Bernard Pollard Speaks Out on Harbaugh Again

[BloodRaven]

The term rampaging may overstate Ridley's performances to an extent. After a strong start, he amassed 547 yards on 140 carries in the last 8 games. An impressive TD total with 7, but the 3.9 YPC was pedestrian. He netted 82 yards on 15 carries against Houston, and then we held him to 70 on 18 attempts, which was just above the aforementioned average. The hit by Pollard and the subsequent lost fumble were huge. We were up by 8, they turned it over in their own territory and we followed up with a TD. I'd personally state that he took him out instead of shutting him down, however, that's semantics on my end. We were in the led and we did force them into turnovers on the next three drives, so it's difficult to state that we outright fail to reach the SuperBowl without that play. But that doesn't take away from the fact that Pollard was a solid starter who helped set the aggressive tone, albeit as the most penalized safety in the league. It's fair to argue whether we reach the SuperBowl without him, but that's a sentiment that would hold true for multiple players.

That being said, if we're pointing out specific performances, we were ran all over in the SuperBowl. With as much as the focus fell on Lewis being whipped in the passing game, Pollard himself was nothing short of a liability in coverage, with multiple mind-boggling bites in zone coverage. Not to mention the missed tackle on the Crabtree TD. In many ways, the final victory alone came in spite of Pollard. Would Pollard have been a solid starter for us the following year? I don't see why not, especially since he played to the same standard in Tennessee. However, would he have been a better presence than what Ihedigbo was the following season? That's difficult to argue. I agree that we lost defensive leadership in 2013, mostly in the losses of Reed and Lewis. But as far as losing the edge because of Pollard, that's highly debatable. Ihedigbo was a machine in around the LOS in 2013. He was one of our best tone setters and he continuously flew around the ball, noted by the fact that he had the highest run stop percentage in the league. Even Webb referred to him as the "captain back there." I thought that at worst, he replaced the value of Pollard in intensity, performance, and locker room leadership in equal measure. That's just my opinion though. In either case, in terms of assigning blame for the inability to neither repeat nor reach the postseason, I am somewhat puzzled by the focus on the following year's defense that categorical improved over the offense that was unquestionably abysmal.

Good post, I won't touch on all of it as it is as you say "semantics" but I'm just reminding everybody that he's one big reason why we have a second title, we had a handful of season saving plays that postseason and the one we always talk about is the Hail Mary to Jacoby Jones... but if Pollard hadn't murked Ridley the season would have ended there as well. It's also fair to say that Harbaugh had some great coaching moments and was responsible for the development of most of the team, both Pollard and Harbaugh wouldn't have a ring without the other.

 

[RavensDFan]

Harbs isn't a bad coach per se. What he stinks at is choosing the proper personnel to work under him. With his experience in ST, he relies more heavily on his coordinators and he just seems clueless in that area.

As for Pollard, loved him when he was here, and still have the utmost respect for him. Sometimes two strong personalities don't mix and I truly think that is all there is between him & Harbs.

I do think that Reed and Ray covered a lot of ills here and weaknesses in our coordinators. Their play may have diminished with age but they were awesome leaders and on the field coaches. Not just on defense either, Torrey often spoke of how they helped him. Then you have another great on the field veteran leader in Boldin. I think that was the biggest mistake. The most glaring one. Absolutely mind blowing that they did not keep Boldin around.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

So, while I really dislike Mike Freeman most of the time because he gets way too personally involved in certain players, he made a really fair point.

He said that in all his interactions with Harbaugh, he never came across as a huge egotistical jerk, but if Pollard wants to rail on head coaches for big egos, then the NFL might as well be run by tube socks and polos because all head coaches have an ego.

 

[allblackraven]

Harbs isn't a bad coach per se. What he stinks at is choosing the proper personnel to work under him. With his experience in ST, he relies more heavily on his coordinators and he just seems clueless in that area.

I find it hard to reconcile these two statements.

