[News] Eisenberg: Ravens Trying To Survive Schedule Monster

[BR News]

The early schedule is a bigger problem than thought, and the Ravens are trying to keep it from killing them.

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[A Fish Called Yanda]

This 0-3 start is going to be great for our America's Game episode next September.

[Frank G]

Let's not kid ourselves here, stop trying to live in the past. We are not good this year, not nearly as good as we were last year. Schedule monster? The Raiders? Losing has had nothing to do with the schedule, we are just bad.

I don't want anyone to misunderstand me, I love my Ravens, and still cheer for them every week... but it is what it is this year.

Note: Draft busts like Terrance Brooks, Matt Elam, Arthur Brown, Chykie Brown, etc are starting to catch up with this team.

[The Greek]

below avg. receivers on offense aside from sss and a lack of a pass rush will hurt you every time. vick is licking his lips at this secondary. lets see what this team is made of.

Edited September 29, 2015 by The Greek

[curtis0360]

Hopefully if this losing continues then we can be in position to draft jalen ramsay. Please dont say that the free safety isnt the biggest need, it kept us out of the superbowl last year, and we are 0-3 almost solely because teams exploiting the middle of the field or going over the top 20 or 30 plus yards.

[4th&29]

Well said, Mr Eisenberg, i couldn't agree more. There may be a lot of things to fix on this team, but so far the Ravens have had 4th-quarter leads in every game against very good teams. There may be no margin of error left, but it's only been close games... Some of those close games will fall our way.

Players have to start tightening up, stop doing mistakes late in games and be more efficient, but this team is far from irrelevant. There's plenty of talent and leadership but most of all plenty of tenacity because this what the Ravens are about. Keep grinding! It will pay off. It's not time to jump off the bandwagon, far from it.

[n#7]

They shouldn't be having to "survive" anything since they should at least be 2-1 and potentially 3-0. This Ravens D is a far cry from some of our younger posters Dad's Ravens D. They let McPhee, Williams & Graham go and replaced them with questionable talent. Having said that we must also be patient with the young ones since they're still learning on the fly. But, to date, the horses just aren't there and that falls on the FO's shoulders. The fact that the D can't make even a credible last stand in tight games falls squarely on the D/C's shoulders.

[EliteRavens]

We knew from the beginning that the first few games of the season was going to be rough. The team just NEEDS TO PLAY HARDER and overcome adversity.

[BillyD]

Let's not kid ourselves here, stop trying to live in the past. We are not good this year, not nearly as good as we were last year. Schedule monster? The Raiders? Losing has had nothing to do with the schedule, we are just bad. I don't want anyone to misunderstand me, I love my Ravens, and still cheer for them every week... but it is what it is this year. Note: Draft busts like Terrance Brooks, Matt Elam, Arthur Brown, Chykie Brown, etc are starting to catch up with this team.

We're not bad.  Chicago is bad.  SF is bad.  Heck, Miami is bad.  We are bad in phases which has prevented this team from sealing a victory in the 1st 3 games.  I don't see this team getting blown off the field, and they very well could have been blown off the field in any one of these games if we are as bad as you say we are.  As far as draft busts are concerned, I'll follow up with my normal mantra over the past few seasons...it's coaching.  There's no reason why any of these players haven't or couldn't develop save the LACK of COACHING on DEFENSE.  Period.  The offense, specifically the line, is the same line that allowed Forsett to gain 1200+ yards last season.  Aiken had a few TDs last season, and Marlon Brown had 7 TD grabs in 2013.  These guys can play.  But the offensive scheme is suspect thus far IMO.  Actually, what has kept us in these games overall has been talent, pure and simple.  Have to combine that with a winning formula.  Then we'll be moving in the right direction.

[Zeus]

This 0-3 start is going to be great for our America's Game episode next September.

Yeah, so far its be "great" for sports talk radio

[The Greek]

this team is sloppy all around

[Ravenshine]

3-4 and even 4-3 is very doable. Excellent points.

[The Greek]

these are the players the front office drafted or picked up off the street. they have had several bad picks these past few years and it is showing. we have lost a lot of coaches and maybe some of the position coaches harbs rushed to hire when kubiack took half the offensive coaches with him are not getting through to these players. time for a players only meeting and a coaches only meeting

[steelcityraven]

Pittsburgh is winnable (especialy without big jen). The browns with 3 extra days to prepare (at home) we should win... that puts us at 2-3 and 2-1 in the conference. We then see the woeful 49ers who have talent but are not playing well and could right the ship sending us to 3-3. and 2-1 in the conference. Respectable. I think we would need to still beat the Cards... just to give us confidence moving forward that we can actually beat a good team. This would show growth... and show that the defense can stop a good QB with good WRs - If we can be 4-3 after that game... watch out but if we are 3-4 or worse... I think this may not be our season!

[jpboechat]

We can only hope we reach Arizona as a 3-3 team... Gotta have a winning streak if we want to be competing for the playoffs in November/December. It is possible, we're not a bad team...

[BillyD]

below avg. receivers on offense aside from sss and a lack of a pass rush will hurt you every time. vick is licking his lips at this secondary. lets see what this team is made of.

Our receivers aren't below average.  They have performed well in the past in different schemes.  The lack of a deep threat does limit us.  But then again, New England doesn't really have a deep threat and it doesn't seem to bother them.  This offense (the same pieces we had last season) put up record numbers overall in 2014.  In a different scheme.  As far as pass rush is concernedm pass rush is generated in most cases by good initial secondary play.  You don't just line up and get a pass rush unless you have Suggs and Doom out there together, or Hali and Houston, JJ Watt, or Ware and Miller, guys that can bring it on every down.  I think the secondary scheme working in concert with the pass rush is another area that is not coached or properly schemed by the coaching staff.  We are in the top third of the league in sacks with 7, so I don't buy the theory that we have no pass rush.  We could be better if we had a better scheme overall.  Let me ask you something...does NE have any big name pass rushers?  Who is in their secondary this season?  Can you name someone?  Well, they are tied with the Rams with 13 sacks so far this season.  It's scheme, man.  Our coaches need to prepare better schemes, do a better job of player development and preparation, and our players need to execute better.

