If you haven't spent the summer living under a rock or in a foreign country, you probably know quite well that the Ravens receiving corps is far from set in stone. With the departure of Anquan Boldin to the 49ers and Dennis Pitta's season-ending injury, the Ravens have a serious void to be filled of sure-handed, tough possession receivers upon whom Joe Flacco can consistently rely. Before the preseason if you asked me who would be the 3rd wide receiver behind Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, I would have said Deonte Thompson. Some people expected Tandon Doss to step up in light of reports that he had some of the best hands on the team. I originally felt optimistic about Tandon Doss as well since I read that Flacco had handpicked Doss because he felt the young receiver was "easy to throw the ball to", but that was in 2011 and Doss has not since taken advantage of opportunities to step up and become a starting caliber receiver. Now we've observed the Ravens through three preseason games, and it has become abundantly clear that Tandon Doss simply isn't in synch with his quarterback. Deonte Thompson is also injured and could potentially be put on injured reserve in order to free up a roster spot. Luckily, two receivers have emerged in the preseason that could make Ravens fans almost totally forget about Doss and Thompson.
In April's post-draft analysis I wrote that Elon's Aaron Mellette could find himself beating out the likes of Tandon Doss and Tommy Streeter on the depth chart. The Ravens just recently cut Streeter and Doss my also find himself turning in his playbook in less than a week as well. Thus, it looks like my prediction might just come true. Mellette's college highlights weren't against incredible competition as he played against small schools, but that didn't change my opinion of the young athlete. Watching Mellette's tape I was struck by how he was able to go up and get the ball in tight coverage and find a way to make acrobatic catches on less than perfectly placed passes. It almost didn't matter who was covering him because he was going to find away to haul in the pass regardless. In that way, Mellette reminded me of Anquan Boldin. Clearly, Mellette is not Boldin, but he had two incredible touchdown catches in extremely tight coverage in this preseason, and I expect to see quite a bit more that kind of action on Thursday night. A former player of mine at Long Reach High School, Justin Biegel, happened to interview Mellette and Joe Flacco recently for Elon University's student news program. The report featured footage of one of Mellette's touchdown catches, take a look: ELN: Aaron Mellette Update Also, if you haven't seen Mellette's college highlights, they're really quite impressive, take a look: Ultimate Aaron Mellette Highlights | HD
It would appear as though Aaron Mellette will make the Ravens final 53 man roster, but almost totally out of the blue another receiver emerged last week in a big way. A young man who spent most of the summer rehabbing injuries and getting back in shape was an undrafted free agent named Marlon Brown. Marlon Brown is 6'5", he's fast, and he has impressive hands. Most importantly, Brown has seemingly developed chemistry with Joe Flacco overnight. Last week Brown caught 4 passes including one impressive 24 yard touchdown catch for a team high of 59 receiving yards against the Carolina Panthers. Brown's emergence is likely what gave the Ravens confidence to cut Tommy Streeter. Streeter had the size and the speed that NFL teams covet, but he never developed the hands or route running ability to match. Brown, however, possesses route running ability, hand skills, AND the natural combination of size and speed that will hopefully prove an absolute nightmare for defensive backs the league over. If you missed last week's preseason game, take a look at Brown's touchdown reception from Joe Flacco: Marlon Brown 24 yard touchdown reception
It may still take both Mellette and Brown time to adjust to real NFL game speed. During that early period of adjustment, the Ravens appear to be able to count on Brandon Stokely to fill the dependable receiver role so recently vacated by Anquan Boldin. I have little doubt, however, that Brown and Mellette will get plenty of opportunities to make plays and establish a rapport with Joe. Brown may have a bit of an edge as his catches and touchdown reception came against a first team defense. Mellette's touchdown catches were certainly impressive, but he made them off of the arm of Tyrod Taylor and against backup defensive backs. I certainly expect both receivers to make big impact plays on Thursday night and solidify their spots on the final roster. Make sure you tune in as the Ravens take on the Rams in the final preseason game of 2013!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
A PATRIOT'S PRESEASON PERSPECTIVE by Jason Farias
The following post is written by a good friend of mine who also happens to be a highly successful football coach in Massachusetts. Jason Farias will be providing periodic reports from the perspective of a serious Patriots fan to give readers a detailed look into the state of one of the Ravens biggest AFC rivals, the New England Patriots. Enjoy!
Heading into the 2013 NFL season, there are more question marks surrounding this year’s New England Patriots squad than there are answers. After coming off a season which ended prematurely with an unsuccessful AFC Championship game loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, the Patriots endured one of the most chaotic off-seasons in league history.
Offensively, Tom Brady’s top receiving threats are gone as Wes Welker is now a member of the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos, Aaron Hernandez killed a man with a trident (likely a gun-shaped trident), and Rob Gronkowski is slowly making his return from various back and forearm surgeries. On the defensive side of the ball, there are lingering issues as well. Alfonzo Dennard can’t seem to keep out of trouble, and a suspension could be looming depending on how his legal situation turns out. Aqib Talib was signed to a one-year contract, and while he’s considered the squad’s top cornerback, questions remain about his character and ability to remain healthy. Ditto for you, Ras-IR Dowling.
Regardless of the various roster losses, there is always optimism for every fan base as the season begins (except you, Cleveland, God hates you). The big acquisition of the off-season was Danny Amendola from St. Louis, who looks to shine in the slot role previously occupied by the departed Wes Welker. The Patriots were also able to shore up their offensive line by signing right tackle Sebastian Vollmer to a multi-year deal. They added a bevy of tight ends to replace the incarcerated Hernandez and the injured Gronkowski. LeGarrette Blount is a big running back who could steal some carries away from Stevan Ridley late in games, especially if Ridley gets back into Bill Belichick’s doghouse by continuing to fumble at an alarming rate. Defensively, former Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson was brought into Foxboro to play safety opposite Devin McCourty. Three-technique extraordinaire defensive tackle Tommie Kelly could give New England some flexibility within their hybrid 4-3/3-4 two-gap/one-gap defensive scheme.
