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Post by soulflower on Jan 28, 2024 19:25:16 GMT -5
Great season but one of the worst performances by the Ravens’ offense at the worst time.
They needed to play flawlessly to beat KC (and the Refs) but they came up short…
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Post by pickle20 on Jan 29, 2024 6:11:04 GMT -5
They got outplayed on both sides of the ball. It's what could have been last week except they were able to adjust, then. Could not, today. Had no answers, and made too many mistakes. They say success has many fathers but failure is an orphan. Not today. A lot of men own this loss. Tough loss. I didn't have a dog in this fight other than hoping for my forum friends to get the win. But honestly pulling for the Lions all the way. Curious: why didn't the Ravens run the ball more? Everyone in Baltimore is asking that same question.
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Post by ivanbalt on Jan 29, 2024 6:27:41 GMT -5
Abandoning the run after any deficit is Harbaugh's MO. Did the same thing in 2019. Ming boggling since KC's run defense is their weakness.
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Post by pickle20 on Jan 29, 2024 6:34:38 GMT -5
Abandoning the run after any deficit is Harbaugh's MO. Did the same thing in 2019. Ming boggling since KC's run defense is their weakness. Yup.
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Post by Rael on Jan 29, 2024 7:08:09 GMT -5
Well clearly there will be no all expenses paid trips to Vegas for this guy...
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up2
Full Member
Posts: 1,866
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Post by up2 on Jan 29, 2024 7:42:44 GMT -5
Second guessing coaching after a tough loss is definitely a tradition. So here's my own take. I thought the moves to add Dalvin Cook to the running corps and the return of Andrews at TE would have made the running game with some two TE sets a lot more front and center, keeping the KC linebackers honest and slightly off balance. We could have passed when they were guessing run and vice versa, eventually allowing the running game to be effective. The first possession though looked more like the Roman offense of run, run, incomplete long pass, punt. Second possession had a few unorthodox first downs and a long pass coming off an almost-sack in the backfield thanks to Lamar's legs. It was a quick strike, not a long, drawn out clock-eating drive - the kind that wears down defenses. I think those two initial possessions are what gave me an uneasy feeling despite the tie score.
Football is a very emotional game. Using those emotions to amp up performance, but not letting them overtake is a fine art. Sure it's the players who can easily lose control, but it's the job of all those coaches on the staff to recognize it and reign it in a notch on the sidelines between possessions. The longer the game went while we were behind, the more we seemed to press even harder, as though we forgotten what got us there. That's on the coaches.
But coaching issues aside, I was a bit surprised at the O line losing the battle in the trenches to provide Lamar some quality time in the pocket. Lamar never got totally comfortable in the pocket. Now maybe this too is a coaching issue with play calling. The dropped passes certainly didn't help.
The funny thing is, had Flowers scored, and we get at least a FG on that end-zone interception, no one would be looking at the above vulnerabilities. Instead we'd be celebrating how great the victory was. That's the paradox of sports - that the margin between victory and defeat is usually razor thin, that there is a need to be humble and reflective when winning, and to maintain a deep pride when losing, because so many factors and possessions collectively make up the game, even though a single factor or two affect the score.
/coach wannabe mode
Despite all the criticism, I love this Ravens team. I hope we keep as many of these players as possible for a long time.
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Post by alienrace on Jan 29, 2024 8:00:00 GMT -5
Perfectly said Up2. I have nothing else to add, that is spot on.
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Post by alienrace on Jan 29, 2024 8:01:10 GMT -5
Oh, one thing to add.
Kelce, as if there weren't already enough reasons to not like him, showed himself to be a world class "jabroni" both before and during the game.
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Post by ivanbalt on Jan 29, 2024 8:24:34 GMT -5
As for Detroit, I know they've been aggressive on 4th all season long and that's who they are, but you really got to go for the 3 points when you're trailing by 3 points on the road in the 4th quarter of the NFC championship.
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up2
Full Member
Posts: 1,866
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Post by up2 on Jan 29, 2024 8:30:53 GMT -5
Perfectly said Up2. I have nothing else to add, that is spot on. I don't know about spot on, but thanks.
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Post by pickle20 on Jan 29, 2024 8:48:04 GMT -5
The Ravens for whatever reason, decided to try to win the game going away from their strengths, which is running the ball and controlling time of possession. They were never down more than 10 points but ran the ball 8 times. Lamar is a good/great passing QB but a lot of that stems from the unpredictability of the offense and yesterday they made themselves one dimensional.
They got down early and panicked like they did in 2019 against Tennessee. The coaching and turnovers have absolutely torpedoed two one seed berths. Nothing but another epic failure by this franchise in the postseason. I guess we can only go to the Super Bowl while playing on the road.
So. Annoying. Aruba can't come soon enough.
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Post by soulflower on Jan 29, 2024 11:01:17 GMT -5
Oh, one thing to add. Kelce, as if there weren't already enough reasons to not like him, showed himself to be a world class "jabroni" both before and during the game. Worst part is the guy's commercials are on TV all the time and we have to hear about him and Taylor every day for the next two weeks through the Super Bowl. I was rooting for the Lions to beat the 49ers. With them not making it, I have no interest in watching the Super Bowl this year.
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Post by alienrace on Jan 29, 2024 11:17:06 GMT -5
I was rooting for the Lions to beat the 49ers. With them not making it, I have no interest in watching the Super Bowl this year. Yeah, I really am thinking of doing my (small) part in protesting this annoyance and not watching either. I really don't care about Taylor Swift either way; I just don't like the circus around the situation.
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Post by cowboyz on Jan 31, 2024 12:05:09 GMT -5
Not excited about the SB but I have to root for KC.
I so badly wanted the Lions to make it!
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Post by pickle20 on Jan 31, 2024 12:09:58 GMT -5
I'm rooting for The Niners.
Believe it or not it's been 30 years since their last SB win.
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