Next Up: Ravens vs Oakland Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium

[BmoreBird22]

2 minutes ago, BOLDnPurPnBlacK said:

Yea most of the damage was done away from Jimmy, but they motioned Brown away from him most of the time to avoid the match up (not so much bc I think they were afraid of the matchup, but, when the only other corner is Chykie why even test Jimmy?).

And i feel like theyve done that most match ups. Brown, in general, hasnt been successful against us. Whatever the reason... 

But, anyways, my point wasnt necessarily to say that Jimmy cant cover a guy like Brown... just that its a more natural and easy matchup with a guy like Crabtree. Watkins 2 catches against Jimmy on the comebacks come to mind... and Sammy's not necessarily the most crafty or sudden route runner in the league, and Jimmy wasnt within 3-5 yards of him.

Of course, id much rather him give that... I just think Wrights a quicker, shifty guy and has the better skill set to work against a guy like Cooper... while Crabtree presents his biggest weakness.

Keep in mind that Watkins is one of the fastest and most explosive receivers in the NFL. Even with a gimpy foot, he's probably got the fastest first step in the NFL. In that case, any corner is going to feel fine giving up an underneath throw for 10 yards instead of giving up the deep ball over the top. That's just a game of respect. I wish I could go back to see the coverage, but Jimmy plays over the top of his man in zone coverages more often than not. He's much more comfortable and natural in man, but we all know that.

Anyway, I've noticed two big weaknesses in Wright's game dating back to last year and through this year. 1. He struggles when he's not on the boundary. He's not a big corner, so it's not as easy for him to move a larger target off their mark, but he's had more success with this than your "shifty, crafty route runners" who can release off the ball. Coleman is extremely fast and has incredible burst off the line that is coupled with excellent release off the line. What happened to Wright? He missed his punch and got pulled off the boundary and struggled. He's really struggled on deep balls in general in these situations where he can't work his man to the sideline. 2. He struggles tracking his man over the middle. He really needs that sideline.

 

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

11 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

 

2 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

Keep in mind that Watkins is one of the fastest and most explosive receivers in the NFL. Even with a gimpy foot, he's probably got the fastest first step in the NFL. In that case, any corner is going to feel fine giving up an underneath throw for 10 yards instead of giving up the deep ball over the top. That's just a game of respect. I wish I could go back to see the coverage, but Jimmy plays over the top of his man in zone coverages more often than not. He's much more comfortable and natural in man, but we all know that.

Anyway, I've noticed two big weaknesses in Wright's game dating back to last year and through this year. 1. He struggles when he's not on the boundary. He's not a big corner, so it's not as easy for him to move a larger target off their mark, but he's had more success with this than your "shifty, crafty route runners" who can release off the ball. Coleman is extremely fast and has incredible burst off the line that is coupled with excellent release off the line. What happened to Wright? He missed his punch and got pulled off the boundary and struggled. He's really struggled on deep balls in general in these situations where he can't work his man to the sideline. 2. He struggles tracking his man over the middle. He really needs that sideline.

 

Fast, as in straight line speed like Watkins and Coleman is not the same thing as shifty, crafty or quick.

Crabtree is fast. Coleman is fast. Watkins is fast. Jimmy is fast. None of them are sudden.

Wright isnt that fast, but he can change direction and break very quickly. Amari isnt fast like those other guys. But he can change direction, shift his weight and get up to his speed.

[Cillmatic]

Really hope we give Judon some snaps. He's been a wrecking ball when he's in.

[Sami84]

7 minutes ago, BOLDnPurPnBlacK said:

Fast, as in straight line speed like Watkins and Coleman is not the same thing as shifty, crafty or quick.

Crabtree is fast. Coleman is fast. Watkins is fast. Jimmy is fast. None of them are sudden.

Wright isnt that fast, but he can change direction and break very quickly. Amari isnt fast like those other guys. But he can change direction, shift his weight and get up to his speed.

