[News] Cornerback Jimmy Smith's Confidence Not Shaken After Bengals

[BR News]

The issues in the secondary can be fixed, and teammates expressed confidence in the cornerback.

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[Drew P]

They said that last year

[stixfix69]

SO....What does it tell you when teams are going after your number 1 CB???

[stevenap]

Smith%u2019s strength as a press cornerback makes him different from many players in the league, but he explained why it%u2019s not realistic for him to play press coverage every single down.

%u201CIt%u2019s almost impossible, because there are just teams%u2019 motion and stacks and bunches, and they%u2019re just not going to let you do what you do best all the time,%u201D he said.

This defense looks out of position most of the time. Time for some serious self scouting by our defensive couching staff.

[DenverRaven]

He's obviously not 100%. But, neither is the game-planning.

[Purple Dawg 96]

No one on Defense should be fazed they doing their job Offense gotta put some points on the board PERIOD! Learning Trestman offense is probably what's holding the Ravens back now it's gonna come together maybe Thursday night but it's coming!

[EliteRavens]

Jimmy, as a leader in the secondary, you need to step up.

[metalraven]

Well what's it going to take? Another game where your man torches the crap outta you for 200 yards? Try not biting on every freaking double move! I saw your hips get turned over and over, and your butt got caught. You got destroyed repeatedly. Fix your fundamentals and try some press coverage instead of a 40 yard cushion.

[fusuymada]

With Suggs and Dumervil we were able to generate pressure with only 4 guys rushing. We no longer can do that so to keep from allowing the QB 10 to 15 seconds to pick out a receiver, which will get open in that time frame, Pees has to blitz. When Jimmy and Kendrick Lewis got beat, they were man on man with one of the best WR in the league. There is a thin line to walk between generating sufficient pressure and keeping enough guys back to give help. With having Webb and Smith out last year, Hill served an 8 game suspension and Kendrick Lewis is new. These guys are still learning each other. Just like the offense is coming around, I expect our defense to come around as well and we have always been a late season team that is thriving when we hit the playoffs (which is why we always win at least one game). Though I may believe our receivers (except SSS)are not ready for prime time yet I think our D backs still need some time to work out communications, coverage and pass rush issues.

[merryjman]

Smith did a pretty good job shutting down AJ Green in the first half of the game, but the Bengals made halftime adjustments to ensure that Jimmy couldn't press him all the time, or sometimes not even be the one to line up opposite him. See e.g. the 80-yard touchdown where AJ was lined up in the slot and had a safety covering him. That wasn't Jimmy's fault (he was outside on Jones and covered him well) - it was Kendrick Lewis who got torched. The missed tackle, on the other hand - that was on 22.

And this is a theme I keep seeing with the Ravens, both this year and last - other teams make second-half adjustments, and all of a sudden our defense starts giving up big plays. And Pees doesn't seem to be able to re-adjust. It's times like this we really miss vets like 52 and 20, who could act as assistant defensive coordinators.

[stixfix69]

J.Smith is a vet, he knows better to give AJ or cooper the cushions he gave them in both games....No excuse for it, wiley vets know you have to at some point jam them....The score after we took the lead was sickening, not just the wide open catch, but the badly missed tackles....If you believe you're a number 1 shutdown CB you have to be aggressive, and jam these WR's, and stop playing scared....JMO.....

[Ravensfansince03]

Looked to me like the safeties weren't doing their job.

[Ravensfansince03]

Damn I miss the work ethic that Ray Lewis & Ed Reed gave to this defense.

[kmspears65]

Everyone has a down day, it is called being human. True fans are the ones who continue to be so even when the chips are down.

[Ravensfansince03]

Our young defenders have to keep their minds focused. I know that most of them probably grew up as Vick fans, they can't lose the focus in this game. And remember what they are fighting for. Ray Lewis always said it is personal and I really believe that.

