Next Up: @ New Orleans

[UPennChem]

Again apologies for the pessimism, but I think last weak showed how weak our team is. Look at the Panthers vs the Bucs. Us vs the Bucs. And the Rams vs the Bucs.

We were completely stymied for an entire half by a team that the bottom feeders of the league blew out or are at least basically shutting out. And that Bucs team had legitimate replacement level talent in the secondary. I say get again, if the team we're playing doesn't just capitulate to our run game, we're fucked.

The saints are a in terms of yards given up on both the ground and air very middle of the pack. That combines for them to be bottom 10 in total yards. They're bottom 10 in points given up too.

So while I think we can still win this one, I think it might be very ugly.

 

[UPennChem]

Wow the Bucs Rams comment didn't age well. How can anyone excuse McVay for what's happened to this Rams team this year. This collapse was supposed to happen, but not this year.

 

[allblackraven]

Wow the Bucs Rams comment didn't age well. How can anyone excuse McVay for what's happened to this Rams team this year. This collapse was supposed to happen, but not this year.

None of them seem very interested in playing football. Players and coaches. Pure trash.

 

[Dom McRaven]

At least we'll be in the division lead for the next two weeks. Highly doubt we win tomorrow, but I'll be ecstatic if they prove me wrong.

 

[Militant X 1]

But the starters won't be in the field lol

I know! That's why I said, "If" they lose; I'd still say; I blame you (them)! Lol!

 

[ravenslord]

Defense gonna have to win this one for us I’m afraid.

 

[ravenslord]

So our top tight end , top two running backs, top safety and our top receiver are all out for this game .

It seems we are in the same boat as we were last year . Not good .

 

[rmcjacket23]

Did not matter. The only game that mattered was the Bills and they lost. Dolphins do not matter and Chargers do not matter the Ravens are effectively in first by 1.5 games (tiebreaker) and for that reason the Bengals also do not matter. All that matters is the Chiefs and Bills losing and one of those already happened.

Why do the Chiefs and Bills matter? You think playoffs and/or division winning is a given right now?

Not close for me. A loss tonight and we're tied for the division lead, with a tiebreaker that isn't permanent.

Literally the only focus we should have is on winning our games so we win the division.

 

[Tank]

Defense rules tonight in NOLA, and thinking we'll see a surprise performance by the O, the line has really come into it's own. Regardless of missing key pieces there some talented depth there that can pick up the slack, and hopefully LJ can put together 4 quarters of quality play.

Let's go!

 

[redrum52]

Wow the Bucs Rams comment didn't age well. How can anyone excuse McVay for what's happened to this Rams team this year. This collapse was supposed to happen, but not this year.

None of them seem very interested in playing football. Players and coaches. Pure trash.

Called the Rams having a huge drop off this year. Donald, Stafford and McVay all seemed ready to retire. Granted, Donald still trying his best, lack of depth and the team looking satisfied with last year seems to have caught up with them. Stafford looks awful, too.

 

[rmcjacket23]

Called the Rams having a huge drop off this year. Donald, Stafford and McVay all seemed ready to retire. Granted, Donald still trying his best, lack of depth and the team looking satisfied with last year seems to have caught up with them. Stafford looks awful, too.

Yeah I mean I'm a little surprised the drop off has been this bad, but its not too surprising when you look at the roster.
Oline play is horrible, which probably could have been seen from space. They've always been skittish with being able to run the ball, and I'd argue they don't really have many "playmakers" on offense outside of Kupp.
And yes, the depth is horrendous, which is also not surprising. The "fuck them picks" movement has some fatal flaws, and the main one is lack of depth. When the guys you pay top money to either don't play great or get injured, its hard to have backups that are anywhere near that level when you've traded away a lot of draft picks that could be used to get those players.

 

[BoredMarine13]

not unpredictable given that he was doubtful
but still just emphasises how fucked this skill position group is right now

first game andrews has missed in his entire career so far

if likely doesnt step up the way he did last week (and it's tough to rely on a rookie like that), then this offence is screwed

I appreciate them being cautious though. Win or lose were still in first with a favorable schedule. I just hope Mark is back post bye

 

[BoredMarine13]

Wow the Bucs Rams comment didn't age well. How can anyone excuse McVay for what's happened to this Rams team this year. This collapse was supposed to happen, but not this year.

