449 replies to this topic

[ivanbalt]

When Cincy took Chase instead of OL, I thought they were idiots.

When Burrow/Chase connection blew up, I thought I was the idiot.

Now it looks like they might have been idiots after all.

 

Cincy fanbase got way too arrogant after losing a SB so this should knock them down a notch.

[Biggsy]

When Cincy took Chase instead of OL, I thought they were idiots.
When Burrow/Chase connection blew up, I thought I was the idiot.
Now it looks like they might have been idiots after all.

Cincy fanbase got way too arrogant after losing a SB so this should knock them down a notch.

No doubt Chase is one of the best WR's in football.
But Sewell is one of the best tackles in football.

Knowing you have Higgins and Boyd, I'd have to take the top tackle vs another WR, even a great one.


Even so, I don't believe all of the sacks and QB hits are 100% on the line. Burrow holds the ball too long at times. It's the same thing with Lamar. You kind of have to learn to live with the fact that sometimes they're going to take a catastrophic loss on a sack they shouldn't take. The other side of that is they both can make plays/throws that you don't see many others make as well. That 10 second TD from Lamar earlier being a prime example. Mahomes does the same thing. All 3 are different mind of QB's from the statuesque Brady and Manning days. Those guys had in their heads how long they had to find a reciever, and if they didn't, they'd throw the ball away and move on. Mahomes, Lamar, Hurts, Burrow, most of the top QB's now, they all hold the ball and move around looking for a play.

[hallas]

No doubt Chase is one of the best WR's in football.
But Sewell is one of the best tackles in football.

Knowing you have Higgins and Boyd, I'd have to take the top tackle vs another WR, even a great one.


Even so, I don't believe all of the sacks and QB hits are 100% on the line. Burrow holds the ball too long at times. It's the same thing with Lamar. You kind of have to learn to live with the fact that sometimes they're going to take a catastrophic loss on a sack they shouldn't take. The other side of that is they both can make plays/throws that you don't see many others make as well. That 10 second TD from Lamar earlier being a prime example. Mahomes does the same thing. All 3 are different mind of QB's from the statuesque Brady and Manning days. Those guys had in their heads how long they had to find a reciever, and if they didn't, they'd throw the ball away and move on. Mahomes, Lamar, Hurts, Burrow, most of the top QB's now, they all hold the ball and move around looking for a play.

Burrow isn't like Hurts or Lamar or Allen, or to some extent Mahomes because he doesn't really have the mobility to do it without getting hit.

Even Mahomes is questionable but his pocket awareness is uncanny and he seems to be shiftier than his combine numbers suggest.

[Slidemaster]

I think all the Burrow hate is super reactionary. Look how many QBs have gotten hurt this year. Lamar has been hurt two years in a row too. The fact is that Burrow is a top 5 NFL QB when he's healthy. That isn't Lamar hate. That is just respect for Burrow's game.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I think all the Burrow hate is super reactionary. Look how many QBs have gotten hurt this year. Lamar has been hurt two years in a row too. The fact is that Burrow is a top 5 NFL QB when he's healthy. That isn't Lamar hate. That is just respect for Burrow's game.

There's no hate with Burrow. He's an excellent QB.  But I said it last year before the injuries he's dealt with this year... I don't think he will have a very long shelf life. Haven't seen anything this year that makes me think I had that wrong. 

[Ravens2006]

I'd post the numbers but eyes would glaze over reading it... but in short, Lamar and Joe B have made about the exact same percentage of regular season starts in their career (taking it from the day Lamar took over from Flacco). Two of Lamar's DNS are a COVID and a Clinched-Bye-Before-Final-Week coach's inactive.  If the current health situation holds, Lamar will have pulled well ahead of Burrow in that regard.

 

Couple that with Lamar's winning almost 75% of his career starts, and the graphic that he ranks third in PPG under starting QBs in the SB era behind only Mahomes and Brady... and that suggests Lamar is probably a top 5 NFL QB when he's healthy too.  Not hating on anyone else, just respect for Lamar's game.

[Slidemaster]

I'd post the numbers but eyes would glaze over reading it... but in short, Lamar and Joe B have made about the exact same percentage of regular season starts in their career (taking it from the day Lamar took over from Flacco). Two of Lamar's DNS are a COVID and a Clinched-Bye-Before-Final-Week coach's inactive. If the current health situation holds, Lamar will have pulled well ahead of Burrow in that regard.

