HoosierCat Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Not looking ahead or anything but with Suggs lost for the season:@AdamSchefter: Ravens are signing former Jets and Eagles LB Jason Babin, per source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcom69 Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Be interesting to see how he does, he used to be pretty good. I guess there was a reason he was still on the streets though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 I suspect the answer is, he's 35. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Bad mojo by starting this thread so early, Hoosier. Now the Chargers are going to trounce us since fans are already looking ahead to future games. Get your head straight, man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishbengal Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 lets take care of business with SD first. Hopefully we won't have lost anyone for the season by this time next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 lets take care of business with SD first. Hopefully we won't have lost anyone for the season by this time next weekWell the Chargers have been taken care of. Now as rbb said in another thread, the Ravens will be desperate next week. I still think we can take them in Baltimore. Their defense is suspect, and Flacco seems to have lost his edge. Forsett is the best weapon they have right now. I think the Bengals win this one by at least a TD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 I think the Bengals are the better team, but I'm not sure they win this game. Baltimore is still capable, and this will be their home opener in a desperate situation. My immediate inclination is to predict a close loss here, but it wouldn't be something that reflects terribly upon the Bengals if I'm right. My feelings may change as the week progresses though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Ravens fans are significantly less confident than Chargers fans were. http://boards.baltimoreravens.com/topic/65189-next-up-cincinnati-bengals/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 This just turned into a huge early season contest. The Ravens are in must-win territory against a Bengals team that's playing well in all phases of the game. Baltimore will spend all week hearing about how no team that started 0-3 has ever won the Super Bowl (or some similar stats) so I expect them to come in motivated and ready to throw anything and everything at the Bengals to win. For their part Cincy appears to have handled its success in Oakland well. Now they get another week of media telling them how great they are. Just a huge test for both teams. Right now I like the Bengals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcom69 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 I still feel like if the bengals want to be a different team then these are the games they need to win. It's amazing the talent they have on offense, they have to go in and let it all out against a desperate team.One thing that really worries me about this team is the LBs. They are awful. Does AJ Hawk even play? Rey M is a waste of money. Vinny Rey awesome int, but his play has been poor. I'm hoping Burfict gets back and it changes, but let Dawson play they have nothing to lose.If the o-line keeps blocking they way they have been, Dalton will find his guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShulaSteakhouse Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 As always, if Dalton avoids turnovers/stupid mistakes, they win. The Ravens are terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyBengal Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Bengals are going to win another tough, close game.The Ravens don't have enough regardless of what their motivation may be.No Suggs absolutely kills that defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wraith Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 The Ravens are totally capable of kicking our butts this week. We will have to play a much better all around game than we did on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcom69 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 It's a division game, who cares about the record it's going to be tough no matter what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 The Ravens are not world beaters by any means, but I don't take their loss in Oakland too seriously. Two weeks in a row on the west coast is a brutal way to start the season... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 As always, if Dalton avoids turnovers/stupid mistakes, they win. The Ravens are terrible. Well, you could say that about any QB in the league, not just Dalton. And on that front I was actually encouraged by what I saw yesterday, because Hill made two of those kind of potentially game-killing errors and they rallied both times. So I'm not too worried about any Dalton miscues -- and there will be miscues. Every QB makes bad decisions and throws picks, and Andy's no different. I chalk his good performance in the first two games up to two things. One, they've played two teams with unimpressive defenses and the o-line has been able to keep him mostly clean and open holes for the RBs so that the O is balanced. Two, it looks like the coaches have reverted to the "let Andy be Andy" strategy we saw in his first couple seasons, versus the "make Andy try to be Big Ben" strategy of last season. They are letting him manage the game, take the occasional shot downfield, and throwing it away if the play isn't there. (And yeah, it also helps that he's got a bunch of real weapons to throw too, versus having to try to win with guys like Tate and Gresham.) The Ravens' defense is not what it once was, not but a long shot, and the loss of Suggs robbed them of their biggest playmaker. So I have hopes that the offense can continue its good streak. Defensively I am confident in the line and the secondary, but the LBs are a big weak spot for Flacco & Co.to exploit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyBengal Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Again, I expect a tough, close game.I never said they weren't capable of beating us or that records make the difference.Any given Sunday is a statement for a good reason. All that being said, I still don't think their defense is as it once was and the loss of Suggs makes them approach things differently. See us without Geno. Flacco isn't going to throw for almost 400 yards against our secondary and if all they can manage is 100 yards against Oakland, I like our d-line's chances with that.Again, they can have the all motivation in the world, but if the Bengals show up ready to go, it won't make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJJackson Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Ravens are a much different team at home than on the road I will be happy to get a win - pretty, ugly, no matter - there, but I am not expecting it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
membengal Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 If ever a team has a must win game in week 3 of an NFL season - it is Baltimore this week. With them having to go to Pittsburgh for a Thursday game after playing Cincy, they are looking at 0-4 if they don't win this one. They will be beyond desperate and will be playing at a level and emotion that Marvin has to have his team ready for. This will be a big test for Lewis - he seldom seems to have his team ready for these kind of emotional "big moment" games (it usually manifests itself in prime time and playoff debacles). I will be very curious if the head coach can have his team prepared for this one -both mentally AND emotionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 This will be a big test for Lewis - he seldom seems to have his team ready for these kind of emotional "big moment" games (it usually manifests itself in prime time and playoff debacles). I will be very curious if the head coach can have his team prepared for this one -both mentally AND emotionally. Definitely something to watch. Though I'm getting a good vibe on that front after they didn't let a big blowout win in Oakland go to their heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
membengal Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 It's not even so much about this going to their heads. It's about Marvin recognizing and admitting that sometimes there are games where the "steady as she goes" approach isn't the right one. It requires Marvin to admit that sometimes emotion matters, and to identify that Baltimore will be playing with an emotion and focus not usually found in a week 3 NFL game. The Ravens will need this one, desperately. If they lose this they are likely going to be 0-4 (road game at Steelers four days later is a nasty assignment). Marvin has to get his team ready for the emotion of the moment, something that he has historically been really bad at. PS - the last "wounded dog" opponent we faced on road in a big spot was at New England last year after they had been humiliated in Kansas City the previous Monday night. Marvin really REALLY didn't have his team ready for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcom69 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 I just read PFF had Bodine rated the number 1 center this week......wow shoot me now I can't believe what I read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 I just read PFF had Bodine rated the number 1 center this week......wow shoot me now I can't believe what I read Yup. He hasn't exactly been up against the greatest defensive interiors in the league these first two weeks, but props, he stepped up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 It's not even so much about this going to their heads. It's about Marvin recognizing and admitting that sometimes there are games where the "steady as she goes" approach isn't the right one. It requires Marvin to admit that sometimes emotion matters, and to identify that Baltimore will be playing with an emotion and focus not usually found in a week 3 NFL game. Oh, I suspect he does know that. After all, this is a guy who coached Ray Lewis and Chad Johnson, two raging balls of emotion with very different outcomes. But I get what you're saying. The Bengals need to be prepared to kick it into the next gear Sunday, and too often it seems like they don't have a next gear. That said,it's Baltimore and I think they'll be up for the game. The question is whether they are up enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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