[News] Safeties, Secondary Aiming To Find 'Killer Instinct'

[BR News]

Safety Will Hill said the defense needs to ‘stop playing around’ when they get a lead.

View the full article

[whobilly]

Killer Instinct? Killer Instinct???(Jim Mora voice) How about we just start covering, tackling, and show a little heart and pride.

[b93333]

It's gotten to the point where everyone in the stadium knows that in the 4th quarter the Ravens defense will cave in as many times as required to lose the game. How can that be turned around? I would start with a hard look at our draft process which has gone from the best to something akin to the Raiders. If we don't get a handle on this we will be on the bottom looking up for a long time.

[johnmike72]

Yesterday Ryan Mink wrote a article saying it`s Flacco and the O that is losing the games, today Garrett counters with, it`s the D that is the reason. I think they both should put on some boxing gloves and settle it that way. I`ll be rooting for Garrett, cause he is right.

[ellicottraven]

The defense is going to improve because there is talent. However, the same can't be said of our offense. Sorry but that is just the truth.

[ibleedpurpleandblack]

@whobilly - think his comment was more directed at Pees. If you have a lead of 1 score or less you cannot go into a "prevent defense." The only that "prevents" is us from winning.

Offensively and Defensively we have to keep our foot on their throats and stop doing "just enough to win."

[MiamiRaven55]

They have the "Killer Instinct" unfortunately the only thing they're killing is our season......

[RavenzOz]

The secondary is the least plug and play position group on a team. We seriously need to find four good players who can just stay healthy and play as a group for more than a single game, so that they can get a chance to gel as a unit.

 

As much as I wasn't a fan of Carey Williams (his attitude sucked), I'd welcome him back with open arms if he brought Pollard, the 2012 edition of Webb, and Reeeeeeed back with him.

Edited October 16, 2015 by RavenzOz

[Raveninwv]

Well with that news article, we should be 12-4 when all is said and done! Lets hope anyway!

Go Ravens!

[TheConquerorWorm]

The defense is going to improve because there is talent. However, the same can't be said of our offense. Sorry but that is just the truth.

Even with all of the injuries to our skill positions (RB, WR, TE), the Ravens are averaging almost 25 points per game. That's only 1 point less than last year and and on the higher end compared to other seasons. Starting with the play-off game last year in New England, the defense can't close out games, period. Injuries are a major factor (Suggs especially) but also a lack of leadership on defense in the locker room. A player needs to step up and be the vocal guy that holds guys accountable for their misplays. Sounds like Harbaugh and the staff see that too and hopefully Will Hill will step up (see what i did there  ) and be that guy.

Edited October 16, 2015 by TheConquerorWorm

[Prino61]

Killer Instinct huh? ok well lets do a COMBO BREAKER, turn this season around and finish it off with a ULTRA ULTRA ULTRA ULTRA ULTRA ULTRA COMBO...GO RAVENS

Edited October 16, 2015 by Prino61

[Run Pass Pass Punt]

Breakdowns in a few key situations... understatement maybe...

[Fastynart]

Same old song. We have to "get better". That is just garbage excuses for not being able to do the job. We had the same problems last year and no one did a thing about it in the off season. Then, incredulously, the Ravens take a wide receiver in the first round of the draft. This is just nuts. When you score 30 points and lose, your problem isn't wide receivers. I screamed about this loud and long when they did it. Yet I read write up after write up about how great a pick it was. Yeah, it looks real good now, doesn't it?

[trevorsteadman]

I was high on Kendrick Lewis coming here... Now not so much. Apparently Darian Stewart is better than everyone thought. He is now on the best defense in the league playing great football.

[Run Pass Pass Punt]

Even with all of the injuries to our skill positions (RB, WR, TE), the Ravens are averaging almost 25 points per game. That's only 1 point less than last year and and on the higher end compared to other seasons. Starting with the play-off game last year in New England, the defense can't close out games, period. Injuries are a major factor (Suggs especially) but also a lack of leadership on defense in the locker room. A player needs to step up and be the vocal guy that holds guys accountable for their misplays. Sounds like Harbaugh and the staff see that too and hopefully Will Hill will step up (see what i did there  ) and be that guy.

Curious... who would you say is the vocal leader on offense?

[TheConquerorWorm]

Jalen Ramsey

[RavenzOz]

... a lack of leadership on defense in the locker room. A player needs to step up and be the vocal guy that holds guys accountable for their misplays ...

 

Truer words were never spoken Conqueror.  When I look into CJ's eyes, I see nothing but football.  I don't see any BS or anything that stands between him and being a great player and the leader of this D.  I want this kid to get angry at how this season is going, open his mouth, be the leader, be this guy you speak of.

[Nick04263]

The opposing teams need 3 points we give them 7. Want that two point conversion? No problem. That kind of playing around?

