Ravens the best team in the league now?

[Crow-Magnon]

It’s still too early to say that IMO, but ever since the Ravens traded for Marcus Peters the defense has been playing at a high level. Coupled with the offense that is putting up major points, Baltimore is definitely in the conversation.

[Mojouw]

It’s still too early to say that IMO, but ever since the Ravens traded for Marcus Peters the defense has been playing at a high level. Coupled with the offense that is putting up major points, Baltimore is definitely in the conversation.

Amazing to see how once the secondary came together (Smith back from injury and the addition of Peters), the defense was able to blitz more and generate a more consistent pass rush. Now they are just steamrolling people. Too bad the other safety got hurt, or they might be doing even better.

Interesting contrast. I think the Steelers pass rush makes their coverages better. And I think the Ravens coverages make their pass rush better.

Enjoy the ride!

[tom444]

Honestly it seems that way. They took out Seattle on their home turf, and then not only beat the Patriots, but beat them pretty decisively.

Certainly the best team in the AFC right now, although the Patriots just went a long way to getting better by returning LT Isaiah Wynn to the roster. I'm hoping Wynn isn't snakebitten because he's one of the most athletic big men I've ever seen, but he has been injured long-term twice now while with the Patriots.

[Crow-Magnon]

Amazing to see how once the secondary came together (Smith back from injury and the addition of Peters), the defense was able to blitz more and generate a more consistent pass rush. Now they are just steamrolling people. Too bad the other safety got hurt, or they might be doing even better.

Interesting contrast. I think the Steelers pass rush makes their coverages better. And I think the Ravens coverages make their pass rush better.

Enjoy the ride!

I’ll be honest and say that my daughter and I were discussing this during the Texans game and I said I think Jefferson being lost for the season probably had much to do with the turn-around in the secondary play as much as signing Peters and getting back Smith. I think he was the root cause of much of the miscommunication problems they had early in the season that resulted in way overblown coverages. Ever since safety Chuck Clark took over from Jefferson (and wearing the green dot to boot), the secondary has gelled.

[FrancoLambert]

AFC...A definite yes.
League...in the mix.

After they beat the Pats, my feeling was that if there’s a rematch in Foxboro, BB will come up with a way to beat them.
Now I’m not as sure.

[AtlantaDan]

Danger sign for Ravens fans - media bandwagon starting to fill up with writers who cannot just say Jackson is having a great season but need to pontificate on What It All Means.

Why Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh needed each other, and football needed them together

Those who know Harbaugh know that he is acutely aware of what it means for Baltimore, with a population that is 63% African American, to have a black star at quarterback, and that he recognizes what it meant to Jackson -- and the larger cause of equal opportunity for black quarterbacks -- in January when he didn't bench the overwhelmed rookie in favor of Joe Flacco late in Baltimore's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Harbaugh said there will be a better time to talk at length about the deeper significance of his decision to trust Jackson to run his team. But he budged when told that years from now, his choice to stick with Jackson over a Super Bowl MVP might be viewed as a seminal moment in the black athlete's journey beyond vile stereotypes and toward full acceptance at the sport's premier leadership position.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...eeded-together

Anointing someone as the next big thing, with a helping of social justice implications that this is what football needs, when the season has not yet reached Thanksgiving and the next playoff game won by the QB will be his first might not end well

[Mojouw]

Danger sign for Ravens fans - media bandwagon starting to fill up with writers who cannot just say Jackson is having a great season but need to pontificate on What It All Means.

Why Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh needed each other, and football needed them together

Those who know Harbaugh know that he is acutely aware of what it means for Baltimore, with a population that is 63% African American, to have a black star at quarterback, and that he recognizes what it meant to Jackson -- and the larger cause of equal opportunity for black quarterbacks -- in January when he didn't bench the overwhelmed rookie in favor of Joe Flacco late in Baltimore's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Harbaugh said there will be a better time to talk at length about the deeper significance of his decision to trust Jackson to run his team. But he budged when told that years from now, his choice to stick with Jackson over a Super Bowl MVP might be viewed as a seminal moment in the black athlete's journey beyond vile stereotypes and toward full acceptance at the sport's premier leadership position.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...eeded-together

Anointing someone as the next big thing, with a helping of social justice implications that this is what football needs, when the season has not yet reached Thanksgiving and the next playoff game won by the QB will be his first might not end well

