Boller in - McNair out minimum 2 weeks

**highwater** · 11-14-2007, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by StingerNLG

Errrr, I am glad you aren't at least hoping for some success. You are hoping Boller plays mediocre?

I think he was being sarcastic, but didn't word it as well as he usually does.

**highwater** · 11-14-2007, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by festivus

Yes Stinger. I am hoping (reasonably likely) he plays mediocre, which is what we've seen from him in limited action this year. Better then mediocre would be a pleasant surprise.

Good grief festivus, I just posted that I thought you were kidding, but you're serious? You are HOPING he plays mediocre?

Sheesh -- I'm depressed about the past two games too, but I haven't sunk into that dark hole where I'm reduced to simply hoping that we don't suck as bad as the last game.

**festivus** · 11-14-2007, 11:30 AM

Didn't mean to disappoint you Highwater.

I did try to clean it up a bit by demarcating hope in relation to how likely things are. "Hoping" he plays mediocre is just hoping he continues the decent form he's shown so far this year. Hoping he "lights it up" is another thing altogether.

I hope for both. The former is more likely then the latter, though they both will win more games then McNair did.

**WxKevin** · 11-14-2007, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by 4G63

What does that last sentence mean? Is he planning on putting him in at some point?

I think that Billick is saying we may see him in their at some point during a game lining up as QB, most likely in shotgun. That way the defense has to "worry" about him throwing or running. Kind of like Randle El was used in Pitt at times. They do this more in college than the NFL for obvious reasons.

**RavenTD** · 11-14-2007, 11:37 AM

I tell you what, when Boller came in against the Bengals, it almost [almost]felt like watching Dan Marino out there.After the flatness of the whole game that had gone before with McNair.

So to me Boller coming in to play at QB,is lighting it up.

**highwater** · 11-14-2007, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by festivus

"Hoping" he plays mediocre is just hoping he continues the decent form he's shown so far this year. Hoping he "lights it up" is another thing altogether.

Maybe we are just getting bogged down by your wording -- "hoping" is different from "expecting." If you said that you expected Boller to be mediocre, I wouldn't be shocked, surprised or disappointed, but saying you were hoping he would be mediocre is a whole different attitude.

In any event, I think we're in agreement that this is the right move, given the past couple of games.

**Rochardrik** · 11-14-2007, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by RavenTD

I tell you what, when Boller came in against the Bengals, it almost [almost]felt like watching Dan Marino out there.After the flatness of the whole game that had gone before with McNair.

So to me Boller coming in to play at QB,is lighting it up.

I agree. As well, it seemed like the team had a spark when he came in! Did anyone else there notice that? That's why I couldn't understand all the talk about the locker room being lost if Boller became the starter. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but to me, even tho tired, near the end of the game, the entire team "seemed' to pick it up!!!!!

**StingerNLG** · 11-14-2007, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

Yes Stinger. I am hoping (reasonably likely) he plays mediocre, which is what we've seen from him in limited action this year. Better then mediocre would be a pleasant surprise. McNair played like complete garbage, so mediocre would be a nice improvement, and will mean winning games we've previously been losing.

Thinking "Boller will save us," or "replacing Billick will solve all our problems," just leads to disappointment and heartache.

Ok, I get that. I want more than mediocre. I want to see the Boller that got robbed in Cincy, but for all intents and purposes led the team downfield and got the game winning score when we needed it. I want to see the guy that kicked Minnesota out of the playoff hunt last year. I don't want mediocre.

I've said it in the debate threads, my biggest fear is that things won't change because the system won't change. I'm done with "Just don't lose the game, Kyle/Steve/Chris/Elvis/Trent/Jeff/etc:". I don't want to see that shit anymore. I want "Here's the ball, go out and have some fun and play some football Kyle/Steve/Troy/etc:".

Seriously, does the offense even look like it's trying to be relaxed and fun? No. They press and they force and the defense kicks the shit out of them. I'm tired of that.

I am in it for the long haul. We are 4-5. That's mediocre. It's not terrible, 1-8 or 2-7 is terrible.

The day will come when we are truly that bad. I'll still be here, not hysterical, just rooting for my team.

Your mileage may vary, as they say on other boards.

I'll be here. I'll be there Sunday afternoon. I'll be there Monday night against the Patriots in a game I don't even expect to win if we had Indy's offense. Trust me. I'm not done with the Ravens by a long shot.

**RavenLisa** · 11-14-2007, 12:21 PM

The move is best for both McNair and the Ravens.

**RavenTD** · 11-14-2007, 12:37 PM

That is probably the biggest wall to knock down right there.

BB needs to say to Kyle,go out there and have fun,like in High School, don't worry about making mistakes.Be loose,and have fun.

**OriAl** · 11-15-2007, 03:52 PM

Boller at QB will improve the offense, if plays are called to take advantage of his arm and his mobility (rollouts, for example.) Like every QB, he'll make some mistakes. I'm hoping that the fans don't turn on him again if he commits one or two turnovers. He'll be facing some tough teams - we need to see if he plays smart, limits mistakes, and leads us to TDs as well as field goals, even if we lose some of those games (for example, even if CMac plays, he won't be close to 100%, and QBs, especially Manning and Brady, will try to take advantage of our weakness in the secondary. If they score 30+ points, that would be tough for any QB to match, especially considering our o-line has not done a great job of pass protection this season. The old Boller would force passes into coverage when pressured - we'll see if the new Boller continues to throw the ball away or take the sack.)

It will also help if our defense remembers how to force turnovers in our remaining games. Last season, it forced 60. This season, very few.