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*****Official Baltimore Ravens Thread***** (1 Viewer)

Was watching the highlights of the Week 1 game vs Houston and, ugh, seeing what we're missing from Dobbins is so tough. Keaton Mitchell, also ugh, was amazing but Dobbins was the closest thing to Ray Rice I've ever seen.

Starting to feel reasonably confident about this game, the weather, the crowd, a rookie QB on the road in the playoffs, a veteran team that's rested and raring to go. Looking for a close game through the better part of the first half, maybe 14-13, then Ravens gradually pull away to a comfortable but not overwhelming win. Something in the 31-20 range.

Marcus Williams is the weak link of this D. He just needs to avoid the game-losing play, not make the game-winning play. Also Humphrey hasn't practiced yet this week, I have to hope they get him back soon.

This is where the #1 seed really pays off - the Ravens can be warm and home Saturday night, then watch KC and Buffalo beat each other up into a frigid Sunday evening before the survivor has to come to Baltimore and face a team with an extra day of rest. Lamar needs to win this Saturday, because I can't take 51 weeks of the Lamar Playoff Discourse.

On a final note: I finally was able to log back into the board from my phone, so I'll be crap posting my butt off during game threads for the remainder of the playoffs
 
Uruk-Hai said:
The_Man said:
On a final note: I finally was able to log back into the board from my phone, so I'll be crap posting my butt off during game threads for the remainder of the playoffs
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That's good news. I'm usually hammered by kickoff and run out of steam pretty quickly, and Cobbler wants to fight everyone :lol:
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Maybe I should cut and paste some defense for Lamar slander just so I have it ready to go on Saturday

Marlon not at practice again today - officially concerning at this point. Darby and Maulet have actually played way better than anyone could have expected, but having Marlon and Stephens on the outside really maximizes Macdonald's ability to utilize Hamilton's flexibility.
 
The_Man said:
Uruk-Hai said:
The_Man said:
On a final note: I finally was able to log back into the board from my phone, so I'll be crap posting my butt off during game threads for the remainder of the playoffs
Click to expand...
That's good news. I'm usually hammered by kickoff and run out of steam pretty quickly, and Cobbler wants to fight everyone :lol:
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Maybe I should cut and paste some defense for Lamar slander just so I have it ready to go on Saturday

Marlon not at practice again today - officially concerning at this point. Darby and Maulet have actually played way better than anyone could have expected, but having Marlon and Stephens on the outside really maximizes Macdonald's ability to utilize Hamilton's flexibility.
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I think they can make do with Maulet & Darby (famous last words, I know). I'm not so sure both haven't been better than Humphrey this year, anyway. Granted, he's been hurt but - for once in the last 800 years - they are fairly deep there.

Is Andrews playing? How about Duvernay?
 
Uruk-Hai said:
The_Man said:
Uruk-Hai said:
The_Man said:
On a final note: I finally was able to log back into the board from my phone, so I'll be crap posting my butt off during game threads for the remainder of the playoffs
Click to expand...
That's good news. I'm usually hammered by kickoff and run out of steam pretty quickly, and Cobbler wants to fight everyone :lol:
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Maybe I should cut and paste some defense for Lamar slander just so I have it ready to go on Saturday

Marlon not at practice again today - officially concerning at this point. Darby and Maulet have actually played way better than anyone could have expected, but having Marlon and Stephens on the outside really maximizes Macdonald's ability to utilize Hamilton's flexibility.
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I think they can make do with Maulet & Darby (famous last words, I know). I'm not so sure both haven't been better than Humphrey this year, anyway. Granted, he's been hurt but - for once in the last 800 years - they are fairly deep there.

Is Andrews playing? How about Duvernay?
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Don't disagree about Humphrey's play this year, but he's been playing through a lot of injuries that have definitely hampered him. I thought he had a couple of his best games vs SF and Miami as he was finally getting healthier (for a while) after stinking vs the Rams. Even more so for Ronnie Stanley - he's been playing on one leg, so I admire his toughness even as he played terrible for the better part of 2 months. He finally seems so much healthier and looks like a different player out there. I'll be interested to see if they abandon the Tackle rotation, which I think they did just to give both Stanley and Moses a chance to heal.