In the 2013 NFL Draft, New England added some potential key players. Everyone I know who knows about football is intrigued by the athleticism of Southern Mississippi DE/OLB Jamie Collins. Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce are two smart rookie wide receivers expected to contribute early so long as they can grasp the playbook. The Patriots have also drafted about 8,184,286 players from Rutgers over the past few seasons, so there’s gotta be something in the water in New Jersey (other than filth, of course).
The biggest reasons for optimism for Patriots fans are found in the foundation of structure and talent in New England, from an organizational and coaching standpoint, to the key players on both sides of the ball. This will mark another year of growth for the defense, specifically the linebacking core of Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, and Dont’a Hightower. Having TB12 at quarterback will help calm any unease regarding a questionable receiving corps, and of course there’s the schematic and in-game genius of my personal hero, Bill Belichick. This is why heading into the first pre-season game of the 2013 slate, I was excited to see where New England was at from a philosophy standpoint as well as in terms of the performance of the players.
There was a lot of talk heading into Friday night’s showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles about the type of offense New England would run. Last year, they used a lot of 12 personnel sets (1 rb, 2 te, 2 wr), especially when Gronk and Hernandez were both healthy. One would think that they’d shift to a more traditional 11 personnel grouping (1 rb, 1 te, 3 wr) given the issues at tight end. Nope, this was not the case at all. Out of New England’s first 16 plays of the game, in which Brady was the quarterback, New England used 12 personnel nine times, 13 personnel (1 rb, 3 te, 1 wr) twice, and even 14 personnel (1 rb, 4 te, 0 wr) once. This meant that, on only four plays, or 25% of the time, New England used three or more receivers. New England made great use of winged sets, where they’d line an H-back tight end off the line of scrimmage outside of the in-line tight end. The theory behind using this set is it creates a cheap edge to a defense, and it also creates additional gaps to the outside. Furthermore, the use of 12 personnel groupings puts the defense in a quandary from a schematic standpoint. With that many big bodies in the game, opponents would be reluctant to go to any sub- or nickel packages. What this does is create matchup problems as smaller cornerbacks and safeties are forced to match up against New England’s physical tight ends.
Ironically, Philadelphia started the game in a nickel package, with four defensive linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs. To counter this, on New England’s first drive of the game, in which they used only offensive sets which had two or more tight ends in the game, the Patriots ran the ball six times out of six plays. Eff you, Chip Kelly. Next drive, New England began throwing the ball out of these same package groupings, and Tom Brady went 7 of 8 passing including a touchdown strike to Shane Vereen on a fade.
Let’s talk about that touchdown pass to Vereen for a moment. The Patriots lined up in an Empty formation (they call it Eagle), with Vereen lined up wide to the left and Aaron Dobson at the X receiver position lined up flexed on the line inside of him. To the right of Brady, Amendola played slot, lining up as the #3 wide receiver to that side, with a tight end outside of him and a Z receiver split out wide. This formation is awesome. Here’s why: lining Vereen out wide creates problems for a defense. They have two responses. They can either cover him with a linebacker (who is slower than the speedy running back is) or use a cornerback to guard him. If they decide to use a cornerback, this means the X receiver is going to be matched up against a safety or linebacker, which is a decided mismatch. On the three wide receiver side, lining up the Y receiver (tight end) as the #2 receiver creates a similar unfavorable proposition for the defense as they will then have to decide between using a safety or a linebacker on the tight end, which creates a favorable matchup for Amendola to run all kinds of short routes in space against linebackers. You better believe I’m stealing this for the high school I coach at!
After that touchdown pass, Brady gave way to Ryan Mallett at quarterback, and we were able to see what the second group on offense did. Mallett started the game off poorly, as he missed a wide open receiver on a slant route, which is honestly the easiest throw for a quarterback to make, at any level. My high school quarterbacks can throw a better slant ball than Mallett did, and his lack of adequate footwork on that play suggests some still-raw mechanics. After that first drive in which New England went three and out, he settled down a little, leading New England to a field goal. Unfortunately, he also missed a wide open wide receiver on a seam route which would have been a touchdown had the ball been on target. It is hard to win football games in the NFL when your quarterback misses these types of throws.
LeGarrette Blount had a nice first game for the New England Patriots, although he is getting credit on SportsCenter for a touchdown run for which he will undoubtedly be yelled at by his position coach in meetings this week, as will the linemen for blocking like shit. The Patriots ran an outside zone stretch play to the left, and his first read on that play is to key the second defensive lineman past the center (not including a shaded nose). After the left tackle got his ass kicked, Blount should have cut inside and taken the two or three yards. Instead, he changed direction and basically made a touchdown out of a schoolyard play. Famed offensive line coach and outside zone guru Alex Gibbs has said that when running the football, the two goals are 1) no negative plays and 2) create a big play (run of 20+ yards). Although he scored a touchdown on that play (thanks in part to excellent hustle after a missed initial assignment by rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld, a 6’7” giant out of Nevada), Blount got praise from teammates. Nine times out of ten, however, changing direction like he did would result in a loss on the play. Teams can manage a second-and-seven. Second-and-14 forces an offense to get away from its gameplan and therefore allows a defense to dictate terms of engagement.
I was impressed by the rookie wide receivers, although I figured at first that this part of the analysis would revolve around the aforementioned Dobson and Boyce. Oh contraire mon frère! Kenbrell Thompson, a rookie wide receiver out of Cincinnati, had a great game and looked to have pretty good chemistry catching short and intermediate passes from TB12 and Mallett. If he makes this squad, he could be a decent role player.
On the defensive side of the ball, much attention was paid to how New England would defend Chip Kell’'s vaunted no-huddle spread offensive attack. The Patriots started the game in their base 4-3 defense, with Spikes at the Mike linebacker position, Mayo in his usual spot at the Will, and Hightower as the Sam ‘backer. Wilfork spent most of his time abusing the center and guards, so I found it interesting to see Philadelphia option him on an outside zone rather than block him. Oh, Chip Kelly, you and your zone-read offense!
