Biggest surprise of the year?

[January J]

12 hours ago, frozen joe flacco fan said:

For me, the biggest surprise is the return of Dennis Pitta to the starting lineup. Next to that, I'd say the play of Tavon Young is a pleasant surprise.

That's a good one. Basically 98% of ppl on this board completely wrote pitta off. I was one of the few that thought he could pull it off- but even I admit I had my doubts. Seriously- how many people said he was better off hanging up his cleats? And now he's leading the team in receptions. Not the pitta of old- but considering the circumstances he's done a heck of a job. Lol Can't block a lick but still got them hands.

2 hours ago, GrimCoconut said:

I'd argue Jimmy Smith, CJ Mosley, and especially Eric Weddle would be much more deserving of defensive MVP before Orr. 

I could see Weddle but Mosley and jimmy? Mosley started off pretty hot but has tapered off- and jimmy is effective but doesn't put up much stats at all. I get stats aren't everything , but Orr literally is all over the feild and leading the team in tackles is pretty huge. Also I expect solid play from jimmy and mosley- but orr was a complete surprise... However I see you were discussing MVP...and to me that means if taken out of the lineup which one would effect us the most... In that case I agree its probably jimmy or weddle. Hard to decide between the two- we've seen first hand how we perform without jimmy - and its not good- but weddle has been there the entire season- which is a value in itself. So id give the nod to Weddle- who's stats also far outweigh Jimmy's.

1 hour ago, GrimCoconut said:

My biggest surprise is how well Suggs has started to play.  Going off of that, I'm surprised by the pressure we're getting because I didn't even expect that much. 

Yeah I didn't expect this much out of suggs this year. He's not putting up crazy numbers or double digit sacks ( atleast not yet) ..but his impact has been huge. Not only his leadership role, but helping others make plays and setting the edge.. As well as batting balls down..etc. All with a torn bicep. It really shouldn't be a surprise coming from sizzle.. But him getting up there in age and coming off last years injury as well I think make it one. Judon has also been a pleasant surprise and has helped absorb the disappointment of KC. He atleast brought us some young pass rush.  I think suggs has helped him along very well.

 

My biggest disappointment has to be zadarius smith. Had high hopes for him to have a breakout sophomore year and he has just failed in all aspects. He has been a non factor all year and showed ZERO signs of improvement. Hester was a disappointment as well..but I knew he was over the hill and way past his prime..I thought Z Would be just reaching his, and he was just a big let down. Doom also has been somewhat of a disappointment. Def saw a drop off in production coming...but I don't think anybody expected him to miss the amount of time he did. Anyway I think these will be the last few games we see doom in a ravens uni for sure. Hopefully its more than just 2... 6 sounds about right! 

[January J]

18 minutes ago, TurkishRaven said:

For me it's the defense. Tbh I was expecting to see Dean Pees fired this season, especially after that horrible defense last year.

Yeah i also thought Leslie Frazier would probably be taking over at DC somewhere around the middle of the year- but pees has really improved this year. I think he got a bad wrap last year after all the injuries and talent he had to work with.. But he's shown us something this year- although I still don't think we get nearly enough pressure on opposing qbs.

[trevorsteadman]

3 minutes ago, January J said:

Yeah i also thought Leslie Frazier would probably be taking over at DC somewhere around the middle of the year- but pees has really improved this year. I think he got a bad wrap last year after all the injuries and talent he had to work with.. But he's shown us something this year- although I still don't think we get nearly enough pressure on opposing qbs.

To me just watching the team over the years I feel like Pees is a terrific coach... If given all the pieces. It is when injuries happen to those players, even just one, that makes the defense collapse. It must be a complicated system or something, sometimes I feel like a drop off from one player to another shouldn't be as big as it is. For instance how the defense looks without Jimmy Smith compared to with Jimmy Smith. A defense shouldn't go from #1 to #27 with one missing player. 

[playlikeawhat]

Camp's comeback.  Hope he continues to contribute to the team the rest of 2016.

[trevorsteadman]

Just now, playlikeawhat said:

Camp's comeback.  Hope he continues to contribute to the team the rest of 2016.

Is it really a Campanaro Comeback or is more of a Hester Fallout?

[playlikeawhat]

19 minutes ago, trevorsteadman said:

Is it really a Campanaro Comeback or is more of a Hester Fallout?

See, I was trying to keep things positive.  LOL

[JoeyFlex5]

zach orr and tavon young for me, definitely. i had a strong feeling that young was gonna be very good, but i thought he would be purely a nickel back, never thought he would be taking over at #2 and playing like an absolute stud. also i thought orr was gonna be horrible. 

and correa not getting any playing time, i thought at the very least he would be a situational coverage and blitz guy and do pretty well there, still dont know if its because orr has beaten him for snaps with stellar play or if he has just not been good, certainly disappointing though. 

also terrence west, i thought we were just taking a flyer on him and i didnt really expect him to do much,  pleasant surprise for sure, that boys been a workhorse.

