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Up the road a bit we go for a visit to Ravensland. So, how do Ravens fans see this game?
Well, after a disappointing loss to the Raiders and some underwhelming performances by the team-they ain't being cocky-at least not very much.
There is a theme that seems to be emerging among upcoming Redskins opponents.
It's not exactly outright fear-but they are wary of playing us due to some increasingly noticeable improvements in our play on the field.
Most Ravens fans think they will win but very few think it will be abnything but a tight hard-fought game.
HoustonRaven
The Redskins are not going to be the cakewalk some think it should be.
Yes, their run defense is suspect but they have a high ranked QB who has really found a groove the last two games.
We need to step up the pass rush, more so than yesterday that's for sure.
GermanRaven
Going into this game, I see some good and some bad matchups.. PGCounty, you made some good points.
The Skins have a really good passing offense. Cousins loves Reed. So I think we will see often Mosley droping in coverage. This defense handled TE good so far. So I hope they can limit Reed to a average game.
One Matchup what worries me a little bit is DJax against Jimmy. DJax is this kind of homerun striker, who can hurt Jimmy with his speed. We will see.. On the other side I think or hope, that Garcon is a better matchup for Wright than Crabtree was. I know some posters here are very high on Garcon, but IMO he is not that worldbeater.
Skins rushing offense don't scare me. Matt Jones is IMO just average. I think our front seven can handle this pretty well. I'am curious about their O-Line. I know that Trent Williams and Scherff are good ones. But how you would analyze the rest? I think our pass rush have good opportunities against RT Moses.
On the Skins defense I can "only" see a good Passrush with Kerrigan and Preston Smith. But their interior Line is weak I think. I think running the ball is key. On their secondary they have Norman. But he can't be everywhere. Bottom line for me: We need much much better O-Line play, then the rest will be fine.
JohnBKistler
Same prediction as last week, bold part added...
23-20 Ravens.
A big play, a big mistake, by player or coach, an official's call, or the whimsical bounce of an oblong-shaped ball could shift the win to one team or the other.
IOW, just another Sunday of Ravens football.
The Excellector
It's time for Dean Pees to show that he can manufacture pressure against quality offensive lines. Washington's line isn't as good as Oakland, but they do a good job of giving Cousins the time he needs to make throws. He just makes bad decisions.
This defense will continue to struggle against better offenses as long as Pees struggles to schematically pressure the QB. It's all four man rush and winning one-on-one. When that isn't working, this defense looks completely different. His blitzes are still too predictable. I don't know how many times we're going to see 8 guys, up at the LOS, only for the QB to accurately figure out whose dropping and whose coming, AND recognize how quickly the ball has to come out before the backers drop into their spots.
NOLARavenFan
Its pretty simple, pass rush Cousins and we win. No pass rush and he will eat us up. Hopefully Jernigan has his legs next week......and Doom can do something.
If the pass rush stays poor, then we are screwed. Its a pass rush league.
Ravenboy2003
I think we have one big problem to solve on Sunday. And that is the Cousins-to-Reed combo. I don't see a bunch of scary receivers on the Skins roster. Jackson can still break the long ones occasionally but is no longer a sure possession guy. But that Reed guy.. Reed is a difference maker when it comes to that passing offense and is one of the best red zone targets in the league.
Our front 7 is not letting the Skins run the ball. No way. This game will all be on the shoulders of Cousins.
Assuming that Dixon is ready now with the Forsett cut, the Ravens are in great shape at RB. Passing game will be fine if we clean up the O-line woes.
Will Stanley and Lewis return? Anything is better than that hideous Hurst-Jensen combo. I hope we never have to witness that again.
I think we are in for another barn-burner, but we aren't losing two in a row at home to teams we should beat.
Ravens 23
Skins 19
goodandfast
I think it will be ugly--I'm expecting our offense to keep other teams in games until I see otherwise.
The Skins can't run the ball so I expect them to be totally one-sided. Cousins throws 2 picks, they're forced to kick field goals in the red zone.
We move the ball decently well in the second half but struggle to get anything going in the first.