Wallace hasn't been practicing all week and Duvernay isn't even on the injury report at this point. They haven't activated him from the IR yet but I think that' just a formality and he'll play Saturday. Andrews is looking better than expected by all accounts, but I can't believe he'll be ready for playoff action after just 3 or 4 practices following that broken leg. I think he's ready for the Super Bowl, with an outside shot at the AFC Championship but they won't rush him (and don't really need to, considering Isaiah Likely's performance).
 
Uruk-Hai said:
The_Man said:
On a final note: I finally was able to log back into the board from my phone, so I'll be crap posting my butt off during game threads for the remainder of the playoffs
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That's good news. I'm usually hammered by kickoff and run out of steam pretty quickly, and Cobbler wants to fight everyone :lol:
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Lol. Accurate. I usually stay out of game threads for this reason.
 
Here's my bet for tomorrow:

Bateman TD
Bateman 40+ yards receiving
Justice Hill TD
Justice Hill 25+ yards receiving
Lamar over 1.5 passing TDs

$28 to win $4047
 
The_Man said:
Here's my bet for tomorrow:

Bateman TD
Bateman 40+ yards receiving
Justice Hill TD
Justice Hill 25+ yards receiving
Lamar over 1.5 passing TDs

$28 to win $4047
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I like the Lamar bet. I'm not sure on the others, but I like Bateman manana.
 
Nice win.

The defense was magnificent and had Stroud - the most composed rookie QB I've ever seen - shook a bit. Even more, they had Houston's OL shaken.

Baltimore's offense was sluggish in the first half, but came out rolling in the 2nd. Apparently, Lamar went the hell off in the locker room at halftime. Monken also changed up the gameplan. Whatever happened, it worked.

Next up, KC or Buffalo. Neither will be easy, but let's run it.
 
So damn happy for Lamar. He comes off as a fantastic person and teammate. He deserved to get some of the playoff criticism off his back. What a game. What a player.

I expected the Texans to blitz a ton and they did. Slightly disappointed the offense wasn’t more prepared for it but good for Monken making adjustments at half and have the offense absolutely humming in the second half. Maybe it took a half to shake off some rust too. The OL really got it going on the ground against a good Texans run D. Should bode well for the AFCCG. I think we can open up the passing game more too with temps expected to be around 50.

The defense is phenomenal. Whatever chinks they had against the run the past few weeks weren’t evident and although they never got Stroud to the ground they never let him comfortable in the pocket and forced several throwaways. This defense is capable of overwhelming an offense. Hopefully Marlon is back next week.

Speaking of injuries, it looks like they escaped it without any. Gus never returned but he was dinged up late so that’s probably just because the game was in hand. He seemed to be moving fine after the game. Andrews is probably back this week. Let’s keep it rolling!
 
I don’t know if they were exactly rusty, but they definitely weren’t sharp early. But they were locked in by the second half and looked extremely fresh as they ground Houston into the turf

I think now they’ll have a great combo of sharp but rested. Hoping for a tough and hard-hitting KC-Buffalo game tonight that leaves the winner a little worn out by the time they get to Baltimore next Sunday

Texans didn’t run a play inside the Ravens 28 all night and they had a couple of short fields. That defense is going crazy right now. Reminds me of 2000 in that they don’t blitz or put themselves at risk much, they just line up and play their assignments, communicate very well, and challenge you to beat them all the way down the field if you want to score
 
Took a while but I really like the role Justice Hill has carved out for himself...kind of reminds me of James White...a reliable/trusted veteran that can both run and receive...will be a much better real player then fantasy player...perfect piece of a RBBC.
 
Boston said:
Took a while but I really like the role Justice Hill has carved out for himself...kind of reminds me of James White...a reliable/trusted veteran that can both run and receive...will be a much better real player then fantasy player...perfect piece of a RBBC.
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That’s a great comp for his current role
 
The_Man said:
I don’t know if they were exactly rusty, but they definitely weren’t sharp early. But they were locked in by the second half and looked extremely fresh as they ground Houston into the turf

I think now they’ll have a great combo of sharp but rested. Hoping for a tough and hard-hitting KC-Buffalo game tonight that leaves the winner a little worn out by the time they get to Baltimore next Sunday

Texans didn’t run a play inside the Ravens 28 all night and they had a couple of short fields. That defense is going crazy right now. Reminds me of 2000 in that they don’t blitz or put themselves at risk much, they just line up and play their assignments, communicate very well, and challenge you to beat them all the way down the field if you want to score
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Agreed with this take too. And just like that defense playmakers at ever level- Madabuike Clowney Van Noy, Queen and Roquan, Stephens Hamilton Stone. The 2000 defense of course had the immovable rocks in the middle of the DL to go along with the other playmakers.
 
