Oline Woes

[PurpleCity5]

This may sound like excuses but i feel it played a huge factor. I agree with what you said. But also we have to remember that this first unit oline didn't play together all preseason, Wagner was playing in his first real game action since his injury, KO was in and out of practice and the Broncos pass rush was just ridiculous. It was smart for Phillips to attack the oline like that. I think they'll be progressively better with each game. If not for that pass rush the offense would have moved much more freely imo. There were a few down field plays that were open for Sr and Brown but the pass rush didn't allow Flacco the time. I expect things to be much better against Oak.

I honestly think Denver will have the best Defense this year.

[Ravensfan23]

I honestly think Denver will have the best Defense this year.

They very well may with those pass rushers and coverage guys. But this game isn't a good indication of it. Wade Phillips has been in that Kubiak system for years and he knows more about it then Trestman at this point. For Trestman it was like trying to play speed chess for the first time vs the guy who invented the game and a group of guys who helped him along the way. Trestman doesn't even know the strengths of all his players well enough and on top of that he is using another man's offense. But with all that the Ravens still had some areas of success or potential auccess with guys open down the field Phillips just did a great job of attacking an oline who wasn't up to par that day.

However i will say this. The Broncos better hope they can continue to find balance between Manning and Kubiak because Phillips just showed the NFL exactly how to shutdown Kubiak's offense.

[Tru11]

That's a pretty scary defense. What do we do differently, if we have to face them again in January?

 

well monroe healthy and wagner being back to his old self would go along way.

 

the 1 thing i would have done was use more bunch sets  to cause confusing in the secondary.

 

also if perriman is healthy use some 3 man routes sending him and waller deep with smith underneath and keep a TE and RB in to give flacco some time.

 

also have the RB and TE chip ware/von before going to run his route.

 

probably also spend some more time developing how to run WR screens.

 

i imagine smith could be a beast on WR screens.

[balfan23]

I expect any back up out there to have a hard time against a guy like Ware. But Hurst didn't struggle, he rarely touched him.

A banana would have been more useful as he may have slipped then.

Most of the time he acted like a free rusher because Hurst couldn't touch him if he were a running ice cream cone.

The banana peel comment was humorous ... I'm just responding to the cries to dump Hurst and go get a better backup LT after this performance. Wagner got abused as well. Both were double digit negatives in grading. Should we be rid of him as well? 

 

Last year, Monroe was out at the end of the season and into the post season. Many say we were a super bowl team, had it not been for our secondary. I didn't hear anyone saying we were a super bow team, had it not been for our back up LT. 

 

Sunday was ugly all the way around. Hopefully, Monroe gets back ... and more importantly, plays well when he does. 

[GrimCoconut]

They very well may with those pass rushers and coverage guys. But this game isn't a good indication of it. Wade Phillips has been in that Kubiak system for years and he knows more about it then Trestman at this point. For Trestman it was like trying to play speed chess for the first time vs the guy who invented the game and a group of guys who helped him along the way. Trestman doesn't even know the strengths of all his players well enough and on top of that he is using another man's offense. But with all that the Ravens still had some areas of success or potential auccess with guys open down the field Phillips just did a great job of attacking an oline who wasn't up to par that day.

However i will say this. The Broncos better hope they can continue to find balance between Manning and Kubiak because Phillips just showed the NFL exactly how to shutdown Kubiak's offense.

To be fair, I don't think there are many defenses out there with Chris Harris Jr, Aqib Talib, Brandon Marshall, Sly Williams, Ware & Miller on the same defense. I honestly am surprised we were so competitive lol. It is true, however, that Phillips knows how to shutdown Gary's system since he's gone against it forever. 

[757RavensFan]

I didn't see all of the game vs Denver, but what I did watch, I didn't see any designed roll-out pass plays for Flacco.  Was that called at all during the game?

[January J]

I didn't see all of the game vs Denver, but what I did watch, I didn't see any designed roll-out pass plays for Flacco.  Was that called at all during the game?

i think i saw 1 and a defender was immediately all over it and directly in flaccos face and he had to dump it off to the running back or juice i believe. after that i never saw them go back to it.

[PuRock]

I didn't see all of the game vs Denver, but what I did watch, I didn't see any designed roll-out pass plays for Flacco.  Was that called at all during the game?

