The Win, The Penalties and Everything Else

[UPennChem]

I think the offense will get fixed and the 1st half defense is more like our typical defense.

BTW, Devin Bush tore his ACL today.

So here's just my gut feeling. The first half defense will definitely be the one that shows up for Pitt. However, as you saw even today during that first half and many times during the KC game, although we're stout like 95% of the time, we like to give up big plays. This is what I think is going to happen. Ben is always good at buying just a little extra time and he makes you pay. I'm not expecting them to drop 40 on us but I am expecting like 24.

Now the question for me is can the offense put up 25 or more on that Pitt D? I'd like to say yes, but literally the offense has gotten worse over the season, not better. Plus their defense gets pressure. Roman is gonna run Lamar into a bootleg that gets him killed by TJ Watt. I think the game is close, but I think Pitt jumps out to an early lead and we just never over come it. 24-17 Pitt.

 

[ravenslord]

How could Roman get so bad ? He has been figured out and is not making the needed adjustments .
It is not the look of a very good OC .

 

[rossihunter2]

just went back to find the boykin play...

idk how it could be anything other than his fault - im looking at the situation and the route timings and there's no way that isnt supposed to be a comeback designed to go to boykin right at the sticks - and not only does he keep running he doesnt even look for the ball until after it's already hit the ground about 10 yards behind him

i honestly dont see anyway that it wasnt boykin who screwed up

and if it is and it was him again then i just dont see how he can be out-snapping any of the other receivers on the roster right now

 

[ravenslord]

just went back to find the boykin play...

idk how it could be anything other than his fault - im looking at the situation and the route timings and there's no way that isnt supposed to be a comeback designed to go to boykin right at the sticks - and not only does he keep running he doesnt even look for the ball until after it's already hit the ground about 10 yards behind him

i honestly dont see anyway that it wasnt boykin who screwed up

and if it is and it was him again then i just dont see how he can be out-snapping any of the other receivers on the roster right now

Lamar looked pissed after that play and it was not on him . It was Boykin’s fault

 

[rossihunter2]

This happens when you're beating opponents mostly with your scheme and not based on having the better players. Scheme got figured out and Roman couldn't expand our offense - we gave him better WRs and yet he's not using them.

we're not using the strength of this team at all - we've got so much speed on offence but we're still obsessed with pounding over teams like we did last year when we had 3 TEs, an all-pro guard and a scheme that allowed us to be the aggressor with those read options and stop advancing defenders

we dont have those 3 TEs anymore, we dont have that all-pro guard anymore and defences have adjusted to how we isolated ends with reads

what we have is lamar, dobbins, hollywood, duvernay who are all lightning quick and then andrews with his route running savvy on top of all that athleticism

if you want to go crazy deep then you can add in boykin and justice hill too (not that i particularly want boykin on the field anymore)

and yet we make all that athleticism play in a tiny space rather than spreading the field and stressing defences sideline to sideline (as well as over the top)

 

[rossihunter2]

Lamar looked pissed after that play and it was not on him . It was Boykin’s fault

that's what i thought initially but what @JoeyFlex5 said at the time the play happened made me second guess

 

[UPennChem]

just went back to find the boykin play...

idk how it could be anything other than his fault - im looking at the situation and the route timings and there's no way that isnt supposed to be a comeback designed to go to boykin right at the sticks - and not only does he keep running he doesnt even look for the ball until after it's already hit the ground about 10 yards behind him

i honestly dont see anyway that it wasnt boykin who screwed up

and if it is and it was him again then i just dont see how he can be out-snapping any of the other receivers on the roster right now

So here's something I noticed. In the few games before today, Lamar had been struggling to hit Hollywood for deep balls. Was there a single deep strike thrown today? No. Lamar admits this week his knee was feeling much better, what did we see this week, designed runs for Lamar and scrambles that were effective. Something is just telling me that the reason we're performing so poorly on offense is because Roman isn't even calling the games he'd ideally like to. I think the offense was set up to feast rushing the ball, without yanda and with dedication by defenses, we haven't been able to impose our will. Subsequently, Roman has tried other things like the bootlegs to get him put of the pocket as well as multiple deep strikes per game to Hollywood, but none of it has worked even occasionally. I think we were not set up for the situation where we can't pound the rock. But on top of that we have bouts where Andrews, Hollywood, and Snead have bricks for hands and Boykin is on another planet. I am not an apologist for anyone, but like half the time I'm amazed Lamar does what he does given we're not moving the ball on the ground, he's constantly running for his life and his receivers drop passes. He's not immune to playing bad he's been bad basically all year. But the thing is you see overwhelmingly on the plays where he gets protection and his guy is open he makes good. In short it means Lamar is basically doing the bare minimum of an NFL quarterback this year and he's just not being put in a position to flourish by both his surrounding cast and the coaching staff.

 

[JO_75]

maybe it's premature but i really think I'm done with Boykin - i dont care if he's getting open if he and lamar are never gonna be on the same page

it seems to be a weekly occurrence right now - and it's not happening with anyone else on the roster

Go get AB, I said it last week. We need him, I think he's the difference maker our offense needs. Hollywood, Duv, Andrews, Boyle, and then add AB. We need to stretch defenses and make them pay, it's easy for teams to stack the box and stop the run, but we stretch the defense out it will open up more opportunities for our offense.

 

[ravenslord]

Go get AB, I said it last week. We need him, I think he's the difference maker our offense needs. Hollywood, Duv, Andrews, Boyle, and then add AB. We need to stretch defenses and make them pay, it's easy for teams to stack the box and stop the run, but we stretch the defense out it will open up more opportunities for our offense.

I’m gonna hold my nose on this one and AGREE !

