Around the AFCN

[Superbelt]

Ravens cut Earl Thomas for personal conduct reasons.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Ravens cut Earl Thomas for personal conduct reasons.

Same team that was interested in signing Antonio Brown... That team is more dysfunctional than I thought

 

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Cowboys defense is pathetic but I thought the CLE O-line looked good in week 2 & 3 as well. Going to be a tough matchup in 2 weeks.

 

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This game could be sneaky good. I'm taking the Bengals points here even if we should expect the Ravens to win.

 

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AFCN recap...

BAL... 3-1, W 37-17 @WAS... Nothing much to see here. Seemed like the Ravens were going to be in a dog fight early, but the WFT defense quickly disappeared and the Ravens didn't have much of a problem moving the ball for the entirety of the game. Deep throws & long runs. WFT tried to keep up, but ultimately were completely outmatched. Ravens are a puzzling team right now. They are good, but I have a feeling they aren't as good as last year. Defense doesn't look as dominant, and the offense looks like it relies a lot on big plays. They have a stout O-line though.

Next Week... vsCIN. This game could be good. I'm not sayin the Bungles will upset them, but this game could be a lot more fun that the records & Vegas indicate. Vegas is spotting the Ravens 13.5pts. I might be drinking the kool-aid, but the Bengals +13.5 seems like an easy bet to make with how well Burrow is playing.


CIN... 1-3, W 33-25 vsJAX... Impressive win for the Bengals. And they did it without the help of AJ Green's 3rec for 5yds. Sort of scary thinking that Green has been this quiet and Burrow is dropping 300yds per game. At some point he has to get his, right? It was good to see them finally get serious about getting Mixon involved and the results speak for themselves. Taking the focus off Burrow is a great thing for him as a rookie QB. The emergence of Tee Higgins has also benefitted the entire offense. Defenses have been keying on Green & Boyd, so they had to be exposing the defenses elsewhere. Now they have an arsenal to work with.

Next Week... @BAL. This game will be a good measuring stick for Burrow & the future of their franchise. It's easy to see they are still a year or 2 from competing for the postseason. Their O-line drastically needs improvements if they want to sustain a winning team. Their defense is somewhat of a surprise this year. They are taking a lot of heat for struggling against the run & surrendering points at inopportune times, but the stats sheets show a decently formidable group. They are showing flashes against lesser competition, and they are doing it without their field general Geno Atkins. Should be interesting to see what his return does for them. I still feel confident saying this team has no business in the WC race come December/January. Time will ultimately show this. But they are on the right path with building this team and honestly anything can happen in the NFL in the short term.

CLE... 3-1, W 49-38 @DAL... Is Cleveland that good, or is Dallas that bad? What looked like a dominant display of football quickly unraveled in the 2nd half as the Cowboys came storming back with 24 unanswered points. Cleveland looked like it had no answers and were drowning. It took a huge spark reverse play by OBJ & some awful defensive ineptitude to gift the Browns the ultimate nail in the coffin in the 4th quarter. Aldon Smith whiffed, but honestly why were there 3 DAL defenders overruning OBJ before he ever reached a 10yd gain? 2 of those guys looked like they were trying to tackle Jarvis Landry. Biggest takeaway from the Browns thus far is their run game is for real. The O-line is dominating and their talented stable of 'backs is flourishing. Chubb may miss some time but it doesn't look like they will miss a beat with the sudden emergence of D'Ernest Johnson who was signed off the streets just months ago. This run game is doing wonders for Baker by taking the pressure off and freeing up the passing game when they stretch the field. Browns are going to be an interesting team to watch going forward. I'm not sold on them in the long run just yet, but they have always been the most talented roster in the division. Seeing them rise to the occasion should certainly put the rest of the division on notice.

Next Week... vsIND... Big litmus test for tthe Browns this week. The Colts defense is stout, but it just suffered a loss with Leonard looking at missing this week. We should find out what the Browns are all about this week.

PIT... 3-0, forced bye. Thanks for nothing Tennessee.

Next Week... vsPHI... Yuck. This interstate hatred runs deep. Its not a rivalry for the team, but rather for the fans. There is no love lost between these cities. This game is all about clout, and has very little implications on the season. A loss here just means surrendering the division lead, but not a big deal. Steelers are merely a placeholder right now after not being allowed their chance at rightful glory with the Titans. Steelers still have plenty of question marks so it should be another building-block type game. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see the Steelers sleep on this game and come out with more questions than answers.

 

[Superbelt]

Gonna allow some fans in the stadium going forward. ~7,500, for social distancing.