The_Man said:
I don’t know if they were exactly rusty, but they definitely weren’t sharp early. But they were locked in by the second half and looked extremely fresh as they ground Houston into the turf
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Monken adjusted to more of a Greg Roman offense in the 2nd half, and it was great.

The receivers weren't getting free, so they dialed up Lamar hero ball. Great job by the staff. And now they get Andrews back.....
 
massraider said:
The_Man said:
I don’t know if they were exactly rusty, but they definitely weren’t sharp early. But they were locked in by the second half and looked extremely fresh as they ground Houston into the turf
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Monken adjusted to more of a Greg Roman offense in the 2nd half, and it was great.

The receivers weren't getting free, so they dialed up Lamar hero ball. Great job by the staff. And now they get Andrews back.....
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Yep. Definitely dialed up Lamar hero hall. Adding Andrews is gonna be huge for them. Sure handed big target. Makes the tough catches. The offense is about to get a big bump. Lamar trusted him also.
 
Boston said:
Took a while but I really like the role Justice Hill has carved out for himself...kind of reminds me of James White...a reliable/trusted veteran that can both run and receive...will be a much better real player then fantasy player...perfect piece of a RBBC.
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He was on the cut line for a few years. He stayed on the team by becoming a core special teams player. All of the props to him for sticking it out.
 
Second Half possessions in the Texans-Ravens game
Ravens: 6 plays, 55 yards, Touchdown
Texans: 9 plays, 32 yards, Punt
Ravens: 12 plays, 93 yards, TD
Texans: 3 plays, 5 yards, punt
Ravens: 11 plays, 78 yards, TD
Texans: 4 plays, 4 yards, downs
Ravens: 8 plays, 8 yards, FG

And then the Texans basically ran out the clock. Ravens D gave up 41 yards on 16 plays until that meaningless final drive.

At this point, I think this team is significantly underestimated from an all-time perspective (other than DVOA, which lists them as one of the Top 5 teams of all time). Dating back to the Detroit game (and excluding Week 18 vs Pittsburgh), they've gone 10-1, winning by an average score of 34-16. And that's with a schedule that includes 6 playoff teams (including both NFC Championship game participants) and only 2 opponents with a losing record (Cardinals and Chargers).

The halftime change to the offensive game plan vs Houston is exactly what Ravens fans have been begging for ever since the 2018 playoff loss to the Chargers during Lamar's rookie year. This offense is so multiple, if opponents are taking something away, the Ravens should be able to counter it effectively. Look at the last 4 games:

vs Jacksonville, the Ravens went from a 3-0 lead with 5 minutes to go in the first half to a 23-7 lead
vs SF, the Ravens went from a 13-12 lead with 3:23 left in the first half to a 33-12 lead late in the third quarter
vs Miami, the Ravens went from a 14-13 lead with 3:10 left in the first half to a 35-13 lead midway through the third quarter
vs Houston, the Ravens went from a 10-10 halftime tie to 34-10

These kind of adjustments are remarkable and bode well for the rest of the postseason. Once the Ravens figure out what the opponent is trying to do, they counter and there's been no effective response to the counter. It certainly seems like Macdonald is going to be gone for a head coaching job, but I sure hope they can keep Monken for at least one more year
 
Monken apparently went to Jackson at half time and asked what Lamar thought they needed to do to get unstuck. Then they brainstormed it out for a few minutes - I don't know if this was before or after Jackson cursed the team out - and came out lit.
 
Word around town is that Andrews will definitely play on Sunday, but Marlon is still looking pretty doubtful

I am excited to think about the possibilities of an offense that lines up with Hill or Edwards as the single RB, Flowers and OBJ/Bateman on the outside and Andrews and Likely at TE. Put Likely in the slot or send him in motion and you can dictate so much pre-snap.

