To all Steeler fans:

Go lurch somewhere else. The drivel is getting old.

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To all Ravens fans:

The nest is burning.

Go lurch somewhere else. The drivel is getting old.

Arthur Jones is a 6’3″ 313 lb who is best in a 3-4 scheme as a 5 technique DE. He’s not ever ‘coming off the edge.’

Courtney Upshaw replaces Jarret Johnson at strong side OLB where he has one job… to set the edge. And he has been one of the best in all of football at doing so the last few years. Any sort of pass rush from him is just an added bonus.

Pernell McPhee will probably start at the other DE, where he too will mostly be a 5 technique DE who shouldn’t be relied on consistently.

It really comes down to Kruger and Kindle, and possibly McAdoo (on IR all last year) to take Suggs’ spot.

In a 3-4, you’re looking at a DL of Ngata-Cody-McPhee with a LB corpse of Upshaw-Lewis-McClain-Kruger/Kindle/McAdoo. That’s still a very solid front 7. I think if I am the Ravens, I am trying to figure out a deal for Osi Umenyiora, who could be real interesting as a rush LB…

Suggs being hurt doesn’t make them a sub-.500 team. This team is obviously better with Suggs in the lineup… but it really isn’t a lost season without him there.

With that said though, I still think a trade for Osi makes entirely too much sense for both the Ravens and the Giants. Osi and a 6th for a 4th and a 5th??? Make it happen.

Just tell Ben to at least win one….AT LEAST one game….. against us this year to keep this “rivalry” as such.

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Apparently you just started following the Ravens this year. Steelers lead series 21-14 including 3-0 vs Ravens in the playoffs and a devastating three game sweep in 2008. Sweep the next 7 and your boys can even up the series and get a seat at the grown ups table.

would you also like to disregard playoff games? I left out last seasons stats based off the topic I spoke about in that post. We could go all day with stats. My money says if either team is going to sweep it will be the ‘Lers. Remember when we Santonio caught that 6 yard touchdown pass at the goaline? Just wanted to throw little imagery at ya.

Todd Haley will not be an issue as Mike Tomlin is the ultimate authority on that field. If you watch Steeler ball he is the honcho as Harbaugh is for Baltimore. Pees will not be an Issue for you guys as maybe the offensive scheme for us may be an issue. I think the offense gets straightened out by week 3 preseason. Bens a vet with a Promising offensive line(barring injuries). Know that Pittsburghs squad is coming to put the birds in the dust bin.

And you would eliminate the opener when he torched yall lol.. dude go to sleep. ur team is old. and its in a rebuilding stage… have fun when ur OC decides he can’t keep his cool and ur whole offense falls apart.

You can’t just remove the games and stats you want to make your point.

For example, if I were to remove Flacco’s rookie year, which is probably a more realistic analysis anyway, his career numbers versus Pitt become:

7 Games, 4 Wins, 59% completion rate, 232 yds/game, 10 TD/3INT

Not too shabby considering the Steelers have had a pretty good defense during that timeframe.
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And how many of those games did roethlisberger play? Last year was the first time flacco won against roethlisberger.

Flacco’s average 232 yards and 1.4 TD per game vs the steelers won’t get it done if the ravens defense can’t rush the passer.

If the ravens can’t rush the passer and the steeler OL is improved, then the steelers will put up close to 30 on them.

Can flacco score 30 per game? Because that’s what he will have to do against good teams if the ravens defense isn’t as good as past years.

You can’t just remove the games and stats you want to make your point.

For example, if I were to remove Flacco’s rookie year, which is probably a more realistic analysis anyway, his career numbers versus Pitt become:

7 Games, 4 Wins, 59% completion rate, 232 yds/game, 10 TD/3INT

Not too shabby considering the Steelers have had a pretty good defense during that timeframe.

way to not consider the 2-6 record Flacco had against us prior to last season. But Im sure you will hold onto last seasons victories close to your heart. Shame they dont give out trophies for sweeping your rivals or we would have more than 6 sitting in the southside vaults a few blocks away from my house.

OK, maybe they changed the IR rules and I didn’t catch it, but otherwise, won’t the Ravens have to keep him on the roster all season in order for him to have a chance to play at the end of the year? Can they really afford to be down one body for the first 12-13 games (assuming that the rules are the same as last year)?
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From these comments and things Ozzie has said previously about Suggs possibly returning late in the season, it seems clear they’re not planning to put him on IR. That may change later if his rehab doesn’t progress as well as hoped. But this is the reigning DPOY. I’m not surprised they’d at least give him until the season starts to see how well his recovery is going.

The Steelers proved that last year.