 

[NaturalBornHitters]

Yup, I was thinking 4 or 5 tbh

@Adreme that was sarcasm, buddy

 

[RayRayRaven]

That would be true if it weren't for the fact that the Ravens defense in 2013 ranked HIGHER in pretty much every category than in 2012. So unless we are implying there ability to improve others was so great that there "aura" remained for a year, there ability to affect others on the field is being drastically overstated.

Adreme, something tells me you don't read much and remember less. Are you really here trying to make an argument that the 2013 defensive team was better than the 2012 defensive team? Where is your common sense and game eye flock brother from a wrong bird mother? Seriously, you're not really trying to sell that line of patter here are you? because we are all laughing our butts off and we are not laughing with you!

Oh man...its thick. Ok the 2013 Defense lacked Pollard, Lewis, Reed, Ellerbe, Williams and Kruger among others. That D laid down in died in game one and in games 15 and 16 when we had a chance to get in. That D was blowed away, like ozze and harball after the purge. I mean seriously? Where in the eye test of losing to the Bears and the Bills and the Browns did you see a better Defense? Don't be shy step up and say it.

Lets assume you didn't know Ray Lewis missed a big part of 2012 and didn't know how he balled out in the playoffs vs Denver. Lets assume you missed his mostly stellar play vs the Pats in the AFC Championship. Or you missed Suggs absence until late in the year. Let's assume you did not know the other defensive contributors on I.R. in 2012 and that YOU really only follow concerns like PFF and other STATS. Can we safely assume that?......You know we can!!!

That given, did you know the 2012 defense with all it had to overcome during the year was overall ranked around 16th? Do you know what the 2013 defense ranked? That's a statistic a statistics guy got to know right? I mean you got to know it!

Where do you think the 2012 defense ranked against the run and pass respectively as compared to the 2013 defense?

Which of those defenses allowed fewer overall points? Come on PFF guy, don't be shy! just be accurate because cuz folks are laughing!

Now when you get to Truth about the Useless Stats, have the decency to come back here and throw yourself prone and apologize to knowledgeable posters here for being misled even about stats. But understand those who know will nevertheless concede that all stats are useless and misleading. But if one is gonna use that stat tripe at least have the integrity to be accurate with it.

Moral of the story is all team/season stats are relative to many things including time lost to injury or key I.R. Stats are always misleading and can't be the basis of any informed opinion. They are ancillary at best.

Second moral of the story...don't bring a knife to a forum gun fight.

Measure him for the casket and make the box out of cheap wood.

 

[rossihunter2]

Now when you get to Truth about the Useless Stats, have the decency to come back here and throw yourself prone and apologize to knowledgeable posters here for being ignorant, even about stats. But understand those who know will nevertheless concede that all stats are useless and misleading. But if one is gonna use that stat tripe at least have the integrity to be accurate with it.

you wouldnt know knowledgeable if it punched you in the face

that being said you're going from trolling to outright rude at this point with your constant attempts to belittle people's character and mental capacity

you're entitled to your own opinion but there's no need to attack other posters who you disagree with

 

[Adreme]

Adreme, something tells me you don't read much and remember less. Are you really here trying to make an argument that the 2013 defensive team was better than the 2012 defensive team? Where is your common sense and game eye flock brother from a wrong bird mother? Seriously, you're not really trying to sell that line of patter here are you? because we are all laughing our butts off and we are not laughing with you!

Oh man...its thick. Ok the 2013 Defense lacked Pollard, Lewis, Reed, Ellerbe, Williams and Kruger among others. That D laid down in died in game one and in games 15 and 16 when we had a chance to get in. That D was blowed away, like ozze and harball after the purge. I mean seriously? Where in the eye test of losing to the Bears and the Bills and the Browns did you see a better Defense? Don't be shy step up and say it.