 

Based on our O-line play there was a reason for no roll-out pass plays.  If anything we should be calling for more of what Ryan and the Falcons did last night to mask their line issues.  Quick passes, screens, etc.  They had one pass play to Julio where Ryan took one step and threw to an extremely quick slant to Julio.  

[Ravensfan23]

To be fair, I don't think there are many defenses out there with Chris Harris Jr, Aqib Talib, Brandon Marshall, Sly Williams, Ware & Miller on the same defense. I honestly am surprised we were so competitive lol. It is true, however, that Phillips knows how to shutdown Gary's system since he's gone against it forever.

Phillips not only coached against it, he's been in Denver and Houston with Kubes plenty, also the other coaches on that staff. That was probably the easiest game prep week they ever had.

I agree most teams don't have that talent but i was referring more to the strategy of attacking the LOS much like the Texans did last year. I'm sure many teams will try to play the Ravens like the Broncos did but if you don't have those ridiculous edge rushers it won't be as successful imo, but you'll still have a good chance.

[Guest Omerta]

monroe has consistently under performed.

 

This.  I was against his extension at his price anyway.  Granted we got him for a little less but the year he was traded from Jacksonville and was cheap his play was easier to absolve.  He has been less the great and seemingly average for the most part. 

 

The trouble is our opportunity was gone.  I would have hands down preferred Veldheer but it is what it is.  There is nobody now worth mentioning who could do better. 

[PurpleCity5]

My problem isn't with the OL primarily. My problem is with the lack of adjustment from Trestman. Look at the Patriots game last year, we got pressure time after time but we didn't get there in time because the ball was out quickly. Look at last years reg. season loss vs Pitt when Big Ben threw 6TDs, when we began to dink-dunk and get the ball off quick, we manage to get into a flow. Pitt was sending blitz after blitz after blitz and it was starting to wear down because we were getting the ball off quickly. I didn't see any of that this guy. 

 

Michael Campanaro and Marlon Brown have reliable hands and one of them has size while the other has quickness, don't know why we didn't get them more involved. 

[PurpleCity5]

This.  I was against his extension at his price anyway.  Granted we got him for a little less but the year he was traded from Jacksonville and was cheap his play was easier to absolve.  He has been less the great and seemingly average for the most part. 

 

The trouble is our opportunity was gone.  I would have hands down preferred Veldheer but it is what it is.  There is nobody now worth mentioning who could do better. 

If we can get something good for Monroe, like a 2nd round pick, then yeah I see the reason to trade him. Other than that, how can we seeing the lack of depth we have at LT? I don't like our options outside of Monroe unless Hurst begins to emerge and quiet frankly, he hasn't. 

Edited September 15, 2015 by PurpleCity5

[frozen joe flacco fan]

Eugene Monroe has been a major disappointment. How many times in NFL history has an O-lineman been

removed from a game due to concussion protocol. C'mon man! I don't know how he got the concussion but

it is rare that an O-lineman leaves a game for that reason. We need to find someone who can play LT and protect our elite QB the same way the other good teams do.

[Gtown Purple]

Was pretty dissappointed we didn't win more at the point of attack. Lots of respect for denvers defense but we were a top 5 oline last year. We got it handed to us in this game. Constant pressure on Joe.

[GrimCoconut]

What's wrong with you people acting like concussions are nothing? People get hurt. He's just had a really bad run of luck but I doubt Monroe goes out there on the field and he's looking forward to getting hurt so he can get off the field Smh go look at Junior Seau. You should all be ashamed.

I'm frustrated with his recent injury history but think about what you're saying here

[ravensdan]

Eugene Monroe has been a major disappointment. How many times in NFL history has an O-lineman been

removed from a game due to concussion protocol. C'mon man! I don't know how he got the concussion but

it is rare that an O-lineman leaves a game for that reason. We need to find someone who can play LT and protect our elite QB the same way the other good teams do.

This is one of the most uneducated embarrassing posts I've ever read. Really disappointing

[BmoreBird22]

Eugene Monroe has been a major disappointment. How many times in NFL history has an O-lineman been

removed from a game due to concussion protocol. C'mon man! I don't know how he got the concussion but

it is rare that an O-lineman leaves a game for that reason. We need to find someone who can play LT and protect our elite QB the same way the other good teams do.

I have to agree with everyone else- this is embarrassing and totally inconsiderate of the nature of the sport as it relates to concussions and their seriousness. 