Chandler Jones, although unable to get to the quarterback for a sack, showed nice initial burst, as he was able to get past the offensive tackles and create a little bit of pressure on Vick, Foles et al. I expect a BIG second season from the brother of UFC star Jon “Bones” Jones. Chandler has freakish length to his arms, and he’s stout against the run. Hopefully, he won’t be injury-plagued as he was last season, which will allow him to excel and be the Patriots’ top pass rusher.
While I was encouraged by the physicality of New England’s front seven, I was not as impressed with the defensive secondary. Aqib Talib was burned on a fade route by Desean Jackson for a touchdown, and what frustrated me the most was his horrific technique on the play. Jackson released outside, and Talib did a good initial job of getting his outside hand on Jackson’s inside hip to try and squeeze the receiver to the sideline. Unfortunately, he lost contact with Jackson’s inside hip, and the enigmatic Eagles receiver was able to stem his route inside to have leverage on Talib. Then, it became a foot race to the end zone, which Jackson won. Steve Gregory always seems to be a step late, and I find his start at safety over Devin McCourty to be perplexing.
I was encouraged by the play of Jamie Collins, the rookie defensive end/outside linebacker out of Souther Miss. He lined up primarily at the Will (weakside inside linebacker) position, and he was also used as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end at times. His versatility could give him more burn as the season progresses. Although he missed the Eagles’ quarterback while on a B-gap blitz (stay under control and break down, dammit!) he showed great initial burst and quickness off the ball. I also thought he did a decent job of turning his hips and running into his zone when asked to drop into pass coverage. As Rick Pitino says, “I’ll always take talent over experience.” Hopefully, Linebackers Coach Pepper Johnson will be able to coach up Collins on the finer points of playing linebacker in the NFL.
Heading into the second pre-season game, I still have some questions which have yet to be answered. Will Armond Armstead, the 6’5” 305lb defensive end formerly of the Canadian Football League, get an opportunity to make this squad, and if so, does he figure to be more of a 5-technique defensive end when New England uses more of a 3-4 defensive scheme or will he line up inside at defensive tackle when the Pats want to get a pass rush? Which tight ends will end up making the squad? Michael Jenkins, will you please show yourself to be a legitimate receiver, or are you simply unrealized potential? Defensively, how will the battle for the cornerback opposite Talib play out, and who will get the nod at the nickel?
Fortunately, there are four (three, really) more preseason games to figure out the answers to all of these questions. I look forward to watching this team grow as I’m encouraged we have the system and players and coaches to return to get TB12 his fourth Super Bowl title. Until next time, I’m Jason Farias.
WEEK 1 PRESEASON REPORT FOR 2013
I originally planned to write this post specifically about the Ravens first preseason game and their open practice on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. I will certainly address both of those events, but the Ravens made three significant signings over the course of the last week that warrant our attention.
The first of such signings was Brandon Stokley. Stokley, if you recall, was a member of the Ravens' first Super Bowl winning team in 2001. He caught a beautiful touchdown pass from Trent Dilfer to score the first points of the game that the Ravens ultimately won 34-7 over the Giants. The commentators during that broadcast that Stokley was likely the fastest man on the field that night. That fact may or may not have been true, but the receiver certainly had fantastic speed in his youth. Stokley is no longer any sort of deep threat, but even at 37 he still possesses decent speed burst for a man only one year younger than Ray Lewis. Speed, however, is not Stokley's biggest selling point. The veteran receiver's hands are what make him valuable to this team, and they are the same things that made him valuable to the Broncos. Take a look at his highlights as a Bronco:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPLTjcSnrr8
Stokley is not Anquan Boldin, and he will almost certainly not have the same level of production that Anquan did for three season as a Raven. He certainly will not have the type of production that we saw from Anquan Boldin during the playoffs last season. With that said, the Ravens have clearly come to the realization that they won't be able to replace Boldin's production with one player. The Ravens are hoping that Stokley will combine with one or two of the younger receivers such as Tandon Doss or Deonte Thompson to match or exceed the production of Anquan Boldin, and that expectation is entirely realistic.
Brandon Stokley's production is not simply about yards and touchdowns. The veteran wide receiver moves the chains at an extremely high frequency. Thirty of Stokley's forty-five catches last season were for first downs. Let that soak in for a moment...two thirds of this receiver's receptions were for first downs last season. The Ravens like to have a sure-handed veteran receiver who runs crisp routes as a security blanket for Joe Flacco. Flacco first had Derrick Mason, but then Mason was replaced with Anquan Boldin. Now Boldin will be at least partially replaced with Stokley, but don't count on Stokley being here for many years as his career may only last one or two more seasons. The Ravens will have no trouble stretching opposing defenses with Jacoby Jones and Torrey Smith on the outside, and Ray Rice may see a high number of passes this year as he has proven to be one of the best receiving running backs in the league. Stokley will just be one more reliable piece to this offenses puzzle, and hopefully he will develop good chemistry with Flacco during the preseason.
Unfortunately for the Ravens, Anquan Boldin was not the only sure-handed receiver that will not suit up in purple this season. Dennis Pitta dislocated his hip in practice and required surgery because of the muscular damage. John Harbaugh actually stated in the last 48 hours that there's actually a small chance Pitta could return much later in the season or in the playoffs, but the Ravens certainly aren't counting on it. Ed Dickson was supposed to assume a larger role in the passing attack because of Pitta's absence, but Dickson soon thereafter suffered his own injury with a minor hamstring tear. Fortunately for the Ravens, a former Pro Bowl tight end was still on the market. One of Peyton Manning's old favorite targets, Dallas Clark, made his way on to the Ravens roster only a couple of days ago. Clark, like Stokley, possesses fantastic hands. Clark had his best season in 2009 with 100 catches, but his production has waned as he has advanced in age.
