The Refs, the Special Teams, and the Mistakes

[Davesta]

I’ve taken some time to reflect and here are a few thoughts

1. Likely is a problem. The guy is constantly on the wrong end of game changing plays. This time it’s “The Third Leg”, last week it was the “1-yard Fumble in the EZ”. The guy is a problem. He’s likely in his own head trying to show out to get that contract

He tries to flex during every play / catch. That shit keeps costing us.

 

[UPennChem]

I don't think EDC is "loyal" to the players. I'd assume that's up to coaching who's playing.

Absolutely disagree. Mark Andrews, Bateman, Cleveland. That's just a few of the most recent. EDC 100% keeps giving contracts to players that don't deserve it when he drafted them

 

[Grim]

Great extension EDC

View attachment 7549

They missed his 1 PD

 

[ravenslord]

They missed his 1 PD

Has Andrews ever had a big game in a playoff or critical in season game? I cant recall of one.

We have no one that steps up and makes big plays when absolutely necessary.

 

[redrum52]

Absolutely disagree. Mark Andrews, Bateman, Cleveland. That's just a few of the most recent. EDC 100% keeps giving contracts to players that don't deserve it when he drafted them

I think Ravens had a range to keep Mark or Likely and Mark agreed before Likely did. The Bateman deal didn't seem bad and is still cheap for a wr especially considering the production last year and Clevelands deal was cheap as hell as well for a backup who knows the system. I didn't necessarily like the Andrews extension but I understood it. We didn't have any TEs signed going into next year.

 

[rossihunter2]

To be fair, Zay Flowers balled out today. And Likely would've had two TDs if they called it right. The only misfire I can put on the receiving group as a whole is the drop by Rashod Bateman.

well and the fair few sacks and throwaways when guys just weren't getting open

 

[rossihunter2]

I genuinely don't have much to say about this one. Felt the offense finally found its footing, and then the defense decided to let the inept Steelers offense look good again. Just feels like the story of the year - can't find a way for all facets to play well at the same time.

I'm rarely a 'blame the refs' guy but it was abysmal today. Unfortunately, we didn't have the mental fortitude to overcome adversity... just as it has been all season.

just really feels like the bills game in week 1 broke this team completely

 

[rossihunter2]

EDC has made the same egregious errors multiple times. He's not the worst GM in the league, not even close. He's got a lot of talent, but it's so obvious he needs to evolve. If he blindly commits to the exact way he's gone about things you're not winning a SB.

Harbaugh just doesn't bring much to the team. He isn't a genius on either side of the ball and hia coordinator selection is just so suspect.

This year was blown from the beginning because of OL play and injuries piled up along with losses. It is what it is but 2 things are for certain.

1) Harbaugh's leadership is stale

2) EDC MUST look at the data and evolve

idk what data you're referring to

but i think you'd find that most metrics have the ravens as one of the better drafting and free agent signing teams in the NFL through EDC's tenure

the 2024 OL was absolutely fine - was an above average unit - you could realistically criticise EDC for not adding more competition at G with a cheap vet (although there weren't many john simpsons in free agency this year) or potentially with an early draft pick - but it's not his fault that Rosengarten and Faalele have massively regressed in year 2, that Linderbaum's having a down year, Ronnie's having a down year - you could argue that the lack of competition for vorhees is not good but we're talking about replacing 1 spot on an OL that was pretty good in 2024

i think obviously you can say we didn't add enough competition for the camp battle at LG and had too much faith in Faalele but i think you have to take a much deeper look at the OL coaching given the regression we've seen across the board at basically all 5 spots on the OL

but more generally... what evolution is it that you think EDC's not doing in terms of investment?

 

[rossihunter2]

The line hasn't been an issue much until this year at fault of edc. 2020&1 got a wrench thrown in them when our LT who was pacing for a maybe HOF snapped his melon ankle in half and took 3x longer than expected- literally days after we gave him 120 mil.

Should we have not signed him and traded him before dirty bitch tj watt purposely rolled up on him? We should have kept zietler. That was a huge mistake, but it's mostly in hindsight that we assumed a few 3rds and 4ths should be enough to plug one position which is a fair assumption.

I think a lot of people would be less upset if we at least tried Cleveland or admitted a mistake and traded for a mid tier guy.

and the thing about that is... that's not EDC's decision to not play the other guys

i do think the cupboard was pretty bare in terms of OL depth this year - 2024 had a good starting 5 but also high level backups that gave you confidence

2025 did not have the depth to give the team enough options in case we saw regression or injuries somewhere

 

[rossihunter2]

4. Awful decision making with play calls on defense. This cover 0 bullshit is failing and you just don’t do that to Aaron Rogers. I have no idea what Orr was calling today

for me, i get that we have low sack numbers on the season
but i actually don't think our 4 man rush has looked that bad since Mike Green stepped up and Dre'Mont Jones was acquired

it's not amazing, but those guys are winning

i'm all for crowding the LoS and sim pressuring and dropping guys out but cover 0 is just such a huge risk and it really doesn't work against seasoned veterans - that's the type of stuff you throw at rookie QBs not aaron rodgers... and it was also so unnecessary with the steelers on their 3rd string tackle too

 

[rmcjacket23]

Absolutely disagree. Mark Andrews, Bateman, Cleveland. That's just a few of the most recent. EDC 100% keeps giving contracts to players that don't deserve it when he drafted them

lol so a) Bateman's contract is almost unfathomably team friendly. There's guys with not much more production than he has that are making 1.5-2x what he makes, and b) Cleveland makes the vet minimum. Complaining about literally any player, league-wide, making the vet minimum, with no gtd $, makes fans look grossly incompetent.