 

crabtree isnt that fast..

[BmoreBird22]

5 minutes ago, BOLDnPurPnBlacK said:

Fast, as in straight line speed like Watkins and Coleman is not the same thing as shifty, crafty or quick.

Crabtree is fast. Coleman is fast. Watkins is fast. Jimmy is fast. None of them are sudden.

Wright isnt that fast, but he can change direction and break very quickly. Amari isnt fast like those other guys. But he can change direction, shift his weight and get up to his speed.

I'm gonna have to completely disagree with that sentiment. 

Coleman and Watkins may not be super sudden (Coleman needs some work gearing down from top speed), but they both explode into their breaks with little to no hesitation, making them equally as dangerous as someone who you're classifying as "shifty". Those two just go and before you know it, they're running an entirely different direction without actually losing speed.

Wright is actually decently fast, but he's not someone who I'd want changing direction or breaking on routes because he has shown almost no ability as a Raven to do so. Whether that be due to natural ability or a total lack of route recognition, he's not someone you want allowing an inside release, ever.

[frozen joe flacco fan]

Last year, we shoulda, coulda, woulda won in Oakland. This year, we will win in BMore with a breakout game on offense. The final score will be 31 - 17.

[DenverRaven]

1 hour ago, Cillmatic said:

Really hope the Walking boot on Stanley's leg is just a precaution.

I'm guessing it's the same foot that's been bothering him the last few weeks. Gonna assume he plays at this point. He said it himself, that it would take a lot for him to miss a game.

[BmoreBird22]

I just read an article (poorly written, but still read it) that said that Mack isn't dominating because of two things. 1. The Raiders switched from the 3-4 to 4-3 and Khalil Mack doesn't have the requisite length to play on the defensive line and 2. Even if the Raiders were to switch to the 3-4, Mack doesn't have Mario Edwards. Apparently when Edwards played, Mack recorded 12 of his 15 sacks, but zero int he three weeks after Edwards was out last year.

Really hope this carries over to this Sunday.

[ravensdfan]

We need to come out strong and aggressive on offense this week.

[allblackraven]

51 minutes ago, DenverRaven said:

I'm guessing it's the same foot that's been bothering him the last few weeks. Gonna assume he plays at this point. He said it himself, that it would take a lot for him to miss a game.

It's not entirely up to him. Ravens have big investment to protect.

[Ravenseconbeast]

1 hour ago, Cillmatic said:

Really hope the Walking boot on Stanley's leg is just a precaution.

He has a walking boot...?!

[The Raven]

13 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I just read an article (poorly written, but still read it) that said that Mack isn't dominating because of two things. 1. The Raiders switched from the 3-4 to 4-3 and Khalil Mack doesn't have the requisite length to play on the defensive line and 2. Even if the Raiders were to switch to the 3-4, Mack doesn't have Mario Edwards. Apparently when Edwards played, Mack recorded 12 of his 15 sacks, but zero int he three weeks after Edwards was out last year.

Really hope this carries over to this Sunday.

Not sure if length is the issue -- 6'3 should be long enough.

I think it's size. He's long but he's not big. He's a very finesse rusher. All it takes to beat finesse is technique. Well, and some level of athleticism, but you get the point. Mack is a gift, no doubt. He's a freak and he's disruptive. But his pass rush moves are slightly limited due to his smaller size. I've seen him listed as light as 245. That's just too small for the edge. I mean, Dumervil was a freak at 5'11, but he's heavier and has more pass rush moves. 

Also, with Edwards out, Mack gets extra attention.

[DenverRaven]

4 minutes ago, allblackraven said:

It's not entirely up to him. Ravens have big investment to protect.

No doubt. Guess we'll see on Friday. Really don't want to see Hurst out there this weekend.

[allblackraven]

1 minute ago, DenverRaven said:

No doubt. Guess we'll see on Friday. Really don't want to see Hurst out there this weekend.