I didn't even bother to click though to the article. Because I can tell from the bits you highlighted that it is lazy. I am assuming they forgot to mention that the white QB is totally washed up. So switching to him was not really a realistic option. I also assume that they didn't do the more interesting take on a "black QB" in that unlike a generation or two ago, NFL teams are willing to change their offenses to accommodate the skill-set of different styles of QB. This acceptance of the reality of different physical abilities not necessarily signifying different leadership or mental abilities is actually a far stronger signal of a counter to past racist attitudes than choosing Jackson over Flacco. My dog could choose Jackson over Flacco. I also assume that there is no mention that without Jackson, Harbaugh likely gets fired. I also assume there is no mention that Jackson is largely on the Ravens because of Ozzie Newsome's desire to leave the franchise a legacy of identifying and drafting their next franchise QB.

I can't believe we all have to work real jobs and recycled lazy crap like this gets you a job writing for a national media presence.

[tom444]

AFC...A definite yes.
League...in the mix.

After they beat the Pats, my feeling was that if there’s a rematch in Foxboro, BB will come up with a way to beat them.
Now I’m not as sure.

This.

[Fire Goodell]

I'm not one to count out Belichick ever, but I'm not sure he could coach his way out of this one if Baltimore keeps playing the way they are. Brady doesn't have the offensive weapons to beat the Ravens D, and the Ravens rushing attack is something else with Jackson. Not to mention you can't stack the box against them since they have a couple really fast receivers who will make you pay.

However, Jackson has had a few games where he looked pretty bad and turned the ball over multiple times. If anybody can capitalize on that it's Brady and the Pats, they've done it before numerous times.

[Shoes]

There isn’t much that gets by BB. I mean the guy was schooling his troops on the errors the Steeler and Brown players made at the end of that shit show of a game.

[teegre]

QUESTION: Has a team ever beaten Belichick two matchups in a row?

Really. I cannot think of a time.

That said, preparing for Lamar is kind of like preparing for Troy: you can gameplan around him all that you want, but at some point, his uncanny skills will come to the forefront.

[AtlantaDan]

QUESTION: Has a team ever beaten Belichick two matchups in a row?

Really. I cannot think of a time.

That said, preparing for Lamar is kind of like preparing for Troy: you can gameplan around him all that you want, but at some point, his uncanny skills will come to the forefront.

Jake Plummer (!) and the Broncos in their 2005 season - beat the Pats then Steelers pretty much blew them out in Denver in the AFC championship game the next week
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...s/den/2005.htm

Peyton and the Colts in their 2006 Super Bowl season
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...s/clt/2006.htm

Peyton and the Broncos in their 2015 Super Bowl season
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...s/den/2015.htm

All three times included Pats playoff losses on the road where they are mortal - a big part of the Pats success has been having a cakewalk through the AFC East each season to rack up wins to get home field for the playoffs (of course that has not been necessary for playoff road trips to Heinz )

But FWIW Harbaugh is one coach who has matched up well with Belichick anywhere - road playoff wins at Foxboro in the 2009 and 2012 seasons along with what probably should have been a playoff win at Foxboro in the 2014 season

[teegre]

Jake Plummer (!) and the Broncos in their 2005 season - beat the Pats then Steelers pretty much blew them out in Denver in the AFC championship game the next week
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...s/den/2005.htm

Peyton and the Colts in their 2006 Super Bowl season
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...s/clt/2006.htm

Peyton and the Broncos in their 2015 Super Bowl season
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...s/den/2015.htm

All three times included Pats playoff losses on the road where they are mortal - a big part of the Pats success has been having a cakewalk through the AFC East each season to rack up wins to get home field for the playoffs (of course that has not been necessary for playoff road trips to Heinz )

But FWIW Harbaugh is one coach who has matched up well with Belichick anywhere - road playoff wins at Foxboro in the 2009 and 2012 seasons along with what probably should have been a playoff win at Foxboro in the 2014 season

Interesting (Thank you for looking this up.) When he faces a good team in the playoffs in the same season, especially on the road, a “second loss” can indeed occur. So... the Taperiots better hope that the Ravens don’t get home field advantage.

That said, only three times in 20 years is still very impressive.

Indeed. The Ravens have always played the Taperiots tough. In the 18-1 season, the Ravens won that game (on MNF).