Ravens 22 (5 field goals and a Mike Wallace TD)
Skins 21 (5 field goals and a Jordan Reed TD, fail on the 2pt conversion to tie)
Dade
Another close nail bitter. Boys in purple come up short.
Ravens 24
Skins 27
bst3975
Skins D weakness is run defense.
Weather will not be conducive to passing, especially deep.
So naturally I expect Ravens to pass about 50 times.
Another close game Ravens may win in spite of themselves.
Edgar
I consider getting to Cousins early to be paramount this week.
His confidence can be shaken. The opposite is also true however. if he gets in rhythm early it could be a long day.
BlackBeak
Prediction: Ravens 3 Inactives Next Week; Redskins 5.
A Decisive Victory!
PainServer52
33-31 Ravens. Run game and offense get going but the pass rush doesn't get to Cousins all day and Wright continues to give up TDs. Tucker for the win at the end.
Raven Werewolf
Don't let Cousins get on a roll. He started out like a house on fire against the Browns and I know its only the Browns but theyre not total bums on D. Pees needs to dial up that pass rush and get him out of rhythm or else Reed and DJack and Crowder etc will eat our lunch. On O its same old same old..... get the rush game going and keep Joe upright and give him time. ST could stand to improve too..... looked lack luster the past couple weeks.
I hope the guys are focused and put last week behind them..... that was a very winnable game vs a badly overrated team IMO that got away. Just got to erase it and get ready for a legit tough team Sunday. Itll be another nailbiter (I honestly cant remember the last laugher weve had) but well get it done 20-19 for a nice 4-1 mark.
FlocksGottaFeed
Early predictions seem to favor the Ravens in this one. That said, there aren't many story-lines being discussed around the league to drum-up more interest except for Ravens and Washington forum chatter (Note: Whatever you do - don't go to the Washington forum. Wow. It's beyond description.).
The SSS and Josh Norman 'Trash Talk' buzz is being thrown around, but I don't think that narrative will have any life considering they most likely won't match-up.
Interesting. If we get this one we'll be 4-1 and at the very least 1st ranked in the toughest division in the league, but there's been nothing but...crickets...throughout the league. What would become the narrative once we get this one? In hindsight, that's okay with me. We know what's up. Go Ravens!!!
Ravens4Real
There will probably be a little more chatter on the national front but still people saying that we haven't proven ourselves.
We still haven't beaten a team with a winning record even if we do win this one.
We have only played 1 team with a winning record and lost.
There will be a lot of talk about the Ravens later in the season because we probably have the hardest closing schedule in the entire league. I'll be surprised if they are favored to win 1 or 2 of the last 7-8 games.
lordbern
I hate to say it, but until the Ravens show us they can actually get the offense going before the 3rd quarter I have to give it to the Redskins. Cousins is a decent QB and their defense isn't half bad. I'm so tired of watching 3rd downs come up and the other team converting that's getting laughable. When the Raiders had that 3rd and 16 I said to my wife 'they'll get this...no problem.' And boom. Converted. And until Joe has more than 2 seconds to scan the field and throw, there's no way we can win. Prove me wrong Ravens ! Prove me wrong !
Redskins - 31
Ravens - 16
This one made me wonder if lordbern has watched the Redskins at all this season. Either that or there are some similarities that may work in our favor.
srobert96
Skins are a finesse team. If you hit them hard and play aggressive they will fold up. Ravens really need to come out aggressive and play physical AFC North football.
ravens82
Without Stanley, who is currently looking unlikely for Sunday, I will change my prediction to:
Ravens 24
Redskins 27
Yes, I really think he's worth a 7 point swing.
There's always at least one superfan optimist.
RavensPunkXV
We're gonna rock the redskins like a hurricane
BlackBeak
Skins got nothing but resentment and anger over their generation of ineptitude. And they have a lot of A***e players. And a dick coach. Ravens can frustrate teams with their play-to-the-whistle AFC North mentality. Plus, I think Harbs can't stand their coach.
Only problem is Cousins is one of those quick-release specialists which can nullify the pass rush to an extent, plus something about the Ravens -- like Carr and McCowan -- seems to bring out his best.
