[News] Late For Work 12/13: Seven Takeaways From Monday Night, Including Ravens' Playoff Path

[FloridalovesRavens]

Yes they stunk. On to the next game. I'm sure they feel worse then we do. Just too inconsistent. Lots to improve on in the future.

[whobilly]

If we win vs PHILLY and PITTSBURGH...we will beat the Bengals who will have packed their tents and called it a season by week 16. We just have to win this week. We have owned the sqeelers lately a winning 4 straight and 6 of the last 8. Denver has a rough schedule ahead with the PATs, Chiefs and OAK. Pittsburgh has all divisional games left and all rivalry games left. They could drop 1 or 2 for sure. The Dolphins are done without Tannehill. Our road to the playoffs is still as legit as many. Even a wild card is no longer out of the questions for us. (if not winning the division)

Pretty big "IF" for a very mediocre team.

[PersianRaven]

The Patriots have revealed a very simple formula imo to help the Eagles, Steelers and Bengals to destroy the Ravens and ruin their playoff hopes:

 

Ravens offensive explosion against the Dolphins was an aberration.  Disregard what you saw there.

Stop the run.

Eliminate Pitta from their game plan all together.

Only rush 3 and drop 8 defenders back in various coverages.

Joe is "Mr. Checkdown!"  Expect the dink and donk garbage and that he'll only throw 4 yards when 8 yards are needed for a 1st down.

Bring the house on 3rd downs because the O-line can't pick up the blitz and Joe is easily shell-shocked.

Defense comes out fast and furious but wears down by the middle of the 2nd quarter.  No pass rush after that.

Ravens put LB's on RB's out wide so look to exploit that when possible.

Ravens CB's are mediocre and give at least 10 yards cushion.  Slant'em up for big gains!!

Establish your run game to get the safeties to "bite" on the PA for an easy deep throw over the top for a TD

Kick the ball anywhere near Hester and he won't catch it.  He'll just watch it hit the ground and roll in your favor.

Don't worry about the Ravens "sense of urgency" either because they don't have one.

 

 

well-said!! Sad, but I agree wholeheartedly!

[FloridalovesRavens]

For some fans it is so much more fun to post when the Ravens lose. Hopefully one day they will get just as much pleasure in posting after their winning games. I'm not saying this team is great by any stretch but good grief people. How would you like being a Browns or 49ers fan instead.

Sorry to admit we may not win one game much less three. The team is certainly disjointed. That being said I do not believe they will give up and will continue to try to better themselves the rest of the way.

Fans should show up for our last home game regardless of how they feel. The Ravens need all the support they can get.

Go Ravens!

[PersianRaven]

We are down 10 with 5 mins to go and the offense just walking to the Line of Scrimmage like they are walking on Champs-Élysées. All year long I have heard the commentators saying: The Ravens are taking too much time to get set. Are we aware that we are not disciplined? Come on man! That's getting old

[Bat-mite]

57 minutes ago, Militant X 1 said:

Kick the ball anywhere near Hester and he won't catch it.  He'll just watch it hit the ground and roll in your favor.

Well, Hester won't be catching anything anymore.  HE GONE!

Can Campanaro stay healthy?  Can he last three games and a playoff run?

[surfdude]

Here are my 7 takeaways on the Ravens this season:

1. Offense is very vanilla. They have 2 good backs , a good TE , 2 good move the chain receivers , 2 speed receivers. why so vanilla ???

2. O Line does NOT run block well at all.

3. Flacco is a robot. No change in cadence. No pump fake. No looking off receivers. No urgency. Basic QB play .

4. 2nd in the league in penalties. Not good at all.

5. No pressure on opposing QBs.

6. No return game on punts

7. Bad coaching on all levels.

Equals an 8 - 8 season and no playoffs.

Sad because this team has talent.

[leziRav]

  1 hour ago, Militant X 1 said:

Kick the ball anywhere near Hester and he won't catch it.  He'll just watch it hit the ground and roll in your favor.

Well, Hester won't be catching anything anymore.  HE GONE!

Can Campanaro stay healthy?  Can he last three games and a playoff run?

Campanaro is not a good returner. He will just be decent, maybe calling for fair catch. I hope we get a dangerous returner in the offseason. Maybe Reynolds will be one. I don't have faith on Campanaro.

[callahan09]

"“Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg seems to have designs on emulating Jim Bob Cooter's success with a short-passing game that functions as a surrogate for the run, but Flacco simply misses too many throws.”"

I'm confused. Flacco's got the third highest completion percentage in the league (over 70%) since we had our bye week (when the team might have actually got their first chance to get familiar with Marty as OC). He hasn't been missing too many throws. Completing over 70%, and a lot of the ones there weren't bounced off the hands of the receivers.

