Preseason Game 3 8/29/09 vs. Panthers

It’s difficult not to be impressed with the first team offense, but to me, that’s not what the preseason is all about.  Since there is less to say about the bubble boys, however, let’s start with some observations about the regulars:

Flacco had time to throw and was absurdly accurate, registering a QB rating of 115.3 (to me that did not even begin to convey his dominance).  Rice was elusive.  Mason proved his temporary retirement did not result in meaningful lost camp time.  Haloti Ngata was all over the field.  The Ravens held the Panthers to just 42(!) offensive plays while running 68.  While the Panthers gained 6.7 yards per play, they failed on all 7 third-down opportunities.  Heady stuff and it’s all a function of the first-team success.

I had the pleasure of watching both the Panthers’ and Ravens’ versions of these games.  It’s funny to see how each team treats the opponents, particularly the non-starters, as nameless drones.  In particular, the Panthers’ color guy referred to Parmele several times as “the guy” when dissecting his 48-yard run and the failure of the Panthers to manage their gaps.  Who was the Panthers’ color guy?  I didn’t catch his name, and as a Ravens’ fan, I’m not sure it’s significant.

All of this leads us back to the players trying to make the squad.  What I found very interesting was the long list of bubble players who did not see action.  I’ve again given a number of Ravens a grade from +3 to -3 reflecting how much I think their chance to impact the 2009 Ravens changed by their play Saturday.  Each player has a number associated with this game and a total for the 3 games to date, in that order.

Ayanbadejo (-1/-3):  Brendan was on the field early and often, but did not play well.  One play that stood out to me was the sideline review (Q4, 3:59).  The announcers were so concerned about determining the previous step out and whether or not Goodson had retained possession they ignored the fact that Ayanbadejo had position, but failed to find the ball.  He had trouble getting off his blocks for the 2^nd straight game.  The Ravens still have a number of decisions to make at LB.

Barnes (0/0):  He split a sack with Ngata, but didn’t get many total snaps Saturday.  Sandusky and White went out of their way to mention Barnes’ problems on special teams (he was also flagged for holding on a punt return) and slow development.  Not the sort of thing that gets mentioned right after a player gets to the QB.  When the Panthers registered their 3^rd straight holding penalty (Q4, 14:35—it looks like there may have been a problem with the game clock), Barnes whiffed on a tackle by the sideline.  I don’t think he solidified his spot with his performance against the Panthers.

Burgess (-1/-1):  The fact that he’s seeing the field in the 2^nd half doesn’t mean he’s ahead of players like Phillips and Ellerbe.  In fact, I think it’s more likely the team has decided a course of action (IR, PS, trade) on some of them.  Burgess looked slow to react in pass coverage (Q4, 14:35) when McCown hit Moore for 19 yards after the 3 holding penalties.  He also looked a little slow to recognize the gap on the Carolina TD, but that play was made by Rosario’s takedown of Nakamura.  I guess the referees did not have the heart to call a 4^th holding penalty, but it might have been the most egregious.  I don’t see how Burgess makes the team, but I expect the LB’s to be front and center in the final game Thursday. 

Cook (-1/-1):  Didn’t play Saturday and McClain lining up as FB when the Ravens do have 2 backs, so I think the door is all but closed.  I would not be shocked if the Ravens acquired a vet FB who could help them some on special teams.  Cook is a convenient choice for the PS.  No other team has much evidence as to why they should snag him.  This should be obvious, but I gave him a -1 for this game because I think his absence is damning.

Cousins (0/-5):  Cousins was inactive for the game.  Gaither played the first half at LT, Oher then moved to LT for a series before departing.  Reitz finished up at LT.  While Smith suffered a couple of QB hits, he wasn’t sacked, so I’d have to call that an improvement.  If Cousins is kept on the 53, I suppose he’ll be active, but I have to believe the Ravens are shopping for backup tackles now.  At this point, I’d say he’s at least an even money shot to be IR’d.

Drew (0/-4):  Another conspicuous DNP.  LJ Smith was inactive, Heap left in Q3, and the Ravens went to a number of 2-TE alignments with Smolko and Edgar Jones.  He should see a couple of balls in the last preseason game, but I have to believe he’s headed to IR.

Edwards (-1/0):  The Ravens continue to play without their best pass rusher, which meant lots of time for the Panther QBs.  The basis of the problem is that the Ravens have several line combinations that offer very little in the way of pressure (primarily those involving 2 or 3 of Bannan, Edwards, McKinney, and Talavou).  If Edwards were a pure DT, I’d keep Talavou over him in a heartbeat based on size, contract situation for the next 3 years, and the fact that I don’t think Gregg is likely to make it through the season without some down time.  With Pryce also an injury concern, the Ravens have some options.  They could move JJ back to a more conventional DE role and keep an extra young LB.  They can also rely on Edwards as the backup end who can also take some snaps at DT.  If Edwards is asked to be the 4^th DT for more than a game, the Ravens will be doing themselves a disservice.

Ellerbe (-1/0):  Again inactive.  If he’s healthy, I assume he’ll see significant time in the finale.

Figurs (-1/-1):  He dressed but did not play on Saturday.  Carolina punted 4 times with Carr and Webb deep on those.  The Ravens punted only twice, with Webb/Lawrence and Walker/Lawrence as the gunners.  Raven QBs threw 39 passes to 10 receivers, but not Yamon.  Does this sound like a player who’s in the team’s plans?