The steelers have 2 premiere pass rushers in Harrison and Woodley so if one of them gets injured, it’s easier for a backup to succeed. If BOTH of them were injured, it would be tough for the backups to come close to the same production. Nevermind how much worse they’d be against the run.

The ravens only had 1 premiere pass rusher. He’s gone. They are trying to replace Jarrett Johnson as well. Unless one of these backups or rookies steps up to pro bowl level then the ravens are in trouble.

The other part of this is the steeler offense with Ben, Wallace and Antonio brown is able to win a shootout if the defense falters a bit.

The ravens offense is not built for that. If the defense declines, The offense won’t pick up the slack.

Im keeping the stipulation strictly Steelers D v. Ravens O. Im sure youre offense is productive against many other squads. However most of my concerns focus simply on the AFC North every season. Particularly the Ravens based on the level of competition.

Pernell McPhee and Paul Kruger. Go check McPhee’s stats before u go putting our whole season in the hands of upshaw. 11 people on the field at one time. Our defense plays as a unit, not a one man show. ur comments hold now weight.

Clearly you don’t watch the ravens. they actually do that often enough.. must you be reminded of the steelers? the cards? the texans? If Lee Evans wasn’t born, they would’ve been in the SB. Flacco actually plays well in crunch time situations and against better competition. do ur homework

You mean to say we lost to a team who played better than us that day? With a QB who had (most likely) the best season of his career? Wait are you over compensating for a missed field goal that couldve put your team in position to win the AFC? I feel like you might be.

Dont sweat it pal you guys still have the best qb in the league. Hell Ray Rice is gonna be well rested after a long summer vacation. Its not like we have an organization that could even compete with the likes of your squad… you guys have nothing to worry about. ohhhhhh wait unless you find yourself in a bathroom with Big and Little Ben. Then you may want to be concerned. But you already knew this didnt you Ravenator?

“the backups are not ‘starter quality’…only ‘starter quality’ backup is Jimmy Smith.

The Ravens have little depth and are a couple injuries away from a .500 season

Final say on that, Ray Lewis missed a couple games in which our defense should have suffered. We still finished #3. Who took his place? A bunch of names that only fans in Bmore know.

When Ed Reed misses time every now and again, who takes his place? Again outside of Bmore you wouldn’t know, but the pass defense at times was more stingy because Ed gambles causing bigger plays.

We morph to who is out there and make it work.

Ask the Steelers about schemes and it’s reliance on one player or having bad depth. Remember that year when Troy Polamalu got hurt, when they missed the playoffs?

Yeah, our team isn’t built like that.

The steelers won 12 games last year with the worst OL in the game. These rookies just have to step on the field and it is an automatic upgrade.

As for the coaching changes, why does nobody point out that the ravens have a new defensive coordinator?

Steelers have a new OC and it’s a huge deal, the ravens have a new DC and lost their only proven pass rusher and it’s no big deal.

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Nobody’s claiming it’s “no big deal” that Suggs will likely miss at least the first half of the season. It’s a pretty big deal, in fact. As for the new DC, Pees was promoted from within the Ravens organization, so he’s already familiar with Harbaugh, the rest of the coaches, and the players. Todd Haley was hired from outside the Steelers, under a bit of controversy given how they dismissed Bruce Arians. Now I’ll say for the record Haley’s hire was made out to be a much bigger deal than it actually was, but considering how long Arians had been in Pittsburgh, it caused some headlines.

The steelers won 12 games last year with the worst OL in the game. These rookies just have to step on the field and it is an automatic upgrade.

As for the coaching changes, why does nobody point out that the ravens have a new defensive coordinator?

Steelers have a new OC and it’s a huge deal, the ravens have a new DC and lost their only proven pass rusher and it’s no big deal.

Brunnel in his prime, during a time when the passing game wasn’t given every advantage, was twice the QB Flacco is

@bullybirds

the backups are not ‘starter quality’…only ‘starter quality’ backup is Jimmy Smith.

The Ravens have little depth and are a couple injuries away from a .500 season

The loss of Suggs will truely be felt, but our history on defense is as such, if we lose one player, no matter who that is, the defense does not suffer. There is even an argument that our team was more reliant on Jarret Johnson than anyone else (he made the defensive front seven calls)

But unlike most teams, since the Ravens are so defensive based financially and minded, our backups usually are starter quality players on most other team’s defense. This is because of a never ending system that has been here ever since Marvin Lewis era. This system has been tweaked with the successive D coordinators, but rarely moves far from that.

That being said, to be on a Bmore and even a Steeler type defense, there is a expectation of greatness that no player wants to be “that guy”on film after the game.

In other words, we’ll be fine until whenever Suggs returns.