Stafford does not look right.

 

[Adreme]

Why do the Chiefs and Bills matter? You think playoffs and/or division winning is a given right now?

Not close for me. A loss tonight and we're tied for the division lead, with a tiebreaker that isn't permanent.

Literally the only focus we should have is on winning our games so we win the division.

The tiebreaker is basically locked up. The Bengals are currently 0-3 in the division while the Ravens are 2-0 with the Ravens having both their games against the tanking Steelers remaining. There should be no realistic way that the tiebreaker is not locked up (especially as the Bengals got blown out by the backup).

There are 3 real teams in the AFC with a Super Bowl window: Bills, Ravens, and Chiefs, with an outside chance for the Benals if they get it together. So when running a race and you are already ahead and now you enter the downhill of the schedule, I am not going to spend energy worrying about those behind. After the Ravens win tonight they will be 1 game out of the 1 seed with by far the easiest remaining schedule. Home field is the goal and with this roster from top to bottom making the playoffs is assumed barring a 2021 injury streak.

 

[rmcjacket23]

The tiebreaker is basically locked up. The Bengals are currently 0-3 in the division while the Ravens are 2-0 with the Ravens having both their games against the tanking Steelers remaining. There should be no realistic way that the tiebreaker is not locked up (especially as the Bengals got blown out by the backup).

There are 3 real teams in the AFC with a Super Bowl window: Bills, Ravens, and Chiefs, with an outside chance for the Benals if they get it together. So when running a race and you are already ahead and now you enter the downhill of the schedule, I am not going to spend energy worrying about those behind. After the Ravens win tonight they will be 1 game out of the 1 seed with by far the easiest remaining schedule. Home field is the goal and with this roster from top to bottom making the playoffs is assumed barring a 2021 injury streak.

1. Well, no, because a) we play the Bengals again and b) us going 3-3 in the division wouldn't shock anybody. That also assumes that the Bengals can't simply win more games than us, which while I don't think they will, I wouldn't hold your breath on it. A vastly harder schedule they have, but nobody should feel confident in this team until they see what our offense looks like without pretty much all of its playmakers. And I don't anticipate that being just a one game problem, either.
2. I'm not in the stratosphere of assuming a playoff appearance. We simply haven't earned that to this point. A lot of the weaknesses we have, especially on offense, aren't fixable without injury recoveries or guys simply playing better. That has to be proven, not assumed.

Regardless, at this point, there's no reason for even the wildcard teams we would play (Dolphins and Chargers, primarily) to have any concerns about going into Baltimore to win a playoff game at this point. One team has already beaten us and put up lots of points doing it, and the other certainly has the personnel to score on anybody.

This team's got a long way to go in my eyes before we start making claims like this. It wouldn't take 2021 injuries to derail it either. It would take maybe 1-2 injuries to critical players.

 

[Adreme]

1. Well, no, because a) we play the Bengals again and b) us going 3-3 in the division wouldn't shock anybody. That also assumes that the Bengals can't simply win more games than us, which while I don't think they will, I wouldn't hold your breath on it. A vastly harder schedule they have, but nobody should feel confident in this team until they see what our offense looks like without pretty much all of its playmakers. And I don't anticipate that being just a one game problem, either.
2. I'm not in the stratosphere of assuming a playoff appearance. We simply haven't earned that to this point. A lot of the weaknesses we have, especially on offense, aren't fixable without injury recoveries or guys simply playing better. That has to be proven, not assumed.

Regardless, at this point, there's no reason for even the wildcard teams we would play (Dolphins and Chargers, primarily) to have any concerns about going into Baltimore to win a playoff game at this point. One team has already beaten us and put up lots of points doing it, and the other certainly has the personnel to score on anybody.

This team's got a long way to go in my eyes before we start making claims like this. It wouldn't take 2021 injuries to derail it either. It would take maybe 1-2 injuries to critical players.

