Bread and Butter

by Zachary Beard on Jan 17, 2012 10:11 AM EST

This is how we win the game. Short and simple.

As the Baltimore Ravens prepare this week for the New England Patriots, I think the game plan should be simple; get back to the basics. Our dear member, raven, put it best in a comment on a previous post where he said: "Cam is willing to trade an entire series for one shot at the end zone. Much of the time resulting in a 3-and-outs putting a tired D back on the field." That seems to be our biggest offensive problem this year. We try to go for style over substance, and often times come up short. This forces our defense to come back on the field almost immediately after they come off. The only break they seem to get is the commercial break. That is simply unacceptable.

(More after the "Jump"...)

Let's not let the fact that the Patriots have one of the worst defenses in the NFL throw us off. We have one of the most inconsistent offenses in the NFL. And if you aren't moving the ball consistently, the fact that they have one of the worst defenses in the NFL means just about nothing. And they aren't 14-3 this year for nothing, they have such a potent offense that they can score on just about every drive to make up for what they lack on defense.

So what do we do counter this? As I said earlier, we have to get back to the basics. We need to feed the ball to Rice about 20-25 times, run quick slant routes with Boldin and Evans, and experiment with the deep ball. We can't try to throw the deep ball on every drive and become predictable. We should throw it up to Evans or Smith a few times in the first quarter, and if doesn't work ABANDON IT. Too often we find Cam Cameron giving up on what works on offense for what he wants to work.This results in our offense becoming stagnant.

Whatever we have to do to keep the Patriots offense off of the field, and rest our defense as well, we need to do it. We can't allow Tom Brady to beat us. So the solution? Keep him off the field. We should not rely on our defense to win this game for us. We have to manage long clock-devouring drives that result in points, not 3-and-outs. And when the Patriots do have the ball, we have to do everything possible to stop it.

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Some very interesting numbers supporting the obvious

In three career games against the Patriots, Rice has 61 carries for 350 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens are 1-2 in those contests. Moreover, the Ravens are 12-0 this season when Rice has 20 or more touches (carries and catches). They are 1-4 when he doesn’t, the one win coming early in the season against 2-14 St. Louis.

Let them have their Rice and eat it too.

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by Dynamo38 on Jan 17, 2012 10:25 AM EST reply actions

And ever since that game in St.Louis we have been trying to force the deep the ball, and teams have figured that out. That’s why it hasn’t been working.

Editor at Baltimore Beatdown - SB Nation Baltimore Ravens Blog
A.K.A "Baltimore Warrior"

by Zachary Beard on Jan 17, 2012 10:27 AM EST up reply actions

I took this from Yahoo BTW

although if I wasn’t at work I would definitely do some digging and find some statistical evidence pointing to the same conclusion.

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by Dynamo38 on Jan 17, 2012 10:28 AM EST up reply actions

Appreciate the elaboration nonetheless. It’s pretty bad when even our defense knows that in order to win we have to run the ball.

Editor at Baltimore Beatdown - SB Nation Baltimore Ravens Blog
A.K.A "Baltimore Warrior"

by Zachary Beard on Jan 17, 2012 10:29 AM EST up reply actions

Speaking of which

for all the attention given to Flacco’s lack of consistency, and not the offense as a whole, is it naive of me to think that Pagano and Cam don’t get together and talk? Wouldn’t it stand to reason with numbers as glaring as 12-0 when Rice has 20+ touches, someone like the DC could pull the OC aside and say, “So you realize Rice runs pretty well right?”.

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by Dynamo38 on Jan 17, 2012 10:36 AM EST up reply actions

who knows

I would think that would be kindof out of line though. Would it be right for Cam to tell Pagano, “you know Suggs is pretty good in a 3 point stance don’t you?”

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 10:53 AM EST up reply actions

You know that Ray Lewis isn’t all that good in pass-coverage

Editor at Baltimore Beatdown - SB Nation Baltimore Ravens Blog
A.K.A "Baltimore Warrior"

by Zachary Beard on Jan 17, 2012 10:57 AM EST up reply actions

Too true

but I don’t think there are any stats showing the Ravens are unbeaten when Suggs is in a 3 point stance. Just saying.

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by Dynamo38 on Jan 17, 2012 11:41 AM EST up reply actions

Harbaugh is the boss… It’s ultimately his responsibility to ensure his staff is following his plan.

by Evan Skev on Jan 17, 2012 2:29 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

i’m pretty sure his plan is “trust Cam Cameron.”

