So, any OL doubters turning into believers now?

**JAB1985** · 09-11-2012, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by bmorecareful

Although our line was physically dominant, there were several miscommunications of this sort last night. It will improve in time.

i agree with you. with two inexperienced players on the line you expect those growing pains just not from the vet, which if he stayed with his man it seems like he was should have passed off on that one. its one play though, and i dont really care because he played well overall. i actually like that harewood is surrounded by vets and KO at least has Yanda to help communicate with, should help the learning curve.

**Lee Van Cleef** · 09-11-2012, 11:37 AM

My first post was a tad tongue in cheek about the Polamalu comparison; it's frequently brought up to bash Oher round the head with.

It is difficult to block that, if you could distribute your blockers more evenly, that's what you'd do, but given the alignment pre-snap it would be a hard adjustment to make.

**wickedsolo** · 09-11-2012, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Lee Van Cleef

My first post was a tad tongue in cheek about the Polamalu comparison; it's frequently brought up to bash Oher round the head with.

It is difficult to block that, if you could distribute your blockers more evenly, that's what you'd do, but given the alignment pre-snap it would be a hard adjustment to make.

**Shambla** · 09-11-2012, 11:44 AM

They looked pretty decent but I think a lot of the credit goes to Joe for being so quick and decisive. They were killing it in run blocking though. Almost every Ray Rice play (6.8 YPC) was like he was running through the parted red (orange?) sea. I don't even think he was touched on his first TD.

**jonboy79** · 09-11-2012, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

I think thats the only way it is better. Say what you want about McKinnie, but hes probably the best pass protector on the team. So any way you slice it? no. although as long as Flacco can get the ball out that quick, his deficiencies will be masked and his strengths magnified, which is exactly what you want and what were hoping for.

As far as Birk, hes the best option we have, and yeah he got mauled from time to time, but we were facing a top 10 defense with Peko and Atkins on the inside. He did a good job. the entire line did.

This is my take as well. the scheme benefited our OLine GREATLY last night. I want to see more, but given how they looked last night I can see the thought process behind starting who they did . I don't think they would have looked so sharp has the offense as a whole resembled our previous offense schemewise.

**houstonravensfan** · 09-11-2012, 01:54 PM

Happy, happy, happy! Bengals are a better than average team and provided an excellent warmup. There are tougher teams ahead, but with two rookies (I count Harewood as such) the O line will only get a LOT better. And McKinnie and B Wiliams provide solid, experienced depth. Now if McKinnie gets even a little motivated by the situation, and B Williams gets fully healthy, we could work on a rotation that could make the O line even better.

**Justlovemybirds** · 09-11-2012, 06:36 PM

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...ravens-week-1/

Geno was held in check for the most part.

Belying Sacks

As we’ve had cause to point out a few times already this season, the sacks don’t always tell the whole story, and here is yet another example. Geno Atkins is one of the best defensive tackles in football. He is a player that should have the kind of hype that surrounds Ndamukong Suh, and in this game he had a pair of sacks. But that was about all he had. Despite rolling right through Matt Birk early in the game and then abusing former teammate Bobbie Williams in garbage time, Atkins could generate no additional pressure from his 30 other pass-rushing opportunities. While he made a couple of plays in the run game, this was far from the dominant performance that a pair of sacks would suggest it was.

Given how successful Atkins was against the Ravens last season and the new members of that offensive line, Baltimore coaches will be happy enough that two sacks was the only real impact the Bengal was able to have on the game.

On Oher

Most of that was in the run game as he was instrumental in giving Ray Rice the edge on a couple of runs with tough seal blocks on Bengals defenders, but on 39 pass blocking snaps he allowed only a pair of knockdowns and no other pressures.

This is what I love about Oher playing LT as opposed to Big Mac

**cealex1223** · 09-11-2012, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Stealthbirds80

There were only a few of us that liked the McKinney move out of the lineup, now we see why. Next week will be a test for the tackles.

Reverse, misdirection, sugar huddle...do we see what their doing here? The entire offense is designed to get the ball out quickly and unstack the box to allow Rice to do his thing too. Its a scheme built for this offense. We'll need to execute, but I don't know that a "test" for our tackles is the issue.

**Ravenswintitle** · 09-11-2012, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Shambla

They looked pretty decent but I think a lot of the credit goes to Joe for being so quick and decisive. They were killing it in run blocking though. Almost every Ray Rice play (6.8 YPC) was like he was running through the parted red (orange?) sea. I don't even think he was touched on his first TD.

Gotta give Leach a little credit here too, he was laying out some linebackers

**Ravenous1** · 09-11-2012, 09:59 PM

When you really think about it ..... its kinda hilarious how the Steelers spent those picks on OL and yet at this point (injury a big part obviously) our OL is prob younger and more athletic. Makes me feel all warm inside

**leachisabeast** · 09-12-2012, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenous1

When you really think about it ..... its kinda hilarious how the Steelers spent those picks on OL and yet at this point (injury a big part obviously) our OL is prob younger and more athletic. Makes me feel all warm inside

I think the Steelers regret passing up on KO to take Mike Adams lol.

