SB Nation's NFL Preview: Baltimore Ravens
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 7, 2010 6:00 AM EDT
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PrintAs part of my sometimes overwhelming responsibilities in running this wonderful site for SB Nation, the NFL bloggers sent over previews of our teams to SB Nation's home site, answering specific questions about our NFL teams. The league started posting previews in late August and Baltimore Beatdown's preview of our Ravens is now up for your viewing enjoyment.
Personally, if I do say so myself, I think I nailed it on the Ravens outlook and recent changes to the team. But who am I to rate myself? So head on over to SB Nation's NFL Preview page on the Baltimore Ravens by Baltimore Beatdown and let me know what you think!
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I love JJ but
you really think he could be the best all-around defensive player on a team that still has Ray, Suggs, Ngata, and Reed? I don’t.
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
I don't know about JJ
Ngata would get my vote. I think he is one of the most scheme diverse D-lineman in the league.
JJ is great, but calling him the Raven’s “best all-around defensive player” is probably just an over-reaction to how underrated he is.
Ngata would get my vote. I think he is one of the most scheme diverse D-lineman in the league.
I mostly agree about Ngata; I’m hoping he gets another interception this year.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
I love JJ, but he’s still doesn’t have the impact on a game that Ngata does. Ngata definitely gets my vote as the best defensive player on our team from a physical standpoint. But from a preparation, experience, inspiring, leadership view Ray Lewis is the best to ever play the game…..PERIOD!
"Me no function beer welll without."
by StuckInUtah on Sep 7, 2010 2:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Ngata is one of the best defensive players in the NFL period
Top 5 in my book for sure. He makes more impact on games than just about any other Defensive lineman currently playing that I can think of and most of it goes unspoken. His sheer presence intimidates teams into running plays around his zone of coverage.
by Roa on Sep 7, 2010 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Prince Miller to sign with New England
http://blogs.baltimoreravens.com/2010/09/07/patriots-expected-to-sign-miller/
Pretty interesting. At least he is going to a top notch organization instead of somewhere like Oakland where he will be run out of the league right away.
Grading Belicheck:
Belicheck at coaching: B+
Belicheck at cheating: A+
Sign him. Get our playbook. Release him. Sign next “deep throat” and repeat process.
How Belicheck will be remembered by the masses: Greatest coach ever. A++++
It’s not cheating to sign Prince Miller. You really think Prince had a perfect command of our defensive schematics, as often as he looked lost out there?
Bellicheck is a great coach. If you think he only won those Superbowls because he was videotaping practices, that’s pretty ridiculous.
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
There was talent on those teams, but don’t be nieve and think cheating didn’t help winning.
He lost a first round draft pick and was fined 500,000 dollars for what he did.
His ex-coach ratted him out because he knew how beneficial it was.
Roger Goodell immediately destroyed the video tapes after watching them. Do you think he destroyed them because he didn’t have enough space to store them? Or was it because the tapes would put an asterisk next to the dynasty team of the 00’s. That’d make the NFL look pretty bad.
You’re right, it’s not cheating to sign Prince Miller. I just felt like taking a shot at Belicheck.
There was talent on those teams, but don’t be nieve and think cheating didn’t help winning.
Although they lost the Super Bowl, the Pats team of the following year was easily the best Pats team I’ve ever seen. So they went from spygate to vastly improving in all facets of the game and they became a complete juggernaut. Cheating may have helped winning but obviously not that much.
His ex-coach ratted him out because he knew how beneficial it was.
You’re right. There couldn’t have possibly been any ulterior motives there for the new head coach of a division rival.
Roger Goodell immediately destroyed the video tapes after watching them.
You can criticize Goodell for sweeping it under the rug but I thought we were talking about Bellicheck.
He lost a first round draft pick and was fined 500,000 dollars for what he did.
Great. He paid his debt to the NFL. Now you can stop whining.
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
Damn!
I like Prince Miller. I wish him luck.
Surprising
I guess he didn’t take making the team and then getting cut very well. OR figured he has a better shot of making the roster in NE. Or (gasp) he thinks NE has a better chance of going to the SB.
Not too worried about him giving Belicheck our playbook. Bellicheck knows more about the Ravens than Prince ever learned.
"What we've got here is failure to communicate."
It was good
I feel like everything was on point but there were 2 major points missing. Games are won in the trenches. First, We are poised to have one of the best D-lines with our vets (Price, Ngata, and Gregg) and our new additions (Redding, and Cody). Second our O-line is playing together for the second year in a row. They are young, talented, have playoff experience, and there is also depth. This is why I feel like we can make it through our injuries ok. I’m excited for the season. GO RAVENS!!!