Dallas Clark had only 435 receiving yards and 47 catches last season. Those numbers are no match for Dennis Pitta's 669 receiving yards and 61 catches, but Clark doesn't have to match Pitta's numbers because the Ravens acquired one more veteran tight end. Visanthe Shiancoe remains somewhat of a question mark for this Ravens squad. Even at his peak of production, Shiancoe never quite made it to 600 receiving yards in 2008 and 2009. Shiancoe was, however, a great red zone threat during that two year span with a combined 18 touchdowns. He too is no longer in the prime of his career, but he could certainly combine with Dallas Clark to replace or even significantly exceed the receiving production of Dennis Pitta. Neither of these tight ends have yet developed the type of bond and chemistry that Flacco had with Dennis Pitta, but that may change faster than many people anticipate.
One major positive aspect of acquiring veteran free agents is that their maturity and experience often makes them fast learners and great mentors to young players. The Ravens have 3 more preseason games before the regular season, and that means Brandon Stokley, Dallas Clark, and Visanthe Shiancoe will have the better part of a month to adjust to Jim Caldwell's offensive system.
FIRST PRESEASON GAME
Winning a preseason game may feel good to many fans, but the ending score means absolutely nothing to the regular season. With that said, there were many positive and unfortunately some negative points to take away from the Ravens first preseason game of 2013 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The first positive thing I saw was Chris Canty. He bullied his way through the Bucs' offensive line for a vicious sack on Josh Freeman. The Ravens got an absolute steal with the former Giant...let's hope he stays healthy. The second positive thing I saw was Torrey Smith catching a short pass and then rocketing forward with his tremendous speed and quickness only to use a nice stiff arm to send former teammate and starting Bucs' cornerback Danny Gorrer to turf en route to a first down. The Ravens didn't have their real starting offensive line in this particular preseason game, and the rain was coming down violently in Tampa. As a result, I didn't expect a the receiving corps to put on a clinic, but I certainly hoped for a little more than what I saw. Through two offensive drives, the Ravens starting offense failed to score or even attempt a field goal. Visanthe Shiancoe had a couple of decent catches, but also a couple of drops. Again, it was a wet night, but football is to be played in all conditions and I'm going to expect the veteran to correct any hands issues within the next month.
The defense wasn't exactly playing lights out, but it was back to its old "bend but not break" ways. The starting Ravens defense kept the Buccaneers out of the endzone in two trips to the redzone. I will try not to be too tough on the starting defense until Lardarius Webb is actually out on the field. By that point, if they're not the most dominant defense in the AFC North, then we have a serious problem. A healthy Suggs, a healthy Webb, a revamped defensive line, Elvis Dumervil, Michael Huff, Daryl Smith, and the devastating hitting power of Matt Elam should mean a return to a fearsome defense the likes of which we haven't seen since 2006. The Ravens defense in 2011 was also quite dominant, but this looks like it could be a notch better on paper. Daryl Smith, though not nearly equal to Ray Lewis at 32 or younger, is quite impressive. He should serve as a great mentor for an explosive and talented Arthur Brown. We'll miss the respect opposing offenses gave to Ed Reed, but Michael Huff, James Ihedigbo, and Matt Elam are all simply better tacklers at this point. All three are also better in pass coverage than Bernard Pollard--by leaps and bounds.
The highlight of the night wasn't the starting offense or the starting defense; the highlight was young receivers and special teams players fighting for roster spots. Laquan Williams absolutely stole the show with a blocked punt recovery in the endzone for a touchdown, a touchdown catch from Tyrod Taylor, and a fumble recovery from the Bucs' kick returner that set up a touchdown by Bernard Pierce. If the former Terrapin wasn't already in the discussion of who would be the #3 or #4 wide receiver, he absolutely should be now.
Another former Terrapin who had an impressive play was Matt Furstenberg. The young tight end caught a nice 24 yard pass over the middle of the field from Tyrod Taylor. I heard Steve David on 105.7 the fan insist that Furstenburg won't see the field this season, but I have a hunch that we may just see him rotated in at some point even with the recent signings of Dallas Clark and Visanthe Shiancoe. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but that kid can really move and has great hands.
It was great to see former Terps shining on national television, but my mood stayed low after seeing one of the Ravens' touchdowns. If you watched the game, then I think you already know of which touchdown I speak. Bernard Pierce looks bigger and faster than last year, but just as he was about to cross the plane of the endzone for a touchdown, a Buccaneer launched himself helmet first into the knee of our beloved young running back. Pierce thankfully rose from the ground and ultimately jogged off the field, but it appears as though he has a sprained knee and will miss a week or two. Pierce will be fine and ready to go for the season opener, but knee issues can come back to haunt a player later in the season as we have seen for the last two years with Haloti Ngata. Let's hope for a speedy recovery for Ray Rice's counterpart.
RAVENS OPEN PRACTICE AT M&T BANK STADIUM
I must apologize to my readers for failing them on Sunday. I had borrowed a high powered professional caliber camera to shoot high quality pictures and close-ups of the Ravens in their one yearly practice that remains totally free and open to the public. I, however, left the camera in the car and ended up taking far blurrier pictures from a distance with my phone. It is for this reason that this particular segment lacks precisely the element that I made the trip to Baltimore to obtain.
Practice at M&T is certainly a fun and lively experience. This year the cheerleaders came out to the crowd to throw out free t-shirts to everyone in close proximity to the field. One terrific distraction was Gerry Sandusky, Qadry Ismail, and one other commentator loudly explaining each segment of the practice on the big screen TVs. I understand that explanations can be helpful, but these weren't particularly insightful and tended to serve as an audio/visual distraction from the actual action on the field.
Despite noisy commentators, I found a few things particularly encouraging about the practice. The first was Bobby Rainey. This young running back was often compared to Ray Rice in last year's preseason because he is exactly the same height and almost exactly the same weight as little Ray. More importantly, however, he shares Ray's shift running style and possesses impressive speed burst. Rainey had a particularly impressive move that sent Elvis Dumervil crashing to the turf as the running back trotted into the endzone, and that's not an easy task.
The second thing I found impressive (but certainly not surprising) was the leg of Justin Tucker. Tucker appeared to nail kicks from 52 and almost 60 yards out ( note that I was far away so the distances could have been slightly different). Tucker tried a pair for kicks from 65 and beyond, but missed both wide. Both kicks, however, had enough distance, and I am continually amazed by the sheer power of Tucker's leg.