It worries me how relatively unworried I am about this game. Obviously anything can happen - turnovers, Mahomes goes nuclear, etc - but this Ravens team feels like they score 34 points each game as a matter of course. I envision that happening again, while the defense manages to get enough stops to keep KC under 30. Pacheco is a great runner and he scares me, particularly because the run D has been Baltimore's one vulnerability. I'm thinking it's a Van Noy game with Oweh coming in only on clear passing situations to help limit that weakness.

I remain extremely impressed with how this coaching staff utilized the late Bye week to self-scout and address weaknesses/tendencies. Earlier this year, one commentator said an opposing D player told them, "Follow Ricard and he'll lead you to the ball." Against Houston, there were 2 plays, including Lamar's second TD run where they blew up that tendency by sending Ricard one way and then running the other way. Fingers crossed that they figured out their own weakness vs the run, as the run D has been very impressive vs Miami and Houston.

Another huge factor is Ronnie Stanley - he's gone from being a liability, to being OK, and now almost all the way back to being an asset. He'll have to be, as KC has been lining up Jones at D End on passing downs and blowing up opposing Left Tackles (like he did on Josh Allen's pivotal bad throw into the end zone on Buffalo's final drive). His return to form reminds me of 2012 when Harbaugh finally let Bryant McKinnie out of the doghouse and put him back at Left Tackle after the humiliating Week 15 loss vs Denver. Putting him at LT enabled Oher to move over to RT, and Osemele to go from RT to LG. That O line then dominated and was the key factor in January Joe's legendary run to the Super Bowl MVP. The Ravens current O Line is playing its best football of the year
 
The_Man said:
Another huge factor is Ronnie Stanley - he's gone from being a liability, to being OK, and now almost all the way back to being an asset.
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I had pretty much given up on him getting back to anywhere close to where he was in 2019. He's not at THAT level, but he's a damned sight closer to it than I would have thought 6 weeks ago.
 
Uruk-Hai said:
The_Man said:
It worries me how relatively unworried I am about this game.
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As a fellow pessimist, you not being very worried scares the hell out of me :lol:
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I've honestly never thought of either of us as pessimists - just total realists, which in the world of NFL fandom definitely does put us on the pessimistic side of the street (and you might be one or two houses further down that neighborhood than I am)

So I think I'm being realistic when I say that of course the Ravens can lose to Mahomes and Reid on Sunday, but unless they make some catastrophic mistakes or come out extremely tight and choke, I like their chances to win by 13+ points. KC just hasn't been that good all season - they were almost left for dead in late December. They're playing better now but their best this year, both offensively and defensively, does't match the Ravens' best.

The Ravens came out less than sharp vs Houston after mostly taking 3 weeks off, but they were sharp and so fresh in the second half of the Divisional Round. KC is much more banged up and is now going on the road for the second straight week. More than that the Ravens' "locked in" mindset, which Lamar has established and is enforcing, is really impressive. This team has an absolute focus on the game at hand, each and every week. KC has the experience advantage and shouldn't have as many nerves as the first-time Ravens, but the Ravens are going to have an edge in intensity. I'm not quite as confident as I was heading into the 2000 Super Bowl when the Ravens were 3-point favorites over the Giants in a game that I predicted was going to go down like the Bears-Patriots Super Bowl, because this KC team is much better than those Giants. But I think there's a similar lack of recognition for how good these Ravens are. The idea that the Ravens would be just a half-point favorite on a neutral field is surprising to me.

This city is out of its mind already, btw. Ray and Ed Reed are getting introduced as Legends of the Game right before kickoff and that place is going to go nuclear. The only playoff game that's been remotely comparable is 2006 when Peyton and the Colts came to town - everyone thought we were going to bury the ghost of Irsay and instead he stabbed us in the heart. In 2019 everyone (including the players, unfortunately) was looking past the Titans to the AFC Championship and even the Super Bowl. This year, nobody looked past the Texans and sure as hell nobody is looking past the Chiefs.
 
The_Man said:
I'm not quite as confident as I was heading into the 2000 Super Bowl when the Ravens were 3-point favorites over the Giants in a game that I predicted was going to go down like the Bears-Patriots Super Bowl
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Yeah, everyone I knew - not just Ravens fans - thought that spread was a joke.

