The New Mentality Has Not Fully Set In Yet.

[ravensnhokies]

Considering the fact the main reason the Ravens weren't in the Super Bowl last year was because two players failed to execute simple moves that they've been doing since Pop Warner (kicking and catching) I can't buy into Harbaugh being Andy Reid.

At the end of the day (last year at least), he wasn't outcoached, players failed make the necessary plays.

Yeah, but devil's advocate... If the Ravens weren't outcoached in either the Jags or Seahawks game (Cam), and won one of them, the Ravens would have had the #1 seed. They wouldnt have lost at home in the playoffs. These regular season losses b/c of suspect coaching burns you later on with seeding. In the AFC, its extremely tough to win the Championship Game on the Road.
We were flat out better than the Patriots, but when you gotta go on the road, crazy shit happens.

I like Harbs and think he is a very good coach, but I just won't believe he is in that elite category until he does make it to a SB. I cannot get beyond the fact that he is a ST coach, and the fundamental problem is that he doesn't have offensive or defensive expertise and experience to keep his coordinators in line. So he is totally dependent on the OC or DC. Our prior DCs were SB caliber (sans Mattison... too early on Pees but he does have a good track record). Now I ask you is Cam a SB caliber OC? I dont think so. His game brain farts like on Sunday during the 3Q might burn us in the end with playoff seeding (hopefully we even make it). I mean does Harbs ever overrule Cam's playcall? Do they strategize on their tendencies during games? I just dont see why Harbs wouldnt have told Cam to run it once during all those 3rd and 2s.

Harbs and Cam are attached at the hip at this point. So until Harbs and Cam get us to the SB, I'm a non-believer. I strongly hope I am 100% wrong, though.

[s.r.genovese]

I didn't see the game, so I don't know if he made the right decisions or not. But even great coaches will make the wrong decision on occasion; Sean Payton last year against the Packers made the wrong play calls on the final goal line stand of the game. And the Saints lost.

Yeah, I'd agree with that. I would also say any coach who allows himself to be suspended for a year because of the bounty scandal has a lot of other issues too. It's hard to be a complete coach when you aren't even allowed to coach your own team.

[ballhawk]

The personel on the defense cant hold a candle to past ravens defenses. A result of picking so low in the draft over the last 5 years coupled with too many busted LBers. It makes losing suggs the death blow. Sure harbs is no belicheck, but this team (defense at least) just doesnt have the talent that we are used to seeing.

[Ravenswintitle]

The Cardinals game was a close and winnable game. Did Belichick make the wrong decisions? Is he a complete coach?

He had Brady fall down to get a better spot - on the last two plays in a row. Send in kicker, misses it. I think most fans would've taken their chances with letting Brady run a play or two but what do we know?

[Captain Silver]

Wow we lose one fucking game, and people are reacting like this?

So Lee Evans makes that catch and we're in the SB, and Harbaugh is all of a sudden a future HOFer?

You guys need to get over this loss, there is such thing as losing to the Philadelphia Eagles on the road by one point, it doesn't warrant us to all think we are no longer a SB contender.

I actually agree with Ex here, we needed to keep the up tempo going.

I'm not saying the sky is falling, never did. Simply stated that our coach doesn't do enough to impact a game in a positive manner. He calls time and lets our kicker set up in the AFCC instead of rushing out on the field, maybe a different story.

I disagree. He flat out said that we will never win a superbowl with Jim Harbaugh. That's an emotional response.

Emotion? No you disregard my writing and try and tell me what I mean. There is no emotion with the fact my opinion is a former QB as a head coach who's team has shown great improvement on offense since he arrived will outshine his brother and pet offensive coordinator.

Also, you claimed I behaved otherwise after the Bengals game and I posted my unpublished blog, which I have time stamped in an email to Tony Lombardi if you need proof. My opinion was th Ravens weren't as good and the Bengals were that bad. Yet you dismissed it, if you are going to be a Harbaugh apologist, at least have follow through when your points are clearly shot down rather than ignoring how wrong you are.