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 7:40 PM EST up reply actions

indeed

but getting behind early will hurt our ability to feed Rice. They definitely want that early lead.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 10:51 AM EST up reply actions

Recommendation to Ravens.

Jets fan here & I HATE the Pats, so I’d like to recommend the Ravens look at the tape from last years divisional game when the Jets won in Foxborough. The Jets mostly rushed 3 all game, dropped 8 & dared Brady to audible runs. Gronk & Welker were doubled all game. The weaker WRs were left in man mostly. Brady’s ego is his biggest fault. He thinks he can beat double coverage. The Ravens have the DL & Linebackers & especially secondaryto pull this scheme off. Even if the Pats figure out they need to run the ball, the score will be kept low.

On offense, the Pats secondary has been remade so many times this year. They have Mccourty playing SAFETY!!!! Get a TE on him & take advantage of that mismatch. You have to take DEEP shots(look at the Bills win over the Pats). The Pats secondary is weak, though they do keep stuff in front of them. They are slow & not bruisers. There are gashes to be had. The Pats will load up against Ray Rice & DARE Flacco to throw. This game comes down to Flacco & his ability to find the holes.

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 10:38 AM EST reply actions

Thanks for stopping by

although the “rush 3” logic scare me. All the sucess we’ve seemingly had against Brady is from blitzing heavily.

by 3r1c on Jan 17, 2012 10:41 AM EST up reply actions

Recommendation

The Jets laid off the 3rd down blitzes last year. I think Brady is amazing at picking up the 3rd down blitz. I believe that is a suckers play. I really recommend on 3rd down to rush 3 but keep an OLB for a potential delayed blitz. Brady really wants to get the ball to the inside: Gronk, Henandez & Welker. Just take that away from him(no easy task)& the score will be a lot lower & Flacco will have a shot.

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 10:46 AM EST up reply actions

Good call. I love the delayed blitz with rushing 3 initially. Otherwise though, we need to rush 4, he’s too good in the pocket.

daytime commentator. night time ninja.

by El.Dude on Jan 17, 2012 12:20 PM EST up reply actions

No offense but

it certainly didn’t help the Jets this season against Brady, did it?

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 17, 2012 4:52 PM EST up reply actions

I like Flacco against the blitz, especially the 34. I also like Rice’s history against NE.

As for your conservative defensive approach, it’s quite possible we’ll go that route. Against Houston we rushed only 4, and with our stunts and their rookie RT I’m guessing we should be able to get McPhee, Kruger, and Suggs in Brady’s face enough to disrupt him.

The good thing about the Pats is they really haven’t beaten anybody good yet. We’re the best team they’ve played so far. They’re definitely the best offense we’ve played so far, but I’m not sure about best team.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 10:55 AM EST up reply actions

I feel as if the 49ers are the best team we’ve played this year.

Editor at Baltimore Beatdown - SB Nation Baltimore Ravens Blog
A.K.A "Baltimore Warrior"

by Zachary Beard on Jan 17, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions

You meant that same gameplan you

used in the first Jets game vs the Pats in 2011, where we ran the ball down your throats? Yeah…

please try it again.

by Revenge of the Fallen on Jan 17, 2012 11:51 AM EST up reply actions

Pats win with Brady to Gronk/AH/WW. If BJGE has a big game, so be it, but at least the scoring will be low. No doubt the Pats are better than the Jets(team is in shambles at the moment so saying you beat us by 9 pts that game really ain’t that impressive), but it’s not with the running game. Anyway, regular season games are meaningless. Jets beat the Pats silly in the game that really mattered in Foxborough in the divisional game & that was the right strategy: force the Pats to run.

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 12:27 PM EST up reply actions

I think we already said we will come out and try to get pressure on Brady. For me personally I don’t like giving any QB of Brady’s caliber time to throw. I’m sure we will mix it up though and not do the same thing all game.

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 Jan 17, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions

If BJGE has a big game, so be it, but at least the scoring will be low.

I really don’t see that happening. We just got gashed by the best running game in the NFL, we’re not about to let some 4-name-having-ass committee back blow us up.

I think this is a game that both teams expect to win by doing what they’re best at. The Pats have slaughtered teams with their Tight Ends, they’re not about to stop now.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 12:37 PM EST up reply actions

Law firm not name having ass committee lol.

by Revenge of the Fallen on Jan 17, 2012 12:39 PM EST up reply actions

So you’d rather get beaten by Gronk/WW/AH than BJGE? That plays right into the Pats hands. Don’t let them have Gronk. Texans have a much more physical running game than the Pats. Force the Pats to be physical. Brady HATES calling runs.

