Butt Kicked

**Ravens'N'Hoos** · 08-28-2006, 10:30 AM

I'm with MOBTOWN on the preseason bit. I've been saying that on the other boards. Billick wasn't going to show his hand and wasn't going to do much anyway in a pre-season game.

Maybe, but if that's true, Billick deserves an Oscar for his acting performance - he looked way more than perturbed. He looked royally p*ssed off.

And what consolation is it if we didn't run the plays we were saving for the Tampa game? We still should've been able to execute the plays we did run far more successfully.

**FellsPointRaven** · 08-28-2006, 10:42 AM

But it was only preseason.

I normally roll with this excuse through week 2 of pre-season. Friday night's game was the main indicator of where we are and how capable we are of executing, all be it vanilla, plays. This time last year, following repeated O-line failures and piss poor offense, 'it's only pre-season' was banded around frequently. If you don't play hard in pre-season, you can't expect to be in the required shape, mentally and physically, to go to Tampa and play like you should. Even if Fassel is keeping things simple, there is no excuse for the ineptitude of the O-line. If they're getting beaten this badly in pre-season, why would we expect them to be able to stop the top D-linemen in the league when it counts?

Minnesota were also only playing a pre-season game on Friday, but did so with professionalism, determination and execution. The fact that we didn't, again on the road, has to be cause for concern.

**Losac** · 08-28-2006, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by TRAP

I'm with MOBTOWN on the preseason bit. I've been saying that on the other boards. Billick wasn't going to show his hand and wasn't going to do much anyway in a pre-season game. As someone posted on the game thread, it looked like they were playing not to get hurt. But it was only preseason. We just kicked their butts here a few months ago and knocked them out of a PO spot in a regular season game.

Sorry, but I don't agree with any of this. I'm sick of the "it's only preseason" excuses. This team has shown nothing to indicate they are ready for the opener in Tampa. The whole "saving the playbook" excuse doesn't fly either. Billick looked so pissed off and now wants to play his starters longer because he was saving his good plays for Tampa?

**Raven31** · 08-28-2006, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by losac

Billick looked so pissed off and now wants to play his starters longer because he was saving his good plays for Tampa?

That's BRILLIANT Billick logic. Wait until the games count to start testing plays instead of in pre-season where you're able to test them, work out all the kinks, etc.

BRILLIANT I tell you, BRILLIANT.

**Mobtown** · 08-28-2006, 11:04 AM

The whole "saving the playbook" excuse doesn't fly either. Billick looked so pissed off and now wants to play his starters longer because he was saving his good plays for Tampa?

Billick was pissed for several reasons.

1. Officiating was terrible again.
2. Mental mistakes like false starts and personal fouls.
3. Missed opportunities - i.e. Stover's missed FG.
4. Poor execution - The line protection breakdowns, poor route running, and bad decisions by his new QB are all completely independant of the plays being called. It shouldnt matter if the playbook was vanilla, his team should still execute well.
5. Our $100m secondary looked like complete shit. Min was passing the ball on us at will and when our DBs did catch up they were whiffing on the tackles.

These are football basics that are being missed by his supposedly professional team. None of that has anything to do with "saving the playbook" and all of it is good reason for him to be pissed and for us to be afraid.

He is was also probably pissed because ultimately, the poor execution of the basics are 100% on HIS shoulders.

**camdenyard** · 08-28-2006, 11:28 AM

If I'm Billick, I play the starters the entire first half on Thursday as a penalty for the obvious sleepwalk job pulled last Friday. And I say "and you'll stay out there until I am satisfied that you can play like professionals".

Injuries? I would not let that enter into the thought process. Injuries can happen during camp, during scrimmages and during pickup basketball games.

I'm tired of seeing this team go out overconfident and lay eggs. Ever since that Oakland game in December 2003, we've been witness to some of the most uninspired flops in the last five years - including a season opening turd in Cleveland in '04; pretty much the entire '05 season against inferior opponents (Titans, Lions, Jets, Houston, Cleveland).

If you don't play with passion in this league, you don't win. The talent differential is simply too small.

**Losac** · 08-28-2006, 12:37 PM

I understand what you're saying Mobtown, but I'm referring more to those making excuses for the team's performance by saying "it's only preseason", or "the playbook wasn't fully opened up", or "we would have won if the starters played the whole game".

**RavenTD** · 08-28-2006, 12:48 PM

I think most of us that are siding with punishing the starting unit for their laxidasical performance vs the Vikes.See it as a lesson to teach the players that this will not be tolerated in,practise,preaseason and of course regular season.