Lets assume you didn't know Ray Lewis missed a big part of 2012 and didn't know how he balled out in the playoffs vs Denver. Lets assume you missed his mostly stellar play vs the Pats in the AFC Championship. Let's assume you did not know the other defensive contributors on I.R. in 2012 and that YOU really only follow concerns like PFF and other STATS. Can we safely assume that?......You know we can!!!

That given, did you know the 2012 defense with all it had to overcome during the year was overall ranked 16th? Do you know what the 2013 defense ranked? That's a statistic a statistics guy got to know right? I mean you got to know it! (21st).

Where do you think the 2012 defense ranked against the run and pass respectively as compared to the 2013 defense?

Which of those defenses allowed fewer overall points? Come on PFF guy, don't be shy! just be accurate because cuz folks are laughing!

Now when you get to Truth about the Useless Stats, have the decency to come back here and throw yourself prone and apologize to knowledgeable posters here for being ignorant, even about stats. But understand those who know will nevertheless concede that all stats are useless and misleading. But if one is gonna use that stat tripe at least have the integrity to be accurate with it.

Moral of the story is all team/season stats are relative to many things including time lost to injury or key I.R. Stats are always misleading and can't be the basis of any informed opinion. They are ancillary at best.

Second moral of the story...don't bring a knife to a forum gun fight.

Measure him for the casket and make the box out of cheap wood.

Okay, some people are dense and need a thicker club to beat thru there selective memory.

First off I just checked AGAIN, You are factually wrong about where the defense in 2013 ranked. It was not 21st it was 12th. Now maybe in your haste you misread it but 12th is HIGHER than 16th just to help further the point a little.

Do you remember WHY SF almost came back in that SB? Its because they abused Ray Lewis and as Truth pointed our correctly Pollard had a bad game as well so remember when you talk about how those players won us a SB that they were almost the reason the Ravens blew despite the offense playing great against a defense that was supposed to be the class of the NFL. So I would love to hear how keeping those aging players who almost blew the game would be a good decision, but fortunately nothing backs you up on that so there is not a good reason.

There are two losses from that 2012 team that hurt, Boldin hurt a little, though less than I think most people believe he did, and losing Birk hurt a lot. A loss is only as big a problem as the replacement and the Ravens were completely unable to replace Birk. The rushing attack was dreadful and while I put that on the ENTIRE line (the Ravens that year were the worst in NFL in yards before contact and while I do not have the full list in front of me I do not believe it was close), that is a HUGE part of it. A RB can only take advantage of what he is given but if he is given nothing then nothing will happen.

Teams do not win in the NFL unless the OLine holds up. You need 3 things to win in the NFL. An OLine, a secondary, and a QB. Everything else just goes in the category of nice to have. Having Calvin Johnson is nice, having Jonathan Ogden is better. Nothing the Ravens lost outside of Birk mattered. They upgraded over Lewis, they side graded over Pollard, and overall the defense was better for it.

By the way to answer your questions on the rankings of the defense.

2012 defense: 17th in YPG, 20th in Rushing YPG, 17th in Passing YPG, 12th in PPG, and a bonus stat of 21st in 1st downs allowed per game.

2013 defense: 12th in YPG. 11th in Rushing YPG, 12th in Passing YPG, 12th in PPG, 6th in 1st downs allowed per game

Please continue to tell me how the 2012 squad was better because nothing backs it up. I know you said it was because there were injuries on the 2012 defense which despite the fact that you claim to have been paying better attention than me ignore on the 2013 squad which you clearly do because you dont care about what is true or false you have a narrative and WANT it to be true and will twist facts in order for it to be true. Both squads had injures but 2013 just had a better defense. The reason the Ravens lost in 2013 was because the rushing attack was HORRIBLE. If the Ravens had the same level of rushing attack as 2012 they repeat as SB champs and everything else is white noise.

Sorry, but just because you want something to be true does not mean it is, if it were the Ravens would be 8-1 right now (undefeated makes me too nervous).