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions

Not sure where the hell you get "Brady hates calling runs" from

by Revenge of the Fallen on Jan 17, 2012 12:41 PM EST up reply actions

OF course he does. He wants to get it to the inside receivers. That’s how they score 30-40 every game. It ain’t from the run. Pats are the best offense in the NFL by far bc of the inside passing game. The more you neutralize that, the better chance you have to keep the scoring down. I’m not saying it’s ideal. It sucks to give up the big running yards but it’s better than watching Gronk have 200yds receiving.

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 12:46 PM EST up reply actions

Something tells me the Ravens defense will know what to do

their game plan wil be fine, but of course, actually getting the job done is more than just good planning.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 17, 2012 4:54 PM EST up reply actions

You have to switch it up against Brady though. If you run the same thing over and over he will pick it up and pick you apart. Also if we only send 3 all game and don’t get pressure it won’t matter how many guys we have in coverage because someone will eventually break free.

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 Jan 17, 2012 12:50 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah. that’s true. Any one dimensional scheme Brady will crush it.

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 12:54 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah we do a pretty good job of mixing it up so it will be interesting. We pretty much sent only 4 on most snaps and went pretty vanilla last week and Forced Yates to try and make good decisions, but I’m sure we will have a much different game plan for Brady.

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 Jan 17, 2012 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

that's not what I was saying at all.

What I was saying is that the Pats know that in order to win they have to do what they’re best at, and that is feed their tight ends.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 1:21 PM EST up reply actions

It will be the same sort of chess match

with Brady as it always was between Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis. Ravens will disguise their coverages and blitzes until the snap of the ball. There will be more moving on the defensive side of the ball than on Brady’s pre-snap. Trust me, they will know what to do.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 17, 2012 4:56 PM EST up reply actions

They used the same game plan they did in the playoffs. Unlike the playoffs, Brady audibled to runs against your dime overload the middle defense. That’s something Brady did not do in the playoffs.

The Jets caught NE off guard like the Steelers did this yr vs them.
Jets, are a heavy blitz team. What do you in the playoffs was completely different from what Rex Ryan’s MO was.
Same thing with the Steelers. For decades, steelers played zones and zone blitzes. Brady ate those up. Steelers never ran a man press cover 1 defense. NE didn’t game plan for that b/c Steelers never showed that look ever.

You can claim that ref season games are meaningless but if the Jets had at least one game vs the Pats, they would be 9-7 and would get in over the Bengals.
If you remember, in the first game in 2011, Pats ran all over the Jets. In the 2nd game, Rex changed his scheme and implemented a bit of coverage and disguised looks and still scored 31 pts (37 but 7 came from a pick 6 from Sanchez.)

In the playoff games, what the Jets did in additional to the overload the middle scheme was to stunt the D line. That’s how Shaun Ellis got freed into the backfield.

by Revenge of the Fallen on Jan 17, 2012 12:38 PM EST up reply actions

I want to also say that

Gronk was blocking all game against the Jets last year BECAUSE Brady was getting hurried by just 3 people. So they didn’t double cover Gronk. They did double welker.

Not to mention last year we had an old dan koppen at center, and dan connely at RG. We upgraded the RG position with Brian Waters, and the RT position with Nate Solder. Light is also playing at his best in a while at LT. Wendell has been doing pretty well at center too.

Not to mention the pats team as a whole i think was the youngest team in the nfl last year. Herndo was also playing hurt against the jets last year in the playoffs. Now everyone has a year’s worth of experience.

I’ll take 11 players with heart on the field over 11 guys with just talent. Talent is fleeting, it goes away over time. Heart is what drives you to be better. To push yourself beyond what you think your capabilities are. To show us that when you strive, all things are possible.- SMP

by Jack'sAxe on Jan 17, 2012 5:18 PM EST up reply actions

If you wanted to list Sanchez' biggest faults

Brady’s ego is his biggest fault

It’d fill up every single blog on SB Nation, and then some.

… Let me go on the record as saying I don’t think your assessment entirely accurate. If the coverage is good, you still have to do everything you can to get the ball to your playmakers. It wasn’t happening that day, unfortunately. It did happen twice this year, however. I like the odds, and I’m sure Brady does, too.

