Ravens Week

jiggins7919

@icecube said:

Throw some high % passes on 1st down - Ravens are going to be hyper-focused on stopping Chubb early. Keep moving the chains, critical. Keep the D rested, as if we get into a situation where Balt. can pound the rock, it's bedtime.

I saw a pretty interesting stat a while back that I can't find now, but it was something like Stefanski lead the league in rushing attempts on 2nd and long and he had good results. I know I'm butchering it, but the point was that he was committed to running the ball as an OC and ran it more than anyone when people didn't THINK he'd run it. Now, I'm not saying he ran a draw play on 4th and 9 or anything (Jesus, that play still) but the guy definitely has a history of running the pill.

Perhaps more impressive were Cousins' stats. He had like a 3-1 td to int ratio and was extremely efficient. Many of the tds came from play-action passes, and Baker especially loves throwing those (and has a higher qbr doing so!)

The one thing I'd tell people to be ready for is the reliance on Kareem Hunt. Yes, Chubb is an absolute beast, but Hunt is going to be on the field quite a bit. Also, I got excited thinking about us using the FB again! Our offense is going to look completely different from years past and that's a good thing. Heck, OBJ might only have 4 catches, but I can bet you that he'll still have 80 yards. Want some fantasy advice? Start Hooper Sunday. He's going to go OFF.

Can we win? Ehhhh...it'll be tough. Just try and avoid hitting the panic button after 1 game, folks. The Ravens are probably the 2nd best team in the world.

Orion

Kevin Stefanski will be calling the offensive plays in his first season as Browns head coach.

Stefanski confirmed the decision Friday in a video call with reporters and explained how the unusual offseason played a major factor. He had hoped offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt would have the opportunity to call plays during the preseason, but the adjusted schedules in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out any chance at a few practice runs.

"I just think with everything we do I just tried to be mindful and take in all the information," Stefanski said. "I will tell you, I have not called 1,000 games, but I will tell you when I have called it we are very collaborative. So, we have a lot of people that have a hand in this, and I am really lucky because I am surrounded by a bunch of really good coaches on the offensive and defensive side. So, feel good about our staff."

Stefanski called plays for the Vikings during the final part of the 2018 season and all of 2019. Under Stefanski's watch last season, QB Kirk Cousins posted the most efficient numbers of his career, and the Vikings ranked eighth in the NFL in scoring offense (25.4 points per game) and sixth in rushing offense (133.3 yards per game).

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For the record, I was hoping Van Pelt would be calling the plays and Stef would just run the whole show.

gumby73

@nickers said:

Call it the Homer syndrome.. I like the Browns by 3 points... I expect this game to be all kinds of a mess and low scoring... a game the browns can eek out with some luck....

phone taped a long year & 1 month later

Scott Petrak ct

@ScottPetrak

·

1h

This year teams are allowed to add one or two players from practice squad to active roster day before game. #Browns

brought up CB Robert Jackson today because of injuries at position. He will go back on practice squad Monday.

Icecube

@jiggins7919 said:

I never thought he'd seriously be in jeopardy of missing the opener, but it's great to know that Nick Harris can get the job done (to some extent) if we need him. Tretter is a beast and I respect the heck out of him.

Speaking of OL, I'm a little terrified to think of of our shiny new rookie LT in his first contest against the Ravens. Godspeed, brotha!

Is he lining up against Campbell? That dude is a flat out beast. God help us all.

Tour2ma

@icecube said:

Is he lining up against Campbell? That dude is a flat out beast. God help us all.

Looks that way per the Birds' Depth Chart...

I'm sure our Rook will get plenty of help vs. rush counts of five or less.

Icecube

@tour2ma said:

Looks that way per the Birds' Depth Chart...

I'm sure our Rook will get plenty of help vs. rush counts of five or less.

I think Campbell is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, he's just been on bad teams for the most part.

He's big, strong, fast and gives great effort. We needed him on the Ravens like a flat tire. If Wills holds up even reasonably well his 1st NFL game, and at his new LT position, vs. Campbell, the future looks bright. This ain't no piece of cake.

gumby73

@icecube said:

This ain't no piece of cake.

I've re-watched both games from last season.. The simple game notes should say...

Enjoy Game 1... but erase it... because Harbaugh already adjusted his defense in game 2.. Than hard-balls, just cut 7 starters out of 11 of his defensive players that started in game 1 ..

Adding bookends Calais Campbell & Derek Wolfe just add's more shine'y new toys to deal with...Rookie's DT Madubuike will be out..But we may get to see some Patrick Queen & Malik Harrison..

Ravens veteran coaching staff may have it's advanages. but their new defensive chest pieces, have played together just as long as the browns on defense.. the in the trenches warfare,? needs it's own camera set-up for quarter one..

Icecube

@gumby73 said:

I've re-watched both games from last season.. The simple game notes should say...

Enjoy Game 1... but erase it... because Harbaugh already adjusted his defense in game 2.. Than hard-balls, just cut 7 starters out of 11 of his defensive players that started in game 1 ..

Adding bookends Calais Campbell & Derek Wolfe just add's more shine'y new toys to deal with...Rookie's DT Madubuike will be out..But we may get to see some Patrick Queen & Malik Harrison..

