Shame of the Game - Ravens

[Landshark]

Oh look! Mike has nothing football related to add, he simply wants to piss and moan and create conflict in yet another thread. We're not there yet, but if you keep trying real hard, maybe you can get yet another thread closed.

Apparently you didn't read the title of this section, .  It's called Anti-Fins Chat for a reason.

Modified: Stop the name calling

[Guru-In-Vegas]

Mike Sherman.

Perhaps the reason we give up so many sacks a game is because we're dropping back to pass 40 goddamn times a game??  The Dolphins rushed the ball NINE TIMES. DA FUQ IS THAT?!?! I would understand if we were playing the Broncos and down by 21 the whole game but not a game like this one.  Horrible balance, horrible game plan, horrible execution overall. 

3 straight passes in the red-zone in a short yardage situation?  I mean it's not like the backs even got many carries to give any good indication as to abandon the run or not.  The Ravens ran the ball a total of almost 40 times.  Just well enough to beat us apparently despite Joe Flacco's sorry ass.

I don't know what these guys are thinking but they need to remember quickly that Aaron Rodgers isn't in a Dolphins uniform. 

[Phishfan]

I'm finding it very tough to pick a single person and not doing so is a pet peeve of mine. For a game that we could have and should have won (those pass interference calls wer complete garbage) there were a lot of people who made key mistakes in this game. Based on the cumulative effect, I select the o-line coach. This unit is playing with no effectivenss at all. I've seen QBs with more time in a flag football game where you could not use your hands for blocking. Several of those plays Tannehill could have gotten rid of the ball but held it too long though. Overall, there needs to be better protection though.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Apparently you didn't watch the Gators play last season

Apparently you haven't either.  Sturgis never made a 57 yard FG in college.  Last year his longest was 51. 

[CF DolFan]

I think the offensive line is the easy answer but everyone except Ireland knew that going into the season. Mine goes to Wallace. He missed two potential TD catches yesterday and we lost by 3. 60 million dollar paycheck gives you pretty big shoulders and he isn't using them except as a decoy.

[Brian Fein]

Its a tough choice this week. 

Wallace can't catch.  Very deserving of the shame.

The o-line can't block.  How has this not been addressed after 4 games?

Mike Sherman's playcalling is awful.  You have weaknesses, you MUST game plan around them.

The refs handed the Ravens 7 free points, and the Dolphins lost by 3.  I hate blaming the refs, but that was ridiculous.

Mike Sherman gets my shame this week because he needs to get more creative.  He needs to find a way to get Tannehill time.  Roll him out, let him run, throw some screen passes, whatever.  You have to find a way to slow down the pass rush.  Put Miller in behind the linebackers and throw him the ball.  He's a weapon in space.  Or put Thomas in to max protect.  What he's doing now is not working, and you can see it.  He was playing scared at the end of the game yesterday and he's taking a beating.

And blaming Sturgis for missing a 57 yarder is ridiculous.  A boneheaded mistake to kick it out of bounds, but it was a mistake.  Line up every kicker in the NFL from 57 yards and see how many make it.

[Spider-Dan]

I think you can place some blame on Sturgis' kick.  That kick wouldn't have been good from 20.  It was obviously shanked (replays did not appear to show a partial block).

[fyo]

I think you can place some blame on Sturgis' kick.  That kick wouldn't have been good from 20.  It was obviously shanked (replays did not appear to show a partial block).

Bullshit.

A kick is either good or it isn't. You don't get a point for nearly making it.

[Spider-Dan]

Um, bullshit.

If the kick traveled 55 yards straight down the pipes but didn't have the leg, it's a totally different perception than if he shanks it and it misses 15 yards to the left.

That's like saying "an incompletion is an incompletion" or "an interception is an interception."  Context matters.

[Brian Fein]

Did it seem to anyone else like they were rushing the kick?  I can't figure out why.  It seemed like they rushed them to avoid having the Ravens "ice the kicker."  I'm sure that had an effect on the result.  I've never seen Sturgis miss THAT badly.

[Tenshot13]

Um, bullshit.

If the kick traveled 55 yards straight down the pipes but didn't have the leg, it's a totally different perception than if he shanks it and it misses 15 yards to the left.

That's like saying "an incompletion is an incompletion" or "an interception is an interception."  Context matters.

You're going to kick a 57 yard FG different than a 20 yard FG so I don't see your point.

[Dave Gray]

You're going to kick a 57 yard FG different than a 20 yard FG so I don't see your point.

That's what you have to take away from this.  You're sacrificing accuracy for power and angle.  I think he kicks that ball way differently if it's a 45 yarder.

[Spider-Dan]

The fact that Sturgis shanked the kick badly does not bode well for future pressure situations.

It's one thing if he doesn't have the leg or if it hooks left in flight.  A total miskick like that means he got nervous.

It's the difference between a 4th down pass that is simply off-target and a 4th-down pass that one-hops to the receiver.  It's (potentially) a case of the yips.  I'm not saying he's a bust at halftime of week 1 (he's a rookie and it was a really long kick, so nerves are expected), but I'm saying it's something to watch carefully until Sturgis builds a bigger resume.

I imagine Philbin will work with him on it and make sure he's prepared for next time.

[mecadonzilla]

You're going to kick a 57 yard FG different than a 20 yard FG so I don't see your point.

+1

For kickers, everything about a chip shot is different than a near 60 yarder.  It is not abnormal for kickers to hook or slice the ball when trying to go for maximum power.  No pro would ever approach a 20 yarder in the same manner. 

The dude has only missed one try in 5 games, and I think we can give him a pass on a desperation 57 yard attempt.  The percentages on making that kick at sea level have to be extremely low.

[Spider-Dan]

Again, it's not that the kick was unsuccessful.  It's that he miskicked it.