Maybe not quite as impressive as Tucker's leg but possibly just as important was Visanthe Shiancoe's final catch of the practice. Shiancoe showed just why it was that he had 18 touchdowns in two seasons between 2008 and 2009. The guy can win jump ball battles. Shiancoe made an impressive catch on a pass from Joe Flacco in the endzone in the middle of three defenders. Shiancoe may not rack up huge yards over the course of the season, but I fully expect him to be a frequent redzone target for Joe.
Expect to know far more about the Ravens after Thursday as we'll have a chance to see their new receivers in action. The Ravens will face a Falcons team that possesses ample offensive weapons from an elite receiving corps to the newly acquired former Rams running back, Steven Jackson. I'd like to see the first team offense score against a Falcon's defense that has recently struggled on the road. The ending score of the game absolutely will not matter, but it would be nice to see Joe truly take command of the offense the way he did only months ago in the playoffs. I'll be at the game, so stay tuned for a week 2 reaction.
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
The first of such signings was Brandon Stokley. Stokley, if you recall, was a member of the Ravens' first Super Bowl winning team in 2001. He caught a beautiful touchdown pass from Trent Dilfer to score the first points of the game that the Ravens ultimately won 34-7 over the Giants. The commentators during that broadcast that Stokley was likely the fastest man on the field that night. That fact may or may not have been true, but the receiver certainly had fantastic speed in his youth. Stokley is no longer any sort of deep threat, but even at 37 he still possesses decent speed burst for a man only one year younger than Ray Lewis. Speed, however, is not Stokley's biggest selling point. The veteran receiver's hands are what make him valuable to this team, and they are the same things that made him valuable to the Broncos. Take a look at his highlights as a Bronco:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPLTjcSnrr8
Stokley is not Anquan Boldin, and he will almost certainly not have the same level of production that Anquan did for three season as a Raven. He certainly will not have the type of production that we saw from Anquan Boldin during the playoffs last season. With that said, the Ravens have clearly come to the realization that they won't be able to replace Boldin's production with one player. The Ravens are hoping that Stokley will combine with one or two of the younger receivers such as Tandon Doss or Deonte Thompson to match or exceed the production of Anquan Boldin, and that expectation is entirely realistic.
Brandon Stokley's production is not simply about yards and touchdowns. The veteran wide receiver moves the chains at an extremely high frequency. Thirty of Stokley's forty-five catches last season were for first downs. Let that soak in for a moment...two thirds of this receiver's receptions were for first downs last season. The Ravens like to have a sure-handed veteran receiver who runs crisp routes as a security blanket for Joe Flacco. Flacco first had Derrick Mason, but then Mason was replaced with Anquan Boldin. Now Boldin will be at least partially replaced with Stokley, but don't count on Stokley being here for many years as his career may only last one or two more seasons. The Ravens will have no trouble stretching opposing defenses with Jacoby Jones and Torrey Smith on the outside, and Ray Rice may see a high number of passes this year as he has proven to be one of the best receiving running backs in the league. Stokley will just be one more reliable piece to this offenses puzzle, and hopefully he will develop good chemistry with Flacco during the preseason.
Unfortunately for the Ravens, Anquan Boldin was not the only sure-handed receiver that will not suit up in purple this season. Dennis Pitta dislocated his hip in practice and required surgery because of the muscular damage. John Harbaugh actually stated in the last 48 hours that there's actually a small chance Pitta could return much later in the season or in the playoffs, but the Ravens certainly aren't counting on it. Ed Dickson was supposed to assume a larger role in the passing attack because of Pitta's absence, but Dickson soon thereafter suffered his own injury with a minor hamstring tear. Fortunately for the Ravens, a former Pro Bowl tight end was still on the market. One of Peyton Manning's old favorite targets, Dallas Clark, made his way on to the Ravens roster only a couple of days ago. Clark, like Stokley, possesses fantastic hands. Clark had his best season in 2009 with 100 catches, but his production has waned as he has advanced in age.
Dallas Clark had only 435 receiving yards and 47 catches last season. Those numbers are no match for Dennis Pitta's 669 receiving yards and 61 catches, but Clark doesn't have to match Pitta's numbers because the Ravens acquired one more veteran tight end. Visanthe Shiancoe remains somewhat of a question mark for this Ravens squad. Even at his peak of production, Shiancoe never quite made it to 600 receiving yards in 2008 and 2009. Shiancoe was, however, a great red zone threat during that two year span with a combined 18 touchdowns. He too is no longer in the prime of his career, but he could certainly combine with Dallas Clark to replace or even significantly exceed the receiving production of Dennis Pitta. Neither of these tight ends have yet developed the type of bond and chemistry that Flacco had with Dennis Pitta, but that may change faster than many people anticipate.
One major positive aspect of acquiring veteran free agents is that their maturity and experience often makes them fast learners and great mentors to young players. The Ravens have 3 more preseason games before the regular season, and that means Brandon Stokley, Dallas Clark, and Visanthe Shiancoe will have the better part of a month to adjust to Jim Caldwell's offensive system.
FIRST PRESEASON GAME
Winning a preseason game may feel good to many fans, but the ending score means absolutely nothing to the regular season. With that said, there were many positive and unfortunately some negative points to take away from the Ravens first preseason game of 2013 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The first positive thing I saw was Chris Canty. He bullied his way through the Bucs' offensive line for a vicious sack on Josh Freeman. The Ravens got an absolute steal with the former Giant...let's hope he stays healthy. The second positive thing I saw was Torrey Smith catching a short pass and then rocketing forward with his tremendous speed and quickness only to use a nice stiff arm to send former teammate and starting Bucs' cornerback Danny Gorrer to turf en route to a first down. The Ravens didn't have their real starting offensive line in this particular preseason game, and the rain was coming down violently in Tampa. As a result, I didn't expect a the receiving corps to put on a clinic, but I certainly hoped for a little more than what I saw. Through two offensive drives, the Ravens starting offense failed to score or even attempt a field goal. Visanthe Shiancoe had a couple of decent catches, but also a couple of drops. Again, it was a wet night, but football is to be played in all conditions and I'm going to expect the veteran to correct any hands issues within the next month.
