SBNation.com User Blog: OGN

Baltimore Should Provide Good Barometer

OGN — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:40:15 -0000

This Thursday's game against the Ravens should provide us with a good gauge of how much progression the offense has made thus far. The Raven defense ranked 4th in total yards last season and 3rd in scoring defense only giving up 16.6 points per game. Additionally, they ranked 3rd in sacks with 48 and 3rd in pass defense yielding just 196 yards per game and giving up a little over 53% pass completion percentage. Their rushing defense ranked 2nd last season giving up 92.6 yards per game. The Ravens have the reputation of being one of the best and toughest defenses in the league and have the numbers to back it up.

The third preseason game has traditionally been the game where we see actual game planning by the coaching staff and extended play by the starters. It will be fascinating to see how our new coaching staff prepares for an actual game vs one of the best teams in the league. Of particular interest will be the continued growth of QB Blaine Gabbert. Blaine had a good outing against the Giants and followed that up with an excellent showing against the Saints completeing 13 of 16 passes with 2 touchdowns and a QB rating of 135.4. Both preseason games were against playoff teams from last year. However, these are preseason games with no game planning and very vanilla defensive schemes. Thusrday's game will be the first time this year that we face an opponent who will gameplay against us.

Here are the primary things I'll be looking for this Thursday:

1) Blaine Gabbert - will he continue to shine against one of the best defenses in the league. Baltimore ranked 3rd in the league last seasoning sacks with 48, so they can get after the QB. Will Blaine stand tall in the pocket and deliver accurate passes? Can he make accurate presnap reads and pick up blitzes and coverages? Will he check us out of bad plays and into good ones? Will he be decisive on where to go with the ball? How will he respond to negative plays?

2) Offensive Line - we are still without our full compliment of starting linemen. Last season, the Jaguar offense was plagued by a myriad of issues and pass protection was among them. Have our linemen developed and improved in this area? Again, with the Ravens renound for QB pressure, this will be a great test to see where we stand. How well will they pick up blitzes and games?

3) WR - The Jaguars made a concerted effort to bolster the talent level at this position. Last season was a disaster for the WR corp as they either could not get opened or dropped passes routinely. Given how good the Raven defense is against the pass, coupled with sacks and interceptions,it will be critical for the WRs to recognize blitzes and to be on the same page with Blaine by adjusting to hot routes where appropriate. It will be equally important for our WRs to get separation early in routes in order to counter the defensive pressure we're likely to see.

4). Coaching - I have maintained that the biggest upgrade this organization did in the off season was to the coaching staff. Last year was a disaster coaching wise as apathy was compounded by incompetence. This year should be much improved. I'll be looking for the overall gameplan. Will we continue to show the run / pass balance we've seen thus far in preseason? What kind of adjustments will the staff make at halftime? Will we have a good mix of run / pass in not so obvious situations. Last year was run, run, pass, punt pretty much 24/7. We've seen some 1st down passing thus far and I'd like to see that continue. What will be your primary interest of focus?This Thursday's game against the Ravens should provide us with a good gauge of how much progression the offense has made thus far. The Raven defense ranked 4th in total yards last season and 3rd in scoring defense only giving up 16.6 points per game. Additionally, they ranked 3rd in sacks with 48 and 3rd in pass defense yielding just 196 yards per game and giving up a little over 53% pass completion percentage. Their rushing defense ranked 2nd last season giving up 92.6 yards per game. The Ravens have the reputation of being one of the best and toughest defenses in the league and have the numbers to back it up.

Here are the primary things I'll be looking for this Thursday:

NFL Network to Replay Jags vs Raiders this Wed at 8:00PM

OGN — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 01:19:58 -0000

NFL Network to Replay Jags vs Raiders this Wed at 8:00PM

NFL Network to re-air Jags @ Bucs

OGN — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:30:03 -0000

NFL Network to re-air Jags @ Bucs

The preseason game between Jacksonville at Tampa Bay will re-air on the following dates / times:

Sunday 8/29 at 2:00 AM
Tuesday 8/31 at 7:00 AM

Please note - times are Eastern Standard Time.
Fire up the coffee pot and enjoy!