**BigPlayReceiver** · 09-12-2012, 07:24 AM

It will be interesting to see how KO and Oher handle Babin and Cole (he's the RDE right?).

Joe can throw from the boot pretty well. Maybe we'll do some of that and some QB draws to neutralize the pincher-effect of PHI's rush.

From my SGIII

**leachisabeast** · 09-12-2012, 10:32 AM

Oher matches up better with speed rushers than bullrushers anyway. McKinnie is the other way round. KO concerns me being a rookie, he looked a little out of depth at times against Chris Long, but I am confident that they will be adequate enough to do a job, don't expect them to look as good as they did the other night in this one though.

**houstonravensfan** · 09-12-2012, 10:48 AM

Imagine what an O line we'll have if/when J Reid lives up to the potential teams saw in him on draft day. Reid, Gradkowski, KO, Harewood . . . that's a LOT of youthful potential.

**BigPlayReceiver** · 09-12-2012, 02:41 PM

We'll see how KO and Harewood come along, but I like the inexpensive way this unit has come together. And what I REALLY like is that it should be relatively inexpensive to keep them together (save Birk) through the 2015-2016 timeframe.

LT: Oher - Rookie contract through 2013 (figure $10-11M or so to franchise, $12-14M if has two improbable, unlikely PB years and demands Joe Thomas money ($84M over 7 yrs))

LG: Harewood - RFA going into 2013

C: Birk - Gone, but Gino is cheap (that cat has to bulk up big time though, or we may go FA here)

RG: Yanda - Good through 2015

RT: KO - Rookie contract through 2015

And we'll certainly have Rice, Joe, the better TE (at least, maybe both), and probably Torrey (on an extension/or resign) through 2015-2016 as well.

isht...I need to get me a PSL

**lovefootball** · 09-12-2012, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Lee Van Cleef

You're right, Rice picked up the LB, Howard who was coming off the edge, it just happened that he got pushed into the path of Pacman who was blitzing in from the same side. Rice was outnumbered, Oher stuck with Johnson who stunted inside leaving Birk watching Atkins (who didn't rush), and Harewood having time to go order takeout.

I thought Rice was awesome on that play, to me he was battling two guys at once and lost. Can't complain about Rice's effort, he took them both on ,but lost the battle. Not every play will go as planned for Flacco and the OL, it's football as usual. That is why the game was so impressive to me. bengal defense has always been tough on the Ravens and Monday night was typical of the bengal defense. Ravens did great against a good defensive team that will handle many other NFL teams this year.

**Dirt1** · 09-12-2012, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by BigPlayReceiver

We'll see how KO and Harewood come along, but I like the inexpensive way this unit has come together. And what I REALLY like is that it should be relatively inexpensive to keep them together (save Birk) through the 2015-2016 timeframe.

LT: Oher - Rookie contract through 2013 (figure $10-11M or so to franchise, $12-14M if has two improbable, unlikely PB years and demands Joe Thomas money ($84M over 7 yrs))

LG: Harewood - RFA going into 2013

C: Birk - Gone, but Gino is cheap (that cat has to bulk up big time though, or we may go FA here)

RG: Yanda - Good through 2015

RT: KO - Rookie contract through 2015

And we'll certainly have Rice, Joe, the better TE (at least, maybe both), and probably Torrey (on an extension/or resign) through 2015-2016 as well.

isht...I need to get me a PSL

Oher is the key to this OL. If he can be a legit LT, then that frees Ozzie up to address the pass rush in the draft next year. Birk will be gone after this season, and who knows if Harewood is the real deal. But Centers/OGs are not that tough to find in the draft. The Ravens can address those positions in rounds 2-4 if Harewood and Gino don't pan out they way they want. The Ravens are going to be good for awhile if they don't have to package a bunch of picks to trade up for a LT.

**leachisabeast** · 09-12-2012, 06:41 PM

If Oher proves to be a legit LT, he doesn't have to be great or anything, just good, and if Harewood carries on playing well at LG, this line could be set for years, and could develope into one of the best units in the league. Yanda is an all pro, and KO has Yanda like potential at RT to be that good too. I have question marks at center, but if Gino gets bigger for next year, we shouldn't have a problem.

**jonboy79** · 09-13-2012, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Oher matches up better with speed rushers than bullrushers anyway. McKinnie is the other way round. KO concerns me being a rookie, he looked a little out of depth at times against Chris Long, but I am confident that they will be adequate enough to do a job, don't expect them to look as good as they did the other night in this one though.

I see it the exact opposite Their frame and footwork may lead you to think otherwise, but it's all in the use of hands.

**wickedsolo** · 09-13-2012, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

I see it the exact opposite Their frame and footwork may lead you to think otherwise, but it's all in the use of hands.

And reaction.

An OT has to be very quick when it comes to reacting to a pass rusher. Studying their moves and tendancies are paramount. Some of the best LT's to ever play the game would sit and study the best pass rushers for hours learning their moves, what they went to the most, etc.

Quick feet, quick hands, strength, and size are all absolutely important, but the most important attribute is knowledge and being able to react to that knowledge while on the field.