Are The Ravens Tanking on Purpose?

[tapeANaspirin2it]

The Ravens are in general, a smartly run franchise. One of the keys to their success is they have mastered the compensatory formula to get extra draft picks based on their free agent and trade acquisitions. It drives many of their decisions so they take a long term view of things.

Harbaugh’s gambles seem reckless. Could it be that they are low key tanking?

Ravens have been hard hit with injuries, particularly on defense. Their defense simply isn’t very good this year and unlike the Steelers, who could get healthier and theoretically get better, the ravens defense will not get better this year. Their whole defense is based on shutdown CBs. Without Marcus Peters and now without Jimmy Smith, the defense is soft.

They are also seeing that Lamar has not taken a leap forward as they hoped. Adding Bateman has not paid immediate dividends. They are without their top RBs although Freeman and Murray have filled in well.

With the Steelers, you can make the case that they could improve and become dangerous. The young OL can improve. It has somewhat. Claypool could pull his head out of his ***. Canada could finally figure out what works and improve the gameplans.

I only bring up the Steelers to show that you can make a case that things could get better down the stretch. You really can’t with the ravens. Their defense will be weak and Miami put up the blueprint on stopping Lamar. They are drawing dead this year. Best case is an early playoff loss.

With the Ravens being so into analytics, I think it’s possible they know this and are actually starting to tank to maximize draft capital.

 

[BLITZ]

If yesterdays performance was in anyway tanking, I would hate to see them really try

 

[Steeltime]

The two-point conversion decisions are just bizarre. Baltisore was moving the ball with ease its last two possessions last night, and has one of the best kickers in NFL history. The defense clamped down on Green Bay's last two possessions.

Therefore, going into OT, Baltisore would have had an offense moving at will and a defense doing a much, much better job. Makes no sense. But I don't ascribe the stupidity to tanking, just overblown ego.

 

[Lunar]

No they aren't on purpose, hairball is just dumb.

 

[ZonaBurgh]

Wait, he attempted this again and expected different results?

Didn't watch the game.

 

[BLITZ]

Wait, he attempted this again and expected different results?

Didn't watch the game.

Yes
And same result. You should hear the Raven fans on the radio crying today. I set in my driveway for an extra 10 minutes just listening to them cry

 

[Steel Reign]

... just overblown ego.

That's what I think as well. I certainly wouldn't sleep on the Ravens if I were any team, including the Steelers.

 

[Superman]

well, as a fan of a team who will be QB shopping in the off-season, I'm thankful the Rats gave their soon to be free agent mobile backup QB the opportunity to show his pedigree, if you will, at a crucial point in the season for that team in making a run at the playoffs to validate their season if you will.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Not a chance. Too many jobs on the line in the NFL to tank. Just a terrible play call if you are deciding to go for 2. Ravens also had a wide open Andrews against the Steelers and Lamar couldn't make the pass.

 

[Steel G]

Huntley is better than Turnover Jackson

 

[Steelworth]

No they aren't on purpose, hairball is just dumb.

I don't think Hairball is as dumb as he is mind-numbingly stubborn with an enormous ego. And I couldn't believe they took a timeout, had time to think about it, and still did it.

 

[Steelworth]

Huntley is better than Turnover Jackson

He sure looks it. But it's the NFL and these guys need to show something for a full season or two before crowning them IMO.

 

[Buster]

If Lamar was a free agent after this year, what do the Ravens do?

 

[Super Dave]

I can see it.

Harbaugh has always coached like the rule book is mere suggestions. Any opportunity for Harbaugh to showcase how clever he thinks that he is, he is sure to exploit.

 

[madinsomniac]

Look, the NFL ****** with the game over the past twenty years, giving a distinct offensive advantage to aggressive teams. defenses just recently caught up on the schematic changes and technical adjustments... the problem with long term analytics is that the NFL adjusts in eras of 3 to 6 years. a sound strategy can be totally eradicated by the offense or defense adjusting how they handle it and by rule changes...

a few years ago the offense had such an advantage that going for it every fourth and 1 or 2 point conversion was absolutely a great idea... it was absurdly high percentage... now there has been a defensive adjustment... but the analytics are still factoring in the 5 and 10 year data that skewers it very high compared to right now in the nfl. stats arent static. data adjusts and strategy must adjust with it.

