Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Screen Game Can Help Take Pressure Off the Offensive Line

If one were to ask The Dude how the Ravens' offensive line has played so far this preseason, he might say "ah, you know, strikes and gutters, ups and downs."

After all, the re-tooled O-line has shown improvement compared to last season... but that's also not saying very much. I do think that the run blocking has improved substantially, but unfortunately the pass blocking hasn't shown nearly as much promise.

On an individual level, Ricky Wagner is still making his way through the learning curve, and Eugene Monroe is playing well below expectation right now. Even Kelechi Osemele has made his share of mistakes. And then there's the issue of running backs trying to pass block, which hasn't been a pretty sight.

All told, the Ravens' pass blocking has looked rough this summer... and I don't anticipate them finding a miraculous fix before the start of the regular season, either.

Friday, August 22, 2014

How to get the most out of Kyle Juszczyk

After sitting behind Vonta Leach for a season, the fourth round fullback from Harvard is poised to assume a big role in the 2014 Ravens offense.

Coming out of college, fans were excited about his versatility - although many were perplexed as to why a franchise would select any fullback with the 130th pick in the draft.

In spite of this conjecture, we can assume that Juszczyk will get far more snaps this coming season compared to the four he received in 2013. That's because his skill set - if used properly - can give the Ravens offense the extra edge it needs to compete for an AFC North title.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Flacco's Interceptions: Second Interception VS Denver Broncos

Week 1 Baltimore Ravens vs Denver Broncos
12: 26 left in 4th Quarter Baltimore 17, Denver 42
4th and 1

The play call: 

The Ravens are looking for a quick yard to pick up the first down, so Ray Rice runs a quick out route. Brandon Stokley and Torrey Smith run in routes on the other side of the field, with Dallas Clark and Marlon Brown both running go routes with outside releases.

Where does Justin Forsett fit in the Ravens offense?

Justin Forsett, the seventh year running back from California, was brought in as a veteran free agent in order to soften the transition from the Cameron/Caldwell offense to Gary Kubiak's zone blocking/West Coast attack.  We can assume he will be called upon to spell Bernard Pierce in the first two regular season games due to Ray Rice's 2-game suspension.  Can he hold up?  If so, what can he provide?

I watched the film of all of Forsett's carries and receptions that I have access to (2012-2013; 69 carries, 18 receptions) to get an idea of how he will be used during the coming season.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Do the Baltimore Ravens Really Value Their Draft Picks More Than Most NFL Teams?

It’s the puzzle-making time of year for NFL general managers as they start whittling down their 90-man rosters into a squad of just 53 players. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as choosing the 53 best men. GMs need to find the right mixture of veteran leaders, experienced contributors and youthful potential in order to build a winner—for both this season and the future.

Rookies have an interesting place in that process. Most players need a season or two before they are truly ready to become a starter or rotational player, so front offices need to decide how many roster spots they are willing to dedicate to prospects that aren’t going to play a significant role every Sunday.

The Baltimore Ravens are widely considered to be a team that places a great value on their draft picks—at least initially. That’s the party line that frequently gets tossed around by writers when they’re predicting what the final roster will look like.

Monday, August 4, 2014

What is the 4-3 "Under" and How Do the Ravens Use It?

It seems that, every year, there's an ongoing debate about the Ravens' front seven: Do they play a 3-4 or a 4-3? Are they switching to one or the other in the off-season? And how will that affect their defensive philosophy?

After all, the Ravens made their name as an attacking, opportunistic defense. They've intimidated quarterbacks and stifled running backs for most of their 18-year history, and fans take pride in the defensive tradition in Baltimore.

So with that in mind, I dug into the defensive front that the Ravens will use as their "base" this season: the 4-3 Under.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Examining Lardarius Webb Pre- and Post-ACL Injury

Following a monster 2011 season in which he was among the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL, Lardarius Webb was rewarded with a hefty six-year, $50 million contract.

Since putting ink to the contract, however, Webb has played a total of five-and-a-half games at his physical peak. He tore his ACL midway through the 2012 season, and unfortunately, he hasn't been the same since.

Prior to his injury, Webb's play was defined by superior agility - both lateral and straight-line - and aggressiveness bordering on recklessness. But with a history of injury (including his current back injury in training camp), will Webb ever return to form as one of the league's best cornerbacks?

VIDEO: Buffalo Picks Off Joe Flacco with their Cover-2 "Trap" Scheme

Dan Bryden draws up the Bills' Cover-2 Trap scheme and how it bested the Ravens offense in 2013.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

How Does Bernard Pierce Fit in the Zone Blocking Scheme?

By the halfway point of the 2013 season, Ravens fans were calling for an end to the zone rushing attack. The running game was going nowhere, and it was clear that the entire offense was suffering as a result.

But this offseason, the team swung the opposite direction: They hired Gary Kubiak as the new offensive coordinator, a coach who adheres strictly to the zone blocking scheme.

Now, because of Ray Rice's suspension, the Ravens will be forced to rely on Bernard Pierce to keep the offense on track for the first two games of the season.  The question remains: can Bernard Pierce carry the load?  I take a look at the necessary characteristics for a zone rushing back and see which ones fit Pierce.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Running Back "Vision" in the Zone Blocking Scheme

Much has been made about Gary Kubiak bringing his brand of the West Coast Offense to Baltimore for the 2014 season.

In order for Kubiak's system to work effectively, the run game must be efficient. But what makes a good running back in Kubiak's zone blocking scheme? And what is meant by running back "vision"? I decided to take a deeper dive into the rushing attack that the Ravens will rely on this season.

In a previous post, I broke down the blocking rules for the zone blocking scheme, but I didn't touch heavily on the role of the running back.  Despite what many might think, there's more to being an effective zone rushing back than possessing the "one-cut-and-go" buzz-phrase that always gets thrown around.  Running backs have strict reads that are temporally tied to the blocks of the offensive lineman in front of him.

Breaking Down Joe Flacco's Interceptions: First Interception vs. Denver Broncos

When the Baltimore Ravens' $120-million man tossed 22 interceptions last year, fans and analysts alike thought the sky was falling in Baltimore, or at least for Joe Flacco.

But a closer look at each interception tells a different tale. Many of the picks were preventable, and most were the result of uncharacteristic errors from Flacco.

Over a series of articles, I plan to look at several of Flacco's interceptions, detailing what went wrong. So without further ado, let's begin at the beginning...