2011-12 NFL Playoff Team Predictions

homer

by Evan Skev on Aug 22, 2011 3:12 PM EDT reply actions

You should’ve taken your homerism up a notch and switched Pittsburgh with Houston.

"I hate your sig…" -Mr MaLoR

by StuckInUtah on Aug 22, 2011 3:14 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

i went all the way with mine… pitt watches the playoffs from home… Ravens sweep AFCN en route to a 1

by Evan Skev on Aug 22, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Whole lotta risky picks there bruce!

Don't let my defense dictate your offense..

by lastcallbmore on Aug 22, 2011 3:42 PM EDT reply actions

Vikings as a WC?! You crazy.

Detroit, TB, Chicago, G-Men, Cowboys are all better than the Vikings.

The writer formerly known as This White Man Can Jump; Powah Stached; Bear Killer; Da Dude; The Other Bambino; TJ Dropped The Season; Harbaugh Is My Co-Pilot; Billick's Alter Ego; Mr. Poopy Pants.

by El.Dude on Aug 22, 2011 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

i think minny is better than all those teams

by Evan Skev on Aug 22, 2011 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe on defense

But now that they have McNabb who is he throwing to outside of Harvin?

A Ravens fan on the wrong side of the country!!

by Christopher Atwood on Aug 22, 2011 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions

not having this argument in preseason… good point though. and they have a decent rb

by Evan Skev on Aug 22, 2011 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions

It's going to be an interesting season

It looks like most of the best teams are still in the AFC, but the NFC appears very deep with high-quality teams. The NFC South and East are 3 deep in playoff-quality teams, and there’s at least 2, maybe 3 in the North. That’s 5 or 6 teams realistically fighting for 2 wildcard spots. In the AFC, I think there might be 4 at most for those 2 spots (the teams in the article, KC and HOU).

I wouldn’t be shocked if this is the year the Colts are left out.

Don't be shocked that people die
Be surprised you're still alive

by onethingiknow on Aug 22, 2011 4:30 PM EDT reply actions

Disagree about the Eagles. I’m betting the “dream team” falls apart about 1/3 of the way into the season and they’re lucky if they beat out the Skins or Giants for the division and/or a wild card spot.

"Cam Cameron…even his parents where obvious and repetitive." - raven

by GrumpyOldBird on Aug 22, 2011 5:29 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

i agree

by Evan Skev on Aug 22, 2011 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions

The 'skins?

they’ll be lucky to win 5 games

by YeahDonnie on Aug 22, 2011 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Anybody in that division will be lucky to win five games. I figure 8-8 is good enough for the playoffs for any of them.

"Cam Cameron…even his parents where obvious and repetitive." - raven

by GrumpyOldBird on Aug 22, 2011 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions

i could see us missing the playoffs or going to the SB

by davver on Aug 22, 2011 5:35 PM EDT reply actions

I have a Hard

Time penciling in Indy because of Manning’s injury. He misses little to no time, then yes, Indy. But if two missed games turn into four, etc, no Indy.

On the NFC side, I have Minn. on the outside looking in. I believe that last NFC WC will come down to NY and Chicago. Right now, my mental coin flip says NY, but that will change with the sun, moon and tides…

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."

For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind

by vlad755 on Aug 22, 2011 5:49 PM EDT reply actions

regardless of manning

i think this is the year for the texans. if not this year then its ten more years of mediocrity.

by davver on Aug 22, 2011 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions

BTW, Football Outiders Almanac

has us with 9.4 wins

2011 Mean Projection: 9.4 wins
On the Clock (0-3): 1%
Loserville (4-6): 12%
Mediocrity (7-8): 22%
Playoff Contender (9-10): 32%
Super Bowl Contender (11+): 33%
Projected Average Opponent: 0.8% (12th)

Pitt:

2011 Mean Projection: 13.0 wins
On the Clock (0-3): 0%
Loserville (4-6): 0%
Mediocrity (7-8): 1%
Playoff Contender (9-10): 7%
Super Bowl Contender (11+): 92%
Projected Average Opponent: -3.2% (30th)

by davver on Aug 22, 2011 7:07 PM EDT reply actions

I have pitt at 0-15-1 with a draw versus cleve

by Evan Skev on Aug 22, 2011 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions

A scoreless draw obviously.