NFL Network to re-air Phins @ Jags

OGN — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:55:43 -0000

NFL Network to re-air Phins @ Jags

The NFL Network will re-air the Miami @ Jacksonville preseason game on:

Monday 8/23 at 11:00PM and
Tuesday 8/24 at 10:00AM

NFL network to show Jags @ Eagles game this Friday

OGN — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:43:35 -0000

NFL network to show Jags @ Eagles game this Friday

For all you out of town Jags fans, the NFL network will be televising the Jags @Eagles preseason game Friday night at 10:30PM.

The game will also re-air on Saturday at 1:00PM

Watch the pigeon maintain lane discipline on the kick coverage team

OGN — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:36:55 -0000

Watch the pigeon maintain lane discipline on the kick coverage team

Jaguars 23 - Rams 20 - There Were Some Real Postives In This Game

OGN — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:45:28 -0000

Well that was an ugly win, but as they say "we'll take it". Here are the highlights:

The Jags dominated the stats and time of possession. Some key stats were 33 first downs compared to 13 for the Rams, 492 total yards for the Jags and 262 for the Rams, and TOP was 44:12 for Jacksonville compared to 24:48 for the Rams. Below is a link to the complete game stats.

Jaguars vs Rams Game Stats

Well that was an ugly win, but as they say "we'll take it". Here are the highlights:

Jaguars vs Rams Game Stats

We did have our ugly moments as well. First and most obvious were the turnovers. The Jaguars turned the ball over twice in the red zone and David Garrard made a horrible attempted screen pass that resulted in a Rams pick 6 nearly costing us the game.

Second, David's stats were good - 30 completions out of 43 attemps (69.7%) for 335 yards and 2 Ints but there are some issues with his play. I thought David held the ball too long on some throws and took some sacks as well. This has been a continuing issue during the course of the season and needs to be addressed. He also delivered some passes late that could have resulted in additional picks. He made some terrific throws during the game, but would follow it up with a bad pass, especially early in the game. These issues are leading to some inconsistent performances.

Third, the defense gave up a game tying drive in the final minutes. They are the 30th ranked defense and it showed at times.

The Positives

There were some very real positives to come out of this win. First, the team fought through some bad play and found a way to win. I believe that is huge for this team - learning how to win. In order to win championships, teams must win games they have no business winning due to their own errors. This team did that today.

* After making a horrible play that nearly cost the game (the Rams pick 6), David and the team remained poised and regained the lead.

* The team bounced back from the beatdown they received last week.

* Penalties were kept at a minimum. Last week it seemed that the Jags counldn't complete a down on offense or defense without committing some type of penalty. This week - 3 penalties for 15 yards. I'll take that and ask for seconds please!

* The defense played very well today. They gave up an opening drive TD and it looked like "oh no - here we go again". But after a shaky first half, they really played well and dominated in the second half; the final drive not withstanding.

This team played well and they played poorly during this game, but they found a way to win - and that's what it's all about.

Blame it on ZOLTAN!!!

OGN — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:32:47 -0000

I was racking my brain last night, trying to come up with a reason (s) for the debacle we witnessed in Seattle yesterday. After careful reflection and introspection, I found the reason - ZOLTAN. Yes, our brother in arms from across the pond and frequent contributer to this site royally screwed our beloved Jags yesterday.

How you may ask? Simple. Yesterday, during the game on the game thread, Zoltan confessed (CONFESSED mind you) that he had neglected to wear his lucky Jaguar shirt. Don't believe me - it's right there in black and white - we have the documented evidence so you go check it out for yourself. There's no denying it - there's no escaping it. I called him out for it yesterday but I feel compelled to bring this most egregious offense to the public eye.

COME ON Z! What the hell were you thinking there??? Did you have money on Seattle? Are you cyberdating a Seattle cheerleader? We can forgive that at least.

It is an unrefutable, universal truth that wearing the lucky garb PRIOR to kickoff garantees success. Everybody knows this. This is gloabally excepted as truth across many nations and cultures - hence our friend's confession as a sorry attempt to assuage his guilt from bringing disaster upon our Jags.