 

[Adreme]

you wouldnt know knowledgeable if it punched you in the face

that being said you're going from trolling to outright rude at this point with your constant attempts to belittle people's character and mental capacity

you're entitled to your own opinion but there's no need to attack other posters who you disagree with

He misread a 12 as a 21, and based his entire attack on me around that, I am not really going to take his insults particularly seriously.

 

[redrum52]

13 defense was better. The 12 defense was aided by a much more effective offense.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

The 12 defense dealt with injuries out the ass. 12 defense if healthy is way better than 13.

 

[RayRayRaven]

oz and harbs thought they improved the defense in 2013 too

its so frustrating to hear flock brothers rub salt into that wound.

Ardreme if I offended you, I apologize, though its no excuse I am very upset about the state of the ravens.

 

[Militant X 1]

oz and harbs thought they improved the defense in 2013 too

its so frustrating to hear flock brothers rub salt into that wound.

Ardreme if I offended you, I apologize, though its no excuse I am very upset about the state of the ravens.

We're all upset over the state of the Ravens but that is no reason to "turn on" and then attempt to "devour" fellow Ravens fans with differing viewpoints and opinions than yours.

My reality about the Ravens is that once alpha males and dawgs like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Anquan Boldin walked out those doors in Baltimore...a TON OF RAVENS SWAGGER and MYSTIC walked out with them. Those players had certain "intangibles" that aided in the establishing of the Ravens image throughout the league. They were literally the embodiment of our motto; "PLAY LIKE A RAVEN". A motto which doesn't mean now.

 

[RavensDFan]

I find it hard to reconcile these two statements.

There are few HCs who actually call plays and schemes. Perhaps I did not say it plainly enough. He relies more heavily on the talent of his coordinators than someone with a background in offense or defense, or both. He lets his loyalty, friendships and personal feelings towards people get in the way of what is best for the team, IMO, when those coordinators are lacking. That does not make him a poor HC overall.

 

[RavensDFan]

The 12 defense dealt with injuries out the ass. 12 defense if healthy is way better than 13.

"Ifs" don't count. Actual facts and numbers count.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

"Ifs" don't count. Actual facts and numbers count.

So, it's a fact that the depth of injuries the 12 Ravens faced was quite detrimental to the state of the defense.

Look no further than the playoffs for proof of how much better the defense was when it started to get healthy.

 

[redrum52]

Maybe I'm not remembering right, but
I don't even remember them playing all that well to start the season, even when they were healthy. And the guy who mentioned the 13 defense getting worked, the Texans almost broke this team's spirit. Broncos beat us down as well in 12 too which is part of why the Divisional round was so special.

 

[29BmoreBird22]

Maybe I'm not remembering right, but
I don't even remember them playing all that well to start the season, even when they were healthy. And the guy who mentioned the 13 defense getting worked, the Texans almost broke this team's spirit. Broncos beat us down as well in 12 too which is part of why the Divisional round was so special.

Suggs to start the season, Webb in game 5.

 

[allblackraven]

There are few HCs who actually call plays and schemes. Perhaps I did not say it plainly enough. He relies more heavily on the talent of his coordinators than someone with a background in offense or defense, or both. He lets his loyalty, friendships and personal feelings towards people get in the way of what is best for the team, IMO, when those coordinators are lacking. That does not make him a poor HC overall.

See, that's exactly what would make him not so good HC. What confidence should we have in him if the trust he has in his buddys produces nothing but losing seasons? He sees where this offense is going and he's excited about that?
Child, please...

 

[allblackraven]

Maybe I'm not remembering right, but
I don't even remember them playing all that well to start the season, even when they were healthy. And the guy who mentioned the 13 defense getting worked, the Texans almost broke this team's spirit. Broncos beat us down as well in 12 too which is part of why the Divisional round was so special.

Broncos game was without half the starters.
Texans loss did us good - that game was a tipping point and caused a "mutiny" - quite opposite of breaking the team's spirit. You can't break those guys spirit.