Even if Stanley doesn't suit up for this one, I doubt Hurst gets the call. Someone mentioned earlier, it's more likely that Wagner would switch sides, Yanda kick out to RT and Urschel/Jensen line up at G.

[BmoreBird22]

2 minutes ago, The Raven said:

Not sure if length is the issue -- 6'3 should be long enough.

I think it's size. He's long but he's not big. He's a very finesse rusher. All it takes to beat finesse is technique. Well, and some level of athleticism, but you get the point. Mack is a gift, no doubt. He's a freak and he's disruptive. But his pass rush moves are slightly limited due to his smaller size. I've seen him listed as light as 245. That's just too small for the edge. I mean, Dumervil was a freak at 5'11, but he's heavier and has more pass rush moves. 

Also, with Edwards out, Mack gets extra attention.

Edwards being out made the most sense to me because he's a pretty good pass rusher in his own right and without him on that line, you can put the G and T on him and then have a running back to chip if needed. Conversely, when he played SAM, he was seeing a lot of tight ends and that's a lot easier to beat than a G/T combo.

But the author seemed to think that Aldon Smith would be better playing the LEO position in Oakland because he has more length. I really don't know because Smith is only 1" taller and he just looks lean as hell, but he's 265. 

I'm a bit confused, though, as to why the author would think playing DE is a huge issue because he dominated there in college.

[DenverRaven]

4 minutes ago, allblackraven said:

Even if Stanley doesn't suit up for this one, I doubt Hurst gets the call. Someone mentioned earlier, it's more likely that Wagner would switch sides, Yanda kick out to RT and Urschel/Jensen line up at G.

It sure is nice to finally have some depth at OL. Has Wagner ever taken snaps at LT for us?

 

Edited September 28, 2016 by DenverRaven

[The Raven]

3 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

Edwards being out made the most sense to me because he's a pretty good pass rusher in his own right and without him on that line, you can put the G and T on him and then have a running back to chip if needed. Conversely, when he played SAM, he was seeing a lot of tight ends and that's a lot easier to beat than a G/T combo.

But the author seemed to think that Aldon Smith would be better playing the LEO position in Oakland because he has more length. I really don't know because Smith is only 1" taller and he just looks lean as hell, but he's 265. 

I'm a bit confused, though, as to why the author would think playing DE is a huge issue because he dominated there in college.

It's easier in college, in a way, for a DE. College olinemen are bad and getting worse. Blame the spread.

Size also isn't as much of an issue in college. He can get by at 240 in college because some tackles could be as light as 280.

[BmoreBird22]

Just now, The Raven said:

It's easier in college, in a way, for a DE. College olinemen are bad and getting worse. Blame the spread.

Size also isn't as much of an issue in college. He can get by at 240 in college because some tackles could be as light as 280.

Oregon is pretty famous for using those undersized lineman.

Still, it's a confusing move by the Raiders to get away from that 3-4 that worked so well for Mack.

[757RavensFan]

28 minutes ago, Ravenseconbeast said:

He has a walking boot...?!

Yes at practice today.

[HomeoftheBRAVENS]

2 hours ago, BOLDnPurPnBlacK said:

Fast, as in straight line speed like Watkins and Coleman is not the same thing as shifty, crafty or quick.

Crabtree is fast. Coleman is fast. Watkins is fast. Jimmy is fast. None of them are sudden.

Wright isnt that fast, but he can change direction and break very quickly. Amari isnt fast like those other guys. But he can change direction, shift his weight and get up to his speed.

 

Coleman not sudden?Colemans quickness and shiftiness is what makes him special.It's one of the biggest reasons he was drafted in the first round even though people questioned the level of competition he was going up against.

[allblackraven]

1 minute ago, DenverRaven said:

It sure is nice to finally have some depth at OL. Has Wagner ever taken snaps at LT for us?

 

I can't recall but I don't think he has.

[Ravenseconbeast]

4-0 sure sounds good.   What is the statistics on teams going 4-0 that goes to playoffs?  

