Let's Talk About Baltimore (AFC Championship)

[SHOWTIME]

Headed back to the AFC Championship Game!!!! Discuss.

[Shields68]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Eh, that's not really true. No one wanted to give up two first-round draft picks for him PLUS take on his salary PLUS piss off the Ravens for future trades. Sometimes the tag is just used to help understand the market.

They also had the right to match. I do not think anyone really believed they were going to let him go unless he found a huge deal garunteed over his lieftime.

The Ravens seemed to always be willing to pay him. Seemed like the big hang up been the garuanteed amount and length of the deal. Running
QB's do not seem to do well in their late 30's.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

I gotta give props to you. There were oodles of people who acted like the Ravens overpaid for Lamar before this season began, but I thought they went extinct when he immediately went on the win MVP and made the contract look like a bargain in addition to it not being guaranteed and not being a 10-year deal requiring constant restructures. But you’re bravely continuing on as the last of your species. Fight on!

So if Lamar Jackson approached the Ravens and asked them to put 4 years at $45 million/season on the back of his deal (which would be robbery given the rise in the cap) do you think they'd do it? Would you be excited if they did?

And what if they guaranteed it? Which again - would STILL be robbery for a 2-time MVP who's out there winning games with mental processing and not raw athletic ability. You'd have a clear-cut franchise QB, a future HoFer, locked in at reasonable rates through his early 30s. And as a guy who's winning between the ears, there's reason to believe he'll only get BETTER from this point forward.

If no, why not? If yes, why weren't the Ravens eager to do that in the first place? Who cares about 'restructures' -- those are accounting mechanisms on their worst days. Guy gets paid in one check instead of 17 and his salary spreads across 4 or 5 years of the cap instead of one.

The Ravens built in an escape hatch. One that, I'm sure by mere happenstance, coincides with the age where athleticism is known to fall off fairly precipitously. It was savvy - yes, because they know the guy's not going to age well. Because he's NOT the guy you continue to insist he is.

He IS a very dangerous offensive weapon who wins games with his legs. Smoke 'em while you got 'em - no shame in that. But to try to argue otherwise is just asinine.

[zapocalypse]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brother

You lost to Indy at home, gave up THIRTY THREE AT HOME to Cleveland and lost to Kenny Pickett

Unbeatable my ass

We can do this all day. You got b*tchslapped by the Raiders. Its the NFL grind.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by zapocalypse

We can do this all day.

Actually, you can't.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

The undefeated Patriots lost with the top offense and defense in the league. Someone tell me why I should fear the Ravens?

[StalkRavenMad]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

and half your fans didn't want to sign him... that was weird. Although many will never admit it this year.

I'm sure there are a fraction of Chiefs fans that say things that make you scratch your head. A lot of that was frustration because they saw how good the team was with him and how bad it looked when he was out. Some people can't see the forest from the trees. They knew he would hold out for a fully guaranteed deal and someone would give it to him. I tried telling them that the Owners were and never will give another fully guaranteed long term contract. Contracts like that give too much power to the players. And the owners will never relinquish the power they have. The no one wants him piece was centered around no one was giving a guaranteed deal. I tell you this there is about 25 teams that are kicking themselves because they didn't at least submit an offer sheet.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Actually, you can't.

Dammit, Bearcat.

That was the first sensible thing he said all day. He was well on his way to being a valued member of CP!

I mean, he's still better than Chiefbugger....

[OneWinningDrive]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

So if Lamar Jackson approached the Ravens and asked them to put 4 years at $45 million/season on the back of his deal (which would be robbery given the rise in the cap) do you think they'd do it? Would you be excited if they did?

And what if they guaranteed it? Which again - would STILL be robbery for a 2-time MVP who's out there winning games with mental processing and not raw athletic ability. You'd have a clear-cut franchise QB, a future HoFer, locked in at reasonable rates through his early 30s. And as a guy who's winning between the ears, there's reason to believe he'll only get BETTER from this point forward.

If no, why not? If yes, why weren't the Ravens eager to do that in the first place? Who cares about 'restructures' -- those are accounting mechanisms on their worst days. Guy gets paid in one check instead of 17 and his salary spreads across 4 or 5 years of the cap instead of one.

The Ravens built in an escape hatch. One that, I'm sure by mere happenstance, coincides with the age where athleticism is known to fall off fairly precipitously. It was savvy - yes, because they know the guy's not going to age well. Because he's NOT the guy you continue to insist he is.

He IS a very dangerous offensive weapon who wins games with his legs. Smoke 'em while you got 'em - no shame in that. But to try to argue otherwise is just asinine.

There’s probably some truth in what you’re saying. The Chiefs are willing to commit to Mahomes indefinitely, and they know waiting only makes it more expensive.

But why do the Ravens have to follow that model? Why would they do any of what you’re suggesting when they don’t have to? There’s risk in locking up any QB like that. Yes, even Mahomes.

Everyone and their mother (literally, my mother) thought the Ravens were bungling this last negotiation either by paying him too much or not giving him the guaranteed contract and locking him up. And yet, he signed with the Ravens for a market rate deal that he immediately outperformed.

When this deal is up, what reason is there to believe he would go elsewhere or not be worth a market rate deal when his next contract is due?