Hopefully, Zoltan will remember to suit up properly BEFORE the remaining games on the schedule. Get your head in the game son!

Go Jags!

Presented in the spirit of jest and good humor directed towards a good friend of BCC! Hopefully you got a laugh from it.

COME ON Z! What the hell were you thinking there??? Did you have money on Seattle? Are you cyberdating a Seattle cheerleader? We can forgive that at least.

Hopefully, Zoltan will remember to suit up properly BEFORE the remaining games on the schedule. Get your head in the game son!

Go Jags!

Presented in the spirit of jest and good humor directed towards a good friend of BCC! Hopefully you got a laugh from it.

Poll

Who's to Blame here?

Zoltan

3 votes

Zoltan

2 votes

Zoltan

5 votes

All of the Above

40 votes

50 votes | Poll has closed

It Can't Get Much Uglier Than That

OGN — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:10:01 -0000

Well, we were totally emasculated today. To say that this was one of the worse TEAM performances in our history, is an understatement. There isn't much more to say than 41 - nill other than the score WAS closer than the game was.

I won't spend much time on the D. We knew that they were not very good coming into this season - it's been confirmed. And I'm just about ready to officially declare the 2008 draft class as busts. Once again, no pass rush except for a couple of plays. Otherwise a totally banged up Seattle O line gave great protection for a banged up QB who was allowed to get comfortable and then got hot. Hasselbeck killed us. This will have to be addressed via next year's draft and FA. Altough we have some young players to build with, clearly, new personnel is needed. Some say that stats lie - NOT IN THIS CASE. Our defensive statistical rankings are very reflective to what we're seeing on the field.

Our O line was completely dominated today, especially the interior line. Monroe got schooled again and had some poor efforts as well. You have to give the O line a solid F with no running game and no pass protection.

David Garrard had one of his worse games as he was directly responsible for 2 turnovers and 14 points. He continues to be inconsistent and holds the ball to long - hence the 2 turnovers and 14 points. This offense is only as good as the QB and when he's off, we're not going anywhere. David is in serious need of good coaching - he's got to get the ball out quicker. His total lack of awareness in this regard, is especially noticable on 3 step drops. The ball simply has to be fired out of there, even it's out of bounds. This total lack of awareness is unexceptable in a QB at any level, much less the NFL.

Finally coaching - just as we were praising the play calling last week, the opposite is true this week. The coaches had no answers, although with the total lack of execution, it probably would not have mattered. Once again we see the inconsistent, week to week performances which has been a hallmark of JDR coached teams during his 7 years. Seattle was completely dialed into everything the Jags tried on both sides of the ball. That reflects extremely well on their coaching staff and team leadership. Jags personnel take note - our coaching and team leadership just got pile driven into China.

This just in - the jags got flagged again for another stupid penalty.

Burn the tape and move onto next week. We host the Rams and they're god awful. Hopefully, we'll come out with at least a token effort because we sure didn't see it this week.

Go Jags!

This just in - the jags got flagged again for another stupid penalty.

Burn the tape and move onto next week. We host the Rams and they're god awful. Hopefully, we'll come out with at least a token effort because we sure didn't see it this week.

Go Jags!

The Seahawks Scare Me

OGN — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:08:28 -0000

I'm a little concerned with our upcoming game with Seattle. Everyone's in a state of euphoria as our beloved Jags just beat 2 division rivals: the Texans in a thriller and a complete beatdown of tenn that effectively killed their season (very satisfying).

The Seahawks are not to be taken lightly. I point out that it is WE that must travel across the country. Seattle is currently 1-3. They may come out with a what do we have to lose mentality. They have an excellent QB in Matt Hasselbeck. I believe that if he can stand upright, he'll play in this game (would love to get confirmation on this from the Field Gulls guys). Hasselbeck is a streaky QB who can get hot and when he does, look out - he's one of the best and can carve up a D like a Xmas turkey. Throw in the fact that our pass defense just plain stinks and currently ranks dead last in the league AND we do not generate QB pressure or hits on the QB and you have a recipe for a disasterous trip out West.