[JoeyFlex5]

13 hours ago, usmccharles said:

While it is a shock to me as well that he came back and played, to me he isnt worth what he is making. 

hes young, body and mind isnt matured, and came in from some traditionally undercoached defensive units. boise defenders are pretty much told to suit up and chase the ball, which in all fairness is something hes capable of doing very well, he just needs to pick up the finer points and hopefully he can bulk up because some of the stonewalls ive see him catch have been hilarious. 

its not rare for 2nd rounders to become projects. anywhere past the top 20 the prospects usually fall into 2 categories: high ceiling project guy who needs tons of development, or a conservative pick for a steady player who will be a decent starter but not an elite talent. kamalei correa is basically the anti-upshaw pick, people are upset with one pick and theyre upset when we go the exact opposite route in the same area of the draft. 

[usmccharles]

1 minute ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

hes young, body and mind isnt matured, and came in from some traditionally undercoached defensive units. boise defenders are pretty much told to suit up and chase the ball, which in all fairness is something hes capable of doing very well, he just needs to pick up the finer points and hopefully he can bulk up because some of the stonewalls ive see him catch have been hilarious. 

its not rare for 2nd rounders to become projects. anywhere past the top 20 the prospects usually fall into 2 categories: high ceiling project guy who needs tons of development, or a conservative pick for a steady player who will be a decent starter but not an elite talent. kamalei correa is basically the anti-upshaw pick, people are upset with one pick and theyre upset when we go the exact opposite route in the same area of the draft. 

You quoted me when I was referencing Pitta, on purpose? 

I know you've broken down kc a lot and I understand it's a potential pick,  it just seems odd to me to take a guy in the second when he's 2 years out of making any type of impact.  I'll still stick with the guys I preferred but I'll be patient,  clearly I don't know anything compared to the FO.

[Adreme]

16 hours ago, usmccharles said:

For a second round pick i find that mind blowing.  I honestly dont believe the FO thought they would get zero production form him this year.  If thats the case, why is he a second round pick. 

Every draft there are about 8-12 players with the basement of an average starter and the ceiling of a problem bowler and that's the top half of the first round and after that either the ceiling or basement gets lower.

 

In this instance the ceiling is still pro bowler but the basement is bused and which he is depends on both him and his development but if you want to go for a home run in 2nd round sometimes that comes risking a downside.

 

The nice upside is that with how solid the LBs  have been they haven't been forced to rush his development so next year if they were right about him we will see what he can do.

[usmccharles]

1 hour ago, Adreme said:

Every draft there are about 8-12 players with the basement of an average starter and the ceiling of a problem bowler and that's the top half of the first round and after that either the ceiling or basement gets lower.

In this instance the ceiling is still pro bowler but the basement is bused and which he is depends on both him and his development but if you want to go for a home run in 2nd round sometimes that comes risking a downside.

The nice upside is that with how solid the LBs  have been they haven't been forced to rush his development so next year if they were right about him we will see what he can do.

That's why im glad fans don't run the team, even though I wanted guys that are producing for other teams right now, doesn't mean anything, ill be patient. 

[AsianRice]

4 hours ago, trevorsteadman said:

To me just watching the team over the years I feel like Pees is a terrific coach... If given all the pieces. It is when injuries happen to those players, even just one, that makes the defense collapse. It must be a complicated system or something, sometimes I feel like a drop off from one player to another shouldn't be as big as it is. For instance how the defense looks without Jimmy Smith compared to with Jimmy Smith. A defense shouldn't go from #1 to #27 with one missing player. 

His defense is somewhat similar to Rex' defense when he was with the Jets; Rex builds his defense around Revis, so as soon as Revis left, his defense collapsed. 

 

I just hope Tavon will take over Jimmy's spot .....

[JoeyFlex5]

2 hours ago, usmccharles said:

You quoted me when I was referencing Pitta, on purpose? 

I know you've broken down kc a lot and I understand it's a potential pick,  it just seems odd to me to take a guy in the second when he's 2 years out of making any type of impact.  I'll still stick with the guys I preferred but I'll be patient,  clearly I don't know anything compared to the FO.

i coulve sworn you were referencing KC somewhere... idk why i quoted that post lol

[usmccharles]

12 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

i coulve sworn you were referencing KC somewhere... idk why i quoted that post lol

Haha, well I was, you just quoted a completely different post lol

[Ravensfan23]

On 12/22/2016 at 9:33 PM, usmccharles said:

For a second round pick i find that mind blowing.  I honestly dont believe the FO thought they would get zero production form him this year.  If thats the case, why is he a second round pick. 

I don't think they expected zero production, but I also don't think they expected Orr to play so well. Without Orr playing so well, I think the Ravens kind of force KC into that ILB spot a little more than they have. However since Orr has played extremely well the Ravens can allow KC to sit back and really learn what the Ravens expect from him at the hybrid type LB position. 

He's a second round pick because the Ravens see the potential of what he can be and what a difference maker he could be for the defense. Obviously you'd love for your second round pick to be a instant hit but that isn't always the case. Certainly a disappointing season no matter how you slice it, especially with him now being on IR. I just hope he has a killer offseaon working out and the Ravens have a better Idea of how to properly use him.