Captain Kirk, the stage is yours. Pluck 'em!
Well, after a disappointing loss to the Raiders and some underwhelming performances by the team-they ain't being cocky-at least not very much.
There is a theme that seems to be emerging among upcoming Redskins opponents.
It's not exactly outright fear-but they are wary of playing us due to some increasingly noticeable improvements in our play on the field.
Most Ravens fans think they will win but very few think it will be abnything but a tight hard-fought game.
HoustonRaven
The Redskins are not going to be the cakewalk some think it should be.
Yes, their run defense is suspect but they have a high ranked QB who has really found a groove the last two games.
We need to step up the pass rush, more so than yesterday that's for sure.
GermanRaven
Going into this game, I see some good and some bad matchups.. PGCounty, you made some good points.
The Skins have a really good passing offense. Cousins loves Reed. So I think we will see often Mosley droping in coverage. This defense handled TE good so far. So I hope they can limit Reed to a average game.
One Matchup what worries me a little bit is DJax against Jimmy. DJax is this kind of homerun striker, who can hurt Jimmy with his speed. We will see.. On the other side I think or hope, that Garcon is a better matchup for Wright than Crabtree was. I know some posters here are very high on Garcon, but IMO he is not that worldbeater.
Skins rushing offense don't scare me. Matt Jones is IMO just average. I think our front seven can handle this pretty well. I'am curious about their O-Line. I know that Trent Williams and Scherff are good ones. But how you would analyze the rest? I think our pass rush have good opportunities against RT Moses.
On the Skins defense I can "only" see a good Passrush with Kerrigan and Preston Smith. But their interior Line is weak I think. I think running the ball is key. On their secondary they have Norman. But he can't be everywhere. Bottom line for me: We need much much better O-Line play, then the rest will be fine.
JohnBKistler
Same prediction as last week, bold part added...
23-20 Ravens.
A big play, a big mistake, by player or coach, an official's call, or the whimsical bounce of an oblong-shaped ball could shift the win to one team or the other.
IOW, just another Sunday of Ravens football.
The Excellector
It's time for Dean Pees to show that he can manufacture pressure against quality offensive lines. Washington's line isn't as good as Oakland, but they do a good job of giving Cousins the time he needs to make throws. He just makes bad decisions.
This defense will continue to struggle against better offenses as long as Pees struggles to schematically pressure the QB. It's all four man rush and winning one-on-one. When that isn't working, this defense looks completely different. His blitzes are still too predictable. I don't know how many times we're going to see 8 guys, up at the LOS, only for the QB to accurately figure out whose dropping and whose coming, AND recognize how quickly the ball has to come out before the backers drop into their spots.
NOLARavenFan
Its pretty simple, pass rush Cousins and we win. No pass rush and he will eat us up. Hopefully Jernigan has his legs next week......and Doom can do something.
If the pass rush stays poor, then we are screwed. Its a pass rush league.
Ravenboy2003
I think we have one big problem to solve on Sunday. And that is the Cousins-to-Reed combo. I don't see a bunch of scary receivers on the Skins roster. Jackson can still break the long ones occasionally but is no longer a sure possession guy. But that Reed guy.. Reed is a difference maker when it comes to that passing offense and is one of the best red zone targets in the league.
Our front 7 is not letting the Skins run the ball. No way. This game will all be on the shoulders of Cousins.
Assuming that Dixon is ready now with the Forsett cut, the Ravens are in great shape at RB. Passing game will be fine if we clean up the O-line woes.
Will Stanley and Lewis return? Anything is better than that hideous Hurst-Jensen combo. I hope we never have to witness that again.
I think we are in for another barn-burner, but we aren't losing two in a row at home to teams we should beat.
Ravens 23
Skins 19
goodandfast
I think it will be ugly--I'm expecting our offense to keep other teams in games until I see otherwise.
The Skins can't run the ball so I expect them to be totally one-sided. Cousins throws 2 picks, they're forced to kick field goals in the red zone.
We move the ball decently well in the second half but struggle to get anything going in the first.