**Greg** · 08-28-2006, 12:54 PM

The "it's only preseason" only applies to the score. The execution of your first team does count. They looked like shit.

**lance1086** · 08-28-2006, 02:57 PM

After Friday's game, how can everyone suddenly conclude that we're the same offense as last year?

Did everyone suddenly forget about our first 2 pre-season games? Did everyone forget that we moved the ball at will against a very potent Philly defense? At what point last year, could we move the ball, like we were doing against NYG & PHI??

This time last week, we were commenting on the difference McNair had made to this efficient offense. One bad half of offensive football, and suddenly "we are absolutely no better off than last year".

Seriously, c'mon.

**camdenyard** · 08-28-2006, 03:40 PM

I whistled past the graveyard this time last year. We looked like shit most of that preseason too. But hey, it's a veteran team and they don't need preseason to get ready. Right?

After Indy and Tennessee, the season was wrecked. They weren't ready.

I don't want to see a repeat. If you are going the play the game, play it right. Play the starters on Thursday for a half. They need it.

**lance1086** · 08-28-2006, 03:41 PM

We looked like shit most of that preseason too.

Please explain to me how we've looked like shit, for MOST of this pre-season?

**GreenWave52** · 08-28-2006, 04:03 PM

Lance you misread Camden. He said that season and was referring to last year.

I think everyone agrees that we looked damn good against the Giants and Eagles. Maybe laying an egg in Minny was good for the fans in the sense that its tempering expectations. And it lets the players know that if they want to win on the road a performance like that won't get it done in the NFL.

**lance1086** · 08-28-2006, 04:21 PM

Lance you misread Camden. He said that season and was referring to last year.

He was referring to them both. He said, "We looked like shit most of that preseason TOO."

TOO, meaning also, or in addition to. "We looked like shit last season also." And I assume that also, would be referring to THIS current preseason. If he finished his sentence it would have read something to the effect of, "We looked like shit most of that preseason, just as we have this preseason."

Sorry to get technical, but camden (as well as many others) are indeed implying that it's the same story as last year. "We look horrible in pre-season, and it will translate to regular season." Truth is, we haven't looked horrible at all in the pre-season. Our offense had one bad half of football. Aside from that, we've looked like a much different team than last year.

**Losac** · 08-28-2006, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by lance1086

Please explain to me how we've looked like shit, for MOST of this pre-season?

Being as how the 1st team offense has only managed 1 touchdown, including being shut out for an entire half - I wouldn't say they have played well. Not to mention the horrible red zone play and terrible 2-minute drill. Then you have the boneheaded penalties that extended drives for the opponent in the Philly game, and the fact that this team continues to sleepwalk through road games.

**Greg** · 08-28-2006, 04:52 PM

We had one TD drive that could have very well ended with a pick on the long attempt to Mason. Other than that we have fizzled out on sustained drives in game 2 and not gotten much at all going in game 3. That is one good drive that we got a break on, a few nice drives that ended with FG attempts and a lot of stalled drives. And it has been getting worse, not better.

I think a fan of this team should be concerned and want to see some good shit this Thursday.

**Ravenatic20** · 08-28-2006, 05:47 PM

As long as the o-line preforms well this week, every position is a proven(sp?) one. Just proving that they can play in an NFL game. Personally, I'm not worried. Yes, I think we're going to get creamed when we play the Bucs, but after that we won't lose more than 7 games.

**camdenyard** · 08-28-2006, 05:58 PM

Thanks Greg and Iosac. I didn't think that I needed to play Captain Obvious, but I guess there are planty of purple-colored glasses out there.

The defense has played the underneath WAY too soft and the offense (and I'm spreaking of the starters in both instances, not future Wendy's fry cooks) has been inefficient. 12 play drives are great but not if they result in field goal attempts. This offense has a mandate now - keep the defense off the field AND score TOUCHDOWNS. Sorry, but I'm not seeing it. If McNair doesn't dive and barely make it to the corner of the EZ, what is there to hang our hats on for three games?

If you like what you've seen thus far, you have a low standard. This team competes in arguably the toughest division in football, and we have a brutal schedule. The Ravens can't afford to waltz into Tampa dancing and prancing and playing like they are the '85 Bears or the Montana 49ers. Because they are not, and a team like Tampa is liable to take McNair's head off. Think you were in shock when Boller went down vs. Indy? A similar incident with McNair would make the season look like this: