Props to Spags & The D

[petegz28]

We didn't do real great against the run but we played a good game. Jackson got 2 TD's that were the result of plays that were nothing more than just plain LUCK! And one was a push off that didn't get called.

Key parts of the game:

Clark gets the sack at a crucial time
2, not 1 but 2 or even 3(?), 2-pt conversions stopped
Contained a very mobile QB in Jackson
Passing game for the Ravens was mostly luck. Coverage was there all game.


I'm liking what I am seeing so far. Need to tighten it up on the run a bit but the Ravens are a great running team. Keep improving and we have a solid middle of the pack defense.

[O.city]

Mathieu had his hands on 2 balls that he should have picked. Just couldn't hang on.

[RunKC]

After 3 quarters vs Jags-13 points
After 3 quarters vs Raiders-10 points
After 3 quarters vs Ravens-13 points

You guys need to understand that our defense is facing circumstances unlike any other defense in the league. Teams have to be aggressive against us.
We stopped the Ravens 8 times on 3rd down but 3 of them didn’t matter bc they went for it on 4th down.

When you play the Chiefs, you have no choice but to open your entire playbook and do whatever you can to keep up bc the Chiefs offense is going to score no matter what you do or how good you are.

These guys are better, but there are still kinks. I’m pissed that they got a TD from a blatant **** up call and also from Ward being a complete moron on a pop fly ball that should have been picked.

We have a ways to go, but there is improvement.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by RunKC

After 3 quarters vs Jags-13 points
After 3 quarters vs Raiders-10 points
After 3 quarters vs Ravens-13 points

You guys need to understand that our defense is facing circumstances unlike any other defense in the league. Teams have to be aggressive against us.
We stopped the Ravens 8 times on 3rd down but 3 of them didn’t matter bc they went for it on 4th down.

When you play the Chiefs, you have no choice but to open your entire playbook and do whatever you can to keep up bc the Chiefs offense is going to score no matter what you do or how good you are.

These guys are better, but there are still kinks. I’m pissed that they got a TD from a blatant **** up call and also from Ward being a complete moron on a pop fly ball that should have been picked.

We have a ways to go, but there is improvement.

Totally agree.

[oldman]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

It's improving.

Coverage was pretty good overall. Jackson barely completed any passes to WR's, and the two he just chucked up were indeed flukes.

I'm not super concerned with the d-line play as they really had to play contain all day. The sacks and pressures are starting to come.

It certainly wasn't pretty, and I'm certain you can cherry pick plays and stats in which you can assert otherwise, but I see a rising defense that gets a little better every week.

I agree, Chris. With Claiborne due back after the next game, I'm feeling a little more confident in our secondary. Would I like to have a PP or Ramsey? Sure, but we can't have 11 All-Pros on offense and 11 on defense.

[Toad]

Originally Posted by Aspengc8

middle was rough today because of lamars ability to hit a home run on a read option. i can guarantee spags told the ends to never cross the tackles face or scrape down on ingram. tough to defend with his running talent.

Good post. Totally agree.
It is tough to defend that kind of athleticism at QB. The issue will be for the Ravens is that if live by the sword, you die by the sword. The odds of Jackson getting injured with his scrambling/running is extremely high.

[Iczer]

Sometimes I just wish on those duck throws, our CB's would just fukin swat it down.

The terrible throw where they pushed off amazes me that it was reviewed and still stood. Clear extension of the arms, that created separation. Amazing.

Outside of those 2 fluke plays, it wasn't close.

[O.city]

On the 3rd and 17 heave across his body, Ward tries to wait for the ball to come to him to intercept it.

Just knock it down

[scho63]

Ogbah was D player of the game by a wide margin. He played great. The rest of the D not so much.

To have a single lame duck jump ball thrown and caught is one thing but we let them have two of the worst jump balls thrown and caught in one game. That was horrific to watch and after the first one, I said to myself "OH NO NOT AGAIN" before the second one the Shaid. He did make a great catch but we gotta knock that shit down!

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Iczer

Sometimes I just wish on those duck throws, our CB's would just fukin swat it down.

The terrible throw where they pushed off amazes me that it was reviewed and still stood. Clear extension of the arms, that created separation. Amazing.

Outside of those 2 fluke plays, it wasn't close.

Yep.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Iczer

Sometimes I just wish on those duck throws, our CB's would just fukin swat it down.

The terrible throw where they pushed off amazes me that it was reviewed and still stood. Clear extension of the arms, that created separation. Amazing.

Outside of those 2 fluke plays, it wasn't close.

They kept the game close by letting that play stand...

In reality Baltimore was never really in the game, they made it close at the end with some luck.

[htismaqe]

Here's the deal. Harbaugh, just like Gruden (and Andy Reid, BTW) scripts his starting offense. They were on-point and the end result was a 1st quarter like we just saw 8 days ago. Spags made obvious adjustments, just like he did last week (he added two left side stunts that worked later in the game) and the defense executed well.

What I saw:

1) The Ravens were looking to extend plays to the defensive left. Sure looked to me like they were trying to keep plays away from Frank Clark, which helped Ogbah and Okafor seem to be more "present".

2) Ogbah played up to the task, period. Okafor also did an excellent job staying put and not letting Jackson get upfield. This extended plays horizontally and a lot of times gave the LB's and/or DB's time to get over there.

3) The LBs are still struggling but they are WAY better than last year. Back side pursuit is better, point of attack is better. A lot of the passes to the middle of the field are "pick your poison" and quite frankly, Thornhill's growing pains are pretty obvious right now.

4) When Chris Jones is disciplined, the run defense is MUCH better. Why did the run defense get so much worse late? One, Jones looked gassed late and at one point, left the game dangling an arm. Two, you could see him freelancing early in the 3rd quarter once the Chiefs get up 23-6. He was looking to feast on that first drive and it ended in points for Baltimore.