[PurpleRainBlackVeins]

What an insult statement that "we have to stop playing around" fans don't spend their hard earned money to watch a defense play around just because they think they're gonna win the game. After such porous play idk how they even have confidence that they can win anything

[trevorsteadman]

I still refer to an article I read a couple years ago.... Play off teams need to score around 24 points a game to be successful. Except the Denver game we have been right around that mark. In my honest opinion the offense is playing well besides the Denver game. The Ravens have the slowest skill position players in the league and they are still putting up an okay amount of points. The defense has failed to close out games and are giving up too many points. To be honest every game but Denver was on the defense. The points were on the board, we were ahead, and the defense lost it and in most cases they lost it several times. Flacco made a lot of game winning point drives if the defense held the last two minutes but then they let up big drives really fast that end up putting us in the loss column. The offense has one of the worst skill position players in the league with Steve Smith, and probably THE worst without him. I am happy we drafted Mosley, Jernigan, and a bunch of other defensive guys who are doing well but it is catching up to us. Those guys need to play better and the Ravens need to sign more speed and try to draft better offensive players. Hopefully Perriman plays well next season and stays healthy because we could have really used him this season.

[balfan23]

" ... we get the lead we think, 'Oh we're going to win'" ...

 

I have no idea what would make anyone on the defense think that. This issue isn't new. We've been struggling at end of games for quite some time and have blown enough leads, it is hard to fathom that would be the attitude. 

 

It seems more likely that they get the lead, the opposition starts moving on them and they say "Oh no, here we go again" and play scared. That's playing not to lose, rather than playing to win.

 

They can talk about it all they want, but I've no idea what it is really going to take for them to turn that around. It seems like we've been talking about the problems a lot, but not changing anything about what happens on the field. 

[MiamiRaven55]

I was high on Kendrick Lewis coming here... Now not so much. Apparently Darian Stewart is better than everyone thought. He is now on the best defense in the league playing great football.

Didn't Pees say in a Training Camp press conference "how  great a communicator Lewis is" but now Hill is saying him and Lewis have to communicate better..... which is it?

 

I'm going to try and find the transcript.......

[trevorsteadman]

What an insult statement that "we have to stop playing around" fans don't spend their hard earned money to watch a defense play around just because they think they're gonna win the game. After such porous play idk how they even have confidence that they can win anything

I don't think he directly meant that. I think he was using it as a figure of speech meaning that they need to be more focused and better disciplined when the game is on the line. No mistakes and make sure everyone does their job.

[trevorsteadman]

Curious... who would you say is the vocal leader on offense?

Flacco doesn't look vocal but you don't have to look vocal to be vocal. It is more of a way you carry yourself through practice. He is a super bowl MVP that has played well with nothing. Also there is Steve Smith Sr. who is both vocal in his actions and actually being vocal. The offense is scoring enough to win games the offense is not the problem. Again how many leads in all the games we have played have we lost in the last 2 minutes? There was probably 3 alone in the Cincinnati game. In the 5 games we have played I wouldn't be surprised if we lost the lead in the last two minutes at least 6 or 7 times. 

[bmorehungrybird]

I don't want to hear anyone going into harbaugh's office, in less it's Pees to get fired!

[salamander]

There are times that the defense looks completely confused getting in to position prior to the play. Ray Lewis was always calling out defensive adjustments at the line of scrimmage but now it appears as though the defense is still uncertain even as the ball is being snapped. Reading the offense accurately, adjusting, communication and decisiveness could be issues resulting in the defense getting burned repeatedly. Also, if the safeties and secondary want to make more plays on the ball, they need to be near enough to the ball to even touch it, much less make a play. They have to stop habitually giving receivers easy, uncontested catches from 5-10 yards away from the action.

Edited October 16, 2015 by salamander

[Bat-mite]

Translate this into other professions:

Nuclear Regulatory Commission: "Why did the power plant melt down?"

Employee: "Well, it was Friday, and things were going well, so everyone just took a nap."

Sheesh.

[PalmBayRaven]

Speed kills and we lack both on offense and defense. Per Bleacher Report the Ravens are slowest team in the NFL. We don't have a shut down corner yet we pay Jimmy Smith as if he was one. Injuries, salary cap, poor draftpicks and there you have the 2015 Ravens. FO is responsible for poor salary cap management and the draftpicks.

[MichaelJ34]

We do look a lot slower than any team in the NFL. And well speed can make up for some fundamental mistakes. Unfortunately with this awful scheme we are too far out of position every play and cant recover cuz we are too slow.

[January J]

Could be way off here but I have a feeling that the secondary is about to find itself and start playing smart football. It's a small feeling. But it's there. I expect some turnovers on Sunday. This maybe our last shot to right the ship. I know we've said that for the last 3 weeks or so, but for real this time. We need guys to step up, stop playing scared and actually go after the ball.