a forum for that.

[The Raven]

Patriots and Seahawks are built very similarly, especially on defense. Multiple fronts, stout tackles, fast ends, athletic backers, and beast secondary. Seeing how we handled the Patriot defense, I think we could have done well against the Seahawks. 

 

I have little doubt we could have beat their offense. I think our defense matches up perfectly with their offense, secondary issues aside. 

 

So yeah, if we beat the Patriots, we'd be SB champs right now. We would have mopped the floor with Indy, and we match up well with the Seahawks.

[airconteka1]

What if Steelers fans have already done a what if scenario where they beat us in the wild card game?

 

Woah, we need another level

[flynismo]

Its a coin toss. I could see that game going so many different ways, and I don't think any one scenario is more likely than another. Definitely not a game I would put any money on

[hawkprey]

I think we would've won. Our pass rush would've given Wilson fits and they don't have the receiving group to test the secondary against it. Their secondary was kind of banged up, and not much of an improvement over NE's anyway (who we had success against).

[Static]

What if Steve Smith is never cut?

What if we drafted Stat Lyin *cough* I mean Matt Ryan?

[RaineV1]

I think the Ravens would have the edge against the Seahawks since our defense is one of the few that could stop their running game. Ngata and Willaims can clog the middle very well. Jernigan is a bit better against the pass, but he can still at least hold up his guy and chase down plays from behind. Then there's Mosley and Will Hill that are great downfield players made to stop runs like that. Upshaw and Suggs can keep running plays from going to the outside. The Ravens could have forced Wilson to win the game on his own, something he's not asked to do that much.

 

As for the Ravens offense vs their defense, we don't depend on our outside receivers carrying the workload. Gilmore, Daniels, Camp, and Aiken could have really tested their linebackers and safeties.

 

Despite it not being done on purpose, I think the Ravens are practically built for facing a team like the Seahawks.

[3-4ravdef509]

I think the Ravens would have the edge against the Seahawks since our defense is one of the few that could stop their running game. Ngata and Willaims can clog the middle very well. Jernigan is a bit better against the pass, but he can still at least hold up his guy and chase down plays from behind. Then there's Mosley and Will Hill that are great downfield players made to stop runs like that. Upshaw and Suggs can keep running plays from going to the outside. The Ravens could have forced Wilson to win the game on his own, something he's not asked to do that much.

As for the Ravens offense vs their defense, we don't depend on our outside receivers carrying the workload. Gilmore, Daniels, Camp, and Aiken could have really tested their linebackers and safeties.

Despite it not being done on purpose, I think the Ravens are practically built for facing a team like the Seahawks.

Remind me to plus one this when I get home. I agree.

Honestly though Smith and Smith Sr are probably good match ups against their corners, Smith Sr being quite the crafty route runner and Smith would probably get behind the defense at least a couple times you'd imagine.

[Greatness]

We would have exposed them. Yeah, I said it. And people gonna learn when we play them this year. Quote me on that. Sure, teams will be different, but our core and their core will still be the same.

[Militant X 1]

No!  We lose to the Seahawks.  Because we were up 2xs by 14 points on the Patriots and they came back and won!  The Seahawks and the Patriots were trading blows and the Seahawks had the Super Bowl in hand IF (imo) they would have ran the ball but they didn't and tossed a game-losing pick. 

[I AM LEGEND]

Russel had like 10 secs a couple plays and Couldn't find a receiver.

Against our D...those extended plays would've been 40 yd gains or touchdowns.

[ravensdan]

We would have not only beat the Seahawks, it wouldn't have been close. The Dallas Oline dominated up front and ours is right there. Suggs and our defense is very good at keeping the read option offense in check and wilson doesn't have the time for those bombs with McPhee pushing pressure up the middle and Suggs keeping Wilson contained.

The worst matchup for the ravens would have been the packers. That is a bad matchup for the Ravens.

[ravensnick]

The Biggest What If: 

 

If Jimmy Smith doesn't get hurt, I say we get a bye and win the Super Bowl.