The Arthur Brown thread

[Filmstudy]

A big issue for the Ravens' defense is the ease with which other OCs can game plan against it.  They only have one defense for 3+ receivers, and that's a nickel with both ILBs on the field.  Occasionally they have mixed it up with Orr, and 3 ILBs on the field, but in every case:

 

1.  The other teams have linebackers to exploit in coverage

2.  The other teams know the Ravens are far less likely to rush the passer with any of their secondary than if they were playing dime.

3.  Pees is forced to scheme for pressure in other ways that compromise the hot reads in particular (like showing the double A blitz)

 

The Ravens have played zero defensive snaps this season with 6+ DBs on the field (only 8 last year, so the tendency was known).  Pees has said that it's a matter of personnel, and I sympathize with the predicament, but virtually every dime defense ever has had substitution of specialists for what are better defensive football players on 1st and 10.

 

To put that last statement in some perspective, can you recall the 3 Ravens DBs from 2000 who made up the nickel, dime, and quarter additions to the base 4 (Starks, McAlister, Woodson, Herring)?  While you're thinking, do you suppose they were better football players than Siragusa, Adams, and Sharper?

 

They were not, of course, and each was a journeyman playing in their 8th, 9th, and 10th seasons respectively (see names at bottom).

 

Back to Brown.  His big asset is speed and he would be a solid choice for a LB who can provide flexibility to rush or cover if the Ravens continue to play nickel.  If the Ravens move to a 3-man front with 2 ILBs and 6 DBs, then I think any pair among Brown, Mosley, and Smith could provide flexibility to cover or rush the passer.

 

The 3 Ravens DBs who were on the field in the quarter (7DB) alignments in 2000 were Trapp, Harris, and Robert Bailey.  Lewis ran the quarter 55 times during the regular season and it produced 9 turnovers on those plays.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Filmstudy

[Militant X 1]

Interesting contribution to the Arthur Brown thread, but I'll bet he enjoys playing us. He has a lot of friends on this team, so it's probably nice to get to see them all again during the season.

 

Don't really know how this got here.  I must have been reading the Jones thread, watching tv at the same time and then clicking over to this thread with the Jones thought in my head and posted it!  So much for multi-tasking!