Ravens 22 (5 field goals and a Mike Wallace TD)
Skins 21 (5 field goals and a Jordan Reed TD, fail on the 2pt conversion to tie)
Dade
Another close nail bitter. Boys in purple come up short.
Ravens 24
Skins 27
bst3975
Skins D weakness is run defense.
Weather will not be conducive to passing, especially deep.
So naturally I expect Ravens to pass about 50 times.
Another close game Ravens may win in spite of themselves.
Edgar
I consider getting to Cousins early to be paramount this week.
His confidence can be shaken. The opposite is also true however. if he gets in rhythm early it could be a long day.
BlackBeak
Prediction: Ravens 3 Inactives Next Week; Redskins 5.
A Decisive Victory!
PainServer52
33-31 Ravens. Run game and offense get going but the pass rush doesn't get to Cousins all day and Wright continues to give up TDs. Tucker for the win at the end.
Raven Werewolf
Don't let Cousins get on a roll. He started out like a house on fire against the Browns and I know its only the Browns but theyre not total bums on D. Pees needs to dial up that pass rush and get him out of rhythm or else Reed and DJack and Crowder etc will eat our lunch. On O its same old same old..... get the rush game going and keep Joe upright and give him time. ST could stand to improve too..... looked lack luster the past couple weeks.
I hope the guys are focused and put last week behind them..... that was a very winnable game vs a badly overrated team IMO that got away. Just got to erase it and get ready for a legit tough team Sunday. Itll be another nailbiter (I honestly cant remember the last laugher weve had) but well get it done 20-19 for a nice 4-1 mark.
FlocksGottaFeed
Early predictions seem to favor the Ravens in this one. That said, there aren't many story-lines being discussed around the league to drum-up more interest except for Ravens and Washington forum chatter (Note: Whatever you do - don't go to the Washington forum. Wow. It's beyond description.).
The SSS and Josh Norman 'Trash Talk' buzz is being thrown around, but I don't think that narrative will have any life considering they most likely won't match-up.
Interesting. If we get this one we'll be 4-1 and at the very least 1st ranked in the toughest division in the league, but there's been nothing but...crickets...throughout the league. What would become the narrative once we get this one? In hindsight, that's okay with me. We know what's up. Go Ravens!!!
Ravens4Real
There will probably be a little more chatter on the national front but still people saying that we haven't proven ourselves.
We still haven't beaten a team with a winning record even if we do win this one.
We have only played 1 team with a winning record and lost.
There will be a lot of talk about the Ravens later in the season because we probably have the hardest closing schedule in the entire league. I'll be surprised if they are favored to win 1 or 2 of the last 7-8 games.
lordbern
I hate to say it, but until the Ravens show us they can actually get the offense going before the 3rd quarter I have to give it to the Redskins. Cousins is a decent QB and their defense isn't half bad. I'm so tired of watching 3rd downs come up and the other team converting that's getting laughable. When the Raiders had that 3rd and 16 I said to my wife 'they'll get this...no problem.' And boom. Converted. And until Joe has more than 2 seconds to scan the field and throw, there's no way we can win. Prove me wrong Ravens ! Prove me wrong !
Redskins - 31
Ravens - 16
This one made me wonder if lordbern has watched the Redskins at all this season. Either that or there are some similarities that may work in our favor.
srobert96
Skins are a finesse team. If you hit them hard and play aggressive they will fold up. Ravens really need to come out aggressive and play physical AFC North football.
ravens82
Without Stanley, who is currently looking unlikely for Sunday, I will change my prediction to:
Ravens 24
Redskins 27
Yes, I really think he's worth a 7 point swing.
There's always at least one superfan optimist.
RavensPunkXV
We're gonna rock the redskins like a hurricane
BlackBeak
Skins got nothing but resentment and anger over their generation of ineptitude. And they have a lot of A***e players. And a dick coach. Ravens can frustrate teams with their play-to-the-whistle AFC North mentality. Plus, I think Harbs can't stand their coach.
Only problem is Cousins is one of those quick-release specialists which can nullify the pass rush to an extent, plus something about the Ravens -- like Carr and McCowan -- seems to bring out his best.
Captain Kirk, the stage is yours. Pluck 'em!
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