Harbaugh was playing the percentages , but using old data to get there

 

[21STEELERS21]

Huntley is an ERFA and not going anywhere in offseason.

 

[bermudasteel]

The Ravens are in general, a smartly run franchise. One of the keys to their success is they have mastered the compensatory formula to get extra draft picks based on their free agent and trade acquisitions. It drives many of their decisions so they take a long term view of things.

Harbaugh’s gambles seem reckless. Could it be that they are low key tanking?

Ravens have been hard hit with injuries, particularly on defense. Their defense simply isn’t very good this year and unlike the Steelers, who could get healthier and theoretically get better, the ravens defense will not get better this year. Their whole defense is based on shutdown CBs. Without Marcus Peters and now without Jimmy Smith, the defense is soft.

They are also seeing that Lamar has not taken a leap forward as they hoped. Adding Bateman has not paid immediate dividends. They are without their top RBs although Freeman and Murray have filled in well.

With the Steelers, you can make the case that they could improve and become dangerous. The young OL can improve. It has somewhat. Claypool could pull his head out of his ***. Canada could finally figure out what works and improve the gameplans.

I only bring up the Steelers to show that you can make a case that things could get better down the stretch. You really can’t with the ravens. Their defense will be weak and Miami put up the blueprint on stopping Lamar. They are drawing dead this year. Best case is an early playoff loss.

With the Ravens being so into analytics, I think it’s possible they know this and are actually starting to tank to maximize draft capital.

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[Superman]

Huntley is an ERFA and not going anywhere in offseason.

Rats have a lot of free agents (25) after this season and $26 mil in cap space. Looking over who they might want to resign, a lot of names before you get to Huntley. Additionally, they're likely to be players in the FA market to acquire a RB and CB.

2022 NFL Free Agents Tracker

Tracking the status and signings of all 2022 NFL free agents.

www.spotrac.com

They could be enticed to trade him with a draft pick.

 

[SteelerFanRC]

Is this a serious thread? Pretty far fetched idea.

 

[FSF]

well, as a fan of a team who will be QB shopping in the off-season, I'm thankful the Rats gave their soon to be free agent mobile backup QB the opportunity to show his pedigree, if you will, at a crucial point in the season for that team in making a run at the playoffs to validate their season if you will.

Not sure if you’re talking about Huntley or Jackson?

 

[FSF]

He sure looks it. But it's the NFL and these guys need to show something for a full season or two before crowning them IMO.

If you wanna crown them, crown them.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Is this a serious thread? Pretty far fetched idea.

why is it far fetched? Teams semi tank almost every year. It happens in baseball all the time and they don't even deny it. NFL teams always deny it.

Do i mean the players are tanking? Of course not. They may not even know it's happening. Think of it as the inverse of the Pats cheating to win. Few if any players would have to be in on it. They just knew that genius playcalls came from somewhere. This would be the opposite.

I did say low key tanking. By that i mean, it's possible that the high ups in Balt who are very invested in analytics, determined that they have no shot this year with their injuries. So they shift into a gameplan of all or nothing. Hyper aggressive because they want to win big, try to get a high playoff seed, or miss the playoff entirely.

I bet if the steelers had lost last game to the Titans, lots of people here would be hoping the steelers tank the rest of the way and maximize draft picks.

 

[SteelerSask2]

I can see it.

Harbaugh has always coached like the rule book is mere suggestions. Any opportunity for Harbaugh to showcase how clever he thinks that he is, he is sure to exploit.

This is far more realistic than tanking a season for the compensatory 4th-6th round picks

 

[Troglodyte]

Of course not. How and why would they wait until the final play of multiple games to intentionally lose?

 

[Troglodyte]

As far as people wanting the Steelers to tank for a higher draft pick, ******* please!

Heyward, Watt and Harris were all drafted later in the first round. Bush was a high first round pick.