[Raven_Don]

Jimmy will be fine... I have a good feeling about Thursdays game... Webbie looks good... Arrington has struggled but he was put in a bad position... he shouldn't be on the outside... Let him stay in the slot... Melvin should rust... you got to remember he hasn't played in a month... then got thrown into the fire... I believe its more from a scheme standpoint... the Safeties have to communicate with each other better... they will be better...

[birdseye]

I'm glad Downing has officially declared that "the problems in the secondary can be fixed" in the subtitle, NOW i feel better. This staff has talked up the ravens so much this summer that I can't take anything they say serious. Mink every year thinks Flacco will become Tom Brady, they never point out how flacco has missed TON's of opportunities to win us games already! I forget which one (either Mink or Downing) said Kendrick Lewis was the best free ranging safety we've had since Ed Reed. He also could've phrased that sentence: Kendrick Lewis is very mediocre football player, but the ravens secondary has been filled with mediocrity since Reed left, so he will continue the trend of allowing big plays in the most crucial times. This staff has pretty much successfully brainwashed readers of this site (myself included) into thinking that the Ravens never mess up. They are employees so its not surprising but what kind of reporting world do we wlive in where reporters are scared to ask the tough questions and aren't allowed to write articles that point out the mistakes made by this team. Let me just go down the list:

- Cut Jacoby Jones: didn't save a lot of money anyways, and now we dont have a returner.or a speed WR to stretch defenses, Yeah he dropped a lot of passes but at least he could physically get open, something our WR's 2-7 cant do.

- Add Kendrick Lewis: Darian Stewart has looked like Ronnie Lott compared to Lewis this season, Lewis has been pretty bad all around.

- Add Kyle Arrington: Bring in a defender, The savior of our cornerback corps, who was just benched by the Patriots and then cut even after they released their 2 best cornerbacks. He hasn't provided any noticeable difference

- Draft Perriman: Apparently the other teams in the draft took him off their board because he has a pretty bad case of recurring osgood schlatters disease (he re-aggravated his knee in non-contact WARM-UPs this weekend) and our track record of drafting receivers indicates that this will also be a bust.

I praise Ozzie to no end when I feel he did good work, and I'll rip him when he fails. He FAILED this off season. I'm a little worried about the future. Next year we lose SSS, probably either KO or Yanda, potentially Suggs too. Our secondary is what it is... not good enough. We have a lot of holes in this roster that were supposed to be rock solid. Hope Ozzie can regain his form next offseason. I'm not throwing in the towel, I'll continue to scream until i'm blue in the face on sundays mondays and thursdays but I'm also going to be realistic. Lets just worry about playing better in general; we look like a bad team with talent that can't get out of their own way.

[Nexttime]

Hindsight is 20/20; McPhee has 16 tackles and two sacks. Possibly a FO miss to prioritize signing an injured, possibly questionable J Smith over P McPhee.

[BillyD]

Smith did a pretty good job shutting down AJ Green in the first half of the game, but the Bengals made halftime adjustments to ensure that Jimmy couldn't press him all the time, or sometimes not even be the one to line up opposite him. See e.g. the 80-yard touchdown where AJ was lined up in the slot and had a safety covering him. That wasn't Jimmy's fault (he was outside on Jones and covered him well) - it was Kendrick Lewis who got torched. The missed tackle, on the other hand - that was on 22.

And this is a theme I keep seeing with the Ravens, both this year and last - other teams make second-half adjustments, and all of a sudden our defense starts giving up big plays. And Pees doesn't seem to be able to re-adjust. It's times like this we really miss vets like 52 and 20, who could act as assistant defensive coordinators.

