NFL 2010

[Nebu]

I'm still torn.  Athletically, I like Sanchez a lot.  Mentally, I'm not sure that he's up to speed with the NFL game.  Some of his checkdown reads seem like he's not seeing the field as well as he should at this point in his career.  The guy should be benefiting tremendously from facing an incredible defensive backfield every day in practice. 

[Segoris]

While the Jets offensive coaching isn't that great, I still put a bit of it on Sanchez. He's just not that great, period. I never did understand the love for the guy. [fake edit: what Nebu said, that is exactly right imo]

As for the Ravens, they are still badass on D. Ray Lewis is a scary mother fucker, and it feels weird when seeing what they did last night I just think "meh, it's the Ravens and it's what they do" instead of being blown away every time I watch that defense in action.

I'm still a bit shocked at how shitty SD looked last night and how good KC looked. Granted SD gave KC a bit of help looking like a solid team, a lot of that is improvement by that KC squad. I'm also glad I put in Charles instead of Housh last night at the last minute

[HaemishM]

Sanchez looked bad last night, but it was against one of the better defenses in the league. He's thinking too much, which is expected of a guy in his second year. He hasn't figured out his go-to guy. He isn't being let off the leash by the coaching staff, and they are constantly drilling checkdowns into his head. He's got the yips. He's so afraid of throwing an INT or taking a sack (and fumbling), that his second read is a short checkdown. Against a good D, that won't win you games. Hell, look at Flacco. Third-year guy against one of the best defensive backfields in the league, and he kind of made them look like clowns even though they only scored 10 points. The Ravens couldn't run for shit against that Jet front line, but they still managed to have decent yardage numbers and win the game with passing. It was good gameplanning by the Ravens' but it was also pretty decent QB and wideout play. Last night showed me what all the pundits didn't want to see. The Jets are a great defensive and running team, but Sanchez is probably at Rex Grossman levels in terms of his development as a QB. I'm not saying he can't get better, but he ain't a Super Bowl QB yet. The Jets will be better, probably 10 or 11 wins, but they aren't ready to take down the Colts, Ravens or Patriots of the league in the playoffs.

San Diego?  Em-fucking-barrassing.

[dusematic]

Um.  I'd hardly say Flacco made the Jets "look like clowns."  He made some nice throws.  But they scored 10 points.  Flacco played adequately.  Sanchez was a disgrace and an embarrassment.

[SnakeCharmer]

Watching last nights SD / Chiefs game made me realize that I really really hate Phillip Rivers.  Just seems like a whiny little twat to me, constantly beratting his teammates every chance he gets, meanwhile making some absolutely terrible throws.  He's got some ability, there's no doubt about that.  But he strikes me as a really terrible leader.

[Cyrrex]

Watching last nights SD / Chiefs game made me realize that I really really hate Phillip Rivers.  Just seems like a whiny little twat to me, constantly beratting his teammates every chance he gets, meanwhile making some absolutely terrible throws.  He's got some ability, there's no doubt about that.  But he strikes me as a really terrible leader.

I'll have to kindly ask you to step the fuck away from my Fantasy QB.

[HaemishM]

Um.  I'd hardly say Flacco made the Jets "look like clowns."  He made some nice throws.  But they scored 10 points.  Flacco played adequately.  Sanchez was a disgrace and an embarrassment.

He sure as fuck made Cromartie and Wilson look clownish with the number of penalties they drew. No, he didn't get any TD passes, but against what is probably the best defense in the league, he moved that team with absolutely NO running game and very little short passing game.

[Segoris]

Additionally, Flacco did that under some intense pressure and after his first play was a sack/fumble. Keeping your cool and leading an offense in the situations he was in last night is no easy thing to do. I also think the unsung hero here just very well may be Kundiff (or Cundiff? I forget) with placing his foot on Edwards, after he leap frogged a lineman, and falling over with some wonderful acting to draw a flag. Turning a field goal into a TD. Well played.

[Brogarn]

He sure as fuck made Cromartie and Wilson look clownish with the number of penalties they drew.

Cromartie yes... although he did intercept Flacco, so not completely clownish. Wilson, though? Isn't this his first year and he's covering someone by himself who's what... a foot taller? Eh... I think calling him clownish at all is unfair. What's clownish is that he was in that position all by himself to begin with. Once again... coaching...

[HaemishM]

That Cromartie interception was a pressure thing. Flacco had people all over him and just floated it up there. And yes, Wilson was a rookie who should never have been covering Boldin. That one is definitely on the coaching.

