Path to the playoffs.

[VermontRaven]

1 minute ago, VermontRaven said:

At this point, a BIlls loss vs. a Bengals loss by the Steelers are equally as helpful.  In all scenarios, barring any tied games, we hold the tiebreaker over PItt.  I broke this down in an earlier post.

Here it is:

On 12/5/2016 at 6:08 AM, VermontRaven said:

We win the common games tiebreak, so the tiebreakers go no further than that. 

Furthermore, doesn't look like division record will come into play either.

Because in order for that to happen, if we  lose to Pitt and 1 other (even vs Bengals)--Pitt has to beat us and lose 2 others (2 of other 3 of their remaining games are vs division--Bills, Bengals, Browns)...both finish at 9-7 with 4-2 div record

OR

we beat Pats Eagles and Bengals while Pitt drops just 1 (let's say vs Bills)--then we both end up 10-6 and 5-1 in division.

So-basically if we end up tied-we will win division

[OUravensfan]

Stressful! Race to the finish, even the Bengals have a chance. 

Im sure this is me reading into it too much but I'm hoping Cincinnati beats Cleveland so they go all out with playoff hopes still alive against Pitt, furthermore, Burfict and that D hate them so they should be playing hard, games in cinci too but their fan support sucks so that will be a 50/50 crowd, maybe even more Steeler fans than Bengal fans. 

Cleveland with RG3 starting and at 0-15 will be playing desperate that last game, I want them 0-15 with RG3 starting that game lol. 

We also want to clinch or have Cincy eliminated before we play them. 

[OUravensfan]

Watching MNF will be a lot less stressful if the Bills can pull out a win 

[PurpleCity5]

5 hours ago, VermontRaven said:

At this point, a BIlls loss vs. a Bengals loss by the Steelers are equally as helpful.  In all scenarios, barring any tied games, we hold the tiebreaker over PItt.  I broke this down in an earlier post.

A Bengals loss is still highly preferred IMO, it would shoulder the load a ton on the Bal-Pit game under the assumption we're on pace to finish the same record, take care of Cincy and we're in. 

[VermontRaven]

1 minute ago, PurpleCity5 said:

A Bengals loss is still highly preferred IMO, it would shoulder the load a ton on the Bal-Pit game under the assumption we're on pace to finish the same record, take care of Cincy and we're in. 

For the Ravens playoff chances a Steelers loss to Bills = Steelers loss to Bengals.

Examples:  Steelers lose to Bills OR Bengals, Ravens beat Pats and Eagles. Ravens would only need to wiN @ Pitt OR @ Cincy because either way we hold tiebreak over Pitt.

[January J]

22 hours ago, PurpleCity5 said:

What happens in Bill-Steelers certainly matters as well. I would highly prefer a loss against the Bengals though. 

 

22 hours ago, VermontRaven said:

At this point, a BIlls loss vs. a Bengals loss by the Steelers are equally as helpful.  In all scenarios, barring any tied games, we hold the tiebreaker over PItt.  I broke this down in an earlier post.

How about they lose both!

[VermontRaven]

30 minutes ago, January J said:

 

How about they lose both!

I like the sounds of that!  I have said before my "dream scenario" is us beating Pats and Eagles and Steelers losing to Bills and Bengals.  Then, we have the division wrapped up before Christmas and a chance to end any playoff hopes for the Steelers on Christmas Day!

[Sherly_Tebow]

1 hour ago, VermontRaven said:

I like the sounds of that!  I have said before my "dream scenario" is us beating Pats and Eagles and Steelers losing to Bills and Bengals.  Then, we have the division wrapped up before Christmas and a chance to end any playoff hopes for the Steelers on Christmas Day!

That would be a thing of beauty. At worst, I want a 1 game lead going in to Pittsburgh. That way we only have to win 1 of our last 2 to win the division.

[Gtown Purple]

Really hoping a desperate bills team mans up this sunday.

[PurpleCity5]

To be honest with you, I would hate to have to play the Denver Broncos in the wild card. That would suck. 

[hereweare]

4 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

To be honest with you, I would hate to have to play the Denver Broncos in the wild card. That would suck. 