Gov. Tom Wolf Adjusting Gathering Limit Guidelines According To Venue Occupancy Limits

Gov. Tom Wolf says the state will be amending venue occupancy limits beginning this Friday.

pittsburgh.cbslocal.com

 

[cincygrad]

The AFC-N is shaping up to be a pretty damn good division this year. Obviously Baltimore came in as one of the best teams in the AFC and aside from their struggles with the Chiefs, they still look the part. Pittsburgh had a major question about Ben's ability to get back to being Ben, but so far that question has been answered. Their D has been getting better for years and is an experienced, tough unit. Cleveland looks like they finally have a coach that can get something out of that talent. They look like a professional team - which is a bit disorienting. I'd put them a few steps behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh, but I wouldn't want to play them. Cincinnati is clearly the 4th place team, but the qb looks to be something special. There is definitely some hope for the future (assuming he stays healthy) and I suspect they'll be a tough team to beat on any given sunday given Burrow's competitiveness and an underrated group of skill players.

 

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[cincygrad]

I've read that Ross is going about things the right way.... And I think he could probably use a change of scenery. That said, he's just never looked very comfortable in running routes or catching the football. It might be the case that he can fly, but it doesn't seem to show because he's not natural at the other parts of the game. Maybe a more talented coaching staff can bring something out of him.... Until then, he looks like another case of a track guy trying to play football.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I've read that Ross is going about things the right way.... And I think he could probably use a change of scenery. That said, he's just never looked very comfortable in running routes or catching the football. It might be the case that he can fly, but it doesn't seem to show because he's not natural at the other parts of the game. Maybe a more talented coaching staff can bring something out of him.... Until then, he looks like another case of a track guy trying to play football.

Agreed. Straight line speed means very little in the NFL unless you're a schemed go-route specialist. I'll take burst & quickness any day because that translates throughout the entire route tree. We've seen guys run 4.5's that can get in & out of breaks faster than guys running 4.2-4.3's. Antonio Brown ran 4.5's. Fastest he was ever clocked was a 4.47 which is just a gnat's ass inside 4.5.

 

[cincygrad]

Agreed. Straight line speed means very little in the NFL unless you're a schemed go-route specialist. I'll take burst & quickness any day because that translates throughout the entire route tree. We've seen guys run 4.5's that can get in & out of breaks faster than guys running 4.2-4.3's. Antonio Brown ran 4.5's. Fastest he was ever clocked was a 4.47 which is just a gnat's ass inside 4.5.

I agree. It's interesting because the Bengals were able to grab Tee Higgins this year at the top of the second round. You watch Higgins play football and he just looks like a natural receiver. He looks like a guy that is going to play at a very high level for a very long time. He dropped to the second round because he ran a 4.5 40. Scouts need to trust their eyes a little more.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I agree. It's interesting because the Bengals were able to grab Tee Higgins this year at the top of the second round. You watch Higgins play football and he just looks like a natural receiver. He looks like a guy that is going to play at a very high level for a very long time. He dropped to the second round because he ran a 4.5 40. Scouts need to trust their eyes a little more.

I've always thought that scouts & pundits invest way too much into combine. And to a certain degree, I've always disagreed with Tomlin's approach to the draft. He typically goes after the athletic freaks, vs the accoladed players. It has largely worked out, but man it took a while for some players to groom. But the DBs he drafts are typically shit. Chase Claypool tested out as an athletic freak at the combine... But scouts knocked him for not being a complete receiver. But I will always trust Colbert in whatever WR he drafts at any point in the draft. Success rate at that position is off the charts.

 

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Source: Ravens give Stanley $98.75M extension

The Ravens have signed All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley to a five-year, $98.75 million extension, a source told ESPN. The extension has a maximum value of $112.866 million.

www.google.com

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Brutal loss for the Baltimore O-line


@blue_suns

 

[Superbelt]

In addition to Humphries, the Ravens added 7 more to their reserve/Covid list

Seven Ravens Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 List

Seven members of the Ravens’ defense, including starters Patrick Queen, Matthew Judon, DeShon Elliott and L.J. Fort, are now on the list.

www.baltimoreravens.com

DB Terrell Bonds
LB Tyus Bowser
S DeShon Elliott
LB L.J. Fort
LB Malik Harrison
LB Matthew Judon
LB Patrick Queen

That means they are going to be missing their #1 CB, their FS and 3/4 of their starting Linebackers plus some backup linebackers.

Against Philip Rivers and the Colts.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

In addition to Humphries, the Ravens added 7 more to their reserve/Covid list

Seven Ravens Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 List

Seven members of the Ravens’ defense, including starters Patrick Queen, Matthew Judon, DeShon Elliott and L.J. Fort, are now on the list.

www.baltimoreravens.com

DB Terrell Bonds
LB Tyus Bowser
S DeShon Elliott
LB L.J. Fort
LB Malik Harrison
LB Matthew Judon
LB Patrick Queen

That means they are going to be missing their #1 CB, their FS and 3/4 of their starting Linebackers plus some backup linebackers.

Against Philip Rivers and the Colts.

 

[Superbelt]

I know. Sad.