So the definition of a complete coach is winning championships?

That is how history works. Marty Shottenhiemer is held nowhere near what Bill Cowher is and the difference is Cowher won a Super Bowl.

Considering the fact the main reason the Ravens weren't in the Super Bowl last year was because two players failed to execute simple moves that they've been doing since Pop Warner (kicking and catching) I can't buy into Harbaugh being Andy Reid.

At the end of the day (last year at least), he wasn't outcoached, players failed make the necessary plays.

Was Reid responsible for McNabb choking? No, but their coaching careers are eerily similar. Lots of wins, no Championships. Again, if Harbaugh calls time out in the AFC Championship instead of rushing the kicker, maybe it would be different.

The Cardinals game was a close and winnable game. Did Belichick make the wrong decisions? Is he a complete coach?

So long as Belicheck has Super Bowl appearances and victories tainted or not, he will get more leash than a coach who hasn't won any championships.

So when Coughlin and the Giants stumbled to a 7-7 record last year, was he an incomplete coach at the time only to become a complete coach when he won it all? The ravens won a few close games last year, was he a complete coach then. I realize you are trying to define what a good coach is but leave the word complete out. It's ridiculous and suggests that a complete coach has to be perfect which no one is.

And my QUOTE to answer your above was in fact:

Unless this team catches fire like the Giant's did last year, I see a repeat of the great statement "John Harbaugh has made the playoffs 4 (soon to be 5) years in a row.

I am not sure how complete factors into it, what I am saying is John lacks when it comes to managing the game, which puts him the team at a disadvantage when faced with game time adversity.

[Captain Offense]

Captain Silver,

I get all of your points and can understand that it may turn out the way you predict. Still, there are too many factors to consider whether a Head Coach will make a difference. Is Coughlin a different coach than he was before he joined the Giants? Before he had a Super Bowl winning team? Was he a different coach because a receiver decided to jam a ball into his helmet to complete a pass so they could drive to win a Super Bowl? Is Belichick a worse coach than before when he won Super Bowls?

The Fake Punt was a great call; players just decided to trip over each other. Was that the ST coach or the HC? I want the team to get to the playoffs. Once there, everybody starts from scratch and anything can happen. How many coaches do we plan to go through if we dump this one to see if we can get to the SB and win?

It is a tough debate. Right now, I am OK with Harbaugh. I will leave it to the owner to decide when to pull the plug.

[Justlovemybirds]

Was Reid responsible for McNabb choking? No, but their coaching careers are eerily similar. Lots of wins, no Championships. Again, if Harbaugh calls time out in the AFC Championship instead of rushing the kicker, maybe it would be different.
.

The common denominator, to me, still is players not doing what they are payed to do in spite of the coaching.

I'd be more inclined to believe that Cundiff being rushed had something to do with his missing kick had he not been as dismal on the road as he was all season.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

The personel on the defense cant hold a candle to past ravens defenses. A result of picking so low in the draft over the last 5 years coupled with too many busted LBers. It makes losing suggs the death blow. Sure harbs is no belicheck, but this team (defense at least) just doesnt have the talent that we are used to seeing.

This.

There have been a lot of "whiffs" on defensive players over the past 5-6 years. Other than Webb, what starter have we drafted on D that is a very good player over the last 5 years? Jones is ok...nothing special. Cody has been beat out buy a guy who ate his way out of the league last year and is coming off a serious injury. McPhee looks to be a pass rush specialist...good player though he may only be a part time guy. McClain was undrafted and is just ok. Kruger has some pass rush ability, but not special ability and isn't good against the run. Kindle...complete whiff. McClellan is ok. Ellerbe is ok. Webb is great. Jimmy is ok, but hopefully will be really good soon. Nothing else.

Match that up with conservative DC's and you get what we have.

[Captain Silver]

Again guys, this is MY opinion. I see where you are coming from and 1 Super Bowl victory, and all that changes. But I feel the Ravens underachieve, if this is the case, then the blame ultimately lies with the head coach.

