Suddenly, it all falls apart for Ravens

Yesterday was a dose of reality for me. I said at the beginning of the season that I felt the ramvens might not win any more than the five games they won last year. However, I like the coach. the variation of play calling and the attitude. It is going to take at least three years for Flacco to develop into a pro quarterback. It is going to take the offensive line that long to develop into a unit that will begin to dominate.
The reason for Flacco's success in the firs ttwo game was the good play of the offensive line, both for pass protection and blocking for the running game. That was not there yesterday. Let's sit back, relax, give the players and coaching time, several years, to get their system and personell moving forward and enjoy the fact that we even have an NFL team. Oh and by the way is there anyone else who is annoyed by the broadcast style of the 98 Rock group; that squwaucking Raven, the loud undistinguishable heavy metal music and Jerry Sandusky's efforts at humorous glibness? I wish for a straight, no hyperbole talk that I can hear apart from the din that is allowed to apparently get us "up" for the game. It does not work for me!

J.Flacco is a rookie..and he will make those mistakes...the Off.line is the youngest in the NFL..they will get better..but ..the play calling looks like they had for the past 10yrs...still we have no receivers other than D.Mason that can catch..block...run routs and fine the end zone..the Ravens didn't do a good job in free agency...you can't blame the Coach or his staff....so who is to blame for not getting the right personal ? I wonder ? huumm ?...Who could it be ?..

Thanks dave for pointing out the Ravens loss. But I do think most of us, even though we aren't writters have the intelligence to realize IT'S A GAME and in games only one can win. I still believe in the Ravens, suppport the team and coaches. My only wish is that Joe F. would have been born with Manning's skill and didn't have to work through rookie mistakes, oh yeah, he had 28 interecptions his first year. Oh Bob , it could be Oz!!!

Your analysis was spot-on, but was missing the obvious explanation for this problem: the coaching, and, more specifically, the head coach.

Harbaugh decided to show his manliness by being so tough/abusive towards his players that he has stripped them of the joy of playing. The buck stops at the top, and the Ravens woes must be placed squarely on Harbaugh's shoulders. He needs to see the season through, but it is time to start looking to option 2 for next year's head coach.

Baltimore Fan wrote:

Your analysis was spot-on, but was missing the obvious explanation for this problem: the coaching, and, more specifically, the head coach.
Harbaugh decided to show his manliness by being so tough/abusive towards his players that he has stripped them of the joy of playing. The buck stops at the top, and the Ravens woes must be placed squarely on Harbaugh's shoulders. He needs to see the season through, but it is time to start looking to option 2 for next year's head coach.

You are an idiot. The coach wasn't the one running back returns from 8 yards deep or missing tackles against a small running back. He didn't throw the interceptions, the play calling could have been better and I believe we wasted a time out because it wasn't even questionable if Mason caught the ball he fumbled. It was a team loss not a loss that is all the coaches fault. I guess if Harbaugh keeps doing the same thing and we make the playoffs some how you will be calling for him to be coach of the year. Get a life loser.

The problem is the teams have now scouted Flacco and, since the Ravens are playing a condensed offensive playbook, it doesn't take much to stop the offense now. The coaches have to open up the offense or the Ravens will continue to be ineffective on offense. Flacco is now making the rookie mistakes. It scares me he is starting to resemble Boiler with short arming long passes and constantly stumbling in the backfield. The young offensive line is undegoing growing pains. You need to stick with them. I would play McLain and Rice more. Our receivers are atrocious and, except for Mason and Heap, need to be replaced.

The defense has one strategy .. blitz. Unfortunately if the blitzers do not get to the quarterback, then this defense is DOA. Poor coverage and sloppy tackling is killing them. As for the special teams, that coach should resign in shame. What a lousy group of athletes we have on those teams. They don't seem to block on run backs and don't really seem to want to tackle on coverage. When is the last time you saw a Raven specialty team's player blow up a return. It just doesn't seem to happen.

The Ravens will win about 5-6 games this year. They are still evolving. Harbaugh needs a year or two to get rid of the dead weight. I am not ready to give up on him yet.

The ravens did look pitiful this week. Did anyone expect better than 3-13 or maybe 5-11 at best? BUT, in case you haven't noticed, no team, except for maybe the Giants, is burning up the league. The NFL has the parity they want, and most teams are mediocre at best. As bad as the Ravens have played the past few weeks, they are still better than 6 or 7 teams in the AFC, and a handful in the NFC. We're in the middle and rebuilding, hopefully sooner than later.

How many decades must the Ravens offense be such as sad joke before Ozzie Newsome gets his ass fired?

Seems like Matt Ryan is doing just fine in Atlanta, he is a rookie too you know.

Harbaugh is the problem, plain and simple!

Yes, he is likeable and he is a nice guy, but so am I!

And, as a head coach for the Ravens, I, or any other nice
guy, would have gotten exactly the same performance from
this 2008 Ravens team - it is a team functioning on auto-pilot!!!

More auto-pilot is this team's fate because the head coach is out of his element, sadly enough.

When nothing works, head coach, step forward and take all the hits because the players cannot be faulted for an auto-pilot
performance; the players are just going through the motions without a clue and when the players have no clue, it's because the head coach has no clue!

I see a head coach who appears to be completely lost, without
a clue. This means no more wins in 2008 and a dismissal of Harbaugh at the end of the season - the front office will have no choice, just as the Orioles had no choice with another clueless leader, Phil Regan!!