 

And just so you know, since you seem to be dismissive, the offensive lineman and defensive lineman bat heads quite a bit because the offensive lineman is trying to backpedal with someone coming full speed at them. On top of that, offensive lineman are getting slapped in the head quite a bit by an incoming defender.

 

But, I guess you can keep being ignorant, but if you don't believe me, here you go-

 

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/10/14/new-harvard-study-concussions-in-the-trenches

[usmccharles]

Eugene Monroe has been a major disappointment. How many times in NFL history has an O-lineman been

removed from a game due to concussion protocol. C'mon man! I don't know how he got the concussion but

it is rare that an O-lineman leaves a game for that reason. We need to find someone who can play LT and protect our elite QB the same way the other good teams do.

This is just a game man.  Try to show some respect for a guy that goes out and busts his butt for his team and fans.  He has a family just like all of us and the protocol is there to protect him and his loved ones.  Yea it sucks that he went out, but his health is more important than anything else, even if he doesnt play for us. 

[Filmstudy]

I have seen the PFF scores, which show both Wagner and Hurst with -10 or more, but from scoring the game and reviewing every block, I'd say:

 

Wagner played poorly and was fully deserving of a F grade, but his performance was simply a bad F against a great opponent.

 

Hurst, on the other hand had a historically awful performance.  In fact, his game was the worst i have ever scored for a lineman with 35+ snaps (.15).  And I only need the 35-snap limit to exclude his own 33-snap effort versus JJ Watt last December (-.03).

 

If you are interested in more particulars, here is my OL grading piece for the Broncos game:

 

http://russellstreetreport.com/2015/09/16/filmstudy/ravens-tackles-fail-in-denver/

Edited September 17, 2015 by Filmstudy

[codizzle]

The thing is Denver's linebackers not named Miller or ware are average, average safeties and average interior line and they destroyed Baltimore's "vaunted" oline.

Gotta defend my boy Danny trevathan who is not weak at all

[AsianRice]

They very well may with those pass rushers and coverage guys. But this game isn't a good indication of it. Wade Phillips has been in that Kubiak system for years and he knows more about it then Trestman at this point. For Trestman it was like trying to play speed chess for the first time vs the guy who invented the game and a group of guys who helped him along the way. Trestman doesn't even know the strengths of all his players well enough and on top of that he is using another man's offense. But with all that the Ravens still had some areas of success or potential auccess with guys open down the field Phillips just did a great job of attacking an oline who wasn't up to par that day.

However i will say this. The Broncos better hope they can continue to find balance between Manning and Kubiak because Phillips just showed the NFL exactly how to shutdown Kubiak's offense.

Yeah, with Trestman combining his offense with Kubiak offense, we will have a better balance attack.  They need to mix it up with Joe's bread and butter Shotgun no hurdle offense. I gotta say that if our O-line give Joe a little more time, he will expose Denver's weakness cuz their secondary are still their weakness...

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Jah Reid looks like a world beater against the Denver Defense...with the Oline looking so bad, will getting rid of Reid and Nick Easton cost us?

[BmoreBird22]

Jah Reid looks like a world beater against the Denver Defense...with the Oline looking so bad, will getting rid of Reid and Nick Easton cost us?

He didn't look like a world beater....

[frozen joe flacco fan]

This is one of the most uneducated embarrassing posts I've ever read. Really disappointing

No. What's really disappointing is the play of our offensive tackles. Monroe left a pre-season game

with a bruised forearm and left the opening game against the Broncos after the first series with a

concussion. How many other starting O-linemen in the NFL have sustained concussions this year? I

would be surprised if he was the first offensive left tackle to be head-slapped by a defensive end.

There just seems to be a pattern with this LT leaving games. Maybe, he's just injury-prone but if the heat is too hot in the kitchen, what do you do? Maybe Eugene Monroe should take up a non-contact

sport like table tennis.

BTW, your post was the most educated & non-embarrassing posts I've ever read. Why? Obviously,you are

entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine. You have every right to be embarrassed by my

post. That is your prerogative as a blogger but it was not uneducated. Baltimore's offensive tackle

play in the Denver game was woeful, including Monroe's play before he was unfortunately head-slapped if that is what happened. I missed it.

