The Good, The Weather and The Injuries

[rmcjacket23]

My quick takes:
1. We got a dose of our medicine last night. Our entire offense last season was based on the idea that we could run the ball at will on anybody, and that opens up play fakes and play action to make pass catchers wide open. Patriots used our own blueprint against us, against an injury ravaged (and poorly playing) front seven.
2. Patrick Queen got punked big time all night long. No gap integrity, didn't execute the plays he actually did read right, etc.
3. Offense actually wasn't terrible in the grand scheme of things (at least for the first three quarters). Oline is a disaster with all the injuries and poor performance, but generally liked the play calling and thought we executed "OK".

Bottom line for me... this was the game that proved we're not a SB contender. We're still a playoff team, and may even win a playoff game, depending on matchups. But this team, as presently constructed, is not going to be competing for a Lombardi this year.

Probably too early to be looking ahead to this offseason, but the list of areas of weakness are growing rapidly...
Alpha WR
Interior Oline
Youth on Dline

And thats before we talk about how your entire pass rush core is FAs, and the potential of losing depth in the secondary.

That being said... we're 6-3, we're not a bad team, and a lot of teams would kill to be where we are. So there's that.

 

[ravenslord]

Sadly our team will not be able to recover from so many injuries and this season is finished even if we squeak into a low Wild Card .
We will be 6-5 after the next two weeks .

 

[Sandtown]

Sadly our team will not be able to recover from so many injuries and this season is finished even if we squeak into a low Wild Card .
We will be 6-5 after the next two weeks .

Whoa chill on this. I would only say something like this if Lamar Jackson got injured and was done for the rest of the season but you guys got to chill on the negativity for a team that's only 6-3.

 

[rmcjacket23]

Whoa chill on this. I would only say something like this if Lamar Jackson got injured and was done for the rest of the season but you guys got to chill on the negativity for a team that's only 6-3.

I mean... he's not wrong.

We have essentially no chance at winning the division. Big Ben could retire today and the Steelers still won't lose 3 games the rest of the season, because their schedule is very soft.

So by default you're looking at a road playoff game.

Today, at 6-3, we're the 7 seed in the AFC, and that's via tiebreakers. If this were last season, we'd be out of the playoffs entirely today. Considering our text two opponents are Tennessee and Pittsburgh, and we'll be playing both with significant injuries, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that we'll lose both. In fact, I think the most likely outcome is we lose both.

So that would make us a 6-5 team. I think that's easily the most likely scenario. Now, I think we'll end up 10-6 or even 11-5, because as we've known for awhile now, December is a very soft part of our schedule. We're 3 games into the toughest 5 game stretch, which is pretty much all of November.

10-6 or 11-5 will get us in the playoffs. The question becomes would kind of matchup we get. Today, we'd be flying to KC for a playoff game, which I'd give us about a 4% chance of winning. If we have to go to Buffalo, Miami, or Indianapolis (or maybe even Tennessee), I like our chances a lot more. For obvious reasons.

We'll get healthier as the season goes along (hopefully), but its a bad part of our schedule to be banged up.

 

[ravenslord]

Whoa chill on this. I would only say something like this if Lamar Jackson got injured and was done for the rest of the season but you guys got to chill on the negativity for a team that's only 6-3.

I'm just a realist. There's simply no way you can compete with the top contenders with the injuries we have .

 

[cdp]

I'm just a realist. There's simply no way you can compete with the top contenders with the injuries we have .

Tbh we couldn't compete with the top contenders even when only Jimmy was injured (KC game week 3).

 

[RavensFan419]

Y'all really are some depressing dudes I'll check this board again in a few weeks and see how the mood has changed lol

 

[RavensMania]

Duv is showing some of that kind of play style where if you just get the ball in his hands he'll make you look even better because of his YAC

we just don't target him enough. I had a feeling when BWill left the game, that we weren't going to win this game. We can't seem to win when he isn't in the game. It certainly didn't help that Campbell wasn't playing either. I'm not blaming injuries though. Certainly hope Boyle recovers.

and we need to Fire Roman. That direct snap to Ingram was clear indication he needed to be fired in game.