No, better yet, a 2-2 draw.

"Airborne, do not look at the ground. I promise you, it will be there. Unless the tectonic plates shift, and a chasm opens up on the drop zone, in which case we will surely let you know."

by jackmca on Aug 23, 2011 8:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

mine:

i’ll swap houston for indy. if peyton misses much time or isn’t right immediately, that team can’t compete, and houston is primed and ready. i think tennessee will be better than expected also if CJ shows up.

in the NFC, i’ll take the cowboys over the eagles (seriously, who are their linebackers?), and the falcons over the saints. then i have TB (definitely sold on Freeman, he’s for real) and philly doing enough for a WC. i’d pick Detroit, but Stafford needs to stay healthy, and that’s not happening.

by Luke E on Aug 22, 2011 7:14 PM EDT reply actions

Ravens just picked up DE Michael Mcadoo from UNC

by Raven_all_day on Aug 22, 2011 10:59 PM EDT reply actions

raw talent at 6’7’’ 240…if he wants to work hard, he’ll make $100M in the next ten

by Evan Skev on Aug 23, 2011 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Could be a sleeper Hybrid guy

I don’t know if he finds a place on the roster this year, but if we can sneak him on the Practice Squad he could be a solid player down the line. I would love to see a kid with his raw gifts be molded by the same coach who has made Suggs (and our other young OLBs).

A Ravens fan on the wrong side of the country!!

by Christopher Atwood on Aug 23, 2011 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions

So what we know about players of this build is they are quick and or fast. Puts you in the mind of Carlos Dunlap.

by Raven_all_day on Aug 23, 2011 12:46 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Yeah

Though at first glance and looking at his history looks like he’s not as much of a knucklehead like Dunlap was coming out of college.

A Ravens fan on the wrong side of the country!!

by Christopher Atwood on Aug 23, 2011 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions

I like this pick up since we didn’t have to give up a pick. Potentially a huge reward with very little risk. He needs a lot of work on technique and is definitely a project, but has shown flashes of being a great pass rusher. Another great move by Ozzie.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 23, 2011 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Do you have more info on him? In two seasons he had 3.5 sacks and was a rotational player at unc. Where does it say he showed flashes. He is a huge project.

by Raven_all_day on Aug 23, 2011 12:55 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Google “Scouting Report Michael McAdoo” the best one I found was by a Buffalo Bills site, but its still gives a good breakdown. Oh and the NFL Draft Blog on here has one too, the Mocking the Draft Blog

A Ravens fan on the wrong side of the country!!

by Christopher Atwood on Aug 23, 2011 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions

the one I looked at was on mocking the draft and just random things on the internet. From what I have heard is that he has a pretty good get off and is obviously long, but he plays high and doesn’t really have an arsenal of moves, so he needs to play lower and probably develop some moves as well.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 23, 2011 7:07 AM EDT up reply actions

I like your optimism, but...

Lets analyze the defense. D-Line, Ngata is the BEST 3-4 D-line men in the world, that is a given, but as a unit, Steelers still have the better D-line. Linebackers, RL is a first ballot HOFer, but Timmons at this point in their careers is the better player, not only that, he is the best Steelers linebacker. Suggs is excellent, as woodley said, he has more sacks than suggs. You can say that because he has harrison opp ends is a fair argument, you can also say that is BB had the Patriot O-line, his numbers would be sick! Overall our front seven is superior..look at the rushing defense last year, you guys got gashed by Hillis, foster and the carolina back, whose name escapes me..but you get the point. secondary, coin flip, you have Reed, we have troy, which I will not debate here..Offense, I give you the O-line, but like Ngata, pouncey is the best o-line men on both teams..your unit is still better..Running backs, RR is the overall better running back mainly he is a great receiver..receivers, Overall, we have the speed and the better package including the TE. QB, NO COMPARISON there..