If it helps you rest easier at night knowing that Mahomes is married to KC forever, then congrats. The Ravens are doing just fine with their QB and his contract too even if it’s not the same structure.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Dammit, Bearcat.

That was the first sensible thing he said all day. He was well on his way to being a valued member of CP!

I mean, he's still better than Chiefbugger....

That's actually the problem.

Got his wonderlic back, scored a 26. Far higher than quarterback savants, much less the level of discussion here.

We're just not ready for that.

[StalkRavenMad]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

When the Ravens have the ball:

Spagnuolo is challenging his guys all week to step up against the NFL's #1 ranked rush offense and will scheme as such. The plan will be do everything humanly possible to keep down-and-distance in the Chiefs favor. Lamar has better weapons than he's ever had, but how many teams have 1) kept them out of consistent 2nd/3rd-and-shorts, or 2) boast the talent the Chiefs defense has?

The world will realize pretty quick how vulnerable that Ravens offensive line is in pass protection if Spags and the gang can just be certain to make them work for it. You can't let them run at you the way Buffalo did - you can't fear Lamar as a passer the same way Josh Allen warrants. You CHALLENGE him to win as a passer. If he does? Well that's what Jalen Hurts did to us last year. Still lost, but gave us the best chance to win the game because Spags knows that if we let Baltimore play on their terms, rushing relentlessly, it's over.

When the Chiefs have the ball:

Have to continue to commit to running the football, esp with power/gap schemes. Can you catch BAL in a bad look 2-3 times and let Pacheco take off for 25+ yards? I bet you can if you stick to it. Chiefs are on a heater these last few games of breaking off some explosives. And that's all you need. Can't expect 5.0 YPC consistently -- but you can break some big ones to keep their defense honest.

After that? We count on Mahomes. We count on Kelce against a defense that has let tight ends get the better of them plenty. A playbook that is expanding - no bullets will be withheld in this one. Continue to protect the tackles. Yes, they're playing well, but this won't be easy for them either. It's a great defense - play calls being on-point is a non-negotiable. If they aren't, Mahomes is gonna have to play hero ball all day. But this is the same staff that knew how to take advantage of Philly last year in the red zone, so I don't expect them to fail there.

As a whole, withstand the early energy. Place is gonna be a madhouse early on. Only the Chiefs have the power to zap that energy away and make it quiet.

Just want you to know the Ravens have to All Pro LBs the Phins and Bills were playing with PS LBs
This week will tell if your offense is truly on a heater or did the offense benefit from playing 2 really banged up defense.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by zapocalypse

We can do this all day. You got b*tchslapped by the Raiders. Its the NFL grind.

Especially a grind when the last 5 seasons your season has at a minimum went to the AFCG. The regular season, right or wrong causes complacency. This complacency gives some team false, like the Patriots during Brady's tenure. He was washed up, they were down that year, but they continued to win and advance. The regular season is the preseason, sad to say. Ravens are a great team, but to use regular season comparisons for the Chiefs may cause much harder disappointment. The Chiefs can beat anyone any day, but they need to play mistake free football. You may get that version or you may not, but if you want to keep your sanity, you should probably start realizing there's a 40% chance, according to the oddsmakers that are really good at predicting, that you could lose.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

If it helps you rest easier at night knowing that Mahomes is married to KC forever, then congrats.

Dumb And Dumber Uh GIFfrom Dumb And Dumber GIFs

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

There’s probably some truth in what you’re saying. The Chiefs are willing to commit to Mahomes indefinitely, and they know waiting only makes it more expensive.

But why do the Ravens have to follow that model? Why would they do any of what you’re suggesting when they don’t have to? There’s risk in locking up any QB like that. Yes, even Mahomes.

Everyone and their mother (literally, my mother) thought the Ravens were bungling this last negotiation either by paying him too much or not giving him the guaranteed contract and locking him up. And yet, he signed with the Ravens for a market rate deal that he immediately outperformed.

When this deal is up, what reason is there to believe he would go elsewhere or not be worth a market rate deal when his next contract is due?

If it helps you rest easier at night knowing that Mahomes is married to KC forever, then congrats. The Ravens are doing just fine with their QB and his contract too even if it’s not the same structure.

Because it's orders of magnitude easier to build the rest of your roster when you know the QB is locked in for the next 5+ years. Those restructures you so loathe are a LOT easier when you have years at the back of the deal to throw cap space into. Your roster planning is easier. Your cap management is significantly so.

If you can do it that way, you should. Unless you're not sure you WANT to be locked into that QB for another 5+ years.

Last offseason the Ravens weren't sure. He didn't get smarter over the last 12 months. He's the same guy, just at a different point in his development - a curve the Ravens would've had a better handle on than anyone else.

And yet they didn't approach it that way. The 'why' of it seems pretty obvious if you haven't spent several hours (months) trying to convince yourself that Lamar Jackson can read the Matrix now.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by StalkRavenMad

Just want you to know the Ravens have to All Pro LBs the Phins and Bills were playing with PS LBs
This week will tell if your offense is truly on a heater or did the offense benefit from playing 2 really banged up defense.

Well, what number of literate posters do they have?

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brother

The undefeated Patriots lost with the top offense and defense in the league. Someone tell me why I should fear the Ravens?

against Spags too? Right?