Playoff Football! Ravens -v- Chargers Round 2

Hello All,

So I wanted to throw this out there to see what your thoughts, expectations, desires, fears are for the upcoming game.

I am really unsure what to expect from our Ravens. I think Lamar is a very talented kid but has miles to go in the development of a QB (not that anyone thought differently...LOL)

A second meeting of teams often produces very different results so I expect the Chargers to be very prepared to face our offense and their offense much more prepared for our defense.

I think the Ravens need to be sure that they understand the Chargers strengths and weaknesses and attach accordingly. I think we need to do a few different things this game to ensure that we are not relying on the same old plan as last time.

I think this game is going to be very, very tight and I would not be surprised if it is a 1 point game or a field goal being the margin. I think it might be tied going into the wee minutes of the 4th quarter and a play here or there will be the difference.

I see Lamar getting better every week with little things and hope we keep the defensive pressure on. I think Rivers gets rattled and if we can get into his head early, he tends to start to fall apart, especially if a few calls don't go his way.

I am totally juiced for the game and can't wait to see it unfold. This is the most excited I have been to see our offense in a long time.

Let's go fellas, it's playoff football time!

 

I'm not too concerned about the "hard to beat a team twice" concept. It happens yearly in the NFL. If a team has a matchup advantage then that's all it is sometimes. We match up well with the Chargers on defense. If their big guy in the middle of the line misses the game, then that's more of a problem for them. If he plays it's a problem for us.

Either way, it's great to have playoff football in Baltimore again

 

If the defense comes to play. If the offense can finish. If Special teams do their jobs.

 

We really need to win tomorrow. Since Indy won, we would go to NE and I think they are easily the most beatable of the two bye week teams

 

You really could have stopped after "We really need to win tomorrow".

Everything after that is a mute point if you don't win.

Signed: Captain Obvious

 

Thank you, Captain Obvious, this is very true. Although I'm clearly hoping Harbaugh's history of never going one and done wasn't specifically tied to Flacco being the starting QB

 

I'm not creating a game thread so this will be it.

Let's go, Ravens. Baltimore beat the Chargers in LA so hopefully they can do it in Baltimore. The Chargers are a better road team than they are a home team though. And Rivers has said he won't play into his 40s since he wants to be there for his kids (he actually has more than Flacco and almost as many as Cromartie) so this may be close to a last stand for him.

If Mebane is out, that's really going to hurt that Chargers run game. Tavon Young and Chris Moore may be out for Baltimore.

Either way, I'm hoping the playoff stage isn't too big for Lamar. We'll find out in a few hours

 

It’s too big for Rivers. He will assume that fetal position anytime your defensive players breath on him.

 

Here we go. Offense out there first

 

Good luck, Ravens fans.

 

Jackson and the offense need to settle down this drive. The blocking needs to improve

 

So the Ravens decided to make the game as difficult for themselves as possible. 3rd and goal for the Chargers. Gotta hold them to 3 at worst

 

Ravens offense losing badly in the trenches

 

Boy I'll say this, I'm surprised by this game. It's not that the Ravens are losing as that was always a strong possibility. It's that the Ravens really do look like a team that hasn't been to the playoffs in ages. They are nothing like the first 5 years of Harbaugh's tenure. The Ravens look like all the WC teams you see who are so sporadic in making the tournament and look completely overwhelmed. That's pretty disappointing.

 

Yeah, this is a horrible playoff game. Between the pass blocking, Lamar, and play calling, I fully understand why we haven't gone past the 50 yet

 

Lots of talk about putting Flacco in for the start of the second half.

The Ravens are only down by 12 after playing one of their worst first halves all season.

Stick with the kid and make the offense work with his strengths. Run the ball, throw between the hashes, swing it to the backs and eat up the clock.

Keep Rivers on the sidelines or that 12 points will get tripled by the end of this one.

 

I wouldn't pull Jackson either. He gets his "welcome to the NFL playoffs" game today and next next year because you pulled him today.

The whole offense needs to settle down

 

Honestly I'd certainly consider putting in Flacco if I were going all out to try winning. Now will that hurt Jackson's development in the future? It probably won't. At the same time, if the Chargers score here, that running and ball control offense won't cut it for the game.

Ok, as I'm typing that, the Chargers are in scoring position again. The team didn't come to play today at all. It doesn't matter what they do.

 

Flacco might end up under center on the next drive. Gotta assume he had his helmet on for a reason

 

James Hurst has been abysmal today too. I just really don't have words to explain how awful the Ravens look today. Would this be their worst playoff performance ever? The next closest might be the McNair noodle-arm game. The team just looks like one that spent everything in making the playoffs, and that was their Super Bowl.