Preston is a tough grader

[crowdog89]

Geez, I don't know what more the Ravens can do...he gave mostly C plusses...especially on the offensive side of the ball... bozo.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-card10,0,4587539.story?...sports-head

[StingerNLG]

Come on, you actually read Preston's stuff?

[52RAYVENS]

2 things Preston's article should be used for. Lining a bird cage (with a Raven in it). Or wiping my @$$ with.:thumbup:

[Derrick1]

He's a jealous ass who is sooooooo pissed that the Ravens won! Screw him.

[Mr.Boh]

Geez, I guess to please this guy we would have to shut out a home team that won their division... oh, wait...:crazy: :p

[Mobtown]

This will go down as one of the Ravens most dominant performances EVER.

Preston is a loser. end of story.

[Denver John]

Wow. Every national commentator is talking about how the Ravens served notice that they are a team to be reckoned with, and Preston gives Cs. :grbac:

[Bez513]

FU Preston.

[Sephy]

The C+ for McNair is ridiculous. ~95 rating against last years top defense.

[StingerNLG]

Preston will always be angry for four things:

1) Billick retained his job.

2) Billick fired his informant.

3) The Ravens have begin to stand behind Billick by publically rebuking some of his lies.

4) Apparently he now seems to have less access to the players and coaches, and it appears to be the players and coaches choice.

So Preston now has an axe to grind, and you can almost plainly see it in that joke of a report card.

[darb72]

New forum, new rule.

We never again discuss what Tub-o-Goo writes about the Ravens.:thumbup:

[Ravens0587]

New forum, new rule.

We never again discuss what Tub-o-Goo writes about the Ravens

I second that motion

[Sports Steve]

He hates to give us credit.

:jester: :jester:

[UKRavenStockers]

I still think there's things to work on and yes McNair did throw a couple right at Heap's feet in that game, but against the #1 D from last year to play like that and shutout a division winner at their place (agreed their O sucks, but a shutout is a shutout) and give those grades just proves how bitter he is, sad pathetic individual really.

[highwater]

Preston has always had an axe to grind with Billick, but this preposterous report card makes his bias even more obvious. He's a bad joke.

[TakingBackSunday]

You have to wonder if Preston actually believes the BS he constantly spews, or if he says these things to simply try and get a rise out of everyone.

Either way, he's an idiot. I honestly can't believe he still has a job.

[TL24x7]

24x7 Grades are in: http://www.profootball24x7.com/column_view.php?cid=19&id=491&view=archive

[RavenScallywag]

much better than Preston. Good stuff TL!

[GreenWave52]

Thanks Tony, good stuff. Its days like this that I miss being in college and seeing the press conferences on ESPN News. I would love to see Gruden's.

[UKRavenStockers]

Very fair grades their TL, good to see nothing too overboard for the opening game of the season. Not a perfect performance, but solid enough to beat a division winner and the #1 ranked D from last year, very easy to go overboard or underboard on this one, I think most are just happy to get the road monkey off our back and win on opening day for the first time since '01.

[italianjoker]

i kind of agree with the QB assessment. not sure i would say C+, but not an A or B+ by any stretch.

had Kyle started the game yesterday and had the fumble Mcnair had while throwing and then again, a messed up exchage on a handoff, given the ball on the 9 and only getting a field goal, people would have been killing him. this is even if the outcome of the game were the same. Plus all the balls Mcnair threw in the dirt or out of the reach of our guys.

believe me, i am happier then a pig in shit about the outcome. i never in my wildest dreams imagined this could happen on opening day this year. hopefully the guys will get more and more on the same page as the year progresses.

flame me if you must, but this post is not intended to be a bash McNair fest at all. just pointing out the hypocracy of some.

congrats Ravens on an amazing showing. the road monkey not only got bitch-slapped, but the thing was buried along with the opening day monkey.

[Ravens'N'Hoos]

I don't remember Kyle getting beat up over games when he put up close to 200 yds, 1 TD, no turnovers (as rare as such games were for him), when we won ... except by WSO and other inveterate haters. Except for haters (are there even any here?), I don't see the hypocrisy in praising McNair.

McNair had a good game stat-wise and did what he needed to do get us the W.

[Sports Steve]

Mike Preston has always been hard on this team even if they play well.

:jester: :jester:

[orionsierra]

i kind of agree with the QB assessment. not sure i would say C+, but not an A or B+ by any stretch.

had Kyle started the game yesterday and had the fumble Mcnair had while throwing and then again, a messed up exchage on a handoff, given the ball on the 9 and only getting a field goal, people would have been killing him. this is even if the outcome of the game were the same. Plus all the balls Mcnair threw in the dirt or out of the reach of our guys.

believe me, i am happier then a pig in shit about the outcome. i never in my wildest dreams imagined this could happen on opening day this year. hopefully the guys will get more and more on the same page as the year progresses.

flame me if you must, but this post is not intended to be a bash McNair fest at all. just pointing out the hypocracy of some.

congrats Ravens on an amazing showing. the road monkey not only got bitch-slapped, but the thing was buried along with the opening day monkey.