The defense wasn't exactly playing lights out, but it was back to its old "bend but not break" ways. The starting Ravens defense kept the Buccaneers out of the endzone in two trips to the redzone. I will try not to be too tough on the starting defense until Lardarius Webb is actually out on the field. By that point, if they're not the most dominant defense in the AFC North, then we have a serious problem. A healthy Suggs, a healthy Webb, a revamped defensive line, Elvis Dumervil, Michael Huff, Daryl Smith, and the devastating hitting power of Matt Elam should mean a return to a fearsome defense the likes of which we haven't seen since 2006. The Ravens defense in 2011 was also quite dominant, but this looks like it could be a notch better on paper. Daryl Smith, though not nearly equal to Ray Lewis at 32 or younger, is quite impressive. He should serve as a great mentor for an explosive and talented Arthur Brown. We'll miss the respect opposing offenses gave to Ed Reed, but Michael Huff, James Ihedigbo, and Matt Elam are all simply better tacklers at this point. All three are also better in pass coverage than Bernard Pollard--by leaps and bounds.
The highlight of the night wasn't the starting offense or the starting defense; the highlight was young receivers and special teams players fighting for roster spots. Laquan Williams absolutely stole the show with a blocked punt recovery in the endzone for a touchdown, a touchdown catch from Tyrod Taylor, and a fumble recovery from the Bucs' kick returner that set up a touchdown by Bernard Pierce. If the former Terrapin wasn't already in the discussion of who would be the #3 or #4 wide receiver, he absolutely should be now.
Another former Terrapin who had an impressive play was Matt Furstenberg. The young tight end caught a nice 24 yard pass over the middle of the field from Tyrod Taylor. I heard Steve David on 105.7 the fan insist that Furstenburg won't see the field this season, but I have a hunch that we may just see him rotated in at some point even with the recent signings of Dallas Clark and Visanthe Shiancoe. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but that kid can really move and has great hands.
It was great to see former Terps shining on national television, but my mood stayed low after seeing one of the Ravens' touchdowns. If you watched the game, then I think you already know of which touchdown I speak. Bernard Pierce looks bigger and faster than last year, but just as he was about to cross the plane of the endzone for a touchdown, a Buccaneer launched himself helmet first into the knee of our beloved young running back. Pierce thankfully rose from the ground and ultimately jogged off the field, but it appears as though he has a sprained knee and will miss a week or two. Pierce will be fine and ready to go for the season opener, but knee issues can come back to haunt a player later in the season as we have seen for the last two years with Haloti Ngata. Let's hope for a speedy recovery for Ray Rice's counterpart.
RAVENS OPEN PRACTICE AT M&T BANK STADIUM
I must apologize to my readers for failing them on Sunday. I had borrowed a high powered professional caliber camera to shoot high quality pictures and close-ups of the Ravens in their one yearly practice that remains totally free and open to the public. I, however, left the camera in the car and ended up taking far blurrier pictures from a distance with my phone. It is for this reason that this particular segment lacks precisely the element that I made the trip to Baltimore to obtain.
Practice at M&T is certainly a fun and lively experience. This year the cheerleaders came out to the crowd to throw out free t-shirts to everyone in close proximity to the field. One terrific distraction was Gerry Sandusky, Qadry Ismail, and one other commentator loudly explaining each segment of the practice on the big screen TVs. I understand that explanations can be helpful, but these weren't particularly insightful and tended to serve as an audio/visual distraction from the actual action on the field.
Despite noisy commentators, I found a few things particularly encouraging about the practice. The first was Bobby Rainey. This young running back was often compared to Ray Rice in last year's preseason because he is exactly the same height and almost exactly the same weight as little Ray. More importantly, however, he shares Ray's shift running style and possesses impressive speed burst. Rainey had a particularly impressive move that sent Elvis Dumervil crashing to the turf as the running back trotted into the endzone, and that's not an easy task.
The second thing I found impressive (but certainly not surprising) was the leg of Justin Tucker. Tucker appeared to nail kicks from 52 and almost 60 yards out ( note that I was far away so the distances could have been slightly different). Tucker tried a pair for kicks from 65 and beyond, but missed both wide. Both kicks, however, had enough distance, and I am continually amazed by the sheer power of Tucker's leg.
Maybe not quite as impressive as Tucker's leg but possibly just as important was Visanthe Shiancoe's final catch of the practice. Shiancoe showed just why it was that he had 18 touchdowns in two seasons between 2008 and 2009. The guy can win jump ball battles. Shiancoe made an impressive catch on a pass from Joe Flacco in the endzone in the middle of three defenders. Shiancoe may not rack up huge yards over the course of the season, but I fully expect him to be a frequent redzone target for Joe.
Expect to know far more about the Ravens after Thursday as we'll have a chance to see their new receivers in action. The Ravens will face a Falcons team that possesses ample offensive weapons from an elite receiving corps to the newly acquired former Rams running back, Steven Jackson. I'd like to see the first team offense score against a Falcon's defense that has recently struggled on the road. The ending score of the game absolutely will not matter, but it would be nice to see Joe truly take command of the offense the way he did only months ago in the playoffs. I'll be at the game, so stay tuned for a week 2 reaction.
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
PRESEASON PREVIEW
I doubt I've ever seen fans in the Baltimore area so eager for preseason football as in the last several weeks. Perhaps Ravens Nation is still riding the wave of Super Bowl energy from February. Perhaps football is an ever-growing national obsession that continues to pick up steam every year from youth leagues all the way up through the NFL. Perhaps, however, the NFL is staring down a new era brought on by major changes in player personnel on playoff contending teams. Ray Lewis is gone, Peyton Manning is no longer a Colt, Tom Brady has almost an entirely new group of targets, Darrelle Revis is no longer a Jet, and the physical abilities of Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed have diminished to the point where both former defensive players of the year are essentially non-factors. At the same time, some teams that seldom saw the playoffs in the last 5 seasons, the Redskins and Seahawks for example, suddenly find themselves right in the middle of just about any conversation regarding power rankings or 2013-2014 playoff predictions. It is, thus, fair to assume that a shift in NFL power has occurred which may produce a different field of playoff teams than what we've become accustomed to seeing in the last half decade.