 

[rmcjacket23]

I'm just a realist. There's simply no way you can compete with the top contenders with the injuries we have .

I mean I don't think Tennessee is a top contender, and New England certainly isn't either. KC is a whole other beast.

Beating Tennessee with the same personnel we had last night will be extremely challenging, mostly because it plays right into the strength of what Tennessee what's to do. They play physical up front, run the ball, and run play action.

When you don't have BWill, or Campbell, or Fort, and you can't stop the run, Tennessee can look like the best team in the league.

The only saving grace is I expect our offense to play better and score more points. I actually envision some what of a shootout.

 

[rmcjacket23]

we just don't target him enough. I had a feeling when BWill left the game, that we weren't going to win this game. We can't seem to win when he isn't in the game. It certainly didn't help that Campbell wasn't playing either. I'm not blaming injuries though. Certainly hope Boyle recovers.

and we need to Fire Roman. That direct snap to Ingram was clear indication he needed to be fired in game.

Per Harbs presser from last night, Boyle is out for the year at least.

 

[Sandtown]

I mean... he's not wrong.

We have essentially no chance at winning the division. Big Ben could retire today and the Steelers still won't lose 3 games the rest of the season, because their schedule is very soft.

So by default you're looking at a road playoff game.

Today, at 6-3, we're the 7 seed in the AFC, and that's via tiebreakers. If this were last season, we'd be out of the playoffs entirely today. Considering our text two opponents are Tennessee and Pittsburgh, and we'll be playing both with significant injuries, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that we'll lose both. In fact, I think the most likely outcome is we lose both.

So that would make us a 6-5 team. I think that's easily the most likely scenario. Now, I think we'll end up 10-6 or even 11-5, because as we've known for awhile now, December is a very soft part of our schedule. We're 3 games into the toughest 5 game stretch, which is pretty much all of November.

10-6 or 11-5 will get us in the playoffs. The question becomes would kind of matchup we get. Today, we'd be flying to KC for a playoff game, which I'd give us about a 4% chance of winning. If we have to go to Buffalo, Miami, or Indianapolis (or maybe even Tennessee), I like our chances a lot more. For obvious reasons.

We'll get healthier as the season goes along (hopefully), but its a bad part of our schedule to be banged up.

You talking about the same Steelers that almost lost against The Cowboys. No one really expected The Ravens was going to go 14-2 last year but we did. I don't really care about The Ravens winning the division but when Ravens fans say stuff like we done and etc that's a bit negative for a team that's 6-3. There's a lot young players on this team and this to me is just growing phase for them but for the most part I'm not really all that concerned.

 

[ravenslord]

we just don't target him enough. I had a feeling when BWill left the game, that we weren't going to win this game. We can't seem to win when he isn't in the game. It certainly didn't help that Campbell wasn't playing either. I'm not blaming injuries though. Certainly hope Boyle recovers.

and we need to Fire Roman. That direct snap to Ingram was clear indication he needed to be fired in game.

That was the most ridiculous play call in years! I was so angry when i saw Ingram back there by himself. Roman should go the way of Cam .

 

[Sandtown]

I'm just a realist. There's simply no way you can compete with the top contenders with the injuries we have .

I have seen even the top contenders struggle against teams less talented then The Ravens so i'm not really sure about all this.

 

[rmcjacket23]

You talking about the same Steelers that almost lost against The Cowboys. No one really expected The Ravens was going to go 14-2 last year but we did. I don't really care about The Ravens winning the division but when Ravens fans say stuff like we done and etc that's a bit negative for a team that's 6-3. There's a lot young players on this team and this to me is just growing phase for them but for the most part I'm not really all that concerned.

Yes, the same Steelers team that basically took pretty close to our best punch and still beat us in our building. I'm certainly not expecting to go to Pittsburgh in 10 days and run for 250 yards again or whatever it was.