[Jim Giampaoli]

Eisenberg, you're alluding to childish phraseology trying to distract us from the obivious. The "schedule monster", really! Sounds like a character out of Sesame Street. Write it like it is. This is serious stuff. Our team is no good this year. It's not the schedule that's killing us. It's the lack of good players from bad drafts and pick ups off the street that have brought us down. Our secondary will continue to be shredded. Both offense and defense are stagnant. No, it's not the schedule. It's our inept coaches and a front office that pulled the castle shades and went for a very long sleep.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Jim Giampaoli

[Purple Dawg 96]

I can't talk down on my Squad and feel they are about to put it together! Should have won in denver and that's it! Should be 1-2 but 0-3 and they can still turn it all around with just one win! LETS GO

[birdseye]

From Eisneberg: "It’s no excuse for losing, of course. Let’s be clear on that. As Bill Parcells said, you are what your record is. The Ravens are winless because their defense can’t protect late leads and their offense is experiencing periodic blackouts, not because of their schedule. If they were good enough, they would have one or two wins by now." This is the only part of this article worth reading. And did I just hear him try to justify our loss to the Raiders by saying that they've improved under Jack Del Rio? WRONG! the raiders are garbage and real teams, like the bengals, anhilliate their trash team because they not talented. Del Rio didn't turn around 20 years of player personnel decisions in 2 years and make them a good team.

[ravens4life86]

Even if the Schedule is a Monster Eisenberg, NO EXCUSES! This team could easily be 3-0 not 0-3. With a couple Defensive Stands last 2Weeks, and a Flacco comeback which fell short in Denver.

NO EXCUSES! They are what their record says they are. These coaches deserve to LOSE their jobs. Harbs and Pees.

I would bet my life, 2 freaking straight weeks these numbnut coaches refused to play BABIN.. That lack of a second pure pass rusher cost us a game or two. BABIN plays one or both of those games and Ravens come up with atleast 1 Win.

He better be playing Thursday.

NO MORE EXCUSES! Everybody plays..if you can help, walk, run, you play. Babin, Perriman even as a decoy limited package... Etc...

NOW OR NEVER!

[whobilly]

Five of the first seven on the road. Four long travel/west coast games combined with playing your biggest division rival Thursday night after playing another division foe on Sunday. I've been watching football a very long time. Can never recall a schedule so brutal to start a season.

[whobilly]

fyi.....Babin is not playing because he has yet to get a grip on the defensive sets.

Not that the guys who are playing have either at this point.....

[whobilly]

Did we ever think 1-3 could feel so good?

[Bob21043]

What's next - "the schedule was picked this way to embarrass the Ravens for beating the Pittsburgh darlings last year in the playoffs?" We just haven't been playing well (on all facets of the game). Even Tucker missed a easy (by his standards) field goal the last game. This has to end fast, or Ravens fans will see a season that many haven't endured for a long time (or ever).

[Barry S]

It's not the schedule this team is suppose to be an excellent road team what happened to that. You got Joe with his big head going around saying I'm elite and signing elite posters on the side lines, hey Joe how about justifying your elite contract with a couple of late game wins. I never did like Dean Pees I thought he was a bad choice as bad as Greg Mattison.

[axisofeeble]

Two winnable games,heck three and either the offense came away with FGs or the defense played ole with wide recievers. Face it,schedule didn't make us 0-3 and Monroe,Perriman and Suggs untried replacement better make us way better or we get some good draft picks next year.

[jravens13]

Lets stop talking about it and work with the hand we were dealt. We are the only winless team in the AFC, but our opponents have tougher schedules later in the year. Just Win!

[reed20fence]

My advice to every receiver not named SSS this week. How about showing up ticked off and aggressive like Old Man Smitty one game, ready to wreck any corner or safety that gets in your way? Even if you aren't as mercurial as Smith, just fake it til you make it for one game and see where it takes you.

[TheConquerorWorm]

NO EXCUSES! They are what their record says they are. These coaches deserve to LOSE their jobs. Harbs and Pees.

I would bet my life, 2 freaking straight weeks these numbnut coaches refused to play BABIN.. That lack of a second pure pass rusher cost us a game or two. BABIN plays one or both of those games and Ravens come up with atleast 1 Win.

 

That's ridiculous. You think a washed up 35 year old DE off the street would help win a game? He had 2 sacks ALL of last year - TWO!!!! That's 1 sack every 8 games..so by my calculation, he won't get a sack until the game against San Diego. That's IF he can even learn the play calls (This has been a problem his ENTIRE career). That's why he's played for 9 different teams in 11 years. I don't think he's as good as Upshaw, Smith or even McClellan at this point. The lack of pass rush has hurt us but Daryl Smith & Kyle Arrignton have been HORRIBLE in zone coverage. And Kendrick Lewis has been atrocious as well. 

 

You can call out Dean Pees all you want but when your LB & Nickle Corner can't cover and your FS can't cover or tackle - it's not going to matter what plays you call.

[RavensBaltimore]

I think too much has been made about the schedule. The Ravens have had a chance to win all 3 games. The "monster" has been a stupid, self inflicted mistake or 2 in each game that has been the difference between 3-0 and 0-3.