Ravens fans want a winner now, just like all other NFL fans want one. Asking Ravens fans to watch a 3 year development program will only get those endorsing such a pipe dream run out of town along with Harbaugh - patience is surely a virtue
but NFL fans endorse "Not For Long" and NFL fans will not wait even 2 years for a winner - you'll see empty stands first!

Like everyone else, I like a nice guy and I like Harbaugh, but, like Regan, he is not there, and so he should not be here - not his fault, he was handpicked!

Long story short, 2-14, Harbaugh gone, Flacco, career backup!!!

Finally, Mr. Bischotti, check with me before you choose the next head coach and I will save you a lot of grief the next time!

Have a good one!!!

I'm surprised David Steele didn't blame the loss on John McCain. David? are you reading? That was a blatant cheap shot you took at McCain in Sunday's paper when you wrote "If John McCain were coach of the Ravens, you know who's not going to be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season? That one." What a despicable cheap shot but coming from you it's expected. Why don't you look at John and Cindy McCain's two adopted children and ask them if McCain is a racist. Actions speak louder than words. Next time you're seeking to inflict racism in to a sports column, look in the mirror; maybe you might find some there. Shame on you.

Our Oline is trash. It's time to start using 1st round draft picks on the offensive line again. You want to win in this league you have to be dominant up front on offense. Plain and simple. These post draft pickups like Gaither will not cut it. And has beens like Willie Anderson shouldn't be in the NFL.

TAKEN FROM A NOTE TAPED TO THE CLUBHOUSE DOOR:

Corey Ivy: You stink, next time I see you, you better be picking me up in your cab.

Chris MacAllister: You're slow, and you look as though you are asleep or drunk.(Knowing you, Probably both)

McGahee: Learn how to run North/South. Still can't help the fact you have no heart.

Ray Rice/ McClain: Running backs usually know how to hold onto the ball, those that don't usually end up selling cars.

Suggs: Try hanging up the radio gig and focus on the game. Believe me, you are not very articulate, so it will be time well spent.

Bart: Ditto buddy. Besides, you'll be playing somewhere else next year, so make sure you look good for an audition.

Heap: Please just retire buddy, cuz you just don't want to work hard anymore. Go do another commercial for M&T Bank. Catch the ball/ block! Do something.

Harbaugh: Get a hold of your team, and your coaches. The next time you go up against a team that ****** against the run, you better RUN IT DOWN THEIR THROATS! What's the best way to beat Peyton Manning? Keep him on the bench.
BTW: You need a new special teams coach. Is Yamon Figures stupid or lazy? Cuz he sure ain't fast. That guy can't get out of his own way.

Ozzie: Draft some players who love the game, more than they love themselves.

Eric: Get to work and start looking.

Biscotti?: Start liquidating lazy, stupid, selfish players. Forget the money. You're rolling in cake Pipes and you have a great tan, all year round baby.

Ted Kraycik
Ball Boy

After this shellacking I'm a little concerned the defense is going to fall into that mindset,"we have no offense this year again" mentality.Hell,the defense might be wondering if it was Rex' fault or something(?)No,to answer my own question,the team played lousy,a HOF qb picked us apart and a rookie qb could'nt step it up the notch that we needed.I think Harbaugh was a little disturbed himself so.....lets calm down and take this loss for what it was-just awful,please,and let's move on.We have the majority of the season to play and forget about playoffs;we'll be watching other teams in that domain again,OBVIOUSLY!

P.U. Ozzy! We stink! Only way Ravens will score/win is for D-fence to stay on field all the time. I suggest punt on 1st down. Benny Anderson should get into WWE wrestling. David Steele is a racist bigot who does not belong in sports writing! Fire OZZY NOW! Save the franchize. Again, my PSL investment and resale value is going down the drain back to 1998 prices like Ford and GM. I aint gone to a game and won't go since Colts embarrassed Ravens in playoffs and still won't go until Ozzy is fired!!!

Total team lost total. LIke I said before the regular season started that the Ravens are a 6-10 team with luck.

I'm tired of this conservative offense. Totally boring! The Ravens are boring to watch and it is killing me. I don't know if I can keep watching. If I was the Ravens defense, I would give up like they did yesterday. Cam, is this what we have to look forward to in the future. Do us a favor and throw that play book out and start over. You must of gotten a hold of Brian's Billick's play book by accident. Please try to stretch the offense. If the receivers prevent you from doing that, get them off the field and find someone that can get open. That's my 2 cents!

Harbaugh looks like a lost child on the sidelines. Folks don't realize how good we had it with Brian Billick. He was much more confident and passionate at the helm. He took unfair blame when (injured) players couldn't execute last year. We in for a long season...

Rob wrote:

Harbaugh looks like a lost child on the sidelines. Folks don't realize how good we had it with Brian Billick. He was much more confident and passionate at the helm. He took unfair blame when (injured) players couldn't execute last year. We in for a long season...

I'm no new regime apologist, but you can hardly blame JH for terrible passes Flacco threw yesterday or the fumble. Also can't blame him for the Oline being a literal turnstyle for Colts pass rushers. Also can't blame him for McGayhe being a heartless loser. There were some poor play calls, like the slow developing run plays that got crushed for losses...can't expect for this man to give us a vertical passing game when Flacco can't connect on the deep ball. In fact he seems to have trouble on anything but a bullet pass. He throws those for strikes, but anything with an arc on it tends to be terribly inaccurate.

Dave S should be fired for the polictical statement he said. And for God sdakes stay off the TV you;re sad fat ughy allmost bald black man who has trouble speaking that's why you write for a newspaper. God you are so bad.