The Andrews, the Defense, and the Blocking

[Truth]

When Zach Orr was on the active roster, I felt that his fundamentals during his playing days were by far his biggest negative. The only article I've ever written was an honest breakdown of those concerns after his Pro-Bowl nod in 2016. And that was done mostly because I was worried that the perception of the success would mean that those issues wouldn't be fixed. He sadly did not have a chance to show his growth thereafter because of the career ending injury. But he was at least able to ride off into the sunset on a positive note.

I don't believe in needing to have played at a high level, or even really at all, in order to be a successful coordinator. However, my immediate concern after his hiring was that we could have a tough time with building a unit predicated on discipline and fundamentals if he did not see his own missteps. And you could forgive someone for looking at how they prepared themselves based on the accolades and statistics and structure their coaching plan similarly. But that would also be the easiest way to unknowingly repeat the same mistakes. No one can teach what they don't know. And with how insanely undisciplined our players have looked, it is hard for me to not see this as a verification of those intial concerns.

 

[OURavensFan]

I'm as upset as the Henry fumbles as anyone else, but the lions loss is 0% on him. Defense didn't stop anyone all night; we were gonna get conservative go 3 and punt and they'd drive all the same with less clock. The browns fumble doesn't really matter cuz we recovered. Buffalo one was tough, but I saw it playing out the same as our last drive did anyway.

Eh, maybe 5% on him, it certainly didn’t help. But in the end we allowed TWO 95 yard TD drives, that is insane

 

[Truth]

Eh, maybe 5% on him, it certainly didn’t help. But in the end we allowed TWO 95 yard TD drives, that is insane

Haven't allowed even one since 2001, from what I recall.

 

[redrum52]

Orr has this unit playing like he learned Winks scheme during drunk back alley dice games... the only hope I had to start this season was continuity. Now that's long gone

 

[rmcjacket23]

I'm as upset as the Henry fumbles as anyone else, but the lions loss is 0% on him. Defense didn't stop anyone all night; we were gonna get conservative go 3 and punt and they'd drive all the same with less clock. The browns fumble doesn't really matter cuz we recovered. Buffalo one was tough, but I saw it playing out the same as our last drive did anyway.

Not putting loss on him, but it doesn't matter. It's three straight weeks. He's had at least 3 or 4 fumbles, in our own territory, in "big games" since he joined the Ravens. And we lost at least three of those games.

 

[rmcjacket23]

My only disagreement is on point 2. I think the leash has to be shortened at this point, but he has a long track record to suggest this is an aberration. It simply can't continue though.

I'm curious to see how point 3 shakes out. Madubuike is obviously the big loss here. Van Noy had looked his age to start the season before he pulled up, so I do think there's somewhat of a concern with the edge rushing group. We really need the young guys to grow up fast.

If I look "historically", we've been able to add veterans, via FA or trade, as pass rushers in the past. If there's a position on the team where I felt confident we could add a body to at least make mild impact, it would be in that position group.

I don't think the Oline will change really at all, and I don't think there's anything that can be done in terms of personnel changes to make some of these veterans play better. As is typically the case in these situations, it really comes down to "they'll just need to play better". True for the Oline, and true for a good chunk of the defense. I think fans oftentimes look for solutions in the way of either personnel or coaching changes, but most of the time, it just comes down to players just doing their jobs better. And if they don't, we'll lose more often.

 

[rossihunter2]

After a tad bit of film review, my initial reaction is that we need to invest in some hog mollies on either side of the line. Get me a motherfucker from Iowa or Nebraska or Wisconsin that lifts hay bails and plays ball only. Get some dogs who don't wear sleeves in the middle of January instead of these dudes that care more about their pregame fashion shows.

