22 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

7PM, WMAR.

[BSLChrisStoner]

CSN Mid-Atlantic: Five questions to ask for Ravens at Colts preseason game
http://www.csnmidatl...-preseason-game

[BSLChrisStoner]

PressBox: Ten Ravens To Watch In Preseason Matchup Against Colts
https://www.pressbox...p-against-colts

[JordanKough]

The Pierce buzz is interesting to me. I get the feeling that because he didn't go to the combine he didn't get as much pre-draft attention, but he's getting some really good scouting reports about him, even if he's not making a huge impact. 

 

Seems like someone might take a chance on him. I'm probably most interested in if Pierce, Ochi, Carter or Onsuwar manages to sneak onto the OD roster now. Those guys are all going out in deep positions. Suddenly it feels fairly deep at every position right now for the team except for OL.

[bnickle]

There might be depth but there just isn't nearly enough talent. Also, hate that there is going to be so many guys expected to just turn it on week 1 with no preseason reps.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Have only caught the last 10+ minutes of the 4th... will need to catch a replay.

Saw them show the offensive (a 12 yard TD catch from Butler), and defensive plays of the game (Weddle)...

Little bit that I saw, saw Will Davis running around outside, box score shows a sack... Judon with a sack (nice follow-up for him from last week)...  Levine got beat outside, and then came back to return a 2 point conversion....  Brooks saved a TD run...

Dixon was praised for his ability to run through traffic... West had a big 3rd down run to the outside...

Waller was hurt...

Forsett was interviewed on the sideline.... they talked after the interview of his wife being in crossfit, Forsett doing it this off-season, being in great shape....

Orr was interviewed on the sideline... "Now as 3rd year player, I've invested more time into studying..."

 

Boxscore shows Chris Moore had 3 grabs for 20 yards....

Mallett was 6 for 8 with a TD...

Josh Johnson had a lot of time... Sandusky believes he has shown enough to be picked up elsewhere, said the coaches love him.



Andrew Luck was 8 for 8...

 

[BSLChrisStoner]

Ravens win 19-18.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Post game, Gilbert to Q... "Concern about what is being shown from the 1s?"

[SportsGuy]

Overall not bad. Wright got beat a few times.

[SportsGuy]

There might be depth but there just isn't nearly enough talent. Also, hate that there is going to be so many guys expected to just turn it on week 1 with no preseason reps.

Sounds like Joe will play next week...that's good. I think they needed to get him in there, take some hits, etc...

[SportsGuy]

No injuries last night

[NewMarketSean]

Josh Johnson looks good. Do we carry 3 QBs? I could see another team picking up Johnson as a backup based on his play this preseason if he's cut.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Josh Johnson looks good. Do we carry 3 QBs? I could see another team picking up Johnson as a backup based on his play this preseason if he's cut.

 

Would have to look at the entire 53 to see if there was room, but seems highly unlikely to me.

[Biggsy]

Josh Johnson looks good. Do we carry 3 QBs? I could see another team picking up Johnson as a backup based on his play this preseason if he's cut.

I've seen some chatter saying he may beat out Mallet. I don't buy it. Mallet proved to be a capable back up last year. I doubt they keep 3. Kind of a wasted roster spot. Flacco has only missed time one year in his career. So if it's between keeping all of Allen, LT, Forsett and Dixon vs Johnson. The HB will win out.

[JordanKough]

Watched the first half of the game yesterday these were a few of my observations outside of what I've read from others:

 

First, the first team defense wasn't as bad as advertised. Really good run defense at the point of attack. McLellan overpursued the edge on the first play, but after that really surprised me on setting the edge. Arthur Brown is going to lose his spot to McLellan for sure, and I think the weekends game sealed it. Side note, McLellan is 30 with only 6 years in the league. Was a bit surprised by that, but don't think that hurts him this year.

 

As for the rest, first, it was really vanilla defense by and large. The first play was a big swing pass with Weddle matched up. One was Powers just not wrapping up, but he was in the spot he needed to be. Couldn't tell if it was man to man or not, but the Colts run a ton of crossers and this was the first of several before the Ravens seemed ready for it. Luck also made a big play where Mosley didn't hold his ground and over pursued Luck.