 

[UPennChem]

lol so a) Bateman's contract is almost unfathomably team friendly. There's guys with not much more production than he has that are making 1.5-2x what he makes, and b) Cleveland makes the vet minimum. Complaining about literally any player, league-wide, making the vet minimum, with no gtd $, makes fans look grossly incompetent.

You are so deeply cynical and uncharitable that you miss even the most basic of points. I never even remotely talked about the size of the deals. I simply stated that man has a very large propensity to be loyal to players he drafted and gave a few very recent examples.

 

[Simba]

I totally understand harping on the refs, but also every time I see a replay of the Likely catch... just tuck that ball in man. Be a dog.

 

[rmcjacket23]

Nothing new said but Hop was sitting open in the back and the ball was going to hit him right between the numbers so I think it’s pretty certain

So I've seen the same video, and I'm not sure how you drew the conclusion it was going to hit Hopkins in the numbers. Hopkins is literally bending over when the ball gets to Andrews, so it's going to be, at best, knee high when it gets to Hopkins. I'm not saying it wasn't intended for him or that he wouldn't catch it. But if it's a throw to Hopkins, it's a low throw. Perhaps intentionally, or perhaps just a miss.

In either event, I'm certainly not knocking Andrews for this, since he wouldn't know Hopkins is behind him and, in real-time, that looks like a throw to Mark every single time.

 

[rmcjacket23]

You are so deeply cynical and uncharitable that you miss even the most basic of points. I never even remotely talked about the size of the deals. I simply stated that man has a very large propensity to be loyal to players he drafted and gave a few very recent examples.

OK, but you named one where he literally should be loyal to them (Bateman) and one where his "loyalty" to a guy is a one year, vet minimum deal as a depth player.

If those are the best examples you have of player loyalty being a "negative", then your "basic point" fucking sucks.

 

[JO_75]

Let it go bro. This team's issues are deeper than 2012's. At least our offense had better playmakers that year, but yeah...

As I said, I know we have way too many issues to do anything. I just think it's ironic the same issues that got Cam Cameron fired with his playcalling and the lack of carries for Rice is exactly the problem with Monken. Henry disappears full quarters, like that's unacceptable.

 

[rmcjacket23]

I totally understand harping on the refs, but also every time I see a replay of the Likely catch... just tuck that ball in man. Be a dog.

Same. I get the bitching about the refs. Ravens lost that game because, once again, their playmakers don't make plays. I have no fucking clue what's going through Likely's head once he catches that.

I have no fucking clue what's going on in Lamar's head for the last two minutes of the game. Literally looked like a two minute drill was something he just learned about yesterday and wasn't sure why the clock was still running.

Didn't like a lot of things I saw from Lamar yesterday. Anticipating pressure that isn't there in several spots, refused to climb the pocket where there's ample space to do so, and until the second half, refusing to keep the ball on a read option. And the interception he threw was about as pee-wee level a bad decision as it gets.

When you played like the Ravens did, you're supposed to lose.

 

[rmcjacket23]

As I said, I know we have way too many issues to do anything. I just think it's ironic the same issues that got Cam Cameron fired with his playcalling and the lack of carries for Rice is exactly the problem with Monken. Henry disappears full quarters, like that's unacceptable.

I wouldn't have ran the ball with Henry either. In the first half he wasn't that good. If you're going to run read-options all game and the QB isn't going to keep it, he ain't going to do shit. Some of the reasons we did better in the second is we did less of that and run in more spread formations, which fans have been clamoring forever for. And it helps when your opponent is playing with a 8+ point lead for most of the second half and doesn't really care that much if you can run the ball. They'll just clamp down in the red zone. Which is precisely what happened.

 

[UPennChem]

OK, but you named one where he literally should be loyal to them (Bateman) and one where his "loyalty" to a guy is a one year, vet minimum deal as a depth player.

If those are the best examples you have of player loyalty being a "negative", then your "basic point" fucking sucks.

Oh my gosh, my whole worldview has opened! I can see clearly now. Thank you great rmcjacket23. I was a fool but through your kind acknowledgements and persistence to truth on this board, I've seen the light.

 

[rossihunter2]

Oh my gosh, my whole worldview has opened! I can see clearly now. Thank you great rmcjacket23. I was a fool but through your kind acknowledgements and persistence to truth on this board, I've seen the light.

i mean he's not wrong though

GMs give out loads of vet minimum deals each year, and often it's depth vets from your own team that are signing those deals