Foster (0/+1):  Foster didn’t have a ball thrown to him, but was on the field for some offensive snaps.  I still think the coaches want to give Foster a good look in the last game and hope he’ll stick on the practice squad.  I think the way he is used in the last game will tell us more than any statistics he may accumulate.

Gerard (0/-1): He had a special teams tackle, but I did not see him play any defense.

Godfrey (0/0):  Dressed, but DNP.  There are other concerns, but he’s a good candidate for the first set of 5 cuts.

Gooden (0/+2):  He’s active and has the speed to cover some, but instincts that are undeveloped.  I noticed him in tight coverage on a back running right out of the backfield, but his PD (Q3, 8:39) was simply face guarding. 

Gregg (-1/-1):  Given his age and injury history, even an unrelated injury is bad news.  The Ravens need to get a sense of what he can contribute before they do anything that would expose Talavou.

Hale (+2/+2):  After being beaten for a QH by Johnson (Q3, 4:29), Hale played very well, making each of his blocks by my count.  He pulled effectively (Q4, 10:43) although the play went for no gain.  On the 3^rd and 1 that followed, he sealed the right side so that Parmele had just Munnerlyn to beat on his 6-yard run.  His play of the day, however, came on Parmele’s 48-yard dash when he fell to the ground in the 2^nd level, but was able to cut Kaesviharn from a prone position.  The Panthers would not regain possession thereafter.

Harper (-1/-1):  Caught a ball and dropped another.  Regarding the pass by the sidelines (Q4, 8:30), I don’t think Wilson touched it, but he had his hands up and clearly distracted Harper.  With the offensive performance against the Panthers, the receiver problems seem less critical.  Mason looks as good as last year prior to the injury.  An optimist might look forward to the return of Clayton and point to an additional deep threat.  Williams’ catch over the middle was another source for hope.

Jones (-2/-2):  Jones followed up the drop/Carolina pick with a holding penalty while the Ravens were trying to run out the clock.  When lined up in the offensive backfield (Q3, 3:41), Edgar delivered a jarring shot to Harris, who he picked up on a safety blitz.  Harbaugh seems to have a soft spot for core special teamers who can contribute in some small way on offense or defense.  I still think he’ll make the team, but it might be some time before Cameron or Flacco feels comfortable throwing the ball his way in a game that matters.

Kruger (-1/+3):  Paul played most of the game, but was held to just 1 tackle.  I don’t think it’s cause for concern since the Panthers ran so few plays.  He lined up against Jordan Gross for much of the game.

Lawrence (0/0):  He seems to have worked hard this camp and preseason.  As I mentioned above with Figurs, he was gunning on both punts.  I hope he lands on his feet somewhere. 

Martin (0/+1):  I did not see Martin in the game other than as the 3^rd safety in the Ravens’ goal-line alignment.

J McClain (0/+1):  His QH on McCown on the Panthers’ last offensive play (Q4, 3:39) was his only production statistic.  Gooden is ahead of him in pass coverage skills, but both will make the team.

McKinney (+1/+1):  He saw action at various times through the game, including the start.  He made 2 tackles, but his highlight was clearing the lane for McClain’s QH on the Panthers’ last offensive play.  He took his man’s left shoulder, drove left and picked up the attention of 2 linemen while McClain streaked through. 

Oglesby (0/-3):  He came in as the 3^rd corner in Q4.  When in, he set up on the outside while Webb moved to the slot.  He’s still getting more play than Martin.

Oher (+1/+3):  I’ve spent some additional time breaking down his plays this week and will post separately.  The rating is primarily a function of who he was facing.  With the 2 penalties, he did not score particularly well by my system, but I believe false starts are correctable.

Parmele (+1/+1):  His big run kept the game in hand.  He is eligible for the practice squad.

Peerman (0/-1):  Another who dressed, but did not play.  I’d guess he’ll play a lot in the last game, but as with Drew, I think he’s fairly likely to be sent to IR. 

Phillips (0/0):  He saw action on special teams, but I did not notice him on defense.

Riley (0/0):  Active, but did not play.  At this point, despite the Ravens obvious needs at WR, I’m not sure if there is room for him on the practice squad.

Smolko (0/0):  Played with Jones for much of the 2^nd half, but there weren’t any balls thrown his way.

Talavou (+1/+1):  He played well, but the rating is also a function of the Ravens need for an additional reliable DT.  He had a tackle, and the Ravens played well against the run, but he has not shown much as a pass rusher.

Webb (0/+2):  Up and down game.  I thought he looked good and aggressive as a nickel, including his TFL (Q4, 4:44) that was set up by Nakamura’s penetration.  He led the team in tackles, which isn’t normally a good thing for a CB.  He and Walker entered as the corners when Foxworth and Washington were pulled, so he’s clearly ahead of Oglesby for the 5^th CB and probably ahead of Walker for the 4^th spot.  I did not notice Carr on the field defensively.  On the outside, Lardarius has a desire to keep the receiver in front of him, but can become lost with simple moves.  On Jarrett’s catch (Q3, 0:15), Webb did not use the sideline effectively, but instead tried to drag the much bigger receiver down.

Yanda (+3/+3):  Yanda played through the first series in Q3 and looked excellent.  He registered 43 of 46 blocks, did not allow a penalty, penetration, QH, or sack.  He registered several blocks in L2, including 2 on a single play (Q1, 2:02).  McGahee’s TD was run directly over Yanda and Oher, despite the fact the defense was stacked to that side.  Count me as convinced that whatever may still be wrong with his knee is not affecting him on the field.  Chester was inactive.  I’d be very surprised if Marshall is not starting at RG vs. the Chiefs.