I normally do a "what I liked/what I didn't like" format for this. This time I'm just going to post notes however positively or negatively they come to me - Alex Collins is the truth - The o-line can run block with the best of them - The last few games have shown that this offense "could" have been better this whole season if they'd have just been more aggressive with the play calling - The previous comment shows we could have had a better record right now than 7-6 - I still don't get how people continue to underestimate Jimmy Smith's skills and importance to this team (sub comments for this point coming) - Since Jimmy Smith became a starter in 2013, Antonio Brown has exactly three 100+ yard games against the Ravens out of 12 possible opportunities. Jimmy Smith was out with an injury for all three games - I hope the news of Pees retiring after this year is true. Brown torches the secondary all game long, but with under 2 minutes, up only 2, and the Steelers needing to go the whole freaking field, you leave possibly your slowest and worst outside corner in a one on one situation with no help. - I knew the game was lost when we had the ball with about 3 minutes left and passed on first down. How the fuck do you pass on first down when Collins over 6 yards per carry and you need to kill clock??? The bullshit didn't stop there. Collins runs for 7 yards on second down, basically living up to the average for the game and on 3rd and 3, AGAIN NEEDING TO KILL CLOCK AT THE WORST, and you throw again (this one may have been Joe's fault but it shouldn't have even been a QB option. - We need a coaching turnover. Marty needs to go, Pees needs to go, and if Harbaugh plans to higher more long time/family friends, he needs to go also. - When was the last time the TEs were actually used as more than just blockers? Watson has.....1 target? Maybe 2? I honestly can't tell you if I remember seeing Boyle or Williams, but I'm sure they came in to block. - Seriously, Maclin is easily the worst free agent "big name" WR to put on a Ravens uniform. - Why has Chris Moore not been given significant time at this point? The top 3 should be Wallace, Moore, and Campanero (who's surprisingly still healthy). - All that damn money and resource put into a defense that allows 39 points, a franchise record amount of yards, and leaves arguably the best WR in the league one on one with a guy that's been burned all game long by EVERYONE he lined up again. - Congrats to Bowser on his first sack of his NFL career
I would disagree with you RR, but you are right on target. As I posted on the game thread, I knew exactly how the end was going to play out, I've seen it too many times under this coaching staff. They lose their minds when it comes down to crunch time. I get it, they want to be aggressive and go for the win. But your running game was kicking ass, do not stop feeding Collins. That sequence before the game winning FG was asinine. That all said, in the scheme of things it won't matter because the Ravens *should* win out, they weren't going to win the North anyway, and the Chargers *should* win out, with likely the Chiefs squeaking in as the 6th seed, setting up a Ravens-Chargers Wildcard game.
Prag, you're absolutely right about the coaches losing their damn minds in crunch time. Like yourself, after that stupid offensive series around the 3 minute mark, I already knew how the game would end also. I had to watch and hope I was wrong. 3rd and 14, in a group chat with family I said the Steelers will get anywhere between 15 and 51 yards. They basically got both in that drive. The most frustrating thing about this, is I just know this game and the last few games are going to be used to say, "see, the offense can put up points, they don't need much offseason help. Let's put another $50 million and 80% of the draft into the defense and see if we can convince Pees to stay"
Wait, my rant isn't done. If Maclin and Weddle aren't both cut after this season then I may just call for Steve to fire everybody. Everybody loves Weddle's personality, but tell me what he's been doing on the field when it matters? I'd include Jefferson, aka Matt Elam 2.5, but with the contract he received he won't be cut/traded for awhile anyway. Maybe Weddle and Jefferson would be better without Pees. From Russell Street Report's Forum: [Quot=Russell Street Report] https://goo.gl/GFPESx According to that query on PFRef, our defense has given up the lead in the 4th quarter, leading to a loss, in 19 games (+1 in the playoffs) since we won the Super Bowl. 3 in 2013 3 in 2014 (+1 in the playoffs) 6 in 2015 !!! (In 2015, Joe Flacco set an all-time NFL single season record for most 4th-quarter go ahead scoring drives in games that ultimately ended in a loss anyway, and he only played 10 games that season before the knee injury!) 3 in 2016 and 4 in 2017 so far[/quote} That's how many 4th quarter leads the team has given up since the superbowl win. Keep in mind, most of these losses were eventually blamed on Flacco but how crazy is it he set a record from most 4th quarter go ahead scores in a season that eventually led to a loss?? And he set that record in a season he only finished 10 freaking games!!! Many people have said Ozzie's lost his touch but maybe, just maybe, the DC is just that damn bad. I think the above quote is more 4th quarter leads given up (in 5 seasons) than the Ravens had in their entire history before Pees. Maybe I'm an Ozzie apologist but at this point, I need to see the defense with a DC who is competent before I say Ozzie can't draft, at least on defense.