SN: Can we stop with all the superbowl talk? We all know that it is a long and enduring season full of injuries, upsets, and surprises. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves because we look good on paper. Let’s just focus on the Jets.
by Georgia Raven on Sep 7, 2010 6:33 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I agree, but it’s the media’s job to speculate and look ahead when the actual team shouldn’t.
And you’re right the lines. The Ravens should be great at both pass blocking and run blocking on offense, and stopping the run and rushing the passer on defense. Ngata, Gregg and Pryce will be able to take up blocks to allow Suggs and Johnson to pass rush, and since Suggs is back in shape I really look for that to improve and offset the injuries to the secondary (Bruce did mention this briefly). It’s just a great combination because it means we will be able to get leads, and then keep them.
The Ravens should be great at both pass blocking…
Did you miss the pre-season? Oher still has a long ways to go at left tackle, Grubbs is inconsistent as ever, and the question mark we have at right tackle to start the season (both Cousins and Gaither don’t know when they’ll be back) can’t stop the corner rush. Moll looked okay, but not good enough that I’d trust him against a Rex Ryan defense.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
The Overall Scheme of Things...
Our best defense is our offense!!! Finally the defense will spend less time and energy on the field because the offense went 3 and out,with an improved pass rush,you can’t double team Ngata and Suggs and stop the blitz, our D-backs are gonna be fine because they won’t have to cover as long.Our offense is built for playing ball control “MOVING THE CHAINS”,we will exploit the opposing teams weakness and control the clock.Our special teams are going to be excellent,it seems no details have been overlooked…We are going to run on the jets and once that’s established the short passing game is going drive Rex Ryan crazy.He has No surprises for us,theres no secret blitz that a 5 step drop can’t solve!!!!
There's still
a lack of a RT until Gaither comes back. And I remember reading on here that Oher didn’t play very well at LT last year. So that could force the Ravens play 2 TE sets and keep both in to block, leaving Rice, Boldin and Mason on the field to catch. Which is still nasty. But I’d much rather have a competent set of tackles and send out 5 targets every play instead.
On the topic, has anyone heard anything new about Gaither?
"Believe me, I know the save rule and, quite frankly, it doesn’t carry much weight with me. I like the win rule a little bit better."
by organizedchaos52 on Sep 8, 2010 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions
He’s gained some weight and is back to about 330. His back is still not better. He won’t play until it’s fully healthy he says. He’s probably not playing week 1.
Gaither being Gaither.
So
is he legitimately injured like last year, or is his back “injury” an excuse to get paid while not playing in an effort to get back at the Ravens for not signing him to a long-term deal?
I would so much rather see him in there than Moll or Cousins. I can’t believe that I was once calling for him to be traded…
"Believe me, I know the save rule and, quite frankly, it doesn’t carry much weight with me. I like the win rule a little bit better."
by organizedchaos52 on Sep 8, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
you won’t succeed in a max-protect against Rex Ryan. It gives him very few things to defend downfield and ultimately you’re shooting yourself in the foot. You need quick reads and dump-offs, which is what we’re good at. Have everyone running shallow so that as soon as Flacco sees the blitz, he can put the ball where the blitzing man used to be.
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
Maybe
it’s the past 15 years of watching Ravens’ football, but I’m hoping to see a lot of running plays. I am extremely uncomfortable with Cousins (case in point, 2nd Steelers game last year when Woodley ate him alive) or Moll (who couldn’t beat out Cousins last year?) at RT. Not sure how I feel about Chester at RG, but from what I’ve read Yanda should stay at guard rather than be pushed out to tackle.
In any case, I’d prefer that Joe escape week 1 without getting hurt. I have no desire to watch him hobble around for 16 games this year. Heal up quick, Jared.
"Believe me, I know the save rule and, quite frankly, it doesn’t carry much weight with me. I like the win rule a little bit better."
by organizedchaos52 on Sep 8, 2010 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
A year can make a lot of difference for a guy like Moll. And what did you expect to happen to Cousins against Woodley?
We’re going to need to throw a certain amount. That defense will put us in 3rd and long.
"Cam, we're not going to have any issues because we're going to be winning."
--Joe Flacco
"Just win baby. Yeah, I stole that."
--Jon Gruden
That being the case,
what would I expect to happen to Cousins against the Jets?
I’ll accept throwing a certain amount, just not a 50 pass attempt game like against the Pats last year. With all these new weapons, everyone seems to want the Ravens to come out and light up the scoreboard. Throw enough to convert the 3rd and mediums, control the clock and destroy the Sanchize. Win the game.
"Give us 10 points and the game is over...And they didn't score on us. Make sure you quote that. They didn't score on our defense."
by organizedchaos52 on Sep 8, 2010 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions
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