Maybe I'm just taking too much glee in the Jets losing. I've just gotten so fucking sick of all the lather the ESPN guys have gotten themselves into over the Jets this offseason. The defensive front 7 looked Pro Bowl, and the running game looked decent. The rest looked JV, from being outcoached as much as outplayed. Had the Ravens been forced to throw towards Revis, it might not have been so pretty.

[Segoris]

I don't know if I could call it entirely on bad coaching as much as it is the Ravens simply having too many weapons that need to be kept in check. Mason, Boldin, Houshmandzadeh, Rice, McGahee, Heap....that is a LOT of options when Flacco is an accurate passer that needs to be kept under pressure. At times the Jets only lined up with 1 DL and setup with more LB and DB then normal, which is a smart move but it still wasn't enough.

So really, while it is an obvious matchup problem for the Jets, what else could they really have done without leaving another very dangerous target open?

[01101010]

Nice to see Revis pitch another, what, 2-hitter? Seriously, you never saw him all evening because Flacco stayed the hell away from him. Now if this Wilson kid can get up to speed in a hurry, along with Crommy, yeah... their def is pretty much solid from then on. Now about that QB there... seriously, he can throw, right? I can't tell you how many times I shouted at the TV after they called either a run or some shitty screen on 3rd and long. Does Shotty have no confidence in Sanchez or was that just terrible calls. I am sure Sanchez checked down a lot, and with Braylon out there you kinda have to keep that line available, but still...

Go Brownies! 

[HaemishM]

I say it was coaching because I think Boldin is a mis-match against Cromartie. Put your best corner on their best receiver and keep him there - that means Revis sticks to Boldin like fucking glue. Cromartie can cover Mason and Wilson can cover Hoosh. The fact that they didn't keep those matchups meant that Harbaugh found a way to get the mismatches he wanted, i.e. Boldin on Cromartie and Wilson. Revis may be one of the few corners that can cover Boldin, so you have to close him down and make Mason or Hoosh beat you. And against another team with a lesser line, Rice would have made that passing attack crazy good.

[Segoris]

I do agree that Revis would be better at covering Boldin, but I actually agree with putting him on Mason. Mason and Flacco know each other much better and have a better chemistry than Flacco/Boldin and Flacco/Housh, which is why he's still the primary on the team. If Revis was sent over to cover Boldin now you have Mason and Housh beating you all day since Crom or Wilson couldn't cover Mason or Housh if they wanted to without a good bit of help. It is a poor match-up for the Jets, no matter how you cut it, due to the Ravens simply having too many people to cover when the Jets still need to maintain a high level of pressure to continue locking down the Ravens rushing game forcing Flacco to hurry more than he'd like to.

I think your statement that "make Mason or Hoosh beat you" says it all about the power and depth of the Ravens offense and what the Jets were really up against.

Edit: removed the part that is now spoilered below as I know that wasn't what you or anyone else is saying, though the analogy does work
Edit 2: I think the scary part is that Stallworth is injured and they still have this much depth and talent.

[HaemishM]

I find it odd to state that the Ravens have "too many weapons" after the heights they achieved during the Kyle Boller years. But there it is. 

[Cyrrex]

Despite all the stats, let's not lose sight of the fact that Baltimore only barely won this game.  All those yards and all those defensive penalties, and they still only barely managed to get into the endzone...and only then because of a borderline running into the kicker call, a PI penalty and it took them three downs to get McGahee to squeak over the line.  They weren't terribly brilliant on offense by any stretch of the imagination.

God, it's great that football is back!  I love these discussions.

[JWIV]

I find it odd to state that the Ravens have "too many weapons" after the heights they achieved during the Kyle Boller years. But there it is. 

Nobody here is actually capable of processing this yet either, so don't feel bad.  The idea that we might actually have an offense and what that means is causing no end of confusion. 

As to the mismatches - it's not how Rex plays the game.   He's going to blitz and blitz a lot which is going to leave his secondary exposed.  He really needed to give his db's some additional help when it became obvious that they were getting torched, but he refused to adjust.

[Segoris]

I find it odd to state that the Ravens have "too many weapons" after the heights they achieved during the Kyle Boller years. But there it is. 

I agree that it is absolutely crazy. What's next....we start saying Ubisoft needs more DRM?

Despite all the stats, let's not lose sight of the fact that Baltimore only barely won this game.  All those yards and all those defensive penalties, and they still only barely managed to get into the endzone...and only then because of a borderline running into the kicker call, a PI penalty and it took them three downs to get McGahee to squeak over the line.  They weren't terribly brilliant on offense by any stretch of the imagination.

