[News] Ravens 'Soul Searching' After 0-3 Start

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Need to ask why go into a Prevent to close out games? It Prevents NOTHING

[ReginaldColeman1]

I wonder how the Steelers are able to get Bryant (4th round), A. Brown (6th round), Bell (rd 2). Cincy fifth round M. Jones, Bernard and Hill second round. Both teams went after some linemen like Zeitler, Pouncey, DeCastro and linebackers like Shazier and Jones who are starting to pay dividends. Off hand the Ravens got CJ, Gilmore and a slowly deteriorating Wagner and KO. I don't know. Sure these observations are not a hundred percent right but it's the perception of the changing of the guard.

[Flamengo1265]

Need to ask why go into a Prevent to close out games? It Prevents NOTHING

It prevents you from winning the game

[Purple Hazard]

Can't believe how bad our secondarry looks at times... Green was just running by them. Also how is it possible that we have almost no run game? We have the same Oline we played with last year Forsett is a non-factor. So much for keepeing the offense how it was... Good job Trestman

[RavenManiac#7]

I've grown to care for the players, but frankly, I could care less about them feeling "bad" when they lose.  Sure, most of them probably work hard in practice and during games and I respect/appreciate that.  But when you're getting paid millions to get the job done, and you don't, you "should" feel bad...  Imagine if we "average Joe's" constantly messed up on our 9-to-5?  We'd get shown to the door...  

 

So, I don't take any pity on this team (the players nor the coaches).  DO YOUR JOB!!!!  

I understand about you not caring about the players feeling bad. And you're right, also, about us regular "9 to 5ers" being shown the door with continued failures to do our job. But to just tell them to "do their job" is very easy. For them to do that when they're playing against more talented players though, is probably asking them to do something that they just don't have the ability to do. When opposing players are more talented than you are, then you are, most likely, doomed to failure. To me it appeared obvious that the Bengals players are, indeed, more talented than ours are. More times than not, the most talented teams win and the less talented players lose. So, the only obvious solution is to upgrade the level of talent your players have. And rebuilding a team with better players takes time. Unfortunately, I Do believe that we are in a situation where we are in a rebuilding mode. I really hope that Joe is getting Very tired of losing so that he will make some concessions on his renegotiation in order to increase the amount of money the FO has to work with this upcoming off-season. That, along with the loss of considerable dead money would help. Of course, we have a lot of questions to deal with regarding which players we want to try to hold onto and which we are ok with letting walk. Many complicated issues are looming.

[KidNme]

Just wondering who this CB named "Soul" is and I sure hope he's better than who we have now!

[Derrel]

Among other things, Wagner and KO had terrible games. Thought these guys were ready to be dominant?

[RavenManiac#7]

Why is everyone mad at Trestman, just like last week we scored enough points to win...Its the dot damn defense that can't get a stop.

While it's true that we should win every game that we score 30 points or more, our weak defense doesn't allow that to be the case. So, I see your thought, but I think people's frustration with Trestman stems from the fact that most people think that our offense is capable of scoring even More points. And the reason that it doesn't, again,people believe, is because of Trestman's often senseless play calling. He has made so many calls that has caused so many people to scratch their heads and wonder why, that it has caused people to question whether he is the right man for the job. I know it's not as obvious as in the case of Pees, who REALLY needs to be fired, and it is probably too early to fire Trestman. But, it probably IS time for Harbs to sit down and have a talk with Trestman about his play calling and to, then, expect better. If he doesn't improve, though, with both his play calling and with having his offense ready to play in the first half as well as the second half (because that's not happening), then his job should probably be on the line too. Listen, 0-3 is a desperate situation, and desperate times call for desperate measures. And that's what I think it's going to take to improve this ball club, desperate moves. Complacency Won't work.

[Fastynart]

Oh the defense has "faltered". Why is this a surprise? The defense "faltered" many times in the same manner last year and the Ravens did nothing to make it better. Instead they choose some suspect wide receiver with their first draft pick. Arrington stinks. Jimmy Smith had a really bad game. Safeties? What safeties? They were nowhere to be found. Only Webb played well. I can't blame Pees or his scheme for this awful performance. It is squarely on the players. They can't cover anyone.