[callahan09]

I see a lot of criticism of Flacco for his cadence and the snap count. A few years ago, he was one of the best in the league with this cadence and snap count. He drew the defense offsides A LOT. Lately, we have a lot of inexperienced players, rook linemen, and a total lack of chemistry on the offensive side of the ball due to a revolving door of talent and coaching staff. It is a built-in feature of the system that his snap count and cadence are simplified and routine right now. The complexity of adding nuance in that area requires team chemistry and a disciplined team of players with experience. We don't have that. Therefore we don't have the luxury of acting like we have it. We are already one of the worst teams in the league in pre-snap penalties and offensive holding and that's WITHOUT the complexity of a nuanced snap count/cadence and with pre-snap adjustments at the line. The fact is, the offense and Flacco are absolutely handcuffed and handicapped by the lack of investment, depth, and coaching on the offensive side of the football. We don't have experienced players on the line, we don't have disciplined players, we don't have chemistry because of all the turnover, and I'm convinced we don't have quality and consistent coaching to make up for any of these deficiencies and get these guys ready to play. The offensive side of the football is a shambles. Flacco is one of the few bright spots.

[whobilly]

I see a lot of criticism of Flacco for his cadence and the snap count. A few years ago, he was one of the best in the league with this cadence and snap count. He drew the defense offsides A LOT. Lately, we have a lot of inexperienced players, rook linemen, and a total lack of chemistry on the offensive side of the ball due to a revolving door of talent and coaching staff. It is a built-in feature of the system that his snap count and cadence are simplified and routine right now. The complexity of adding nuance in that area requires team chemistry and a disciplined team of players with experience. We don't have that. Therefore we don't have the luxury of acting like we have it. We are already one of the worst teams in the league in pre-snap penalties and offensive holding and that's WITHOUT the complexity of a nuanced snap count/cadence and with pre-snap adjustments at the line. The fact is, the offense and Flacco are absolutely handcuffed and handicapped by the lack of investment, depth, and coaching on the offensive side of the football. We don't have experienced players on the line, we don't have disciplined players, we don't have chemistry because of all the turnover, and I'm convinced we don't have quality and consistent coaching to make up for any of these deficiencies and get these guys ready to play. The offensive side of the football is a shambles. Flacco is one of the few bright spots.

You just described the mediocre football team that we are.

[whobilly]

Here are my 7 takeaways on the Ravens this season:

1. Offense is very vanilla. They have 2 good backs , a good TE , 2 good move the chain receivers , 2 speed receivers. why so vanilla ???

2. O Line does NOT run block well at all.

3. Flacco is a robot. No change in cadence. No pump fake. No looking off receivers. No urgency. Basic QB play .

4. 2nd in the league in penalties. Not good at all.

5. No pressure on opposing QBs.

6. No return game on punts

7. Bad coaching on all levels.

Equals an 8 - 8 season and no playoffs.

Sad because this team has talent.

Some talent but overall a roster filled with roster fillers/mediocre players.

[RavensBaltimore]

I see a lot of criticism of Flacco for his cadence and the snap count. A few years ago, he was one of the best in the league with this cadence and snap count. He drew the defense offsides A LOT. Lately, we have a lot of inexperienced players, rook linemen, and a total lack of chemistry on the offensive side of the ball due to a revolving door of talent and coaching staff. It is a built-in feature of the system that his snap count and cadence are simplified and routine right now. The complexity of adding nuance in that area requires team chemistry and a disciplined team of players with experience. We don't have that. Therefore we don't have the luxury of acting like we have it. We are already one of the worst teams in the league in pre-snap penalties and offensive holding and that's WITHOUT the complexity of a nuanced snap count/cadence and with pre-snap adjustments at the line. The fact is, the offense and Flacco are absolutely handcuffed and handicapped by the lack of investment, depth, and coaching on the offensive side of the football. We don't have experienced players on the line, we don't have disciplined players, we don't have chemistry because of all the turnover, and I'm convinced we don't have quality and consistent coaching to make up for any of these deficiencies and get these guys ready to play. The offensive side of the football is a shambles. Flacco is one of the few bright spots.

But it's so much easier to just blame the qb.

[bigcatfrank1]

Here are my 7 takeaways on the Ravens this season:

1. Offense is very vanilla. They have 2 good backs , a good TE , 2 good move the chain receivers , 2 speed receivers. why so vanilla ???

2. O Line does NOT run block well at all.

3. Flacco is a robot. No change in cadence. No pump fake. No looking off receivers. No urgency. Basic QB play .

4. 2nd in the league in penalties. Not good at all.

5. No pressure on opposing QBs.

6. No return game on punts

7. Bad coaching on all levels.

Equals an 8 - 8 season and no playoffs.

Sad because this team has talent.

Solutions- 1. Catch the Ball 2. Block 3. Play QB 4. Stop the Penalties 5. use pressure Defense 6. Return the ball 7. Ravens philosophy is to promote coaches, earn the position and if they are offered better jobs in the NFL then they should be allowed to move up and get paid. This is why there are 6 past Raven coaches that are Head Coaches in the NFL and several more promoted to coordinators and Full coaching positions. Your last point is the most important, A team that harnesses all of its talent, learns to rely on each other, depend on each other, allow each other to perform to each and every highest level of talent that is available 'then' "that game" that 60 minutes. That team will most usually be the victorious. The Ravens needed to play better, a few pro-bowl plays would have helped. Too Many mistakes. Yes NE keeps their coaches but that is their philosophy. Some will always wonder who controls who?