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 7:53 AM EDT reply actions

We will see week 1.

The writer formerly known as This White Man Can Jump; Powah Stached; Bear Killer; Da Dude; The Other Bambino; TJ Dropped The Season; Harbaugh Is My Co-Pilot; Billick's Alter Ego; Mr. Poopy Pants.

by El.Dude on Aug 23, 2011 8:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Our front 7 is going to look very different. Let’s wait until week 8 before we declare who’s is better. U haven’t seen how McPhee, Kindle, and Jones will contribute and Kruger will be set free. It will all look quite different.

"Airborne, do not look at the ground. I promise you, it will be there. Unless the tectonic plates shift, and a chasm opens up on the drop zone, in which case we will surely let you know."

by jackmca on Aug 23, 2011 8:33 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Exactly my point!

At this point, the Steelers have the better Defense…will it remain that way? Who knows! Can you win week 1? Sure, why not? I do think that the steelers are still the more complete team…at this point, that still does not guarantee anything!

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions

but as a unit, Steelers still have the better D-line

That’s debatable. We don’t completely know what we have yet in our D line because a large amount will rely on Cody, but there’s no denying the guy has potential to be one of the top NT’s in the league. Also at the other end spot two of our most impressive guys this summer have been young guys arthur Jones and Pernell McPhee. Especially McPhee who has been dominant, while you have keisel and Smith who have been very injury prone as of late and aren’t getting any younger. I know you have some young guys to back them up, but D line is debatable.

Linebackers, RL is a first ballot HOFer, but Timmons at this point in their careers is the better player, not only that, he is the best Steelers linebacker

I will give you this. Overall as a group you do have the better group of LB’s.

secondary, coin flip, you have Reed, we have troy, which I will not debate here

This you can’t be serious with. Yes Reed and Troy are a coin flip, but our overall CB group is far superior to yours. Ike is very good, but has a broken thumb (I know he will be fine) and after him everyone of our top 5 CB’s could start next to him on your team.

Offense, I give you the O-line, but like Ngata, pouncey is the best o-line men on both teams

Agree here, but it is debatable again that Pouncey is the best overall lineman. We have a very good G in Marshall Yanda who is a pro bowl caliber G and also played RT for us where he was an above average RT. Very hard to find a lineman that good at two positions. There’s a reason he was our top priority this summer.

Running backs, RR is the overall better running back mainly he is a great receiver

receivers, Overall, we have the speed and the better package including the TE.

Once again this is something we have to see. We have basically a whole new group, so I would give you the advantage by a hair early on, but ours has just as much potential. I think Wallace is the best overall WR on both teams, but as of right now I think Boldin and Evans are better than Hines (Evans will surpise you). Then we both have young WR’s who aren’t proven yet even though Sanders and Brown made some big plays last year. Heath is very good, but we do have two young pass catching TE’s who once again we have to see, but our solid. So maybe a slight edge to you because all your guys are familiar with each other, but we have potential to be just as good or better.

QB, NO COMPARISON there

Agreed. Can’t take Joe over Ben although I’m expecting more progression from Joe which will close the gap some.

Overall our team is more of a mystery. We have a lot of new guys which have shown a ton of promise, but obviously we won’t know until the season gets under way. Should definitely be a good matchup though.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 23, 2011 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I agree with everything AV said, and a lot can change from one season to the next. Our yout on out D-line and WR group are going to surprise a lot of people.

"I hate your sig…" -Mr MaLoR

by StuckInUtah on Aug 23, 2011 9:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

*youth on our D-line…

"I hate your sig…" -Mr MaLoR

by StuckInUtah on Aug 23, 2011 9:42 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

we have young receivers too

Sanders/brown do have experience and wallace, ward, cotchery and Miller will be lethal..Your LBs are not great coverage guys..

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually

Suggs is one of the best coverage LB’s in the NFL and Kruger is pretty strong in that department also -just ask Dixon! Kruger almost replicated that play against KC this preseason.

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."