Ravens veteran coaching staff may have it's advanages. but their new defensive chest pieces, have played together just as long as the browns on defense.. the in the trenches warfare,? needs it's own camera set-up for quarter one..

One big difference is Balt. has a proven track record and tradition of developing nasty Ds, Browns have not done that yet. It seems more likely that Ravens integrate their younger defenders quicker than Cleveland will, and perhaps more successfully. I don't see the glaring holes on the Ravens D like the Browns. Do they have any unit as thin as the Browns' LBs? You don't want to defend the Ravens' rushing game thin at LB; you will see Ingram, Dobbins and Edwards all damn day. Yea, and throw in some Jackson runs as well.

TexasAg1969

Key player for the Ravens is Ingram vs the depleted LB Corps. I'm kind of worried about that even more than Jackson, because that is how they can play keep-away and move the chains all they way down the field.

jiggins7919

@icecube said:

Is he lining up against Campbell? That dude is a flat out beast. God help us all.

Yeah, I'd expect so.

FALCON7

I guess no TV in the Dayton area, Fuck the NFL!

The Gipper

@texasag1969 said:

Key player for the Ravens is Ingram vs the depleted LB Corps. I'm kind of worried about that even more than Jackson, because that is how they can play keep-away and move the chains all they way down the field.

Did you hear we got Malcolm Smith.

SdBacker80

@icecube said:

One big difference is Balt. has a proven track record and tradition of developing nasty Ds, Browns have not done that yet. It seems more likely that Ravens integrate their younger defenders quicker than Cleveland will, and perhaps more successfully. I don't see the glaring holes on the Ravens D like the Browns. Do they have any unit as thin as the Browns' LBs? You don't want to defend the Ravens' rushing game thin at LB; you will see Ingram, Dobbins and Edwards all damn day. Yea, and throw in some Jackson runs as well.

I see some opportunities for the Browns

Safeties Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliot

LBs Are okay some are unproven. Let’s challenge the rookie Patrick Queen.

Neo

The only thing that worries me more than the Ravens themselves is the fact that the Browns haven't won an opening game in how long? But I'm still holding out hope, gotta kick that monkey sometime.

jiggins7919

@texasag1969 said:

Key player for the Ravens is Ingram vs the depleted LB Corps. I'm kind of worried about that even more than Jackson, because that is how they can play keep-away and move the chains all they way down the field.

Yeah, I know. They seem to gash for 9 yards a carry and then hit the wide open TE for 20. They're filthy and us having linebackers that even I don't know does not bode well. But hey, still got to play the game, right?

TexasAg1969

@the-gipper said:

Did you hear we got Malcolm Smith.

Underwhelming.

Icecube

@sdbacker80 said:

I see some opportunities for the Browns

Safeties Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliot

LBs Are okay some are unproven. Let’s challenge the rookie Patrick Queen.

Queen is a full-blown green rookie with not even preseason under his belt. He's gonna make mistakes. Fort is weak, we should know. Browns got some opportunities in the middle, but bottom line, Baker has to be accurate to win this one.

jiggins7919

@icecube said:

Queen is a full-blown green rookie with not even preseason under his belt. He's gonna make mistakes. Fort is weak, we should know. Browns got some opportunities in the middle, but bottom line, Baker has to be accurate to win this one.

I actually forgot what I was going to write because I'm listening to a talk show featuring Jalen Rose and he said that Cam Newton will be the Browns starting QB next year. Now that I'm done laughing, I'll try to respond to the thread. ?

The Ravens have VERY few weak spots on defense, but if there WAS one, it would where you said, in the middle. They likely have the best CB tandem (or trio) in the league, and their DL is seemingly always good. The middle being a weakness is especially important because our offense now features Austin Hooper. Baker loves the middle of the field and wasn't able to utilize it due to poor playcalling and a lack of available TEs.

Well, it be different now. We got a badass TE in Hooper who apparently dominated in camp and literally caught everything. Njoku is finally healthy and capable of making big plays, but he's likely going to be behind the biggest surprise in camp, Harrison Bryant. I actually find it hard to believe that a rookie TE will actually make an immediate impact, but literally everybody associated with the Browns has gone on and on about Bryant. The middle of the field MUST be taken advantage of and it has to be a regular theme as the game goes on.

It's not just the TEs that need to have a big day, the RBs also need to exploit the middle, especially Kareem Hunt. He's going to be featured more heavily than people think, and his recent extension is proof of this. Hunt catching a short pass is a nightmare for defenses and typically these are very safe passes for our young QB.

LBC mike

I can't wait to watch our dual running back threat.

SdBacker80

Ravens appear to be happy with what they have seen from their new safety tandem from early season camp and quotes and reports. I guess we will find out today.

let’s go glass half full again. Not an easy matchup for them covering our TEs, Hunt and Chubb potentially in space, Jarvis working over the middle, OBJ deep. As much we are worrying about the Rats exploiting us...look no further than this matchup LBs and Safeties vs Browns weapons.

i don’t know what is going on but I’m feeling good this morning. The Browns are going to win this game.