[balfan23]

Well, I'll go with biggest "positive" surprise of the year ... I think there are some runners-up and I'll mention them first.

Orr: He has been absolutely fantastic. His emergence helps reduce the sting of the disaster that A. Brown was. That is something that people need to look at when they blast draft busts ... they need to look at the whole picture. Honestly, Orr is playing at the level of a 2nd rounder IMO, so it sort of cancelled that mistake out. I'm not making him the top surprise, because he showed signs where it was reasonable to expect him to be productive. 

Pitta: I think here it is just a surprise that he's able to play at all, let alone that he's not needed to miss time. Even though he's not been consistently stellar its amazing that he has played the role of TE1 for us all season.  

For me the winner is Young. Only rarely do we see 1st round CBs come into the league and start. For a 4th rounder to do it - and to not only start, but actually leave you feeling confident that he can hold his own - is truly surprising. The fact that he plays at a position where we are seriously thin, only makes the surprise that much more pleasant. 

[Ravensfan23]

Ronnie Stanley has been the biggest surprise to me. I was one of the fans who were dead set on coming away with either Bosa or Ramsey. Being a FSU guy I really wanted Ramsey but I thought Bosa would have taken this defense to another level. I wanted no parts of Stanley, not because he wasn't good, just because I was blinded by the want for a top notch skilled player(not that Olinman aren't skilled). Than when I realized that LT was the smartest pick, all I heard about was Tunsil and the whole draft day bong thing played out and it seemed Stanley was nothing more than a fall back plan. 

However once I actually watched some of his ND games, I thought he was the better LT overall but still didn't expect him to play this well this soon. If he doesn't get hurt this season he's probably a lock for the Pro Bowl I think. I can't wait to see his rematch with Harrison. If you can shut that guy down in a Ravens/Steelers game you can shut anyone down imo. 

Orr is clearly a surprise, as well as Tavon. His numbers would suggest he had a much better year last season, but I'm surprised at how well Guy is playing. I think he's earned a new contract with the Ravens. 

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Gonna say the emergence of Tavon Young, who is on his way to becoming a bona-fide Nfl cb, despite his size

[codizzle]

38 minutes ago, OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL said:

Gonna say the emergence of Tavon Young, who is on his way to becoming a bona-fide Nfl cb, despite his size

Yea I think this is the clear cut choice 

Ravens have hurt for CBs for years and now they hit on one in the fourth round? 

Thats huge for the defense 

[hn68wb4]

Orr has been stated a ton, I agree, but I thought he'd be solid going into the season, he'd shown everything he needed to show for me and he still exceeded expectations.

McClellan not being a complete liability at starting OLB, started every game there I believe except for the two games Mosley was out and he moved inside (though, at ILB he is a huge liability). The guy sure knows how to set the edge, can't pass rush at all, but he can set the edge. I though losing Upshaw would be a hit to our run D, but McClellan pretty much did his job no problem, no pass rush ability and all.

Tavon Young being a starting caliber outside CB right away shocked me. I didn't think he would ever be capable of playing on the outside if I'm being honest. Glad I was wrong on that one.

On offense Wallace having a 1000 yard season never crossed my mind, he's only at 984, but I think he can get 16 yards against the Bengals surely. I thought he'd put up about 800 yards maximum and be a deep threat, but he hasn't actually caught that many deep balls this year, his longest catches were mostly yards after the catch.

Lewis starting day one surprised most, playing well at LG and serviceable at LT was even more surprising, getting better and better until that injury derailed his season, we've got ourselves a 4th round steal.

Obviously with as many defenders I listed, the entire defensive unit was a surprise. When healthy it was the best in the league, which I don't think anyone predicted. Especially the amount of turnovers we forced after having a laughably low amount last year, and even considering how many interceptions were just dropped this year we were one of the top defenses in the league at forcing turnovers.

The most surprising? I'm not sure, I think I'd give it to Tavon or Orr like others have, I'm leaning towards Tavon because he was a complete surprise.

Edited December 28, 2016 by hn68wb4

[ravefan52]

I was completely shocked when Correa was drafted. Other than that, Pierce came out of nowhere and looks like he will become a really good player.

[Static]

Pittsburgh game winning drive with 1:18 on the clock.

[jimmypowder]

The lack of a running game and a pass rush are the two things that surprised me. Both were really bad ,much worse than

I expected. 

[K-Dog]

12 hours ago, Static said:

Pittsburgh game winning drive with 1:18 on the clock.

Unfortunately I was not the least bit surprised.  I knew as soon as we scored it was too much time. Our pooris secondary would not be able to contain.  My only hope was a Christmas miracle and it seems the football gods gave that to Cleveland. 

Edited December 29, 2016 by K-Dog

[ellicottraven]

9 minutes ago, K-Dog said:

Unfortunately I was not the least bit surprised.  I knew as soon as we scored it was too much time. Our pooris secondary would not be able to contain.  My only hope was a Christmas miracle and it seems the football gods gave that to Cleveland. 

I almost instinctively knew we were going to lose this game when I saw more than a minute on the clock too. But, I never watched. Just got reports from the family and followed this board.