It's true that they were far from brilliant as an offense (only a combined passing/rushing total of 300), but 3 turnovers and poor average starting field position (their own 23) is going to hurt and will help keep them out of the end zone. Though really, combined with the starting position and how few first downs the Jets had which results in the Ravens time of possession and number of drives they had, that really isn't that many yards. It speaks volumes about how defensive of a game this was. I do know that I can't wait until Housh and Boldin build some strong chemistry with Flacco though....that's a scary thought, especially when Stallworth comes back.

Also, this is one point I'm more unsure of, do the Jets have phenomenal special teams as well, or that is the Ravens weak link is their return teams (4 punt returns for 5 yards, 4 kick off returns for 72 yards)?

God, it's great that football is back!  I love these discussions.

QFT

[HaemishM]

The Ravens special teams were quite inept all night. That comes from having your two main return guys injured. That play where ZBoskowski or whatever his name was almost made a safety out of a punt return was especially cringeworthy.

And yeah, when Stallworth comes back and Flacco gets a few more games with Boldin and Housh, and they aren't facing a run defense like the Jets, this Ravens O could be SCARY good. There's a reason I picked them to get to the Super Bowl.

[Nebu]

All reasons why I love Mason this year.  He has the experience and the hands to stabilize the Ravens offense.  I look for him to take on larger role this year due to the double teams that Boldin is likely to face.

[Nevermore]

All kinds of reports all over that Ryan Grant is done for the year.

[Nebu]

All kinds of reports all over that Ryan Grant is done for the year.

There goes my 2nd round pick.  Fortunately I grabbed his backup off the wire.

[HaemishM]

Fuck me, it's true.

GOD-DAMNIT. And I wouldn't feel that fortunate about drafting Jackson - he hasn't ever justified his draft position.

[Segoris]

And yeah, when Stallworth comes back and Flacco gets a few more games with Boldin and Housh, and they aren't facing a run defense like the Jets, this Ravens O could be SCARY good. There's a reason I picked them to get to the Super Bowl.

It's why I expected them to get to the super bowl, but I don't think it fully clicked how lethal their O can truly be. If they get some good rhythm and stay healthy, I may have to change my pick from the Saints winning it all to the Ravens

All kinds of reports all over that Ryan Grant is done for the year.

I'm reading that also, which sucks since I like Grant.

[Paelos]

Bob Sanders is also out again for the year for the Colts. The hits just keep on coming for them.

[Cyrrex]

Bob Sanders is also out again for the year for the Colts. The hits just keep on coming for them.

I don't believe the Colts ever expect Bob to play a full year anyway.

Sucks about Grant, though....will be interesting to see how this affects that offense.

[Chimpy]

One thing the Packers have had good luck with is unknown backups coming in at running back and having career seasons after the starter goes down.

Levens after Bennett got hurt and Grant after Green got hurt being examples.

[SnakeCharmer]

Which probably has more to do with the fact they had pretty good offensive lines those years, IIRC.

[Ingmar]

Which probably has more to do with the fact they had pretty good offensive lines those years, IIRC.

Hey, he managed to run for 1200+ yards last year while Rogers was getting sacked 50 times.

[ghost]

Bob Sanders is also out again for the year for the Colts. The hits just keep on coming for them.

Super Bowl runner up syndrome strikes again.  I think they're going to struggle a lot this year.

[Paelos]

I think they will come out pissed off and smash the Giants, personally. Beyond that, I'm not sure how their season shapes up with their line.

[HaemishM]

The Colts will win their division, but it will be close. I don't think either the Titans or the Jags can really challenge them, and even with a shaky D, they still can run with anyone in the AFC and a few NFC teams. Looking at their schedule, I really think they'll win between 11 and 13 games, barring some crazy spate of injuries to key players. I think Houston will probably win 10 games and go in as a wild card.

[ghost]

I'm certainly no pro expert, but Houston looked very good and Indy looked very, very bad.  I think their age is starting to catch up with them. 

The Pats, on the other hand, looked spectacular. 

[Cyrrex]

We'll see about the Pats, I think.  Not like Cinci is the toast of the league.  They'll be tested far more by the Jets defense this weekend.

They'll still beat the Jets, mind you....I mean, I don't think the Jets have a "score touchdown please" play in their book.

[Nebu]

I think we'll see how good Houston is during weeks 11 (jets), 13 (Phili) and 14 (Baltimore).  That's a tough run against the better defenses in the league.