 

Otherwise, I was rather pleased with the mechanics of the defense. Jernigan had a nice stuff on 2nd down before the Mosley play. I thought Orr also looked good. I thought one interesting play that frustrated the heck out of me was classic Pees. On the play where they stopped the Colts for the first FG, it was a 3-man rush, dropping 8. Great play by Weddle to get to Allen on the play, he really showed his range. The interesting note to me that the 3 guys rushing were Correa, KLM and Z. Smith. In a game situation, if that's Suggs, Jernigan, and Dumervil, I may be less upset with that call. 

 

I hate the lack of aggression though, there were several times where Tolzien and Luck were getting to their 2nd and 3rd reads, not because the pass rush was bad, but because we can't rush 4 if Suggs / Dumervil aren't on the field and expect a rush. The blitz disguising hasn't been great, but that may be intentional. We see a lot of nickel corner blitzes, and there was one nice play, where Webb had a nice sideline open field tackle. That was nice to see. 

 

A few other notes.

 

CB and S - I saw Jimmie Smith get beat a couple of times. I'm not sure if he locked his man down otherwise, but he didn't look great. I thought Will Davis looked really good. Played step for step with guys out of the nickel if the season started today, you'd have to wonder if you would see more from Davis than Powers. 

 

RB - West had a really nice game catching the ball out of the backfield and he looks really good in space. But both Dixon and West had a couple runs where they didn't plant and drive to the hole. The Ravens OL also looked overwhelmed on the stretch at times (especially early, even when running right where the starting OL was intact). 

 

DL - OLB I thought Guy / Davis / KLM had pretty mediocre games. Though we seemed to really get up in there and stuff the run, there really wasn't an interior rush presence in the game. The Ravens had Z. Smith out in space and he looked lost out there. He probably needs the reps, but I hope he's used more like a DL / OLB flex rather than a OLB / LB pass coverage flex. 

 

OL - Alex Lewis looks ok but got schooled on a stunt early in the game. I'd also chalk that up as a bad play but good coaching moment. Ronnie Stanley looks the part of a great LT. Really quick feet. Quick off the line. Strong in all his blocks. I was impressed. 

 

WR and TE - Chris Moore looked great in and out of his routes. Got his catches during the two minute drill too. Just looked crisp. Really nice to see. Gilmore looked a bit rusty but nice to see him out there. 

 

The last piece I'll add is the offense was truly vanilla, but the Aiken TD was a really nice one. They used a wing formation, worked everyone right and had Aiken come back against the defense to the left. It was an easy one read to Aiken, with a nice progression to check the TE to the post next and then go right again to the receivers running right if it wasn't there. Just a really nice play calls.

 

 

The run game early seemed stuffed, but it felt like the Colts were really up in the box. My guess is there was a lot of man coverage down the field and one on ones, but Mallett wasn't seeking them out or we weren't designed to audible. It's in those situations where you hope Moore / Wallace / Perriman are ready to burn defenses, especially if we can get them to overcommit on play action. 

[bnickle]

The CBs and linebackers in coverage are still huge issues.

[JordanKough]

The LBs didn't look as bad to me this game, compared to the CBs. 

 

I find it somewhat harder to rate CBs just on these preseason games. I'd imagine there is much more game tape, adjustments, defensive cohesion that comes with scheme that should enable to them to be better. Additionally, when you play such a vanilla base package defense, it's not really that hard to attack guys. 

 

In many cases, Luck was getting to his 2nd and 3rd reads when he was in, same with Tolzien, so to some degree, I'd place that on the rush as well. 

 

Also, open field tackling was a much bigger problem than the actual coverage at times. These stupid CBA rules...(the roughing the passer call on Mosley was ridiculous as well). 

[JordanKough]

Also, I don't make much of it, but 13 and 14 snaps for Wallace and Watson respectively and zero effort for the coaching staff to try and get either involved. Not sure it means anything, but did think that was interesting. 

[Dupin]

Also, I don't make much of it, but 13 and 14 snaps for Wallace and Watson respectively and zero effort for the coaching staff to try and get either involved. Not sure it means anything, but did think that was interesting.

It's preseason and they're vets who I assume the coaching staff already have roles established for. No sense risking injury imo, especially with Joe out still.

[JordanKough]

It's preseason and they're vets who I assume the coaching staff already have roles established for. No sense risking injury imo, especially with Joe out still.

 

Why even give them reps then? I just find it weird. Like what if Watson got hurt on one of the first 5 Forsett runs, and you had no intention to throw him a pass, and Joe isn't even out there for chemistry reasons yet. 

 

Shrug...I understand it. Just saying...feels like a peculiar mitigation of risk if you aren't even going to try and force feed them the ball just ot take that first hit.