For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind

by vlad755 on Aug 23, 2011 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

when these 2 teams play each other..

When BB is playing, Our Defense always makes the big plays..Example, troys 4th down stop of a QB sneak in the championship game, plus the pick 6 in the same game, the strip sack of Flacco in baltimore last year..Dixon, the guy took u to OT..dont get too happy!

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

You’re a bandwagon pitt homer and you’re telling us not to get too happy?

by Evan Skev on Aug 23, 2011 4:35 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Neither!

sure I am a steeler fan but OBJECTIVE in my analysis. I do feel that we are the better team and I layed out the reasons why and where the ravens were better and where I though the Steelers were better. I do think I gave a VERY fair evaluation, did I not?

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Enough!

nysteel has been a respectful visitor to the Beatdown for at least a year or two now. She (? am assuming by the avatar) has been pretty good with her analysis. I disagree with her about some finer points of the Ravens defense, but so what? I am sure she would agree that both teams are very close -essentially splitting hairs or counting angels on a pinhead to determine who is better now.

This whole bandwagon label you toss around- were you terrorized by a bandwagon as a young child? Did you have a relative who was in a bandwagon who pulled an “evil Uncle Ernie” on you? Not sure what evidence you have, other than a potentially arbitrary moniker, that she is a bandwagon fan.

I lived in Florida during much of ’97 season- does that make me a bandwagon fan? I lived in Ireland during the early part of the 2000 season -bandwagon? I have lived in other parts of the world during other seasons -does that qualify me? I am from Baltimore originally, grew up in the Cockeysville area, and currently live in the DC area -bandwagon?

And unless someone is being really obnoxious or berating a ridiculous point… who cares if they are a bandwagon fan?

I had another P-burgh fan, not nysteel, accuse me of being a bandwagon fan in another thread. Gave then ever opportunity to present their evidence, and they couldn’t/wouldn’t.

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."

For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind

by vlad755 on Aug 23, 2011 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

thank you!

BTW, I am a woman!

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions

exactly!

I always do a fair analysis with the ravens1 I respect them a lot and ownership as well(hell he is italian like Flacco!) LOL! Yanda is a pro bowl guard, no doubt, Pouncey is an excellent athlete who plays center..True, your team is a mystery on D, which could surprise..Cody VS Hampton is interesting, right now with experience, Hampton is proven, Cody is not..But ther D-line is proven and better…..at this point..Your linbackers, Kruger, johnson(who I like), Suggs and Ray, ray are not as good as our LBs..CBs..it is not clear cut which CBs are better, safteys troy and Clark is a better combo than reed and the boxer..

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions

I actually Like

Our safeties better. And Pollard will probably get the start over Zbi -which is why I like ours better. And while Reed is all world, Ruki would do a nice job filling in for him if he had too. Troy goes down, and folks start jumping into the three rivers…

The only mystery currently on our D is whether we will be able to generate a decent pass rush. The DB’s are mostly the same from last year, with a few slight tweaks and improvements; LB’s essentially the same core except Kindle is added to the mix; D-Line is a case of (hopeful) maturation and improvement over last year as it is mostly very young guys. Honestly, sky is the limit with our crop of young defensive linemen -very talented and they are miles away from reaching their peak potential. One could argue that even Ngata has not peaked yet.

We have a new DC who will be more Rex Ryan than Mike Nolan, but nothing you have not seen before.

The key for us will be, can we get to Ben, contain Ben and get Ben down; can our O-line (as questionable as it is) mitigate LeBeau’s blitz’s?

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."

For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind

by vlad755 on Aug 23, 2011 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions

VERY, VERY thoughtful analysis!!

