The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Before anybody goes bonkers over Paul Kruger or Josh Bynes or anybody else for that matter, remember, they were going up against 2’s and 3’s, not 1’s.  Big difference.  Makes it very difficult to see what a player really has when they are going up against future Home Depot forklift operators…

The Good

Kruger.  Yeah, I said don’t go bonkers, but there is no denying he did play very- all around solid and then sprinkled in some really nice exceptional plays.  Pernell McPhee just continues to impress.  He could register four or five sacks for us this year.

Anthony Allen just looks like it *hurts* to tackle him.  Bruising runner?  More like painful runner if there is such a description.  Bynes played well.  Definitely makes the taxi squad, assuming he clears waivers; and may have earned himself a slot as a Special Teams Ace, but there is room for only so many of those, and he may be purely a victim of numbers in that department.

LaQuan Williams is on the team, no doubt.  I doubt he would clear waivers so I do not know how he does not get a roster spot.  In fact, he may have cost Marcus Smith or now, the suspended David Reed, a roster spot.  Tandon Doss is the #3 receiver, no doubt.  He just catches everything and not only that, somehow seems to get an extra yard or two, no matter what.  We have not had a receiver like that since, since I do not know when.  Plus, he looks so smooth when he is playing; almost effortless –which is a great sign.  Now compare that to Torrey Smith where it – just – looks – like – everything – is – a – struggle with him.  Although Torrey did show me a little something last night.

Jimmy Smith and Chykie Brown had good games, but again, going up against lesser competition.  The more I see of Smith (Jimmy), the brighter the future looks, but he is still not there yet. I am still not 100% comfortable him starting week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes, if other options to start opposite Cary Williams are injured, go with Smith and roll the dice and hope for the best.  Because as soon as Ben & Co. see Smith in the game, they are going to target the rookie, and I would rather have that happen in the middle of the game as opposed to right off the bat.

And even Michael McAdoo should me some glimpses as to why Ozzie called him up.  Quick, which I would expect, and surprised me with the amount of push generated for someone of his build.  Practice squad most definitely, and I hope he clears waivers, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if someone took a flyer on him and nabbed him from us.

(Click on the 'Jump' to read the "Bad & The Ugly")

The Bad

David Reed and the dropsies.  His "numbers" just weren't very good (couldn't resist). He is still only a second year player and he had some good "highlights" last night, but overall, not a good game for him.  Reed may have dropped (sorry!) himself down past Torrey on the WR depth chart.

Hunter Cantwell is not a backup QB.  That much we saw.  As a #3 and a practice body, he’s fine.

Jason Phillips.  My favorite preseason whipping boy.  Yes, he had a few moments, but that open field whiff, against a backup no less (if Jason had been going against a 1 on that play, there would have been undergarments left out on the field), he just totally lost all discipline of technique and space and balance and concentration and everything else.  Pure and simple, he has to go.  Let him go play for Arizona…

The Ugly

Unfortunately Tyrod Taylor took a step back last night both with his play (that interception was horrid) and of course the injury.  He has a future, but last night his "rookie-ness" showed at times.  And the injury is what really landed him here –no fault of his own, just happens.  Which is a shame because even though his play was maybe not his best effort last night, I think most folks were actually comfortable going into the season with him as the #2.

Now, in Taylor’s defense, he got zippy help from his O-line, and they weren’t even going up against starters. Jason Murphy –adios.  Ramon Harewood is not ready.  Not even close.  It is obvious that Harewood was drafted as a project last year, and he is still a work in progress, with a long way to go.  He may end up on the taxi squad (or IR’d again), and the Ravens may bring in yet another veteran backup, depending upon who else gets cut tomorrow from other teams.

Having "Musket Arm" kick off – why, why, why would you risk injuring a great punter, by having him kickoff?  It is a completely different foot technique and can really screw you up.  Yes I get it that Sam Koch is the emergency kicker, yes I get it that maybe the Special Teams coach actually wanted a run back vice touchback, but I think it was foolhardy to risk one of our most valuable assets on something like that.  Trot Phillips out there and let him kick it off...  Kind of like Haloti Ngata in the backfield.

And finally, I see the refs are not only in midseason form, but have reverted back to pre-Harbaugh Ravens-cast-as-villains refereeing.  How many ticky-tacky penalties were called against us, like in the bad old days when we were the team everybody loved to hate?  I thought after three years of Harbaugh, we were past all that nonsense.  I guess the league front-office was so scared at the prospect of the Ravens doing well this year because of the wizard-like moves of Ozzie, that the memo went out early to the refs this season…