[The Excellector]

Which is kind of the Achilles heel of the no-huddle, pass-intensive game. Like I said in my earlier post, if we played more ball control football Sunday and ran time off the clock, Philly probably doesn't get the opportunity to hang 486 yards on us. But when your offense can't stay on the field... and doesn't take time off the clock due to a bunch of incompletions... Bottom line, we lost the TOP battle. We actually lost it against the Bengals too, but the offense was much more efficient, and it was a home game. Easier to recover from that in friendly territory...

Also, they got 14 points off of our turnovers, on short fields. We got what out of our four turnovers? I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it was less than 14 points.

I'm not that worried about the defense. I think the offense let them down in the second half. If any of those three 3-and-outs in the 3rd quarter was a five minute drive, even if it didn't score, I think the game ends differently.

When they ran the sugar huddle in the first half, they didn't even have a half dozen incompletions (that I can remember). Joe was precise and Ray was catching them off guard with his occasional runs up the middle. The 3 and outs were more due to the predictability of the second half strategy. It was easier for Philadelphia to see what was coming.

[Florida Art]

In the end, we will not win a Super Bowl with John Harbaugh as coach. His brother with the 49ers will win one before he does. Bank on it.

I hate saying it but I agree with that.

[Florida Art]

The bottom line is that this team has to stop beating itself.

The common theme in all our big losses are unforced errors by us in crunch time.

I don't know what we need to do, but it's almost becoming comical and we are becoming the Eagles of the last decade...really good team that just makes mistakes at the worst possible times.

Horse manure. We didn't beat ourselves, Phiiy did. Give em' credit.

[Florida Art]

So the definition of a complete coach is winning championships?

Uhhh, yeah.

[Ravenous1]

My biggest issue with Sunday was the sudden change in tempo. Clearly based on comments from players and coaches that was a Cam move
Were as I have called for people to give Pees a chance to show he has the ability to adjust and improve, Cam has had years to do so and still has not.
The reasons being thrown around out there for the change in tempo was that the Eagles anticipated it (DUH) and had an excellent plan to substitute personnel by having them sprinting on and off the field.....Really ????? This is just plain goofy.

First off you put up 17pts in the first half including two TD's neither of which was aided by turnover or starting deep in opponents territory. That is decent.
Secondly even if the Eagles do manage to sub ...who gives a rats ass??? Let them wear themselves down running on and off the field and trying to keep up with the pace of your offense. You dont just chuck the baby out with the bath water.
The second half just reeked to me of Cam using the excuse of he Eagles being able to substitute to take back a greater degree of control over the offense. Just based on observation Cam strikes me as a control freak, a guy who insists on doing things his way even if its not the best way. I am not shocked first opportunity he got he found a way to try and exert some control.

Maybe I am leaping to conclusions here but the fact of the matter is that there was nothing wrong with the offensive production in terms of points in the first half. Joe's numbers were good and we seemed to have the Eagles on their heels a bit. Soon as Cam started muddling with the offense presto its like the carriage turning back into a pumpkin. I can only hope that Joe, Rice, Caldwell whoever has made it a point to make Harbaugh or Ozzie recognize this and force Cam to just lay off.

[rharris1986]

The new mentality has not set in yet because CAM IS STILL CALLING THE PLAYS (and dictating the pace of the game). I believe that he is incapable of running the type of offense he says he wants to run. This year (unlike previous years) he has the talent on offense - and the results are the same as before.

Here's the most telling indictment of Cam. Rex was swooped up as a head coach after one year with Harbaugh as defensive coordinator. Pagano was swooped up as a head coach after one year with Harbaugh as defensive coordinator. Even Mattison got a job in Michigan. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY has come knocking at Cam Cameron's door after FOUR FULL seasons as Harbaugh's offensive coordinator - with four full winning seasons and a combined W/L record of 49W and 24L (including playoff games). Do we think the rest of the league knows something that the Ravens don't

[Lime in the Coconut]

...but 6th in points allowed.

That is true, and we're relatively high in sacks too. The run defense improved IMO, but it's more of the scheme that I question against opposing QB's.