[rave n us]

"“Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg seems to have designs on emulating Jim Bob Cooter's success with a short-passing game that functions as a surrogate for the run, but Flacco simply misses too many throws.”"

I'm confused. Flacco's got the third highest completion percentage in the league (over 70%) since we had our bye week (when the team might have actually got their first chance to get familiar with Marty as OC). He hasn't been missing too many throws. Completing over 70%, and a lot of the ones there weren't bounced off the hands of the receivers.

Easy with short passes. Flacco is 25 out of 32 in yards per pass.

[rave n us]

  4 hours ago, callahan09 said:

"“Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg seems to have designs on emulating Jim Bob Cooter's success with a short-passing game that functions as a surrogate for the run, but Flacco simply misses too many throws.”"

I'm confused. Flacco's got the third highest completion percentage in the league (over 70%) since we had our bye week (when the team might have actually got their first chance to get familiar with Marty as OC). He hasn't been missing too many throws. Completing over 70%, and a lot of the ones there weren't bounced off the hands of the receivers.

Easy with short passes. Flacco is 25 out of 32 in yards per pass.

Patriots are 2nd in yards per pass attempt. Bingo.

[rave n us]

Marty is a veteran coach ...... why no plan B. I mean c'mon work the sidelines have Joe pump fake something. No just drop back and throw 2 yard passes alllllllll night. Unreal. The D stayed in Baltimore last night. Didn't play Raven fly to the football D. Sad to say I don't have confidence they'll be able to win out. I see them beating the Eagles and then losing the next two. The offense philosophy or lack of is a mess right now. Flacco is a robot at the line that needs to stop. 123 snap 123 snap etc .... Oh well ............gonna be major changes during the off season. Sorry to be back to being gloomy , but its a week to week league.

The D lost 2 corners. Offense couldn't stay on the field long enough to give the d a rest, until later in the 2nd half. Try playing tired. Loose speed, attentiveness, tackling strength and motivation. Morningwig is vanilla. Flacco is a robot, who can't learn during the game. Offense can't make adjustments.

[Shaky End of the Quarter]

"“Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg seems to have designs on emulating Jim Bob Cooter's success with a short-passing game that functions as a surrogate for the run, but Flacco simply misses too many throws.”"

I'm confused. Flacco's got the third highest completion percentage in the league (over 70%) since we had our bye week (when the team might have actually got their first chance to get familiar with Marty as OC). He hasn't been missing too many throws. Completing over 70%, and a lot of the ones there weren't bounced off the hands of the receivers.

Very hard to botch a 2yd checkdown consistently. Stats can be misleading.

Here's a little anecdote:
In my high school alumni golf tournament a couple years ago there was a prize for whoever hit the straightest drive on a given hole. Someone piped a drive 275yds down the center of the fairway that landed 1 yard away from the line marking the straightest drive. Later that day the school principal topped his drive and the ball rolled 40-50yds and landed right on the line. Who won the straightest drive contest? the piped 275yd drive or the 50yd squiggly runner that ended on the line?

Moral of the story, stats and accolades can be misleading. Just because Joe is completing 70% of his passes, he sure aint making nothing out of it. So in the end pretty useless stat line.

[BigUgly]

  6 hours ago, surfdude said:

Marty is a veteran coach ...... why no plan B. I mean c'mon work the sidelines have Joe pump fake something. No just drop back and throw 2 yard passes alllllllll night. Unreal. The D stayed in Baltimore last night. Didn't play Raven fly to the football D. Sad to say I don't have confidence they'll be able to win out. I see them beating the Eagles and then losing the next two. The offense philosophy or lack of is a mess right now. Flacco is a robot at the line that needs to stop. 123 snap 123 snap etc .... Oh well ............gonna be major changes during the off season. Sorry to be back to being gloomy , but its a week to week league.

The D lost 2 corners. Offense couldn't stay on the field long enough to give the d a rest, until later in the 2nd half. Try playing tired. Loose speed, attentiveness, tackling strength and motivation. Morningwig is vanilla. Flacco is a robot, who can't learn during the game. Offense can't make adjustments.

THEIR D was down two DBs - a starting corner and a safety - and an all-pro OLB and we still struggled.

[purpledown]

Ravens have to stop picking up old has beens like Hester and pay proven players like Brandon Williams.

[Rav'n Maniac]

With Jimmy going down, this 2016 Ravens team and its defense is in serious trouble going into the last three. Unless they find a way to outscore opponents, we will be done really quick.

It will be sad to watch them falter down the final stretch but it's almost bordering on inevitable now.

[Crusader]

Christmas Wish. Ravens find another Cory Graham. 7 interceptions and 32 straight games. 2007: 5th Rnd, Corey Graham signed a 4 year, $16,300,000 contract with the Buffalo Bills.