I think the point is that this team clearly came into the season with SB aspirations, and it would be extremely difficult, bordering on impossible, to come up with any compelling argument on why we're SB contenders today. That could change, but nothing has been show on the football field that indicates that.

We've played two very good football teams this year, and we defeated neither of them. One we got the doors blown off of us in a highly non-competitive game, and the other we actually played really well but were beaten by poor decision making and bad QB play (sounds familiar from Tennessee in the postseason).

In reality, the regular season doesn't even matter that much for this team. We're good enough to be a playoff team. That everybody has known since last January. Its about whether this team, as assembled, can line-up in the postseason and beat good teams. So far that answer is no, because we haven't proven that.

Are we the Jaguars? No. But going 10-6 or 11-5, only to get bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by a better team, isn't really that great of a season for a team with these levels of expectations.

 

[rmcjacket23]

I have seen even the top contenders struggle against teams less talented then The Ravens so i'm not really sure about all this.

True. Except, in the playoffs, everybody is good, and you get everybodies best shot. I've seen the same contenders blow the doors off some really good teams also.

 

[redrum52]

Still pisses me off were forcing these snaps to Ingram.

 

[gtalk12]

I am not going to call the seaon, 6-3 is not bad lol.


However, I am sick and tired of watching the offense go out there over and over again in the pistol. I think Lamar played really well when they stopped with the cute shit. We have speed. Use it. Running the Pistol with only 1 wr and a few TE's is NOT WORKING LIKE IT DID LAST YEAR.


I honestly thought we would open the field up more this year and take advantage of defenses trying to key in on Lamar and the run game and we have not done that. Over the last few years I noticed shorter passes which are working. Give your big receivers and speedy guys an opportunity to do something. I really did not think it would be that difficult to do.


As for Hollywood, I am not sure why we drafted the kid if we aren't going to use his talent in the slot and in motion to get him some shots in the middle of the field and an opportunity to create with his legs. One of his best games came against the Miami Dolphins in the opener, his first catch was a slant from the slot which he caught in stride and broke free for a TD.

 

[rossihunter2]

I am not going to call the seaon, 6-3 is not bad lol.


However, I am sick and tired of watching the offense go out there over and over again in the pistol. I think Lamar played really well when they stopped with the cute shit. We have speed. Use it. Running the Pistol with only 1 wr and a few TE's is NOT WORKING LIKE IT DID LAST YEAR.


I honestly thought we would open the field up more this year and take advantage of defenses trying to key in on Lamar and the run game and we have not done that. Over the last few years I noticed shorter passes which are working. Give your big receivers and speedy guys an opportunity to do something. I really did not think it would be that difficult to do.


As for Hollywood, I am not sure why we drafted the kid if we aren't going to use his talent in the slot and in motion to get him some shots in the middle of the field and an opportunity to create with his legs. One of his best games came against the Miami Dolphins in the opener, his first catch was a slant from the slot which he caught in stride and broke free for a TD.

weirdly despite the negative result and the awful injuries and weather and performance generally - i think the last 2 weeks have been a good sign that Lamar is finding some rhythm again as a passer and adapting to the conditions of his OL and weapons this year - the INT was bad but other than that he had 70% completions in a monsoon with his best receiver hardly in the game at all and an inefficient running game

 

[gtalk12]

weirdly despite the negative result and the awful injuries and weather and performance generally - i think the last 2 weeks have been a good sign that Lamar is finding some rhythm again as a passer and adapting to the conditions of his OL and weapons this year - the INT was bad but other than that he had 70% completions in a monsoon with his best receiver hardly in the game at all and an inefficient running game

I did not mean to say 2 years, I meant 2 weeks but you are correct. Lamar has really been stepping up lately and threw the ball very well in that weather.

 

[RL52TheGreatest]

Y'all really are some depressing dudes I'll check this board again in a few weeks and see how the mood has changed lol

It's almost always like this after a big loss. To be fair though, things are definitely not looking good right now with the amount of major injuries to key players. I'll wait to see how we respond/adapt before I'll definitively say "we're done", but we have a lot of work to do.