The only thing that had me shaken at game time was that, the night before, Maryland had lost to Duke in the "Gone In 60 Seconds" game and that made me reconsider my whole worldview.
 
The_Man said:
The only playoff game that's been remotely comparable is 2006 when Peyton and the Colts came to town - everyone thought we were going to bury the ghost of Irsay and instead he stabbed us in the heart.
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Was that when that ******** OPI was called on Heap?
 
Uruk-Hai said:
The_Man said:
The only playoff game that's been remotely comparable is 2006 when Peyton and the Colts came to town - everyone thought we were going to bury the ghost of Irsay and instead he stabbed us in the heart.
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Was that when that ******** OPI was called on Heap?
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No, Heap lost a fumble that game (1 of 4 Ravens turnovers), McNair threw an INT at the Colts 1, and that incredible defense (second only to the 2000 D) held Manning to 5 FGs but they still lost 15-6 because the Ravens couldn't score. That game sucked so bad, the 2007 team never got over it, McNair retired at the end of the next season and Bisciotti pulled the trigger on firing Billick.
 
Not sure how I'm going to make it through the next 48 hours, might spend it thinking about the NFL's #1 running attack matching up vs the Chiefs

KC finished the regular season 27th in the NFL in run defense efficiency, according to FTN. The Chiefs ranked 24th in yards allowed per carry, 22nd in success rate against designed runs and 27th in the percentage of runs stopped for no gain or negative yardage, according to TruMedia.

Kansas City’s run defense was especially vulnerable against 21 personnel (two backs, one tight end and two wide receivers). Teams in the fullback-friendly grouping averaged 6.6 yards per carry against the Chiefs, who allowed a whopping 2.31 yards before contact per carry (fourth worst in the NFL) and an even-more-whopping 4.33 yards after contact (second worst in the NFL).

And now their DT Nnadi who started all 17 regular season games is almost certainly out, and LB Willie Gay (started 15 games) seems likely to miss the game as well. Kind of feel like KC is going to have to put 8 in the box, play press coverage on the WRs and hope their good CBs can hold up.

I also am starting to feel like the Ravens are lucky to be catching KC about 4 weeks after they shifted to their 2 and 3 Tight End approach, because now there's enough video for Macdonald to break down how to stop it. No doubt Reid will have a bunch of new wrinkles, but the Ravens now know that's the Chiefs' primary offensive approach and won't be as fooled by the novelty as some of their more recent opponents

As much as I hate it, I can't shake this nasty feeling of guarded optimism
 
I'm holding off on my pick because Vegas has a "fade Uruk-Hai" bent (rightly so). I'll dump a score in the game thread Sunday, but I'll say this: I believe defense is gonna decide this one.
 
Dear Fates, this is MY OPINION ONLY. Please do not punish the rest of Ravens Flock for what I am about to write.

I see this as a linebacker game and with the help of Hamilton and Maulet it is the Ravens that have the advantage and it isn't close. Lamar and Monken will unlock the KC defense before halftime(and perhaps prior to gametime) while the Ravens should be able to control Kelce and hamper an injured Pacheco. I don't think this ends too close with a final score of...

30-17 and potential for upside on the Ravens score. One man's take.
 
Bummer.....

The Ravens made a season's worth of mistakes yesterday and lost a winnable game. Way too many penalties and turnovers, and I don't understand the reluctance to run the ball. It's not like there were 28 points behind.
 
Uruk-Hai said:
Bummer.....

The Ravens made a season's worth of mistakes yesterday and lost a winnable game. Way too many penalties and turnovers, and I don't understand the reluctance to run the ball. It's not like there were 28 points behind.
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How many runs did they have to a RB? Why didn’t they double cover Kelce?
 
Uruk-Hai said:
Bummer.....

The Ravens made a season's worth of mistakes yesterday and lost a winnable game. Way too many penalties and turnovers, and I don't understand the reluctance to run the ball. It's not like there were 28 points behind.
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I also thought it was strange that they abandoned the run game outside of Lamar - seems like that's what their offense is predicated on and it's a good way to keep the ball out of Mahomes' hands. Gus may be out of gas, but Hill has been running strongly of late.