[Crow-Magnon]

These are strange waters for me. Over the years I have become numb to numerous NFL sages proclaiming how “vaunted” the Ravens defense is, whether they are truly dominant or merely pedestrian. But I am shocked, overwhelmed and a bit bothered by the superlatives being throw the way of Baltimore’s offense. That is something I am not used to at all. It’s a lot to digest.

Having watched every game this year, it’s certainly true that I have never witnessed the Ravens dominate on offense as they are this year. Jackson (currently) is playing lights out with his legs and his arm. That is truth that cannot be denied. Currently. Whether that continues or not depends on many factors. Injury? Is there a weak link that some DC will discover and exploit? Will Jackson simply begin to swallow the hype and have it affect his play? I doubt that, but you never know.

All I do know are that these are unknown waters. And a tough stretch of games are ahead. If Baltimore can head to La La Land and walk away from LA with a W, and defeat the Niners at home, that will tell me something.

[AtlantaDan]

These are strange waters for me. Over the years I have become numb to numerous NFL sages proclaiming how “vaunted” the Ravens defense is, whether they are truly dominant or merely pedestrian. But I am shocked, overwhelmed and a bit bothered by the superlatives being throw the way of Baltimore’s offense. That is something I am not used to at all. It’s a lot to digest.

Having watched every game this year, it’s certainly true that I have never witnessed the Ravens dominate on offense as they are this year. Jackson (currently) is playing lights out with his legs and his arm. That is truth that cannot be denied. Currently. Whether that continues or not depends on many factors. Injury? Is there a weak link that some DC will discover and exploit? Will Jackson simply begin to swallow the hype and have it affect his play? I doubt that, but you never know.

All I do know are that these are unknown waters. And a tough stretch of games are ahead. If Baltimore can head to La La Land and walk away from LA with a W, and defeat the Niners at home, that will tell me something.

Enjoy the ride (while holding your breath every time Lamar Jackson starts running into harm's way) as the Ravens are going to be America's Team in January when virtually everyone outside New England will want to see anyone other than the Patriots be the AFC rep in the Super Bowl

[tom444]

Tom Brady questionable for Cowboys game with elbow injury

https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11...-elbow-injury/

[NCSteeler]

Tom Brady questionable for Cowboys game with elbow injury

https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11...-elbow-injury/

Typical Patriots BS. Believe it when I see it

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[tom444]

^^^ point taken

[Crow-Magnon]

Typical Patriots BS. Believe it when I see it

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Agreed. Nothing but deflection.

[Shoes]

Not sure why the Pats put Brady on any list. No one pays attention to it because he always plays

[DesertSteel]

Tom Brady questionable for Cowboys game with elbow injury

https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11...-elbow-injury/

Maybe his arm will fall off!!

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

Interesting (Thank you for looking this up.) When he faces a good team in the playoffs in the same season, especially on the road, a “second loss” can indeed occur. So... the Taperiots better hope that the Ravens don’t get home field advantage.

That said, only three times in 20 years is still very impressive.

Indeed. The Ravens have always played the Taperiots tough. In the 18-1 season, the Ravens won that game (on MNF).

I remember that game and league wanted the Pats to go undefeated and screw the Ravens bad. Back when Brian Billick was coach.

[teegre]

I remember that game and league wanted the Pats to go undefeated and screw the Ravens bad. Back when Brian Billick was coach.

Bingo!!! I am not one to say that the league is rigged, but the Taperiots vying for the “Undefeated Season” was the top story of that season. There was no way they were going to let the Ravens win that game.

[tom444]

I'll be damned, Brady played.

[tom444]

I don't see anything controversial?

[Shoes]

I'll be damned, Brady played.

See, Bill only fools Pat fans with Brady being on the list.

[tom444]

See, Bill only fools Pat fans with Brady being on the list.

I must admit, usually I ignore it, but they had me going for a bit this time. I mean he is 42.

[Shoes]

I must admit, usually I ignore it, but they had me going for a bit this time. I mean he is 42.

[Crow-Magnon]

They are damned lucky they have the defense they do this year, as the Pat’s offense is really starting to look suspect.

[SteelMember]

They are damned lucky they have the defense they do this year, as the Pat’s offense is really starting to look suspect.

A timely phantom tripping penalty helps too...