I hear what you're saying IJ. Listening to the WNST morning show harp on Boller's botched snap was getting a little old especially when they refused to take into account that Jason Brown was the new center and it was only his second snap as well.

That being said the calmness under fire that McNair showed was imperative. I tend to be a little harder on the o-line than anyone has really shown. I think that people were expecting the worst and when they just played okay everyone overlooks the number of shots that McNair actually took yesterday. Hits. Not just sacks. If he's getting the ball off and still getting the crap knocked out of him is going to mean a short season for McNair and Boller under center far sooner than anyone here really wants. Unless they start picking up the delayed blitz Steve's going to the bench with an injury sooner rather than later.

O

[highwater]

had Kyle started the game yesterday and had the fumble Mcnair had while throwing and then again, a messed up exchage on a handoff, given the ball on the 9 and only getting a field goal, people would have been killing him. this is even if the outcome of the game were the same.

If I were grading McNair, I'd given him something better than a C+, but I agree with IJ's comments above. When McNair just dropped the ball when preparing to pass, I immediately said to a friend I was watching the game with, "If that was Boller, the radio talk shows and message boards would be filled with people wanting to have him shot."

However, although there were a few mistakes, I liked the way McNair got through the game without a turnover, and the touch he had on that TD pass to Wilcox was beautiful. A nice first game.

[Bez513]

I second that motion

3rd here...:thumbdown:

[italianjoker]

Orion & Highwater, i could not agree more with your posts.

it was nice to watch, let's hope McNair has many more C+ outings if this is the result. :thumbup:

[52decleetzu]

Great analysis TL,it looks like you actually have an objective and accurate view that you provide for us rather than the "axe to grind" "journalism" that piece of trash on Calvert street writes.Keep up the excellent work!

[Mobtown]

Actually, as I look over the drive breakdown from yesterday, I am starting to lean more in Preston's direction. Our D was awesome, no doubt...but our O still had very little production except for those two drives. Lots of 3 and outs.

The lack of mistakes was great to see, but we are not world beaters just yet.

[Sephy]

I hear what you're saying IJ. Listening to the WNST morning show harp on Boller's botched snap was getting a little old especially when they refused to take into account that Jason Brown was the new center and it was only his second snap as well.



I wouldn't call it harping. Simply pointing out how funny it was that that basically sums up the Boller experience.

[italianjoker]

Sephy, i just wanted to add, BOOBIES RULE!

[BertJonesMyHero]

Sheesh- Preston's grades are ridiculous. Tony's are more like it.

And McNair is indeed a god. Boller got blasted because he was doing that stuff all the time. Steve makes plays baby. He made a few bad passes and still completed over 60%. He converts 3rd down and makes the line better with his decisions and ability to move the pocket.

[StingerNLG]

Let's not go overboard there Bert. How many times did McNair have to roll out because Mike Flynn AS USUAL couldn't hold down the middle of the pocket?

[BertJonesMyHero]

Nothing we can do about Flynn. BB loves the guy. But like I said, he(SM) is able to create a new pocket. Unlike our last 4 or 5 QB's. Wright especially. That dood dropped back 20 flipping yards for some reason. He had no pocket.

[StingerNLG]

Well, there was that. I remember that.

We'll see. Even the best QB's can only duck bad blocking for so long.

[purplepoe]

Let's not go overboard there Bert. How many times did McNair have to roll out because Mike Flynn AS USUAL couldn't hold down the middle of the pocket?

Isn't that the point though? We have a QB who can calmly escape pressure and make plays. Every QB gets pressure.



We'll see. Even the best QB's can only duck bad blocking for so long.

Cmon Sting.

The pocket presence and poise that McNair showed with the same OL that we had last year is reason this offense put some points up on the board and didn't turn the ball over.

PP

[StingerNLG]

Isn't that the point though? We have a QB who can calmly escape pressure and make plays. Every QB gets pressure.

For how long? Remember, for the Ravens, pressure on the QB is the rule not the exception.



The pocket presence and poise that McNair showed with the same OL that we had last year is reason this offense put some points up on the board and didn't turn the ball over.

Again, for how long?

[purplepoe]

Is this how it's gonna work?

The team goes down to TB, which has a top D and made the playoffs last year.

They shut them out 27-0.

The offense is efficient (which is what I expected to happen), not extremely explosive.

The veteran QB shows why he was brought here. To make the crucial 3-5 plays that our QBs in the past haven't been able to do. To stay cool when pressured (again, every QB gets pressure). And to provide the leadership this offense so desperately needed.

Again, McNair knows how to deal with pressure. That was on full display all day yesterday.

Is he gonna get hit? Yup. So will every QB.

The fact is McNair made plays yesterday that no Ravens QB in the past would've made.