I guess it's coulda/shoulda/woulda in any case - sorry for you Ravens fans. I really wanted to see them get there - and not have to see Taylor Swift again.
 
Uruk-Hai said:
JohnnyU said:
Uruk-Hai said:
Bummer.....

The Ravens made a season's worth of mistakes yesterday and lost a winnable game. Way too many penalties and turnovers, and I don't understand the reluctance to run the ball. It's not like there were 28 points behind.
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How many runs did they have to a RB? Why didn’t they double cover Kelce?
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6 attempts between Edwards and Hill.
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Didn’t they lead the league in rushing? So why abandon what got them there?
 
JohnnyU said:
Uruk-Hai said:
JohnnyU said:
Uruk-Hai said:
Bummer.....

The Ravens made a season's worth of mistakes yesterday and lost a winnable game. Way too many penalties and turnovers, and I don't understand the reluctance to run the ball. It's not like there were 28 points behind.
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How many runs did they have to a RB? Why didn’t they double cover Kelce?
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6 attempts between Edwards and Hill.
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Didn’t they lead the league in rushing? So why abandon what got them there?
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Yes and no clue.
 
Joe Schmo said:
Dear Fates, this is MY OPINION ONLY. Please do not punish the rest of Ravens Flock for what I am about to write.

I see this as a linebacker game and with the help of Hamilton and Maulet it is the Ravens that have the advantage and it isn't close. Lamar and Monken will unlock the KC defense before halftime(and perhaps prior to gametime) while the Ravens should be able to control Kelce and hamper an injured Pacheco. I don't think this ends too close with a final score of...

30-17 and potential for upside on the Ravens score. One man's take.
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So that didn't turn out like I envisioned. The defense showed up biggly after the first two kc drives. They hit hard and played with intensity and ferocity all game even though they were on the field for 37 minutes. Macdonald is gonna make a hell of a head coach for someone. As for the offense, they moved the ball plenty of time but the Zay fumble(tip of the cap to Sneed on a great punch out!) and Jackson's ill advised throw on the interception were killers. Add to that the idiotic penalties all game, with the top one in my mind being veteran Kyle Van Noy falling for Kelce's antics and gifting KC yards and swagger, the portrait of a team beating itself is born. Dumb. As to why Monken called the game minus running I'll wait to hear the rationale but seems pretty brain dead to me.

Overall, Baltimore shot itself in the foot and KC played clean. There's your difference.
 
At least I'll never be uncharacteristically optimistic about a Ravens game again

This is similar to the 2006 gut punch home playoff loss to the Colts, that lingered into 2007 so much that Billick got fired at the end of the year and ushered in the Harbaugh era

I don't think that happens again, but man this sucks. As Parcells (with the Jets) said after losing the 98 AFC Championship at Denver: You don't pick up next year where you left off. You start all the way over at the beginning again

And it's time to admit that - as much as I love Lamar - he has some real playoff questions to answer. He keeps trying to do too much in the biggest moments and reverts to his worst habits. He was not impressive yesterday and there's literally nothing he can do to answer the questions until he gets back to the playoffs. Another brilliant MVP season would mean almost nothing without commensurate playoff success

ugh ugh ugh

6 handoffs to RBs was shameful. Their offensive game plan was incomprehensible. But man, that defense. Once Macdonald figures you out, forget it. KC had 0 points and only 5 First Downs in the second half. It looked like the Ravens were somehow going to keep him for another year but Seattle has seemingly wised up. I can't imagine they wouldn't hire him. And Kyle Hamilton is ridiculous. What a player, and Macdonald knows how to match him up.

oh well, fun season but what a lingering bitter aftertaste
 
I will never understand BAL's game plan. The best way to beat Mahomes is to keep him on the sidelines. Why not run the ball more and control the clock? Jackson's success throwing the ball downfield comes off of the threat to run the ball. BAL just played right into KC's hands. KC just let Jackson sit the pocket and eventually Jackson will make a key mistake. Jackson doesn't seem to have the patience to let the game come to him.