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 23, 2011 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I personally think our CB’s are clear cut better. I have visited the Steelers site and have heard the concerns in the secondary. Our CB’s may be our strongest position group on either side of the ball which is why I’m confident in saying we have the better group. Like I said before your D line has more experience, but can they stay healthy? You do have better LB’s though, no argument there. Pollard is actually like a clone of Landry, but a better tackler and Zbi is very good in coverage, so together I think our S group is deeper than yours as well and it has shown when Troy gets hurt. I believe you guys are a .500 team or something like that I read when Troy is out. Overall I really think we actually have more talent on our team, but you have the advantage in the most important position of all. I can see your case for your team though because our teams are about as close as you can get and that’s why it’s a coin flip whenever we play. All we really can do is see how this season plays out because we can both make cases why each of our teams are better.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 23, 2011 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sure I agree..

That your CBs are better..Ike is VERY good..your 2 together might out weigh that..Safteys, troy/clark are lethal as a team..D-line, true injuries have hurt Smith, With Ziggy, we were still number 1 overall against the run..U r pinning hopes on Cody, ok, but he will not be hampton this year, maybe in the near future, but not now..as I said earlier, our front 7 is better, not WAY better, but better. When these two teams face each other, its the Steelers D making the decisive, winning plays…Reed has been a non factor in these match ups, where troy, woodley and Harrison has made the plays..BTW, 3rd down and 19 BB completes a 40yd bomb to a rookie, tells me that the secondary is VERY similar to ours..

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 24, 2011 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

this year's secondary is very different from last year's

by Luke E on Aug 24, 2011 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions

True..

but will it be better??

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 24, 2011 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions

yes

at cb, foxworth is back and appears ready, jimmy smith is a stud in the making, chris car can go back to nickel most of the time, webb has a year of ACL recovery under him and should be better, and cary williams is looking to enter beast mode. only loss is josh wilson, but the rest more than make up for it.

at safety, we have ed at the start of the year and hopefully all year. we replace landry with pollard or maybe zbi — either way i think it’s an upgrade.

plus the pass rush looks greatly improved with the emergence of kruger, mcphee, and kindle to go with suggs, ngata, redding, which will only help the coverage.

i’d be surprised if they’re not significantly better.

by Luke E on Aug 24, 2011 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

one problem is you are only counting top two CB’s VS. top two CB’s. This is a passing league where your 3rd CB and even your 4th CB get some action and Gay is horrible in coverage. All the rest are projects or guys with not much experience who from what I understand have not blown anybody away.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 25, 2011 7:15 AM EDT up reply actions

I also said..

That our front seven is better, I didnt say the secondary was better..Ike may be the best CB of these 2 teams, as a tandem, you could be better..I will not fight that! I do think Troy/Clark is better than Reed/landry/pollard..not going to debate TroyVSReed here, but when these two teams match up, troy has always made the big plays, where Reed has not….UP TO THIS POINT! BB, Wood/troy/harrison all made plays against you guys and U haven’t had an answer to BB yet…TO THIS POINT! LOL!

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 25, 2011 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Not to mention last year we had the worst pass rush in Ravens history. As you know the pass rush is a secondaries best friend.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 25, 2011 7:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Gay does suck!

I will give you that! How has Jimmy smith doing? Will he start? Nickel?

A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States

by nycsteelerfan on Aug 25, 2011 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

toss up right now if he will start. He has got time with the ones, but we have rotated between him, Cary Williams, Foxworth, and Carr. Jimmy has looked physical so far and is huge. Mixed reviews from fans here on his first real test last week. I think he did fairly well. He was right with Bowe on every play, but Bowe made some great catches and they were very well placed balls. Needs to get his head around quicker to locate the ball, but it was encouraging that he was right with Bowe on every play. Not bad for his first real action against a pro bowl WR.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 25, 2011 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Intersesting article that breaks down Reid’s performance against the chiefs play by play for anyone who is interested.
http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/30840/grading-ravens-ot-jah-reid
For those who don’t want to read it all this was James Walker’s summary.
I was encouraged by Reid’s potential. He helped his standing with last week’s performance. Reid has a strong base and positions himself well in the running game. He’s still raw in pass protection. Reid doesn’t have quick feet and struggles with blitz recognition. But he should pick up blitzes better with experience. It remains to be seen if Reid will be ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. But Reid already appears to be a better option than Cousins at right tackle.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Aug 23, 2011 9:47 AM EDT reply actions