I think our defense would dominate Seiman and there below avg run game? 18points probably wins that game

[VermontRaven]

7 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

To be honest with you, I would hate to have to play the Denver Broncos in the wild card. That would suck. 

At this point, I'm not picky...I just want us to get in the tournament!

[Willbacker]

18 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

To be honest with you, I would hate to have to play the Denver Broncos in the wild card. That would suck. 

Idk. We went thru Denver both times we won the SB. Could be what the doctor ordered.

[usmccharles]

3 minutes ago, Willbacker said:

Idk. We went thru Denver both times we won the SB. Could be what the doctor ordered.

Id rather see Denver than Oakland, that's for sure. 

[Willbacker]

3 minutes ago, usmccharles said:

Id rather see Denver than Oakland, that's for sure. 

Or KC.

[PurpleCity5]

14 minutes ago, Willbacker said:

Idk. We went thru Denver both times we won the SB. Could be what the doctor ordered.

Denver is a playoff team IMO. They'll come into this game with that experience, and personnel on defense and say what you want about the QB but Peyton wasn't so great when they won the SB. I would much rather play Oak or KC to be honest with you. 

[Willbacker]

4 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

Denver is a playoff team IMO. They'll come into this game with that experience, and personnel on defense and say what you want about the QB but Peyton wasn't so great when they won the SB. I would much rather play Oak or KC to be honest with you. 

Not me. I believe we match up very well with their offense and altho I think Wade Phillips is the best DC in the league they're not as dominant as last year on defense. Don't underestimate the QB situation here that knocks that experience level down quite a few notches. KC believe it or not scares me the most.

[January J]

1 hour ago, PurpleCity5 said:

To be honest with you, I would hate to have to play the Denver Broncos in the wild card. That would suck. 

I'd rather see Denver than anybody. Honestly i think there's a chance they miss the playoffs all together.

[OUravensfan]

If we make the playoffs we're winning the Super Bowl, bold prediction.

[JoeyFlex5]

2 hours ago, PurpleCity5 said:

To be honest with you, I would hate to have to play the Denver Broncos in the wild card. That would suck. 

Their offense would get crushed by us. Id be surprised if they reached 200 yards. Siemian would be in way over his head.

[OUravensfan]

47 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Their offense would get crushed by us. Id be surprised if they reached 200 yards. Siemian would be in way over his head.

Seems like we should have that game in hand, I wouldn't want to fall behind against their defense though, that's for sure. Doesn't seem like Denver and us making the playoffs is compatible if we don't win the division.

Edited December 9, 2016 by OUravensfan

[Gtown Purple]

I don't care who we play, just get to the playoffs. A much better year than 5-11. If we do this year is a success regardless of how far we go.

[PurpleCity5]

10 hours ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Their offense would get crushed by us. Id be surprised if they reached 200 yards. Siemian would be in way over his head.

Outside of the Miami game, our offense hasn't preformed well. I know our QB turns it up in the playoffs but I seriously believe Denver's defense is a huge problem if our offense shows up the way they have all season. You can talk about their offense but outside of the Miami game, ours hasn't been all that great either. 

 

11 hours ago, Willbacker said:

Not me. I believe we match up very well with their offense and altho I think Wade Phillips is the best DC in the league they're not as dominant as last year on defense. Don't underestimate the QB situation here that knocks that experience level down quite a few notches. KC believe it or not scares me the most.

QB situation wise, they are not in a much worse situation honestly. They actually have a guy who can throw down the field. On defense they absolutely terrify me, Chris Harris Jr is absolutely balling and if Aqib Talib plays up to par then combined with the pass rush then they'll be a serious hurdle. Peyton really had the advantage over Brock with his ability to make adjustments at the LOS, outside of that he didn't do a whole lot for them.

As far as KC goes, they're a scary team but we match up much better against them. Vulnerable defense and offensively they're not impressive. We could shut that offense down IMO and we can certainly beat their defense. 

11 hours ago, January J said:

I'd rather see Denver than anybody. Honestly i think there's a chance they miss the playoffs all together.