So those who have penciled in a win with this trip out West, don't count those chickens just yet. I believe the Jags should win this game, but I take nothing for granted here. This has all the makings of a classic ambush game. JDR and the veterans on this team need to drive this point home with the "yutes".

Go Jags!

Update - NFL Network is reporting that Hasselbeck participated in limited practice for the 2nd straight day and it appears that he will start Sunday.

Injury Report (Thursday) -

Seattle

Out: T Walter Jones (knee), T Sean Locklear (ankle), LB Leroy Hill (groin) and G Rob Sims (ankle).

Did not practice: DE Patrick Kerney (groin).

Limited in practice: QB Matt Hasselbeck (rib), LB Lofa Tatupu (hamstring).

Full practice: FB Justin Griffith (knee), CB Josh Wilson (ankle

Jags

Out: DT Greg Peterson (knee).

Did not practice: S Sean Considine (groin), LB Adam Seward (groin), CB Scott Starks (hip) and TE Ernest Wilford (knee).

Limited in practice: LB Clint Ingram (ankle), G Maurice Williams (knee).

Full practice: DT Derek Landri (wrist), T Tra Thomas (knee).

Go Jags!

Update - NFL Network is reporting that Hasselbeck participated in limited practice for the 2nd straight day and it appears that he will start Sunday.

Injury Report (Thursday) -

Seattle

Out: T Walter Jones (knee), T Sean Locklear (ankle), LB Leroy Hill (groin) and G Rob Sims (ankle).

Did not practice: DE Patrick Kerney (groin).

Limited in practice: QB Matt Hasselbeck (rib), LB Lofa Tatupu (hamstring).

Full practice: FB Justin Griffith (knee), CB Josh Wilson (ankle

Jags

Out: DT Greg Peterson (knee).

Did not practice: S Sean Considine (groin), LB Adam Seward (groin), CB Scott Starks (hip) and TE Ernest Wilford (knee).

Limited in practice: LB Clint Ingram (ankle), G Maurice Williams (knee).

Full practice: DT Derek Landri (wrist), T Tra Thomas (knee).

The Current "Lay of the Land" in College Football

OGN — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:00:53 -0000

We're barely into the 2009 college football season, and already there are big storylines developing with some of the major conferences. We sent our reporter to interview each conference and get their take on how this year is shaping up. We boiled down each interview into one salient comment per conference. We present them below:

1) ACC - "we friggin hate the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)"

2) Big Ten - "we friggin love the CAA. I mean, we only usually just get blown out by PAC 10 teams. Please note - App St is NOT a member of the CAA"

3) Big East - " what the Big Eleven eerrrrrr Big 10 just said".

4) WAC - "Will someone please explain how the hell the ACC gets an automatic BCS bid and we don't"

5) Mountian West - "Will someone please explain how the hell the ACC gets an automatic BCS bid and we don't"

and Finally

6) Colonial Athletic Assoc - "Will someone please explain how the hell the ACC gets an automatic BCS bid and we don't - I mean we own the ACC and kick their ass--- uummmm wait a minute ---- we actually do things right and have a playoff - NEVER Mind"

And there you have it sports fans - that's the Lay of the Land in college football 2009. Tune in next week when we'll examine what the ACC needs to do to become more competitive in 1AA football - God knows we play enough of these guys.

1) ACC - "we friggin hate the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)"

2) Big Ten - "we friggin love the CAA. I mean, we only usually just get blown out by PAC 10 teams. Please note - App St is NOT a member of the CAA"

3) Big East - " what the Big Eleven eerrrrrr Big 10 just said".

4) WAC - "Will someone please explain how the hell the ACC gets an automatic BCS bid and we don't"

5) Mountian West - "Will someone please explain how the hell the ACC gets an automatic BCS bid and we don't"

and Finally

Let the Games Begin!