But man, Flowers fumbling the ball near the goalline was a backbreaker.
 
fightingillini said:
But man, Flowers fumbling the ball near the goalline was a backbreaker.
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The fumble hurt, no doubt, but I can't fault a player trying to make a play. Sneed just one upped Flowers so kudos to him. Harbaugh was asked about this play and specifically what the team coaches players when diving for the goal line and Harbaugh said the staff coach the players to have two hands on the ball when diving and indeed Flowers did as he was coached. Unfortunate fumble but spit happens sometimes.
 
Joe Schmo said:
fightingillini said:
But man, Flowers fumbling the ball near the goalline was a backbreaker.
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The fumble hurt, no doubt, but I can't fault a player trying to make a play. Sneed just one upped Flowers so kudos to him. Harbaugh was asked about this play and specifically what the team coaches players when diving for the goal line and Harbaugh said the staff coach the players to have two hands on the ball when diving and indeed Flowers did as he was coached. Unfortunate fumble but spit happens sometimes.
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Oh I don't fault Flowers for trying to stretch the ball near the goalline. Great play by KC, agree.
 
The_Man said:
At least I'll never be uncharacteristically optimistic about a Ravens game again

This is similar to the 2006 gut punch home playoff loss to the Colts, that lingered into 2007 so much that Billick got fired at the end of the year and ushered in the Harbaugh era

I don't think that happens again, but man this sucks. As Parcells (with the Jets) said after losing the 98 AFC Championship at Denver: You don't pick up next year where you left off. You start all the way over at the beginning again

And it's time to admit that - as much as I love Lamar - he has some real playoff questions to answer. He keeps trying to do too much in the biggest moments and reverts to his worst habits. He was not impressive yesterday and there's literally nothing he can do to answer the questions until he gets back to the playoffs. Another brilliant MVP season would mean almost nothing without commensurate playoff success

ugh ugh ugh

6 handoffs to RBs was shameful. Their offensive game plan was incomprehensible. But man, that defense. Once Macdonald figures you out, forget it. KC had 0 points and only 5 First Downs in the second half. It looked like the Ravens were somehow going to keep him for another year but Seattle has seemingly wised up. I can't imagine they wouldn't hire him. And Kyle Hamilton is ridiculous. What a player, and Macdonald knows how to match him up.

oh well, fun season but what a lingering bitter aftertaste
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The defense played well enough to win. The offense and the rest of the coaching staff let them down.

Harbaugh's excuse for not running more - "that's how the game went" - is a garbage comment. I assume he's trying to cover for Monken, but I ain't buying it.
 
fightingillini said:
Joe Schmo said:
fightingillini said:
But man, Flowers fumbling the ball near the goalline was a backbreaker.
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The fumble hurt, no doubt, but I can't fault a player trying to make a play. Sneed just one upped Flowers so kudos to him. Harbaugh was asked about this play and specifically what the team coaches players when diving for the goal line and Harbaugh said the staff coach the players to have two hands on the ball when diving and indeed Flowers did as he was coached. Unfortunate fumble but spit happens sometimes.
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Oh I don't fault Flowers for trying to stretch the ball near the goalline. Great play by KC, agree.
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Love Zay. I think he’ll take his mistakes yesterday to heart and work his *** off to continue to improve and be a great player. But he can’t expose the ball like that there in traffic. I suspect Harbaugh is avoiding throwing him under the bus there and when he says they teach players to dive with 2 hands on the ball he merely means if they must dive to do it with 2 hands always rather than 1. That was not a must dive situation and he simply cannot take that chance there. Great kid despite the uncharacteristic brashness yesterday. He must be wrecked right now and will surely work his tail off to try and make up for it in the future.

That’s about all I have the heart to get into right now. What a brutal brutal loss.
 
2nd year Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald leaving Baltimore in 2024 as John Harbaugh remains as Head Coach = 2nd year Offensive Coordinator Joe Gibbs leaving San Diego in 1981 as Don Coryell remains as Head Coach

That's how it feels to me and I'm not even kidding. In neither case could you realistically edge out the legendary head coach in favor of a brilliant young kid, and yet you sure might regret not doing it anyway

Because that's actually how Macdonald feels to me. A brilliant guy with a limitless future, not only in the Xs and Os but also in the team building and culture. Seattle's process in landing him was actually a bit like the Ravens in the draft - just sit there and wait, let other people rush into reaching, and let something great fall into your lap
 
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