Maclin cost the team the final timeout due to his laying on the damn field after a hit at the end. THEN he steps out of bounds and "tries" to do the Derrek Mason lean catch on the sideline.... I smell bought off all over him, the Ravens were not supposed to win this game period. Then you call stupid ass plays on the 2nd to last 3 and out of the game which allowed the Steelers to go right down the field for the winning points. The final touch where Joe has absolutely no clue that the clock is running down and he doesn't do anything to get the offense ready to go, typical.... Dean Pees is a garbage DC, has been since the beginning, but people kept defending his lame ass bend but don't break crap. HE SUCKS! Chuck Pagano please as soon as this wasted season is over with. thanks Jimmy Smith once again has proven just how valuable he is and Brandon Carr just shown once again that he is Frank Walker all over again. All he can do is grab and hang out and get flags, and when he doesn't hold, he lets up huge passing plays downfield. hahah. This team still sucks, just the AFC sucks in general and this crappy team might still get a WC spot. Thats the biggest laugh of them all.
I posted this in the game thread, but thought I'd repost here. And here's the difference between Joe/Marty and Ben/Haley: The Steelers kept exploiting the Ravens defensive weaknesses. There were two. Any WR that Carr was covering and exploiting the blitz package/scheme where the Ravens bring all 3 LB's to the LOS and dropping them back at the last minute allowing Ben to pick apart the defense on short throws to his TE's The Ravens stopped attacking the Steelers weaknesses. The long ball and giving the ball to Collins, especially attacking where Ryan Shazier would normally be. Yes. The Ravens put up 38 points on a Steelers team without their 2 best defensive players. But, the inability for Pees to see that his defensive scheme was actually causing more damage than good and the inability for Joe/Marty to continue to exploit the the Steelers weaknesses allowed Ben/Haley to come back.
The Ravens were running 2 and 3 TE sets all game. Williams and Boyle both on with one as the 2nd TE on the line and the other the HB/FB. i don't think either was targeted for a pass. Maybe Boyle of a dump off. As for Maclin, he and Joe are not on the same page. They haven't been for most of the year. Maclin seems to improvise a lot, especially when he sees the play breaking down, much like Boldin and Mason used to do. I just don't think Joe knows his body language yet to know when Maclin will be improvising.
That loss was tough to swallow. To me, given that they came back from 14-0 to an 11 point lead at one point showed what they were capable of. The failure to finish showed a complete lack of discipline from the coaches and players. This game FAIL should have heads rolling. I've been a major Pees supporter because he's non-conventional and had solid defensive principles that could allow for an opportunistic D on a budget. However, they invested heavily in quality players and failed when it mattered the most. Pees plays on a tightrope with his talent and he always seemed to cobble some semblance of a defense together when the team was depleted. However, when he has a plethora of talent to work with they fall flat. Just nuts. Bringing back Pagano would be the best option and the TALK of Pess retiring may just be a "gentle nudge" by Harbs/Ozzie to head off into the sunset with some dignity. I've been critical of Jimmy in the past and will say only this: He's been an amazing lockdown CB WHEN on field. He can't stay healthy and to me that factors into your performance for the NFL. He has exactly 2 seasons (ironically both throw-away seasons for the team) since he was drafted in 2011 with a full season missing 26 games in his career. He's 29. Anyone think this is is going to get better after he hits 30? What is frustrating is that he as the skill, but not the health. Even with the Ravens in position to make the playoffs, I really can't see the team keeping MorRB coach Thomas Hummock should be commended. nhinweg. This passing offense is beyond bad even if the run game is keeping the team alive. If they can't wrangle Kubiak's return (which I desperately hope they can), I believe that they may promote a position coach to OC from within. Offensive Asst Greg Roman or OL Coach Joe D'Alessandris could be in line to take over especially if they stay with the power rushing attack. I think no matter what Alex Collins will be the lead RB with West competing Allen for the #2 next year. However, Bobby Engram should be canned for the garbage coaching of the WR corps. Like the man as a player, but has done ZERO in his role to get the WR corps any sense of urgency, hand development, crisp routes and most importantly 1st down awareness. The last time I sw all that happening was when Kubs was here. Joe is has lost his edge. He doesn't have a sense of urgency and his "Joe Cool" under pressure attitude seems more lackadaisical than anything else. His performances have been inconsistent. In fact, the only consistency is how bad he's played this season. Some of that is on his receivers, but if you are given Perriman, Maclin and Wallace and they aren't catching the passes you put in their hands then you need to go to Moore or (god forbid) Camapanaro. Call a friggin' audible. Shrug off your OC's bad calls and do what you're being paid to do! Take control. Take responsibility!