 

[rossihunter2]

So here's something I noticed. In the few games before today, Lamar had been struggling to hit Hollywood for deep balls. Was there a single deep strike thrown today? No. Lamar admits this week his knee was feeling much better, what did we see this week, designed runs for Lamar and scrambles that were effective. Something is just telling me that the reason we're performing so poorly on offense is because Roman isn't even calling the games he'd ideally like to. I think the offense was set up to feast rushing the ball, without yanda and with dedication by defenses, we haven't been able to impose our will. Subsequently, Roman has tried other things like the bootlegs to get him put of the pocket as well as multiple deep strikes per game to Hollywood, but none of it has worked even occasionally. I think we were not set up for the situation where we can't pound the rock. But on top of that we have bouts where Andrews, Hollywood, and Snead have bricks for hands and Boykin is on another planet. I am not an apologist for anyone, but like half the time I'm amazed Lamar does what he does given we're not moving the ball on the ground, he's constantly running for his life and his receivers drop passes. He's not immune to playing bad he's been bad basically all year. But the thing is you see overwhelmingly on the plays where he gets protection and his guy is open he makes good. In short it means Lamar is basically doing the bare minimum of an NFL quarterback this year and he's just not being put in a position to flourish by both his surrounding cast and the coaching staff.

i mean lamar's been well below par but put any other QB in some of the situations he's been in and we for sure would not be 5-1

the offensive production has been stilted at best but lamar is making enough plays to win us games even with the offence not clicking

what's extra frustrating about the boykin play was it was a brave call but the play was there to be had - it's a very timing-dependent type play which seems like playing with fire with the lamar-to-boykin connection right now

that said the play was there if only boykin runs the right route

 

[UPennChem]

just went back to find the boykin play...

idk how it could be anything other than his fault - im looking at the situation and the route timings and there's no way that isnt supposed to be a comeback designed to go to boykin right at the sticks - and not only does he keep running he doesnt even look for the ball until after it's already hit the ground about 10 yards behind him

i honestly dont see anyway that it wasnt boykin who screwed up

and if it is and it was him again then i just dont see how he can be out-snapping any of the other receivers on the roster right now

I'm with you. I've been on the we need to be patient with Boykin bandwagon, but he's showing me he doesn't have the mind for an NFL receiver. It's time to give his snaps to either Moore, Proche, or Antonio Brown lol. It doesn't seem likely to me we'll be able to trade for anyone that we'd actually want given their salary. I really don't think AB can actually harm the team. This team is tight knit and we've seen if they need someone out of their, it will work its way out. He should be a very low cost low risk prospect. I'd suspect though that he'd have no interest in signing here given what he's seen this season from us.

 

[rossihunter2]

Go get AB, I said it last week. We need him, I think he's the difference maker our offense needs. Hollywood, Duv, Andrews, Boyle, and then add AB. We need to stretch defenses and make them pay, it's easy for teams to stack the box and stop the run, but we stretch the defense out it will open up more opportunities for our offense.

i just dont know that i could support that personally from a moral standpoint

but for sure, a player of that calibre who has a pre-existing relationship with lamar would be game-changing

 

[rossihunter2]

I'm with you. I've been on the we need to be patient with Boykin bandwagon, but he's showing me he doesn't have the mind for an NFL receiver. It's time to give his snaps to either Moore, Proche, or Antonio Brown lol. It doesn't seem likely to me we'll be able to trade for anyone that we'd actually want given their salary. I really don't think AB can actually harm the team. This team is tight knit and we've seen if they need someone out of their, it will work its way out. He should be a very low cost low risk prospect. I'd suspect though that he'd have no interest in signing here given what he's seen this season from us.

sometimes it just becomes blatantly obvious that it's just not going to work
not to say boykin wont become something but id say the route to him being a successful professional WR with the ravens is disappearing rapidly (if it isnt gone already)

 

[UPennChem]

i mean lamar's been well below par but put any other QB in some of the situations he's been in and we for sure would not be 5-1

the offensive production has been stilted at best but lamar is making enough plays to win us games even with the offence not clicking

what's extra frustrating about the boykin play was it was a brave call but the play was there to be had - it's a very timing-dependent type play which seems like playing with fire with the lamar-to-boykin connection right now

that said the play was there if only boykin runs the right route

No I'm agreeing with you. I say I'm not an apologist because these boards quickly like to call you out for standing up for someone who is not playing well. Lamar is exactly as you said playing below par, but he's probably the reason we're 5-1 and not say 3-3. It's frustrating because if things like Boykin running the right route actually happens, then we pick up that first down we keep rolling and we gain confidence and experience. Instead we leave frustrated and put of sync. Still confused as to why Proche doesn't get more snaps. Duv seems to be getting more, but even that doesn't seem enough.

 

[JoeyFlex5]

Agree 100% we flat out need AB, but we can’t let him feel like we need him

 

[UPennChem]

sometimes it just becomes blatantly obvious that it's just not going to work
not to say boykin wont become something but id say the route to him being a successful professional WR with the ravens is disappearing rapidly (if it isnt gone already)

This seems like one of the blatantly obvious situations

 

[ravenslord]

Ill take JJ Watt and AB right now .

 

[RavensMania]

Maybe we can trade Boykin for JJ Watt.

Until we fix the offensive line troubles, we aren't going to improve much as an offense in a Roman scheme.

 

[rossihunter2]

This seems like one of the blatantly obvious situations

it really does - might be a case of salvaging as much as we can (see if we can send him somewhere else this offseason for a late day 3 pick or something)

but its not clicking for him here

 

[UPennChem]

Maybe we can trade Boykin for JJ Watt.

Until we fix the offensive line troubles, we aren't going to improve much as an offense in a Roman scheme.

That's basically as concise as it gets. But unfortunately there's no prospects of the OLine getting better right?