I'm being slightly facetious, but the young kids these days just aren't built like they used to be.

i really hate that zach frazier is a steeler lol
he was exactly the kind of glass eater i would have loved on this offence - dont care that he's a C, we would have found a way lol - dude ran off the field with a broken ankle to avoid a 10 second runoff in his final college game

i guess that also might be why the ravens were (reportedly) so high on Tyler Booker too...

and why they were so keen on Emery Jones i suppose too

we havent been drafting many of those guys tbh... Sala was a guy who was overaggressive and threw haymakers but he wasn't a finisher, other than him, the last guy with drafted with any sort of nastiness and chip at OL was probably Ben Powers

 

[rossihunter2]

Back-to-back plays defensively from last night. I've slowed these down to 75% of their play speed for clarity.

View attachment 7398

Defensive backs are in thirds. Both linebackers and Kyle Hamilton commit to the toss, understandably so. I want you to watch Marlon Humphrey here. Bites on the perceived Jared Goff scramble, which Travis Jones has covered. Sprints to the delayed corner-route by Sam LaPorta, which Malaki Starks has covered. Turns to the in-route by Amon-Ra St. Brown, which Roquan Smith can't recover to. That's three separate directions in one zone.


View attachment 7399

Cover 1. Hamilton as the single-high. Teddye Buchanan on the middle-hook. LaPorta stays to pass block, which leaves Starks without an assignment. Starks paths in front of Chidobe Awuzie, who has to work over him to get to Kalif Raymond. Meaning Starks now can't reverse to help on the over-route by Jameson Williams, which is sprung free by Smith and Nate Wiggins running into each other. Hamilton has to freeze because there are now two threats towards the end zone. Funnily enough, Williams being the more open of the two.

And every single route ends up being open. Chaos. This is chaos. It feels like our defenders genuinely are unsure of how to layer their pathing based on their teammates working those same areas. These feel like training camp miscues with a roster full of new teammates.

feels so different to some of the innovative man-match stuff we were doing with Wink and then Mike Mac... stuff that some analysts were genuinely asking Marlo in interviews like how they even communicate the way they were passing guys off

this just looks so messy

 

[rossihunter2]

My only disagreement is on point 2. I think the leash has to be shortened at this point, but he has a long track record to suggest this is an aberration. It simply can't continue though.

I'm curious to see how point 3 shakes out. Madubuike is obviously the big loss here. Van Noy had looked his age to start the season before he pulled up, so I do think there's somewhat of a concern with the edge rushing group. We really need the young guys to grow up fast.

so frustrating that Isaac got injured too because at least he might give you a little juice if Green doesn't feel ready yet without having to rely on Ojabo who's shown nothing at all

 

[rossihunter2]

Yes but also no if it’s going to be how it was on Monday. There was no disguise. It all felt very basic. It was fairly obvious to see where the pressure was coming from.

who knew that not only was it mike macdonald's playcalling and play designing that was elite

but it was literally the way he taught pressures and roles in pressures that truly unlocked the pass rush with sim pressures etc.

the fact that we can't replicate that stuff even a little even with the same players (mostly) and some of the same coaches is wild

but also the way the Seattle defence looks compared to the dolphins, titans and ravens maybe shows you just how special mike macdonald really is

 

[JoeyFlex5]

Aren't you like 29? 30? Aren't you too young for this?

Times change fast, I’m 33 and I see it.



This video right here is spot on. Different attitude these days.

 

[JoeyFlex5]

who knew that not only was it mike macdonald's playcalling and play designing that was elite

but it was literally the way he taught pressures and roles in pressures that truly unlocked the pass rush with sim pressures etc.

the fact that we can't replicate that stuff even a little even with the same players (mostly) and some of the same coaches is wild

but also the way the Seattle defence looks compared to the dolphins, titans and ravens maybe shows you just how special mike macdonald really is

He shoulda been our head coach starting in 2024.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

The Kansas City Chiefs have been in multiple Super Bowls with Jawaan Taylor at OT, one of the worst long-term starting tackles in football.

I mean, it helps that the league was willing to let him line up WAY in the backfield and false start on every snap.

