999 replies to this topic

[B00E00N00]

No that was 2012 AFCCG.

 

Me and my stupid memory.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Me and my stupid memory.

 

It was the game where our first play on offense Ray Rice ran it 83 yards for the TD. Ravens went on to win in New England 33-14. IIRC, it led to a bunch of chatter that Brady was over the hill. Lol.

 

http://www.espn.com/...pasquarelli_len

[DuffMan]

Been a while since I've looked forward to a Ravens game this much.

[JordanKough]

Been a while since I've looked forward to a Ravens game this much.

 

Hasn't been since the 2014 game in New England for me. A game that in the first quarter I thought we had...it wasn't Tom Brady that even beat us that day, it was Amendola and that substitution rule. I still thought the refs should have slowed the game down at that point...instead of letting the Pats just run rampant quick snaps (the signal at that point for eligible and ineligible receivers was the same signal, you can understand how or why the Ravens were confused). But it is what it is. 

 

I am fired up for this game.

 

I was going to try and go watch at the new casino, but it's been so crazy down there it may not work out. 

[Mike in STL]

Aside from maybe 5 or 10 minutes here and there, this will be the first MNF game I've watched start to finish this year.

[esporter]

Hasn't been since the 2014 game in New England for me. A game that in the first quarter I thought we had...it wasn't Tom Brady that even beat us that day, it was Amendola and that substitution rule. I still thought the refs should have slowed the game down at that point...instead of letting the Pats just run rampant quick snaps (the signal at that point for eligible and ineligible receivers was the same signal, you can understand how or why the Ravens were confused). But it is what it is. 

 

I am fired up for this game.

 

I was going to try and go watch at the new casino, but it's been so crazy down there it may not work out. 

 

Same! This year has been very ho-hum. A lot of 1pm games against kind of boring teams. We had primetime against the Browns which was meh.

 

Finally, though. MNF against the best team in the AFC with us playing as well as we have all year, playoff positioning on the line!! I love it.

 

In the words of Bart Scott... Can't wait!

[SportsGuy]

The Ravens shouldn't in a position where this game really matters.

That being said, there is one huge reason why this game matters.

If we win tonight and assuming we beat Philly, that means that if we beat Pitt, we clinch the division that day and week 17 is another bye week. Not only that but we get Pitt at home in the first round of the playoffs as I think both teams have a great shot to get in.

[JordanKough]

Yeah, a Miami loss would have been nice. You don't root for guys to get hurt but Tannehill out, is a huge win for the Ravens.

 

The Broncos have a brutal schedule and have essentially eliminated themselves, IMO. 

 

Love to not have the pressure of needing to go to Pitt and win in a few weeks. And if we win here and against Philly, that relieves some of that pressure.

 

Love the idea of heading in Week 17 with the spot locked up though, and I don't see this team relenting now. If there's ever a time to feel like you can or want to count on Joe, @New England and in December / January feels like the right time to do it. 

[esporter]

Going into CIN in Week 17 with a "win or go home" scenario is a little scary. We don't usually play well in CIN and they would absolutely love to knock us out of the playoffs. Also, CIN may be beat up and out of contention but they are not a joke.

 

If there's any way we can avoid that, I'd be highly in favor.

[JordanKough]

http://www.espn.com/...triots-nfl-2016

 

This is insider so apologize for those that can't read it...some good stuff in here though:

 

Gruden mentions the Pats problems with empty backfields. And also mentions how the play was a Ravens 4x1 empty set. The way I've seen the replay only shows Dixon in the backfield, I'm curious pre-snap if there was motion there. If so...that's an even better playcall than initially thought and I really liked it. That puts Perriman, Pitta, Boyle and Dixon all to one side of the field pre-snap. 

 

He also notes in the Seattle game that Lockett was a big go to target on big plays out of those empty sets. Is Perrima primed for a big game? Who is the guy the Pats force to make big catches on big plays with multiple receivers? I can guarantee Steve Smith will be bracketed. 

 

I love Gruden's bit about the red zone defense as well. He says we use Tampa 2 down there (makes sense given how we avoid big plays) though I've always likened it a bit more to quarters with the CBs on the outside being able to get deep in their drops. He mentions a one plug defense, which I think is our go to man defense in the red zone. We use a 4 man rush, and then have two floating zone defenders. One is usually deep, one tighter to the line. We can use this to bracket and cover a primary or tendency. But we do so showing an all out blitz at the same time. 