[steelcityraven]

Fastynart.... I really do not think that Arrington is that bad- nor do I think that Jimmy is as bad as he has played... or even Webb for that matter. I don't think that Will Hill or Kendrick Lewis are bad ball players. I believe in fact that the entire group is very talented... However we have not put them in advantageous situations throughout. Infact I feel like our defensive scheme, play calling, game planning and preparation has set them up to fail. I said it last season... We could have Reevis, Talib, Joe Haden, Weddle, and Mark Barron back there and we wouldn't be able to stop anyone. This bend but don't break philosophy keeps braking and I really believe that it is less about the players and more about the coaching and the scheme. The talent and technique is there, the Tactics and the tenacity simply are not and it shows!

[RavenManiac#7]

i think searching for the #1 pick in the 2016 draft.  think that's probably the best route at this point..  it would take a miracle for this team to have an above .500 record in it's current state.  my fear is that in his attempt to circumvent the years after the 2000 SB win, ozzie has inadvertantly caused them to return.  which means it's gonna be a long 4-7 years of rebuilding before this team returns to a position of any kind of real strength.  if the team invests heavily in the defense in 2016 (in the draft), frees up as much cap space as possible, and picks up a few WR's in FA (because the worst thing baltimore could ever do is draft a WR..  every one so far has been mediocre-bad) the damage control may be enough to show a possible return in 2016.  as far as i am concerned, 2015 is already in the books..  and as much as i would love to see this team i root for win.  at this time i think a very bad season may be for the best in the long run.

I understand your philosophy but, from my own experience, I think that it is very dangerous and counter-productive. I coached both basketball and football at levels from little league and middle school through high school. At one point, after I relocated, I found myself starting back up a dormant age group baseball team. Once I got them reinstated into the league, I found out just how difficult it is to turn around a losing team. This was a very small community, without big numbers from which to find talent, and its teams in all age groups had become used to losing. They accepted it, Expected it, and were comfortable with it. It took two years, which I thought was VERY fast, and an incredible amount of both physical/skill coaching and, even more hard work on the young men's attitudes. Believe me, I think it best that the Ravens fight as hard as they can to win Every game they can this year. We do NOT want even a smidgen of a losing attitude to creep into our team. Our second season, we actually won the championship of our league, and it was a Direct result, I believe, of the fact that I was able to get those young men to Hate losing even more than they Loved winning. It's very dangerous to even think of "tanking" a season just in order to get the first, or even a lower, draft choice. Ozzie loves his draft choices so I don't look for him to do it, but if there is a super prospect in the draft that he covets, he has enough compensation picks coming next draft that he could trade some of his regular picks to move up for that "can't miss" stud. But, I warn you, even wanting players that would consider a plan, let alone go along with it, to lose in order to draft higher is foolhardy and dangerous. We want players who give simply Everything they've got on Every play that they are on that field. I don't know what kind of record that will leave us with this year, but I strongly urge our entire organization, and our fans, to believe in that. Besides, fellow Ravens fan, do you really think a HC would allow something even resembling that to go on? His job is directly related to his success on the field. All coaches are in that position. That's why I think Pees will be gone relatively soon and that Trestman has some explaining to do to Harbs about his play calling and inability to have his offense ready to play in the first halves of games. We want to win, PERIOD!

[RavenManiac#7]

Sorry, I meant to say I coached basketball and Baseball, not football in my last post. But, it doesn't really matter. The substance of what I was pointing out isn't changed by that mistake.

[Kraven]

What is wrong with the Ravens? It can be summed up in a single word COACHING.. We have a new Offensive coordinator who was a loser in Chicago and now he has tunred Joe Flacco into Jay Cuttler in Record Time. We have a defensive Coordinator who does not seem to grasp the concept of attack defense. Just when our defense starts diong good and gives our offense a chance to get ahead and they do so our coordinator decides to change up the defense to a prevent and we get run all over. This EXACT same thing has happened the last four regular season games that we have played including last years loss to the Patriots. I simply cannot believe that we did not make a play to get Dennison last year as OUR OC. Baltimore has a habit of bringing up ne OCs and DCs and then having them go off to head coaching jobs. Dennison could have stayed for that opportunity which he will likley not have in Denver

[whobilly]

First off lets search for the rule book so the players AND coaches know the rules. Why would we challenge the play when Andy Daulton dove head first for a first down? Jimmy Smith motioned to Harbaugh to throw the challenge flag because Daulton's knee touched on the 29 yard line. Harbaugh reacts and throws the flag. Only problem is that when a QB goes head first instead of sliding he is marked down where a defensive player touches him. When a QB slides he is marked at where he starts the sliding motion. If we learn the rules it waill save us a challenge and a timeout in the future.