In light of all the major changes across the league, I'd like to invite my readers to pay careful attention to the preseason this year--and not just Ravens games. 2012 saw the rise of a new, young, athletic group of rookie quarterbacks that took the league by storm and led their respective teams to postseason victories. This year we'll see if defenses can adjust to the read-option, and we'll see if the bodies of such quarterbacks can hold up to the punishment that opposing teams have undoubtedly planned to unleash upon them. NFL fans should observe the NFC South as it may prove one of the toughest divisions in the league again with the return of Sean Payton as head coach of the Saints.
As we travel north, all eyes will undoubtedly be fixated upon Adrian Peterson to see if he can repeat his incredible success on the ground from 2012 and possibly eclipse that performance as he finds himself one more season removed from his horrendous knee injury of 2011. We must observe how the Bears defense fares without their long time leader, Brian Urlacher, and see whether or not Jay Cutler is truly the answer to the Bears' recent offensive inconsistencies.
One of the biggest questions on my mind has been about the Bears' biggest rival. The Green Bay Packers seem to find themselves in the top 10 of most power rankings each year, but Aaron Rodgers has only led his team to a single playoff win in the past two seasons. Is Rodgers truly the elite quarterback that he appears to be during each regular season? I would certainly like to believe so, but it appears as though his pass-heavy offense lacks the balance that a serious running game provides in cold playoff environments.
One team that used to dominate cold playoff games was the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now the once-mighty Steelers find themselves at a metaphorical crossroads. The Steelers organization COULD choose to cut ties to ailing veterans and simply rebuild, but it appears as though they prefer to cling to the likes of Ben Roethlisberger in hopes of rekindling the chemistry from a few years ago. There are two major problems with that strategy. The first is that Ben has only played one full regular season in his entire career, and the second is that the list of weapons to which Ben must distribute the football grows thinner with the departure of Mike Wallace. Beyond that, Roethlisberger doesn't appear to enjoy his new offensive coordinator's system, and the Steelers had their worst season in years with Todd Haley calling the plays. Big changes must take place and Big Ben's health must be maintained if the Steelers hope to return to their old dominant ways in 2013.
Another quarterback whose body appears to be a major issue is Peyton Manning. Manning is possibly the most dominant regular season quarterback in the history of the game. His command of an offense is something to behold regardless of whether or not you root for his team. Manning's come back win against the Chargers last season when down 24-0 at halftime is one of the most spectacular displays of leadership and execution I've ever witnessed in football or any sport for that matter. Peyton Manning's playoff record, however, is far from immaculate. During his 15 year NFL career, Manning has won only as many playoff games (9) as Joe Flacco has won in just 5 seasons. It's not that Manning suddenly loses his confidence or mental ability, but his body simply doesn't allow him to play well in the cold. Manning has never won a single postseason game in weather below 40 degrees, and that could once again prove catastrophic considering that the former Colt now plays at home in arguably the coldest environment in the NFL. Will one more year of playing and practicing in Denver get the future hall-of-famer ready for the playoffs? That's just one more thing we'll have to watch and find out.
Two of the teams dealing with serious injuries and changes in personnel are also the two teams that got further than everyone else last postseason. The 49ers lost Michael Crabtree to a torn Achilles tendon, and the Ravens only recently lost one of Joe Flacco's favorite targets, Dennis Pitta. The 49ers did receive Anquan Boldin from the Ravens in a trade for a draft pick, but the Super Bowl runners up are so thin at wide receiver right now that they appear ready play their star tight end at wideout. The Ravens are not thin at wide receiver, but they are thin at tight end. Ed Dickson has a mild hamstring pull and may return in the next two weeks, but the next two men up on the depth chart are an aging veteran and an undrafted rookie free agent. I still have high hopes for both teams, but at the moment it doesn't appear as though either team is confident in their receiving corps.
I must caution my readers not to place too much weight on the outcome of preseason games. These games, of course, count for absolutely nothing and starters only play a portion of each contest. Teams also tend not to tip their hand regarding the schemes they'll use during the regular season, so don't be upset if the Ravens or whatever your favorite team might be doesn't appear as explosive or creative in the next four weeks. Instead, observe the athleticism and skill of individual players, and see how well you can predict which players in your favorite team's initial 90 player roster will make the final 53 man cut. Don't be afraid to watch as much football as your schedule will allow as it doesn't hurt to be familiar with each team in the league--especially for fantasy football. Get ready for Thursday night!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
In light of all the major changes across the league, I'd like to invite my readers to pay careful attention to the preseason this year--and not just Ravens games. 2012 saw the rise of a new, young, athletic group of rookie quarterbacks that took the league by storm and led their respective teams to postseason victories. This year we'll see if defenses can adjust to the read-option, and we'll see if the bodies of such quarterbacks can hold up to the punishment that opposing teams have undoubtedly planned to unleash upon them. NFL fans should observe the NFC South as it may prove one of the toughest divisions in the league again with the return of Sean Payton as head coach of the Saints.
As we travel north, all eyes will undoubtedly be fixated upon Adrian Peterson to see if he can repeat his incredible success on the ground from 2012 and possibly eclipse that performance as he finds himself one more season removed from his horrendous knee injury of 2011. We must observe how the Bears defense fares without their long time leader, Brian Urlacher, and see whether or not Jay Cutler is truly the answer to the Bears' recent offensive inconsistencies.
One of the biggest questions on my mind has been about the Bears' biggest rival. The Green Bay Packers seem to find themselves in the top 10 of most power rankings each year, but Aaron Rodgers has only led his team to a single playoff win in the past two seasons. Is Rodgers truly the elite quarterback that he appears to be during each regular season? I would certainly like to believe so, but it appears as though his pass-heavy offense lacks the balance that a serious running game provides in cold playoff environments.