OGN — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:01:09 -0000

Preseason is finally over and we are due to trim the roster down to 53 players by Saturday. Some overall impressions of this year's version of our favorite team going into the regular season:

1) WRs - I'm very pleased with the direction that the WR corp is moving in. After last year's worst in NFL crop, Gene made the right move in gutting that squad and beginning anew. Very happy to have Torry Holt. Troy Williamson appears to have put the pieces together. He has impressed in the preseason - hope this carries over into the regular season. Mike "INA" Sims-Walker - the name change has apparently worked; he actually got onto the field and WOW! He was fantastic last night. I want to see him produce in regular season games - but he is definately worth a roster spot. Stay healthy and stay on the field Mike, but for now, you have definately won me over. I also like our rookies. It will take some time to develop their talent, but you can see the foundation is definately there. This group may see the biggest overall improvement on the team this year.

2) O - Line - we have some new blood and it was sorely needed. Upgrades are still needed in the center and guard spots. This unit will require some time to develop continuity and Britton will get schoolled from time to time as all rookies will. Pass protection has improved but still needs work. In every preseason game, the opposing team's pass rush looked like a team jail break at times and David definately took some shots this preseason. This will be a work in progress at least for the early part of the season.

3) Defense - I think this will be a middle of the road D again this year, but with the beginnings of improvement. There were just to many holes to fill coming into this season. Cox may be a great find and so too is Knighten. I think Gene may have really maximized draft pick impact with limited picks going towards the D this year. Time will tell. Big John appears to have waken up this preseaon and that bodes well. Harvey has improved his game this preseason and he seems to be getting closer. The D line overall, still has issues generating pass rush on thier own - it seemed to me that most of our pressure this preseason was generated via blitzing. The seondary still has issues. It will be interesting the see what impact Cox has on this unit as the season progresses. Given that we gave up next years' 2nd round pick - I'll be watching this very closely (as I'm sure you will too).

4) Team - I thought the team as a whole improved each week, which is what you want to see. I want to see continued improvement in individual players and the team as a whole. And I want to see a more consistent team from week to week. This has proven to be elusive in the past. Given the amount of young players who will either be starting or seeing significant playing time, this may prove to be challenging, but nevertheless, it needs to occur.

5) Gene Smith - I am very impressed with Gene so far. He seems to have a good eye for talent and a keen mind. He's already "POed" a couple of other GMs by making some schrewd pick ups, which really makes me smile. We never saw that under Shack. I think Gene is exactly what this team needs and given one or 2 more off seasons, we may seriously contend. His first draft class may prove to be the best in the league this year from top to bottom and provide a solid nucleus from which to build a consistent winner in JAX. And winning is the great cure all to our attendance issues. I will admit to being one of those who are very concerned of JAX's ability to keep this franchise in town. Gene just may literally prove to be this teams' saviour.

Prediction - This is a team that will see several very young players either starting or seeing significant playing time. There will be learning via the school of hard knocks. I believe that a 7-9 record is realistic, but this team will scrap and fight. You never know, Miami came out of nowhere last year. I am genuinely looking forward to this season and I am excited about it. I believe this team is headed in the right direction and it will be fun to watch the young talent and team chemistry develop throughout the course of this season.

What are your thoughts?

GO JAGS!!!!

Preseason is finally over and we are due to trim the roster down to 53 players by Saturday. Some overall impressions of this year's version of our favorite team going into the regular season:

What are your thoughts?

GO JAGS!!!!

Poll

What's your prediction for this year's team?

10 - 6 or better

11 votes

9 -7

16 votes

8 -8

17 votes

7 -9

7 votes

6 - 10 or lower

0 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

Vick to JAX?

OGN — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:36:51 -0000

If you have not already heard, Mike Vick has been reinstated by 'The Commish' The NFL network was all over this today and had quite a discussion about this. One of the questions asked of Jamie Dukes and Michale Lombardi were which teams would have an interest in Vick. Several were listed, Cinn, NE, Rams, San Fran, and Jacksonville. When pressed to pick one team that Vick will end up with, Dukes said San Fran and Lombardi said Jags. Lombardi like Jags due to the back up QB situation, the small market environment, and the need to win. So, what say you?

Poll

Would you like to see Vick wearing the Teal & Black?