[thisme007]

We have Bad coaching,and no Leadership..

[jtizzle710]

Time. For. A. New. Defensive. Coordinator.

[BillyD]

Among other things, Wagner and KO had terrible games. Thought these guys were ready to be dominant?

Agree, they had bad games.  I'll go back to the coaching.  Two seasons ago, Rice had a very sub-par season.  Everyone said it was the line, Ray was injured, etc.  Even caled for firing Juan Castillo (which I still think would have been a fantastic idea).  Then, last season, with all the chaos surrounding the offseason issues, Kubiack came in with his zone blocking scheme and it WORKED!  This season, we have the same pieces in place, but a new OC and good ol' Juan "I didn't learn a damn thing from Kubiack" Castillo, and we can't run the ball.  Not exculpating the O line entirely, but if something works, as our running game did last season, DON'T FIX IT.

[BillyD]

I wonder how the Steelers are able to get Bryant (4th round), A. Brown (6th round), Bell (rd 2). Cincy fifth round M. Jones, Bernard and Hill second round. Both teams went after some linemen like Zeitler, Pouncey, DeCastro and linebackers like Shazier and Jones who are starting to pay dividends. Off hand the Ravens got CJ, Gilmore and a slowly deteriorating Wagner and KO. I don't know. Sure these observations are not a hundred percent right but it's the perception of the changing of the guard.

Coaching.  Coaching, coaching, and coaching.  Not many receivers step on the field day one and are just lights out. Maybe Dez and Megatron are a couple that come to mind there. It takes coaching, playing to a player's strengths, formulating an offensive plan that highlights a player's talents.  Our schemes on both sides of the ball are just plain vanilla.  We can't block, which means we can't run, which means we can't run play action.  Joe is constantly running for his life, Steve is catching short, quick, underneath routes and because of pure heart, will, and talent, is able to make something of nothing.  Crockett is the same way, as are the other TEs, it seems.  Seems we've done absolutely nothing on offense to develop Brown and Aiken.  I mean, we throw fades to Steve?  I love Steve, don't get me wrong, but isn't the whole point of a fade to throw the ball up and let your taller, stronger receiver out muscle the defender and catch the ball at its highest point?  Just my 2 cents on that.  And don't get me started on the defensive coaching.  Pees needs to go.

[goldenboldin]

Time for us to fess up to the unfortunate cold hard fact --- these guys are playing up to their potential. And their potential is not good. Undisciplined with penalties. Upshaw, Melvin, Arrington, Webb, Safeties, Aiken. I am shaking my head.

Edited September 28, 2015 by goldenboldin

[goldenboldin]

Someone (unnamed) on this site disagreed with me after the Denver game after I said Trestman's offense was vanilla. I know he's got no deep weapons but some of his third down playcalling was very questionable. I dunno.

[Drew P]

Try searching for better players

[Baller MD]

You know, we talk about how horrible the defense has been in these last two games, but if the offense continues to not show up until the 2nd half or until we've fallen behind by double digits, then we will continue to lose. The defense has in fact kept us in games where we should have been blown out. Yes, the defense needs serious overhauling, and Pees needs to go, but the offense is just as much to blame. These loses are team loses.

[Sammy1000]

I don't see enough talent on the field. Ozzie MUST DRAFT BETTER TALENT. Trade away all picks after 3rd round. Get a couple 1st and 2nd rounders and end our draft early. Trade up a few times next draft to only 1st and 2nd round and stop [profanity deleted] footing around finding diamonds in the rough only to let them walk or trade them away. always leaving the Ravens talentless or full of rookies! STOP IT! This draft was terrible just like last years draft. The games are getting hard to watch. Where is 120 million?? Surely not on this team!

[runcontrol]

I don't see enough talent on the field. Ozzie MUST DRAFT BETTER TALENT. Trade away all picks after 3rd round. Get a couple 1st and 2nd rounders and end our draft early. Trade up a few times next draft to only 1st and 2nd round and stop [profanity deleted] footing around finding diamonds in the rough only to let them walk or trade them away. always leaving the Ravens talentless or full of rookies! STOP IT! This draft was terrible just like last years draft. The games are getting hard to watch. Where is 120 million?? Surely not on this team!

 

Stop watching. 

 

I was going to go into a long explanation about how most of the salary is going to guys like  Flacco and Yanda.  And how  2014 was a really good draft.  But it's kind of pointless. 

 

Just stop watching