Couple that with Lamar's winning almost 75% of his career starts, and the graphic that he ranks third in PPG under starting QBs in the SB era behind only Mahomes and Brady... and that suggests Lamar is probably a top 5 NFL QB when he's healthy too. Not hating on anyone else, just respect for Lamar's game.

At this point, I think you can argue that, yes. Particularly with Herbert, Allen, and Burrow taking a step back.

I don't think we'd have said that at this time last year. With that said, the playoff resume is concerning.

[Slidemaster]

Mahomes
Hurts
Lamar(?)
Allen
Burrow...
...or Stroud?

That kid has been unreal.

[Mike in STL]

Mahomes
Hurts
Lamar(?)
Allen
Burrow...
...or Stroud?

That kid has been unreal

Purdy, Tua, Herbert, Dak all over Stroud. Unless we're talking just the last 3 games.

[bmore_ken]

At this point, I think you can argue that, yes. Particularly with Herbert, Allen, and Burrow taking a step back.

I don't think we'd have said that at this time last year. With that said, the playoff resume is concerning.

QBs don’t play playoff games by themselves

[hallas]

At this point, I think you can argue that, yes. Particularly with Herbert, Allen, and Burrow taking a step back.

I don't think we'd have said that at this time last year. With that said, the playoff resume is concerning.

I said last season that Allen was already performing worse once his contract kicked into high gear.

In fact, the only QBs among the current crop that have performed with a big-ish cap number are Mahomes and Lamar. Of course Lamar got hurt so people (understandably) docked him for that. But he's healthy-ish now. And he's playing like a top-3 to 5 qb.

I'm not about to argue that Lamar and Mahomes are close - they aren't. But Allen had a drop-off once his cap number increased, and Burrow is already getting banged around. Tua's cap number isn't big yet, neither is Hurts, and Burrow's is still under 20m and doesn't really go up till next year. It's hard to be a good qb on a market rate contract, and Lamar can do it (at least with EDC managing the roster.)

[Slidemaster]

Purdy, Tua, Herbert, Dak all over Stroud. Unless we're talking just the last 3 games.

He's been pretty damn good all season, other than his first game against the Ravens. Of the guys you mentioned, I might take Stroud over any of them as a franchise QB for the next 5 years.

[Slidemaster]

QBs don’t play playoff games by themselves

They don't, but Lamar's personal performance has been pretty subpar as well in those games.

[bmore_ken]

They don't, but Lamar's personal performance has been pretty subpar as well in those games.

So has the defense and O line

[Mike B]

QBs don’t play playoff games by themselves

It amazes me how people want to go back to games 2 and 3 years ago.  They do not matter anymore.  Let's go forward.

[bmore_ken]

It amazes me how people want to go back to games 2 and 3 years ago.  They do not matter anymore.  Let's go forward.

Agreed brother. This is a different team. Better receivers, Better defense. 

[NewMarketSean]

Agreed brother. This is a different team. Better receivers, Better defense. 

Same head coach though. Same issues that have occurred for the last 2-3 years.

[Mike B]

Same head coach though. Same issues that have occurred for the last 2-3 years.

I am not a huge Harbaugh fan, but look around the league and look how the Ravens compete every year, and it makes me see we are in good shape coaching wise.  The Problems the last few years have been having Lamar hurt.

[Ravens2006]

Harbs does virtually nothing strategically during the game to increase the team's chances of winning. He might be awesome, beyond awesome, from Monday morning until the kickoff each week. But he falls asleep at the wheel once the game starts. I think his inaction / un-involvement in making "ship captain" decisions in game results in them hitting a few too many avoidable icebergs. Just because there are other bad coaches (Taylor in Cincy being one, Staley who we'll see Sunday another) out there too doesn't lessen that to me.

The two biggest risks to me each week are 1) Lamar staying healthy, and 2) Harbs watching the iceberg coming and doing nothing about it.

[Biggsy]

I am not a huge Harbaugh fan, but look around the league and look how the Ravens compete every year, and it makes me see we are in good shape coaching wise. The Problems the last few years have been having Lamar hurt.

And over the past 3 or 4 years, think about how many big losses the Ravens have had where you say they got outcoached. Too many. Harbaugh gets absolved of blame because he gives his coordinators the reigns to their side of the ball. The coordinators always take the blame. But the blown leads have been consistent with Harbaugh through multiple different coordinators and roster changeover. When the same thing keeps happening, you start looking at the common denomators.