You would rather see Denver than Oakland? I don't know, we were very close to beating Oakland last time. I know the Raiders are a good team but their defense is in shambles right now and against playoff Joe that could be a good one for us. I don't know if our defense can beat them down but Carr just hasn't looked right since that finger injury, in cold conditions in a playoff game for a young and inexperienced team it could be a tough one. I think Oakland is good and I definitely would not sleep on them but I like that one a bit better. 

Edited December 10, 2016 by PurpleCity5

[RaineV1]

10 hours ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Their offense would get crushed by us. Id be surprised if they reached 200 yards. Siemian would be in way over his head.

I could see it being one of those 13-10 final score types of games. Thankfully we have Tucker who can win a kicker's duel against pretty much anyone.

I think Denver would probably be the Ravens' best chance of getting past the first round.

[JoeyFlex5]

28 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

Outside of the Miami game, our offense hasn't preformed well. I know our QB turns it up in the playoffs but I seriously believe Denver's defense is a huge problem if our offense shows up the way they have all season. You can talk about their offense but outside of the Miami game, ours hasn't been all that great either. 

 

QB situation wise, they are not in a much worse situation honestly. They actually have a guy who can throw down the field. On defense they absolutely terrify me, Chris Harris Jr is absolutely balling and if Aqib Talib plays up to par then combined with the pass rush then they'll be a serious hurdle. Peyton really had the advantage over Brock with his ability to make adjustments at the LOS, outside of that he didn't do a whole lot for them.

As far as KC goes, they're a scary team but we match up much better against them. Vulnerable defense and offensively they're not impressive. We could shut that offense down IMO and we can certainly beat their defense. 

You would rather see Denver than Oakland? I don't know, we were very close to beating Oakland last time. I know the Raiders are a good team but their defense is in shambles right now and against playoff Joe that could be a good one for us. I don't know if our defense can beat them down but Carr just hasn't looked right since that finger injury, in cold conditions in a playoff game for a young and inexperienced team it could be a tough one. I think Oakland is good and I definitely would not sleep on them but I like that one a bit better. 

the way our tackles are playing i think we could do well limiting their pass rush, we wont stop it but their strength is definitely on the outsides and the same goes for our OL, if stanley and wagner are playing as well as theyre capable of then it should be a fair match, and they are also 27th in rush D and call me crazy but i think our run game is better than advertised, we dont commit to it but our backs break off 10 yard chunks left and right and both of them make tacklers miss/fail pretty often, with the current unit we have playing better than any OL combination weve had this year they could gel with more games under their belts and our run game could get going, which i think is gonna happen. 

also, for KC, they scare me. they may be the hottest team in the league, tyreek hill and travis kelce are playing like absolute madmen right now, and i think alex smith is a better qb than given credit for, and could give us fits, he moves around very well behind the line and makes good decisions, he avoids sacks, he keeps his eyes downfield, he doesnt turn it over often, and he gets the ball out super quick and accurate, hes also been standing strong in the pocket lately when needed and taking shots while delivering good throws, our secondary would be all alone facing KC because our pass rush likely wont do them many favors.

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

Alex Smith is a bonafida game manager who will never win a SB. He's not that good. Cheifs may be hot, but they won't get too far if they have to play a New England or Pitsburgh in the playoffs. Their edge rushers scare me, and Marcus Peters and Eric Berry are good players, but honestly I'm not too afraid of them. Only thing about their offense that scares me is Kelce as he's a matchup nightmare. They have a good defense but ours is better. If our offense continues to get better as time goes on, we can beat them. 

 

Tom Brady and Ben scare me. Alex Smith doesn't at all

[JoeyFlex5]

22 minutes ago, LosT_in_TranSlatioN said:

Alex Smith is a bonafida game manager who will never win a SB. He's not that good. Cheifs may be hot, but they won't get too far if they have to play a New England or Pitsburgh in the playoffs. Their edge rushers scare me, and Marcus Peters and Eric Berry are good players, but honestly I'm not too afraid of them. Only thing about their offense that scares me is Kelce as he's a matchup nightmare. They have a good defense but ours is better. If our offense continues to get better as time goes on, we can beat them. 