And that is why he's here.

You keep asking "how long" as if it's inevitable that McNair will go down. Sure, he could. So could anyone.

Seems to me you want to brush aside the fact that he will avoid alot of the hits that past QBs either wouldn't or flat out couldn't.

It would be a great thing to have a great OL but we don't. What we have is a serviceable one that played well enough yesterday versus and dangerous D on the road. I got news for ya. After watching tons of football on Sunday, there are a bunch of offensive lines in this league that are worse than ours. Ask Kurt Warner and David Carr for starters.

PP

[StingerNLG]

Is this how it's gonna work?

What the hell does that exactly mean?

You know. 27-0 in game one does not erase still lingering doubts about our offensive line. And while I'm happy as hell at the outcome of the game, let's not for a minute think we had Chad Pennington back there slinging 319 yards and 2 TD's.

As much as I loved the game:


The fact is McNair made plays yesterday that no Ravens QB in the past would've made.

Really? Like what? He made good plays Sunday. He had a sweet 10 minute opening drive, which Jamal also had a lot to do with. But let's not pretend for a moment he was making Donovan McNabb-type plays out there. As it's been mentioned even HE fumbled the ball with no one touching him, and EVEN HE botched a handoff.

It sucks because to make my point it has to appear like I'm bashing him, which I'm not specifically trying to do. But that's just not an accurate statement. It's a comment made in the elation of a kick-ass win and trying to fend off any critique or continued concerns.

AND MCNAIR ISN'T EVEN MY MAIN CONCERN, IT'S THE OFFENSIVE LINE. Somehow you've attempted to twist it around and change the arguement so you could make the snarky comments to me (as Dane Cook would say, it's a word. Google that shit. :) )


Seems to me you want to brush aside the fact that he will avoid alot of the hits that past QBs either wouldn't or flat out couldn't.

And again I will ask, for how long. If he could brush aside alot of hits, why is "injury prone" still a moniker that follows him to this day?

[purplepoe]

What the hell does that exactly mean?

It means that you are doing what pissed you off so much when the shoe was on the other foot.


You know. 27-0 in game one does not erase still lingering doubts about our offensive line. And while I'm happy as hell at the outcome of the game, let's not for a minute think we had Chad Pennington back there slinging 319 yards and 2 TD's. [QUOTE=StingerNLG]

You're right. Pennington was playing a Tenneessee team that is absolutely terrible. Meanwhile we played a team that has a top 5 defense in the league.

[QUOTE=StingerNLG][QUOTE=StingerNLG]Really? Like what? He made good plays Sunday. He had a sweet 10 minute opening drive, which Jamal also had a lot to do with. But let's not pretend for a moment he was making Donovan McNabb-type plays out there. As it's been mentioned even HE fumbled the ball with no one touching him, and EVEN HE botched a handoff.[QUOTE=StingerNLG]

Exactly. He made some good plays. Plays that would have never happened in the past because our QBs didn't have the poise or the pocket presence to make them. Like I said, I know he wasn't Peyton Manning out there slinging the ball for 300 yds and 3 TDs. He played well enough to make some plays, not turn the ball over, and win the game. Was he flawless? No way. Let's remember that he's still learning the playbook as well. Hell, look at a guy like Brunell last night. He had all offseason to learn a new playbook and they went out and lost at home.

[QUOTE=StingerNLG]It sucks because to make my point it has to appear like I'm bashing him, which I'm not specifically trying to do. But that's just not an accurate statement. It's a comment made in the elation of a kick-ass win and trying to fend off any critique or continued concerns. [QUOTE=StingerNLG]

Sorry man, but that's not gonna fly. I watched and rewatched that game and McNair stepped up and rolled out when he needed too. And THAT is what we needed. Like I said, take a look around the league. There are numerous lines that are worse than ours. The difference now is McNair. You can spin it all you want but he played behind the same OL and this team won it's first road game in a year and a half and the only major difference on the team is McNair.

[QUOTE=StingerNLG]AND MCNAIR ISN'T EVEN MY MAIN CONCERN, IT'S THE OFFENSIVE LINE. Somehow you've attempted to twist it around and change the arguement so you could make the snarky comments to me (as Dane Cook would say, it's a word. Google that shit. :) )[QUOTE=StingerNLG]

I realize you are concerned about the OL. I am too. But it's like you don't want to see that McNair can actually negate some of their bad play with his own play. It works both ways sometimes. Sure, I'd love to have the Bengals OL. Then again, if I had their run D, I'd be worried as hell about that. I won't bother to look up snarky. All Im doing is making some points.

[QUOTE=StingerNLG]And again I will ask, for how long. If he could brush aside alot of hits, why is "injury prone" still a moniker that follows him to this day?

One reason is his style of play. And that "injury prone" moniker has been blown out of proportion IMO. He's missed time but not nearly as much as some believe. And I say again. Any player can get hurt at any time.

PP