One team that used to dominate cold playoff games was the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now the once-mighty Steelers find themselves at a metaphorical crossroads. The Steelers organization COULD choose to cut ties to ailing veterans and simply rebuild, but it appears as though they prefer to cling to the likes of Ben Roethlisberger in hopes of rekindling the chemistry from a few years ago. There are two major problems with that strategy. The first is that Ben has only played one full regular season in his entire career, and the second is that the list of weapons to which Ben must distribute the football grows thinner with the departure of Mike Wallace. Beyond that, Roethlisberger doesn't appear to enjoy his new offensive coordinator's system, and the Steelers had their worst season in years with Todd Haley calling the plays. Big changes must take place and Big Ben's health must be maintained if the Steelers hope to return to their old dominant ways in 2013.
Another quarterback whose body appears to be a major issue is Peyton Manning. Manning is possibly the most dominant regular season quarterback in the history of the game. His command of an offense is something to behold regardless of whether or not you root for his team. Manning's come back win against the Chargers last season when down 24-0 at halftime is one of the most spectacular displays of leadership and execution I've ever witnessed in football or any sport for that matter. Peyton Manning's playoff record, however, is far from immaculate. During his 15 year NFL career, Manning has won only as many playoff games (9) as Joe Flacco has won in just 5 seasons. It's not that Manning suddenly loses his confidence or mental ability, but his body simply doesn't allow him to play well in the cold. Manning has never won a single postseason game in weather below 40 degrees, and that could once again prove catastrophic considering that the former Colt now plays at home in arguably the coldest environment in the NFL. Will one more year of playing and practicing in Denver get the future hall-of-famer ready for the playoffs? That's just one more thing we'll have to watch and find out.
Two of the teams dealing with serious injuries and changes in personnel are also the two teams that got further than everyone else last postseason. The 49ers lost Michael Crabtree to a torn Achilles tendon, and the Ravens only recently lost one of Joe Flacco's favorite targets, Dennis Pitta. The 49ers did receive Anquan Boldin from the Ravens in a trade for a draft pick, but the Super Bowl runners up are so thin at wide receiver right now that they appear ready play their star tight end at wideout. The Ravens are not thin at wide receiver, but they are thin at tight end. Ed Dickson has a mild hamstring pull and may return in the next two weeks, but the next two men up on the depth chart are an aging veteran and an undrafted rookie free agent. I still have high hopes for both teams, but at the moment it doesn't appear as though either team is confident in their receiving corps.
I must caution my readers not to place too much weight on the outcome of preseason games. These games, of course, count for absolutely nothing and starters only play a portion of each contest. Teams also tend not to tip their hand regarding the schemes they'll use during the regular season, so don't be upset if the Ravens or whatever your favorite team might be doesn't appear as explosive or creative in the next four weeks. Instead, observe the athleticism and skill of individual players, and see how well you can predict which players in your favorite team's initial 90 player roster will make the final 53 man cut. Don't be afraid to watch as much football as your schedule will allow as it doesn't hurt to be familiar with each team in the league--especially for fantasy football. Get ready for Thursday night!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
Monday, August 5, 2013
WELCOME BACK TO FOOTBALL SEASON!!!
It seems as though only a couple of months have passed since we witnessed our beloved Baltimore Ravens hoisting the Lombardi trophy triumphantly amidst a rain of purple and gold confetti in New Orleans. It was not long, however, before panic set in amongst the faithful members of Ravens Nation. Never again will we watch our fearless leader burst out of the tunnel at M and T Bank Stadium and electrify the crowd with his famous Squirrel Dance. Never again will we see Ed Reed playing as a Raven, and to the dismay of many, no longer will Joe Flacco find Anquan Boldin in the endzone for a spectacular grab.
The period of mourning, however, over the breakup of a team must be brief. We hear all too often that the NFL is a business and truly competitive teams know how to reload through the 2013 has already proved particularly exciting as the Ravens have made massive improvements to a defense that finished in the middle of the pack last season. Sure, the Ravens defense came alive in the post-season and allowed only 4 offensive touchdowns in three games leading up to the Super Bowl, but big improvements in speed, tackling ability, and run-stopping are essential if the Ravens hope to RETURN to the playoffs this season.
Lo and behold, the Ravens added speed and tackling ability through the draft along with massive depth on the defensive line through free agency. The defense has newly added proven veterans such as Daryl Smith, Chris Canty, Elvis Dumervil, and Michael Huff to ensure there is no major drop-off in leadership and experience following the departure of Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. The Ravens drafted Matt Elam, Arthur Brown, Brandon Williams, and John Simon to continue the Ravens trend of constantly building for the defensive future.
The defense should look quite dominant this season, and I doubt many people are worried about that side of the ball. The offense creates far more questions and worries for fans. It's difficult to know how a team will play in the regular season based on preseason games. Starters only play for a portion of 3 of the 4 games and not at all for the 4th game. On the other hand, the departure of so many starting players from the 2012 roster means that the preseason will likely determine who starts in week 1 of the regular season. It is for this reason that Ravens fans should pay particular attention to the following three things while watching on Thursday night:
The wide receiver battle has really begun to heat up. Deonte Thompson's blazing speed and athleticism make him a great candidate for the #3 WR spot behind Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, but Tandon Doss is actually faster than many give him credit with great hands to boot.
The tight end position recently became a serious issue with the loss of Dennis Pitta for the 2013 season. The Ravens signed Visanthe Shiancoe and he may yet have something left, but I recommend paying closer attention to the rookie out of Maryland, Matt Furstenburg. Furstenburg has more speed burst than Shiancoe at this point and reports from training camp suggest that the rookie can make big plays down field.
Pay close attention to how the offense moves as a unit. If all goes as I hope and expect, the Ravens will get enough explosion from Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce on the ground to really open things up for a passing game with an overall much speedier group targets than Joe Flacco had in previous seasons.
Make sure to tune in on Thursday night!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!!
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