[redlobster]

No. What's really disappointing is the play of our offensive tackles. Monroe left a pre-season game

with a bruised forearm and left the opening game against the Broncos after the first series with a

concussion. How many other starting O-linemen in the NFL have sustained concussions this year? I

would be surprised if he was the first offensive left tackle to be head-slapped by a defensive end.

There just seems to be a pattern with this LT leaving games. Maybe, he's just injury-prone but if the heat is too hot in the kitchen, what do you do? Maybe Eugene Monroe should take up a non-contact

sport like table tennis.

BTW, your post was the most educated & non-embarrassing posts I've ever read. Why? Obviously,you are

entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine. You have every right to be embarrassed by my

post. That is your prerogative as a blogger but it was not uneducated. Baltimore's offensive tackle

play in the Denver game was woeful, including Monroe's play before he was unfortunately head-slapped if that is what happened. I missed it.

 

If he suffered a concussion then he shouldn't be playing, these guys have life after football and they probably want to be able to live life without significant mental health issues.

[frozen joe flacco fan]

I have to agree with everyone else- this is embarrassing and totally inconsiderate of the nature of the sport as it relates to concussions and their seriousness. 

 

And just so you know, since you seem to be dismissive, the offensive lineman and defensive lineman bat heads quite a bit because the offensive lineman is trying to backpedal with someone coming full speed at them. On top of that, offensive lineman are getting slapped in the head quite a bit by an incoming defender.

 

But, I guess you can keep being ignorant, but if you don't believe me, here you go-

 

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/10/14/new-harvard-study-concussions-in-the-trenches

The Harvard study to which you refer was done by someone who I dare say never played a down of

football. So, I'm not as impressed by the study as you apparently are. You just regurgitated the

Giants' right tackle's quote about backpedalling and getting slapped in the head but you failed to

include their left tackle's quote about technique and protecting oneself. Eugene Monroe was brought

in to replace Michael Oher because Oher had poor technique. If Oher's replacement is not playing because he is getting hurt, it could have something to do with his technique, BmoreBird22! That is what's

embarrassing. Having said that, the lack of consistently great play from our left tackles does make

me appreciate the stellar play of Jon Ogden that much more.

As for your legitimate and considerate concern about his health, I suppose you are equally

outraged about professional boxers who do not wear any head gear since it is the nature of that

sport to get concussions. Here's to a speedy & full recovery for Eugene whether he plays for us or

some other team next year. Frankly, I'm more concerned about his heart than I am about his head, no

pun intended.

[balfan23]

He didn't look like a world beater....

The previous poster could have said that Reid didn't look as bad as our tackles looked. But true, that doesn't qualify him as looking like a world beater. 

[balfan23]

Jah Reid looks like a world beater against the Denver Defense...with the Oline looking so bad, will getting rid of Reid and Nick Easton cost us?

Yeah, we just didn't give Reid fair a chance, having given up on him after only 4 years ... 

 

He performed better than our tackles in one game, but I'd hardly call his a world beating performance. 

 

It is amazing. Coming into the year, there were people claiming us to be a top 5 offensive line in the league. One bad game and we're writing them off as a disaster. 

 

Lets see where they are in a few weeks. I'm going to wait a bit before I start regretting getting rid of guys who under performed for years. 

[frozen joe flacco fan]

This is just a game man.  Try to show some respect for a guy that goes out and busts his butt for his team and fans.  He has a family just like all of us and the protocol is there to protect him and his loved ones.  Yea it sucks that he went out, but his health is more important than anything else, even if he doesnt play for us.

No, its not just a game, man. Its a business. But that's beside the point. The

concussion protocol,as I understand it, relies on self-reporting. That can be a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, some players do not report having symptoms

while other players may report having symptoms whether they do or not. I think

that's called the "honor code." It works in some arenas but not others. If every player who busted his butt for his team and his fans reported possible

concussion symptoms after a violent collision that is the nature of the sport,

there would not be enough players left on the field to continue playing.

If on the other hand, you are correct that it is just a game as you state,

then I'm sure you'd agree it is not the same game it once was when players

played both ways. I have much more respect for players from that by-gone era of pro football. In fact, the last person to play both ways in Pro Football died

just recently. He was a center and a linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. I

wonder how many concussions he had.

[frozen joe flacco fan]

If he suffered a concussion then he shouldn't be playing, these guys have life after football and they probably want to be able to live life without significant mental health issues.

Its an occupational choice just like the one Floyd Merriweather had to make.