[HomeoftheBRAVENS]

If we could get a run game going I'd fear not one team in this league.The Oline needs to hurry up and start playing better.I hope Trestman and Harbaugh can hurry up and find an answer.

[allblackraven]

Just now, HomeoftheBRAVENS said:

If we could get a run game going I'd fear not one team in this league.The Oline needs to hurry up and start playing better.I hope Trestman and Harbaugh can hurry up and find an answer.

I don't think it's fair blaming our bad running game on O line alone. As much blame should be put on our backs. Forsett really didn't look like he would do much better even if the line blocked better. West would probably benefit more. It's pretty bad that we collectively pray for injured rookie with 0 NFL carries to line up ASAP. I'd start West on Sunday and give Buck Allen opportunity. What's the worst that can happen?

[PurpleCity5]

On 9/27/2016 at 7:37 PM, DomMcRaven said:

I'm surprised we kept Barnidge in check for the most part. I honestly didn't recognize Hurns for the majority of the game.

I'm not surprised with Flacco's comments tbh. This seems similar to our offense in 2014. I'm giving it 2 more weeks until I'll be concerned or not (Skins defense isn't that great either). If this offense gels and plays just as good as our defense has, this team could make some noise (barring any injuries of course).

Maybe the Skins game might actually be the game where the offense goes off, but it will be concerning soon. Our offense looks like it regressed this year compared to last when you compare the start of the year. I really believe its chemistry issues. The team feels it as well which certainly does sound compelling 

[PurpleCity5]

36 minutes ago, allblackraven said:

I don't think it's fair blaming our bad running game on O line alone. As much blame should be put on our backs. Forsett really didn't look like he would do much better even if the line blocked better. West would probably benefit more. It's pretty bad that we collectively pray for injured rookie with 0 NFL carries to line up ASAP. I'd start West on Sunday and give Buck Allen opportunity. What's the worst that can happen?

Forsett just doesn't make guys miss anymore. Can't even break a tackle like he used to. Regressed heavily in every sense. Can't even do much as a pass catcher, and I just see him as a guy for gives West relief at this point. West hasn't been that much better, but unlike Forsett he coverts on those short runs. 

Edited September 29, 2016 by PurpleCity5

[Rodgers_To_Nelson]

You guys should win this game, its at home against Oakland. Should win easily.

[rossihunter2]

1 hour ago, BmoreBird22 said:

Oregon is pretty famous for using those undersized lineman.

Still, it's a confusing move by the Raiders to get away from that 3-4 that worked so well for Mack.

It's a bit of a misnomer though, Mack was an all pro at both 3-4 olb and 4-3 de last year which suggests they already used both systems successfully

[VermontRaven]

1 hour ago, allblackraven said:

I don't think it's fair blaming our bad running game on O line alone. As much blame should be put on our backs. Forsett really didn't look like he would do much better even if the line blocked better. West would probably benefit more. It's pretty bad that we collectively pray for injured rookie with 0 NFL carries to line up ASAP. I'd start West on Sunday and give Buck Allen opportunity. What's the worst that can happen?

My only concern with this is that I am not sure how good Allen and Dixon are at pass protection....obviously got to protect Joe back there.  We definitely need to find some way to improve though.

[DomMcRaven]

42 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

Maybe the Skins game might actually be the game where the offense goes off, but it will be concerning soon. Our offense looks like it regressed this year compared to last when you compare the start of the year. I really believe its chemistry issues. The team feels it as well which certainly does sound compelling 

About to be Flacco's 4th game off his injury as is SSS and Pitta. Not to mention this is Perriman's 4th NFL game overall and Wallace's 4th game as a Raven. Really hurts that Flacco didn't play until the 3rd preseason game, but it was understandable. One thing's for sure: blocking needs to improve badly. 

32 minutes ago, Rodgers_To_Nelson said:

You guys should win this game, its at home against Oakland. Should win easily.

Key word: should.