 

There is more in there, but a good football junky read if you have access. 

[SportsGuy]

Going into CIN in Week 17 with a "win or go home" scenario is a little scary. We don't usually play well in CIN and they would absolutely love to knock us out of the playoffs. Also, CIN may be beat up and out of contention but they are not a joke.

 

If there's any way we can avoid that, I'd be highly in favor.

Yea and I doubt Green plays against Pitt but he may play against us.

[JordanKough]

Another good tidbit, the Patriots have allowed 15 plays with the ball traveling 15 yards down the field. Only 4 teams have allowed more. 

[JordanKough]

It'd be a big help if Eric Rowe misses this game with his hamstring injury. If he does play, I'm testing him deep right away. Or at least making him defense guys running deep or in formations that are going to allow the receiver a free release off the line. 

 

And heck...if it's not Rowe, go after the next guy. This is what the Pats did to Melvin, we should return the favor. 

 

And could someone steal Shareece Wright's plane ticket to Boston? It seems like a lock that if he sees the field that will be the first guy the Pats go after. 

[SportsGuy]

I want to see what the offensive game plan is tonight.  What did they see in film that they could exploit?  NE has a very good run defense and a poor pass defense, although Butler is very good.

 

Last week, Miami had a very solid pass defense and a terrible run defense and we still passed it like crazy.  The Ravens saw stuff on tape that they could exploit and went after it.

 

Do they see anything this week?

 

All the talk right now around the Ravens is about Joe and if he can get hot.  Part of the reason he got hot last week is because they put him in the position to do that.  Will they continue to do that?  Will they continue to exploit bad matchups or will everything go back to being checkdowns and going after the secondary outside the hash marks?  Will it continue to be up tempo?

 

That is what I want to see tonight.

 

More people are picking the Ravens this week than I thought but a lot of the analytics still favor NE pretty well.  I still think stupidity will be the Ravens downfall tonight but we will see.

 

The side bars tonight are the Ravens are looked at as the team that started the deflategate stuff and Harbaugh is still sour about what NE did in the playoff game with the formations and stuff.  So, there are some other motivating factors on each side.

[JordanKough]

The side bars tonight are the Ravens are looked at as the team that started the deflategate stuff and Harbaugh is still sour about what NE did in the playoff game with the formations and stuff.  So, there are some other motivating factors on each side.

 

I see this stuff mattering more in Week 1. NEP has a chance to lock up home field for the playoffs tonight. Baltimore has a shot to get in. If these teams need extra motivation to win this game, they are doing something wrong. 

 

Part of what has made the Ravens / Steelers rivalry great is the games always matter. Sure intensity, bad blood, stars (Ray, Reed, Troy, Harrison) all help. But those games almost always count. And to me that's what has driven the rivalry more than anything. 

 

Agree on your analysis here across the board though. Gameplan mattes a lot. 

 

Get the ball out quick. Keep the OL from being a problem. Attack and attack and attack. Something the Ravens have always done in Foxborough. 

[You Play to Win the Game]

Been a while since I've looked forward to a Ravens game this much.

 

Aside from maybe 5 or 10 minutes here and there, this will be the first MNF game I've watched start to finish this year.

 

Same for me. I'm actually working remotely tomorrow, so that will help. Can't wait. Basically a playoff game, IMO.

[Mike B]

Same for me. I'm actually working remotely tomorrow, so that will help. Can't wait. Basically a playoff game, IMO.

Yep, work up this morning, early to get work out of the way.  Big game time!!

 

I am optimistic, Let's Go Ravens.  Time to kick some prima Donna ass.

[SportsGuy]

Driving to New York tomorrow morning. Hoping for no OT tonight!

[Mike B]

Driving to New York tomorrow morning. Hoping for no OT tonight!

If they get a win, the drive will be short, even if it is OT.

[JordanKough]

I'm a bit worried about Powers getting picked on in the slot. He's not a guy that wraps up the best. He's solid but not elite. 

Our missed tackles against Ajayi worry me in the sense that the Pats receivers are shifty and this is how their offense operates. I'll be interested to see how we operate out of the nickel and what kind of tackling we get from the CB position in general.