 

[Grim]

View attachment 7400

The fuck is this

StRoNg SaFeTy

 

[Grim]

I do think the pass rush was to blame when you look at the order of how it went down. We were stuffing the run just fine, but they kept hitting 3rd and longs because of no pass rush. they also stuck with the run (something we didn't do) so they kept hammering hammering, passing for first downs. Eventually the lack of depth inside without Mads gave way and they ran all over us, but it was the passing conversions on those long drives that set it up.

I'd argue that's because we don't have the DL strength on the interior. We go to collapse from the inside but when you don't do either strong (edge rush and interior) what can you do? You end up with 4 on 5. It's brutal.

 

[Truth]

I mean, it helps that the league was willing to let him line up WAY in the backfield and false start on every snap.

That it does, but he also has led the NFL in penalties since joining the Chiefs every single year, and has been Top 10 in disruptions allowed through the regular season among all RTs. Coupled with his poor run blocking, his presence has been a detriment and a net negative that they've had to overcome. Fortunate to still have a job there.

 

[allblackraven]

The Kansas City Chiefs been in multiple Super Bowls with Jawaan Taylor at OT, one of the worst long-term starting tackles in football. We thankfully do not need a perfect roster, as not a single team has one. We've been in position and we're in position again. We're a few tweaks away, and hopefully we'll be fully healthy in a few weeks to turn the slow start around.

They also had the refs taking care of Taylor's perpetual false starts.

 

[RavensMania]

About to be 32. Feel like once you hit 30, you officially become what you once hated. I'm embracing my oldness.

and I thought you were smart. I'm going to have to reevaluate this.

 

[rossihunter2]

He shoulda been our head coach starting in 2024.

starting to feel that way a little bit
like he was the one that got away (of all of the guys we've lost)

could have sunsetted Harbs into a cushy front office job to save face and had MM take over

 

[UPennChem]

The reason you haven't won a SB is because EDC drafted these guys as iOL, DL, and EDGE in the Lamar era.

2019
Jaylon Ferguson (truly terrible, RIP)
Daylon Mack (truly terrible)
Ben Powers (ceiling is low end starter and only got one year out of him)

2020
Justin Madabuike (very good player, Likely overpaid but what can you do)
Tyree Phillips (truly terrible)
Ben Bredeson (was shipped out immediately)
Broderick Washington (ceiling is a low end starter but we've got some years out of him)

2021
Odafe Oweh (total bust for a first round pick. Disciplined edge setter, Uber athlete that cant turn that athleticism into pass rush to save his life. Had no sacks his senior year of college...)
Ben Cleveland (Truly terrible)
Daelin Hayes (Truly terrible)

2022
Tyler Linderbaum (Very good player deserving of an extension)
David Ojabo (Maybe the worst name on this list)
Travis Jones (Ceiling is a solid starter, probably gone next year)
Daniel Faalele (I guess, couldn't make it at OT, plays RG at low end starter level)

2023
Tavius Robinson (Not a pass rusher. Dont need an Oweh and a Robinson)
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (Truly terrible)
Andrew Vorhees (Truly terrible and was injured!)

2024
Adisa Isaac (Ghost and no one on this board would've drafted him in the 3rd)
Nick Samac (Truly terrible)

2025
Mike Green (remains to be seen but very likely will not be TJ Watt or even Elvis Dumervil)
Emery Jones (dumbass pick)
Aeneas Peebles (scrappy undersized guy that will get a few snaps in the rotation)
Garrett Dellinger (Truly terrible and already gone)

These are your most important positions! I didn't do OT because we've had Stanley since the Ozzie days. If you want to do that, just add Orlando Brown, Rosengarten and Vinson.

But look at that, that's embarrassing drafting. Then when you do that and pay Earl Thomas and Marcus Williams huge contracts.... what are you even doing man?

I do want to hear what you guys think about this. This is by definition not a complete picture of his drafting because it's a small subset of positions. There have been more hits at positions like WR. With that being said, his drafting at those positions has been really bad.