@merryjman, I couldn't agree more with this entire post.  You are spot on.  There's a lot of tap dancing going on as far as explaining the issues, but to me they are obvious, and you hit them all.  First, when an opponent makes an adjustment, we somehow don't have an answer, as if the coaches haven't taught these players to make those adjustments on the field.  And you're absolutely correct, specifically speaking of #52 and #20, who were in the chess match with QBs until the ball was snapped, adjusting defensively to the offensive pre-snap adjustments.  They bailed Pees out many a time in 2012.  Without them in 2013, our secondary was not good.  In 2014, it was even worse.  At the end of the day, the coaches have to prepare the players to play.  Our players are good, but obvioiusly not properly prepared.

[johnmike72]

I thought they already fixed the secondary...guess not.

[Prino61]

No one on Defense should be fazed they doing their job Offense gotta put some points on the board PERIOD! Learning Trestman offense is probably what's holding the Ravens back now it's gonna come together maybe Thursday night but it's coming!

how are they doing their job? We gave up 28 points to Cincy and 37 to Oakland yet you blame the offense. The last two game are on the defense. 227 yards to one WR, yes i said 227.............. 227 wow

[LunarRover]

i seriously cannot believe that someone on here said that we should stop calling out the defense, they are doing their job, and that the offense is to blame for not putting up points. They must think this is a basketball game or something. Or maybe dont even watch and understand football. must be a troll because from what i see, and i think that most the real fans here would say the contrary. The offense, while dismal in the first half, set a bad trend for the defense, did in fact rally this entire team back into contention and put us in a position (twice i might add) to win this game. just seems like every time the offense answers to provide a lead...the def blows it with a huge play or lack thereof. It sickens me that we are seeing this kind of output because we just arent used to seeing this. I feel for the guys on the team and the guilt they must have right now. But in the end, that is what will make them better as individuals and as a team. wouldnt it be great to see them find a way to make it happen. Look at NE. Honestly a team full of no names (except Gronk and Brady) and they are playing like they are chock full of probowlers. We need to find a deep threat to open the playbook like now. Why not throw Waller in there and give him a chance? why are we full of possession wrs? Smith Sr will dry up or be injured by midseason at this pace. the deep threat lacking has already destroyed our running game and playaction and 3rd and Long will be this seasons mantra if we dont get someone out there.

[BillyD]

What's interesting in all of this and really gets lost because of the outcome of the game is the fact that Cincy's supposedly vaunted secondary wasn't all that impressive either, considering EVERYONE in the stadium knew the only option on offense was Steve and they still not only allowed him to catch the ball, but couldn't tackle him either. In 2 seasons with us, Steve has made the Bengals secondary look like children (LOOKING AT YOU, PACMAN).

As frustrating as this start is for us, this team is not done. Everyone that is punching Cincy's ticket to a Division title is way too premature, just as those writing off the Ravens are speaking way too soon. We are one stop and one score in each of these games from being 3-0. It is frustrating, damn unacceptable the way these games shook out. I just hope Harbs gets the OC and the DC motivated to make the necessary adjustments, and hope our guys start doing their jobs. If that happens, we'll be in the mix when January rolls around.

[Zeus]

bla bla bla - yeah yeah we'll get better i study hard and yet I got beat all day long

[Bob21043]

Here's hoping that the Colts bomb this year and Pagano becomes available to be our DC next year!

[The Greek]

all 4 phases of this team need improvement the 4th being the coaching staff

[OzzieBisciotti]

We should not have let Corey Graham go.

[geaux_ravens]

Did anyone watch Monday night football postgame game and Ray Lewis was talking about defenses in general , but was indirectly talking to the Ravens.

[ravens4life86]

Enough excuses. Babin better be booted and suited Thursday. He should a been for 2weeks now. Dean Pees defense isnt so complex Babin can Rush the Passer. The one thing hes great at. The one thing We surely need on defense a PASS RUSH!!! Babin better play. Its now or Never Time. No more excuses. Perriman better play, limited snaps as a decoy anything.. No more time to rest on your lurals.

Everybody must play, if you can walk, play

[Ravenshine]

I have confidence in Jimmy Smith too, seen him make many, many great plays. On to next game. Head high.