Can I Scream?

by Adam Fox on Jan 17, 2012 1:28 PM EST up reply actions

Pats have not lost since Nov 6 because of Gronkowski/Welker/Hernandez. SLOW Brady down by doubling the inside. Force him to audible runs. There is no way to win a shootout with him.

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 11:02 AM EST reply actions

We’re very good defensively where they’re best offensively, and they won’t get that YAC against us that Denver gave up. Each player has an actual pair of nuts so we’ll wrap them up and wait for help to bring ’em down.

Also, I’m not sure if any team goes for the strip more than we do. Be wary of a guy refusing to go down, sometimes Suggs intentionally stands a guy up to go for the strip.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions

Pollard likes to go for the strip too.

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A.K.A "Baltimore Warrior"

by Zachary Beard on Jan 17, 2012 11:08 AM EST up reply actions

Ravens have a fearsome defense, but Brady will get his points against ANY defense. The key is to keep the Pats under 25pts. I don’t think the standard Raven D leaving linebackers alone to cover Gronk/Welker/AH will work. Got to scheme better than that. Well, i’ll be rooting for you guys no matter what!

by KLECKOtoCANTON on Jan 17, 2012 11:14 AM EST up reply actions

I think I'd rather look at

the Steelers tape to see what they did to hold Brady down than the Jets team of a couple of years ago.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 17, 2012 4:56 PM EST up reply actions

this

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 7:42 PM EST up reply actions

Prior to Nov 6 they lost B2B games

to the Giants and Steelers, scoring 20 and 17 respectively. Since that time, you’re right, they haven’t lost. And they’ve played 2 teams with winning records in that span. The Jets and the Broncos. My point is they’ve barely been tested by a confident and complete defense in that time. Yes, a shootout is a foolhardy way to play against them, but I don’t think the Ravens will have to go that route.

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by Dynamo38 on Jan 17, 2012 11:59 AM EST up reply actions

Marsha is going to get creamed…churned…buttered & roasted. She knows it. Can she handle the heat and get the ball out accurately or will the Ravens be running floaters back the other way?

Ravens are a nasty tough team… I don’t see Marsha having a good day

by Evan Skev on Jan 17, 2012 2:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

The Problem Is

Brady rarely tosses up floaters. He is pretty Peyton-esque with his lasers. We will have better chances with a sack-strip-fumble than a TJ-like gift.

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by vlad755 on Jan 17, 2012 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

My challenge to you

Can you make a fair assessment of your team (and the opposing one) without leveling an insult at said team or its players? Here, I’ll go first:

Baltimore has had an incredibly tough defense for as long as they’ve been in the league. While Brady is one of the league’s elite, he’ll have his hands full with the veteran leadership and situationall know-how the Ravens have shown for over a decade. Anything less than a strong four-quarter effort, and we get embarrassed like in 2009.

There, you try!

Can I Scream?

by Adam Fox on Jan 17, 2012 4:23 PM EST up reply actions

After you acknowledge the cheating… Until then you’re an apologist for less than fair play.

Everyone knows the players, the script and the scene…

by Evan Skev on Jan 17, 2012 4:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

You don't want to go there. Believe me.

We will acknowledge that we filmed in a different area on the field. Oh wait…. that’s all it was….

by Jack'sAxe on Jan 17, 2012 5:25 PM EST up reply actions

And you sounded pretty whiny there… Just like you know who… the grown man who stomps his feet during a pro football game… Wahhhhh

by Evan Skev on Jan 17, 2012 4:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Evan isn’t going to meet you halfway on that. Most of us will though.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 17, 2012 7:44 PM EST up reply actions

thanks, mac

by Evan Skev on Jan 17, 2012 9:33 PM EST up reply actions

I thought this post was about the "Bread and Butter"

Not how to stop Brady.

Interestingly enough, I posted on Pats Pulpit how I think the Patriots must play defensively to stop the bread and butter of the Ravens. As Zachary pointed out, the more Rice has the ball the better chance the Ravens have to win. It is especially critical in this game because not only is Rice your best playmaker, but keeping the ball out of Brady’s hands is imperative.

This is where the game will be won or lost barring some crazy ST plays or turnovers. The Patriots should focus on stonewalling Rice in the running and passing game and make Flacco earn his first SB. If they cannot do that, their chances of winning go down. Both teams know this. Which team will be execute better?

by iLikeStuff on Jan 17, 2012 3:35 PM EST reply actions