 

Tom Brady and Ben scare me. Alex Smith doesn't at all

i dont think "scares me" was the right term, but i think hes a sleeper to give some teams fits. hes been playing very well lately and he has those little veteran qualities that sometimes give the ravens trouble. the main concern is the way he avoids sacks but keeps his eyes downfield. smith doesnt scare me, BUT he and kelce combined do, and smiths play style plays a part in why kelce scares me, those 2 could be moving a lot of chains in the near future

[PurpleCity5]

13 hours ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

the way our tackles are playing i think we could do well limiting their pass rush, we wont stop it but their strength is definitely on the outsides and the same goes for our OL, if stanley and wagner are playing as well as theyre capable of then it should be a fair match, and they are also 27th in rush D and call me crazy but i think our run game is better than advertised, we dont commit to it but our backs break off 10 yard chunks left and right and both of them make tacklers miss/fail pretty often, with the current unit we have playing better than any OL combination weve had this year they could gel with more games under their belts and our run game could get going, which i think is gonna happen. 

also, for KC, they scare me. they may be the hottest team in the league, tyreek hill and travis kelce are playing like absolute madmen right now, and i think alex smith is a better qb than given credit for, and could give us fits, he moves around very well behind the line and makes good decisions, he avoids sacks, he keeps his eyes downfield, he doesnt turn it over often, and he gets the ball out super quick and accurate, hes also been standing strong in the pocket lately when needed and taking shots while delivering good throws, our secondary would be all alone facing KC because our pass rush likely wont do them many favors.

I know Stanley has been improving and playing well but DeMarcus Ware or Von Miller is no easy task to handle, that's not even a test for Stanley, that's an uphill battle, I don't even know if Wagner can handle Miller all by himself either. That's something serious for Stanley. 

As far as their run game vs our run D goes, It's a good place to take control of but there are times when we play weak run teams and we don't run that effectively.

I know their QB situation isn't great, but his WRs get open, that's something to be afraid of when looking at their offense. 

In K.C's case, if you look at that offense, outside of Kelce, I don't think the WRs on that team are capable of tearing our secondary to shreds. Tyreek Hill is a play-maker but he's not a WR you should depend on to be responsible to handle the work load of your passing game. Nor is he a guy I would believe to be someone who will get behind our defense and beat #1 CBs like Jimmy Smith over and over. 

The passing attack is of no threat there, seriously. Alex Smith career high in passing totals is 3,400 and 20TDs since arriving in K.C. I don't think he's better than given credit for, I don't see a whole lot that's impressive from Alex Smith honestly. 

In Kelce's case, dude is a monster, not much to say there. Again, if there was a much more threatening passing offense than I would be very concerned.

On defense they're very vulnerable. There were two instances in which Amari Cooper was left wide open for a lay up TD but the delivery on the pass was so bad that he couldn't get to it. Marcus Peters is good but he's made his fair share of mistakes and has been beaten plenty of times this year and continues to take risks that burn him. They don't have a good run D either coming in at 29th overall. 

They keep winning and I'll give them credit, they're SB contenders for sure and can certainly make it, but they won't be there unless Alex Smith turns it up because if not then they're not getting there. 

In terms of who I would rather plays, its vs Oak, KC, Den, NE in that order. If we're talking about having to travel to either one of those places then its the same order for me regardless, Denver is hard to beat at home. 

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

I actually wouldn't mind facing Oakland. 

Explosive offense, very young team with no playoff experience. 

Not the typical recipe for playoff success. They look like a one and done to me. They'll be good in the future but I feel like this is the year they lose and learn the valuable lessons that help them in the future. 

 

They've had to win too many come from behind games. The Luck runs out come playoff time. Kinda feel the same about KC. 

They were the hottest team going into the playoffs last year too. Didn't do jack. They've been living off miracle finishes too. 

And as good a HC as Reid is... he comes up short in the playoffs. Always has. 

 

Id prob take either of them over Denver. But at this point I'd just be happy to get to the dance. 

[JoeyFlex5]

Looks like we need to stop hoping the Steelers lose, and just go out there and play like real contenders and win out.