2019 Pre-Game Thread: Wk. 9 at Ravens

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,299
deep inside Guido territory
Van Noy is much quicker than Bentley and I would prefer him to a safety on early downs, especially with Ingram on the field and the RPO.
My thought with an extra safety is going back to how the Chargers defended them in the playoffs last year. They had as much speed as possible on the field. While I don't think Bill would go as far as they did, but it is possible to take a LB off the field and put a faster player in. Bill has also gone the other way and played heavier fronts against a running QB(2012 against Kaep). That game was a shitshow early but not because Kaep was running. I'm just fascinated with what they come up with and the various adjustments off of what they start with.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,284
AZ
The trick, it seems to me, is making it so they only do one thing well and everything else poorly. I'm not an X and Os guy, but conceptually, I don't think I care much about Jackson getting his 80 to 100 yards if the Patriots close down the other stuff well. The fear is if they compromise in more than one area and play only average in them. If the plan is to contain Jackson, commit, and do it, and take your medicine. If the plan is to take their chances with him but stop the other things, commit. It's going to be hard to stop him, and Ingram, out of a 3-4 anyway. Play your traditional defense and make them one-dimensional with Jackson, and then hope that having speed on the field keeps him from going crazy.

Seems to me that the stat that is going to tell the story of the game when it's over -- barring a lopsided turnover margin -- will be how the Ravens did on third (and fourth if applicable) downs. Jackson is going to pick up a few and keep the chains moving all by himself, probably no matter what defense the Patriots try to play. But try to make it one dimensional so you have options in the second half after the game declares itself.
 

Mugsy's Jock

Eli apologist
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 28, 2000
15,069
UWS, NYC
It'll be interesting to see how he handles it. The Ravens have a really good TE (who will do nothing this week, because I just acquired him in fantasy) and Brown is a decent WR, but beyond that the only WR with more than 10 catches is Willie Snead.
Shouts to DrewDawg
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,243
My thought with an extra safety is going back to how the Chargers defended them in the playoffs last year. They had as much speed as possible on the field. While I don't think Bill would go as far as they did, but it is possible to take a LB off the field and put a faster player in. Bill has also gone the other way and played heavier fronts against a running QB(2012 against Kaep). That game was a shitshow early but not because Kaep was running. I'm just fascinated with what they come up with and the various adjustments off of what they start with.
He might *start* that way to make them think that's what they're going to get all day, like SD. But at this point, it's sort of mirror-facing-mirror time. He knows that they know that he knows . . . . .
BB will either do exactly what another team did successfully, or he will do something no team has done to them before. Or he'll shock them by doing nothing new, which is something they didn't prepare for.
 

Super Nomario

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 5, 2000
14,012
Mansfield MA
The trick, it seems to me, is making it so they only do one thing well and everything else poorly. I'm not an X and Os guy, but conceptually, I don't think I care much about Jackson getting his 80 to 100 yards if the Patriots close down the other stuff well. The fear is if they compromise in more than one area and play only average in them. If the plan is to contain Jackson, commit, and do it, and take your medicine. If the plan is to take their chances with him but stop the other things, commit. It's going to be hard to stop him, and Ingram, out of a 3-4 anyway. Play your traditional defense and make them one-dimensional with Jackson, and then hope that having speed on the field keeps him from going crazy.

Seems to me that the stat that is going to tell the story of the game when it's over -- barring a lopsided turnover margin -- will be how the Ravens did on third (and fourth if applicable) downs. Jackson is going to pick up a few and keep the chains moving all by himself, probably no matter what defense the Patriots try to play. But try to make it one dimensional so you have options in the second half after the game declares itself.
To me, the one thing I want to shut down is Jackson getting outside the pocket. Baltimore has 7 100-yard scrimmage performances this year and Jackson has three, including 152 yards against Cincinnati, 120 against Arizona, and 116 at Seattle. You can't concede him 80-100 yards without the possibility he erupts for 150. And none of that production includes passing plays created by extending outside the pocket. Job A is keeping Jackson contained and turning him into a conventional pocket passer.

Beyond that? I'm taking away Mark Andrews, probably by treating him like a WR a la Travis Kelce and putting a CB on him. Even Gilmore if I have to. Third for me is taking away Marquise Brown, either with Gilmore or, if Gilmore is on Andrews, with Jones and Harmon / McCourty over the top. I want Baltimore to beat me running the ball with Ingram / Edwards or throwing to Snead / Boyle. I can live with that.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,284
AZ
Uh oh. Late week injury report adds are never good.

But the key one on that list to me is Mason. I was hoping he'd be off the report today.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,478
Melrose, MA
It's important to note the trend. The 2 best games were the first 2 of the season. And of his top 3, they came in first 4 games. In October, his passer rating was 69.0 and he threw 1 TD.

None of that is saying he's not dangerous. He absolutely is.
Here are his passing and rushing yards by week:

1: 324 passing (5 TDs), 6 rushing
2: 272 passing (2 TDs), 120 rushing
3: 267 passing, 46 rushing (TD)
4: 247 passing (3 TD, 2 INT), 66 rushing
5: 161 passing (1 TD, 3 INT), 70 rushing
6: 236 passing, 152 rushing (TD)
7: 143 passing, 116 rushing (TD)

After that early part of the season, he's been more of a rusher than a passer.