783 replies to this topic

[You Play to Win the Game]

Same thing easily would have been said in '12. The truth is Ricker and some of the rest of you can shit on DVOA all you want but its got us pegged much more accurately than most of you do in your heads.

The record is what the record is. You can ignore the fact that this team melts down with predictable regularity all you want, but the fact is, that’s what they do.

It’s a joke to compare this team to ‘12. Flacco had gone to 2 AFC Championship games by 2012. Lamar has won exactly one road playoff game (and is 0-2 at home). That team had 4-5 HOF players on the roster. There was an arc and a galvanization involved with that team.

[Mackus]

Billick was fired one year after going 13-3 with a first-round bye when the locker room turned against him. If Harbaugh loses the locker room, he isn't going to be around for long.

 

I'm not a big body language guy but he looks disinterested and defeated on the sideline.

 

But that locker room had several hugely important players in it.  This one does not.  Lamar has gotta be the only guy that Bisciotti would even care about their opinion on the head coach and he's not under contract.

 

I also don't really see why anyone thinks Harbaugh is losing the team.  They're playing bad late in games, but still playing hard throughout and playing well early.  Is it just because of Peters' reaction a couple weeks ago?

[jamesdean]

Biscotti fired Billick after a 13-3 season. If the players revolt, which has been known to happen under Harbaugh, he's gone.

Bisciotti fired Billick after a 5-11 season.  They were 4-2 and promptly lost 9 games in a row before winning the last one.  If Harbaugh ends up 6-11 this year, then yeah, he's on the hot seat but I'm not entirely confident Bisciotti would still fire him.  If injuries continue to mount, he'll always have that excuse.  

[NewMarketSean]

Bisciotti fired Billick after a 5-11 season.  They were 4-2 and promptly lost 9 games in a row before winning the last one.  If Harbaugh ends up 6-11 this year, then yeah, he's on the hot seat but I'm not entirely confident Bisciotti would still fire him.  If injuries continue to mount, he'll always have that excuse.  

 

Yeah I meant a year after going 13-3.

 

Agree that the only scenario Harbaugh is fired is if the season totally goes off the rails.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Finishing anywhere near .500 would be off the rails, relative to expectations, IMO.

I’m inching closer and closer to blow it up territory. I miss smart, timely and fun football.

We’ll see how it plays out. If this galvanizes them and they start playing smarter football and take ownership of the rest of their season, great. But what’s far more likely is that this is exactly who they are. Mediocre. Can flash against even good teams, but can’t get it done in the end. The third scenario is a total collapse - don’t see that happening.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

The narratives are weak but you all can keep using them for now because they keep inventing ways to lose late. All are off though and that will be shown over time. Maybe we will see a revolt. Maybe they will continue to just hand away wins after dominating for 3 Qs

[You Play to Win the Game]

The narratives are weak but you all can keep using them for now because they keep inventing ways to lose late. All are off though and that will be shown over time. Maybe we will see a revolt. Maybe they will continue to just hand away wins after dominating for 3 Qs

How are they weak? Btw, it isn’t just the defense. The offense averages 9 points in the 2nd half of games. That’s buoyed by a 23 point second half against NE, big outlier.

[Slidemaster]

How are they weak? Btw, it isn’t just the defense. The offense averages 9 points in the 2nd half of games. That’s buoyed by a 23 point second half against NE, big outlier.

They don't make adjustments. They go in with a good plan and then stick to it no matter what happens. This is a very mediocre coaching staff.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

How are they weak? Btw, it isn’t just the defense. The offense averages 9 points in the 2nd half of games. That’s buoyed by a 23 point second half against NE, big outlier.

Its narratives because the team is 3-3 instead of 5-1 line they should be. If we were 5-1 the talk would be all purple kool aid. It would be well the defense bends late but doesnt break and we would hear all the talk about the players returning and the improvements in DL play. We would hear about how the OL is running over guys again unlike the first few weeks. Etc etc. We are just 2 or 3 individual plays away from that happening. Not even plays. Yards. Inches. If the RB or Lamar ( cant remember who it was) gets half a yard more on the 2nd down before the false start on 3rd and inches yesterday we win. If Lamar gets 1 more yard before the failed 4th down attempt against Miami we win(in the 4th Q) not the one where he may have broke the goalline and they overturned it anyway.



And I get it it sounds like Im making excuses. Im not we are 3-3 l. Thats the reality but its not telling the story

[You Play to Win the Game]

If if if.

[Slidemaster]

Its narratives because the team is 3-3 instead of 5-1 line they should be. If we were 5-1 the talk would be all purple kool aid. It would be well the defense bends late but doesnt break and we would hear all the talk about the players returning and the improvements in DL play. We would hear about how the OL is running over guys again unlike the first few weeks. Etc etc. We are just 2 or 3 individual plays away from that happening. Not even plays. Yards. Inches. If the RB or Lamar ( cant remember who it was) gets half a yard more on the 2nd down before the false start on 3rd and inches yesterday we win. If Lamar gets 1 more yard before the failed 4th down attempt against Miami we win(in the 4th Q) not the one where he may have broke the goalline in they overturned it anyway.



And I get it it sounds like Im making excuses. Im not we are 3-3 l. Thats the reality but its not telling the story

There have been plenty of teams that coulda shoulda woulda. The Ravens are what they appear to be - a very talented team that finds ways to lose.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

If if if.

Read the whole book. Not just the cliffnotes Luckily its only chapter 4 of a 10 chapter book.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Its not even the classic well man if we get that stop on 3rd down maybe we drive down the next drive and win. Its literally yards and then stacked on top of that is poor decision making by the head coach and or horrible penalties.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Think of everything that had to go wrong for us to be 3-3 vs 5-1

[You Play to Win the Game]

Its not even the classic well man if we get that stop on 3rd down maybe we drive down the next drive and win. Its literally yards and then stacked on top of that is poor decision making by the head coach and or horrible penalties.

What about Lamar?

What about the defense? What if they had allowed a FG instead of a TD on one of those last 2 drives by the Giants?

[TwentyThirtyFive]

What about Lamar?

What about the defense? What if they had allowed a FG instead of a TD on one of those last 2 drives by the Giants?

Sure after all the stuff goes wrong they still couldve found ways to do better and pull out wins. Im not even gonna talk about the ill fated decision to go for 7 vs the Bills. Thats more of the classic  if. The Miami and Giants games were just brutal in the number of things that had to go wrong to lose.

[Slidemaster]

Sure after all the stuff goes wrong they still couldve found ways to do better and pull out wins. Im not even gonna talk about the ill fated decision to go for 7 vs the Bills. Thats more of the classic if. The Miami and Giants games were just brutal in the number of things that had to go wrong to lose.

When everything always "goes wrong" it usually means you're not that good.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Sure after all the stuff goes wrong they still couldve found ways to do better and pull out wins. Im not even gonna talk about the ill fated decision to go for 7 vs the Bills. Thats more of the classic if. The Miami and Giants games were just brutal in the number of things that had to go wrong to lose.

Things go wrong when players don’t execute. I don’t understand what you’re saying honestly. We just shouldn’t count those things, because they had big leads in all the losses?

[TwentyThirtyFive]

We were 5-1 after 6 last year. Ended up getting to 8-3 before all the injuries and the collapse.  3-3 this year and every single one of you should realize that we are better now than at any point we were last year. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

When everything always "goes wrong" it usually means you're not that good.

Sure we arent good. We are a bad team. You are the biggest fool in the world. Obvious statement.