Going 3-3 in the division absolutely should shock people because it would require losing 2/3 to the combination of a tanking team with a rookie QB and another team who will have their QB playing only their 3rd NFL game in 2 years. If you lose 2/3 of those with a Super Bowl roster then there are bigger problems so yes 3-3 would be a shock in the division. Also there is no evidence to suggest either the Andrews or Edwards injuries are not short term issues where the team is playing it safe and holding them out until after the bye, again in 2 weeks, and even after the bye it is the Panthers. Basically they get to face a bunch of nothing.

Meanwhile they absolutely should be assuming a playoff appearance. It is like saying the Bills should not assume a playoff appearance. The Bills are only 1 game up in a division and have already lost to both teams that they are only 1 game up on with the Patriots being in there at 5-4. They have not made nearly enough noise in the playoffs to get that Chiefs benefit of the doubt. However, at the end of the day you still trust that a loaded roster with a great QB is going to be in the playoffs and the same is true of the Ravens.

As for why the wildcard teams would not be scared of the Ravens I would agree with that. But I would also say the Bengals, Dolphins, Chargers, and even throw in the Jets and Patriots should not be concerned about going anywhere including both to play the Chiefs and Bills (given that the Jets and Dolphins already beat the Bills). The AFC is very tight this year so none of them should be scared of the other.

 

[rmcjacket23]

Going 3-3 in the division absolutely should shock people because it would require losing 2/3 to the combination of a tanking team with a rookie QB and another team who will have their QB playing only their 3rd NFL game in 2 years. If you lose 2/3 of those with a Super Bowl roster then there are bigger problems so yes 3-3 would be a shock in the division. Also there is no evidence to suggest either the Andrews or Edwards injuries are not short term issues where the team is playing it safe and holding them out until after the bye, again in 2 weeks, and even after the bye it is the Panthers. Basically they get to face a bunch of nothing.

Meanwhile they absolutely should be assuming a playoff appearance. It is like saying the Bills should not assume a playoff appearance. The Bills are only 1 game up in a division and have already lost to both teams that they are only 1 game up on with the Patriots being in there at 5-4. They have not made nearly enough noise in the playoffs to get that Chiefs benefit of the doubt. However, at the end of the day you still trust that a loaded roster with a great QB is going to be in the playoffs and the same is true of the Ravens.

As for why the wildcard teams would not be scared of the Ravens I would agree with that. But I would also say the Bengals, Dolphins, Chargers, and even throw in the Jets and Patriots should not be concerned about going anywhere including both to play the Chiefs and Bills (given that the Jets and Dolphins already beat the Bills). The AFC is very tight this year so none of them should be scared of the other.

Well I mean splitting with the Steelers in really any given year isn't shocking, especially when they've beaten teams we're discussing, like the Bengals, already. Us losing on the road to the Bengals wouldn't be surprising, especially in week 17, and playing Cleveland with Watson is a whole different can of worms.

I don't think Buffalo should assume a playoff spot either. I'd say there's very few teams who should be assuming that right now, Buffalo included.

 

[gtalk12]

I am not sure what some of you are watching. Look around the league right now especially the AFC. A win puts us at 6 wins which puts us tied with the Chiefs for most wins (we have a bye coming up so we have played one more game)

Even with all the struggles we are competing and there is a valid argument that this team should have at least 2 more wins which would put us at the top of the AFC.

Everyone has been telling me all year how great Allen and the Bills look. They just dropped a game to the Jets in a division with 3 teams at 6 wins.

I think with all the reinforcements coming over the next month that we are in a GREAT spot to make a move.

Also, something to note with Andrews being out. This may be a blessing in disguise for Lamar specifically.

He looked great in the second half when he started to share the ball. He needs to go back to going through his reads the way I know he knows how to and spread the love. The rest will take care of itself.

He is and will always be the X factor.

 

[Militant X 1]

Well, we are a few hours away from tip-off! I've done all of my venting about their piss-poor gameplay over the past few weeks (even with a win) and my lack of confidence in them to take advantage of this opportunity to further their grip on the AFC North by beating the Saints tonight to advance to 6-3! I want them to do it! So, I need the Ravens to come through NOLA tonight for that "W" (3rd in a row before their bye) like this:


GO RAVENS!!!

 

[purplepittabread88]

Y’all think we pull this one out? They have an incredible middle of the field defense and I feel we could easily struggle.