Yes - he's just what we need

68 votes

NO - are you kidding me

70 votes

I don't know - it might work, it wight not

68 votes

206 votes | Poll has closed

JDR on Hot Seat

OGN — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:33:47 -0000

I wanted to pass along an FYI to the BCC Nation. The NFL Network had an editorial type piece (Prime Time Deon Sanders pontificating) that Jack Del Rio is one of the coaches on the proverbial hot seat this seasn. The teams inconsistency was touted as a most probable reason. Given that this specific topic was discussed on this site nearly a month ago, I thought those that do not get NFL Network might be interested. Some on this site (meself included) have begun to question JDR. When you consider the up and down nature of this franchise over the past 5 years and especially the dismal divisional record, it would seem that a national media spotlight is beginning tp shine on the Jags coaching staff.

A question from a Jaguar Fan

OGN — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:23:16 -0000

Hello Texans,

I'd like to get your opinion on the strengths and weaknesses you see with the Jaguars coning into the 2009 season. I'm curious to get an "outsider's" perspective.

From my perspective, I think the Texans have done a good job upgrading their roster over the past couple years and I think you guys are THE team on the move in the division. If Schaub can stay healthy, I beleive you should make a run at the playoff's this year. If your QB goes down - you're screwed.

Thanks in advance.

Hello Texans,

I'd like to get your opinion on the strengths and weaknesses you see with the Jaguars coning into the 2009 season. I'm curious to get an "outsider's" perspective.

Thanks in advance.

Who is this year's league MVP?

OGN — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:48:27 -0000

With the end of the 08 regular season next week, who do think should be this year's NFL MVP? There are some intriguing candidates to choose from. Let's look at 3 of them.

#1 - Peyton Manning - has single handidly put the Colt's on his back and IS the Colt's offense. There is no doubt that the Colt's were in seemingly decline at the beginning of the season but with Peyton pulling the trigger, they have recovered and are still dangerous. They may be the team that nobody wants to see in the playoffs.

#2 - Chad Pennington - has taken a 1-15 Phins team to 1 victory away from the AFC East Division title and a playoff birth. He isn't flashy, he doesn't make the highlight reels - he's just a winner - plain and simple. He gets the job done and IF the Phins can win next week and capture the division, he certainly merrits consideration.

#3 - Matt Ryan - what can you say about this guy. He's certainly rookie of the year. When you consider what condition the ATL franchise was coming into this season, Ryan leading the team to the playoff's is THE story of the NFL this season. He's had some great help with Mike Turner at RB, but it all starts with Ryan.

There are certainly others, Mike Turner, Adrian Peterson, Kerry Colins, Ben Roethlisberger, or how about Matt Cassle just to name a few.

Who do you think should be MVP this year?

With the end of the 08 regular season next week, who do think should be this year's NFL MVP? There are some intriguing candidates to choose from. Let's look at 3 of them.

There are certainly others, Mike Turner, Adrian Peterson, Kerry Colins, Ben Roethlisberger, or how about Matt Cassle just to name a few.

Who do you think should be MVP this year?

Poll

Who should be MVP

Peyton Manning

18 votes

Chad Pennington

5 votes

Matt Ryan

7 votes

Ben Roethlisbeger

1 votes

Kerry Colins

2 votes

Someone else

7 votes

40 votes | Poll has closed

Derrick Harvey - Is He Worth the Price?

OGN — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:59:23 -0000

[Note by River City Rage, 12/06/08 12:23 PM EST ] OGN wrote this fantastic fanpost that started a pretty good conversation. I'm moving it to the front page so everyone can see it! - Chris

With the 2008 season all but over, let's get past the "season that might have been" and concentrate on the future. In that spirit, I wish to examine our 2008 first round draft pick - Derrick Harvey. This analysis will look at the price paid, the production to date, and how his production compares with other D line rookies. Finally, we put the question to the reader - Do you think this was a good deal for the Jags? Note - my source for stats is NFL.com.

Draft Day Trade - Jags trade with the Ravens to move up and take Harvey with the 8th overall pick. The Ravens receive 1st round pick (#26), two 3rd round picks (#71 & #89) and a 4th round pick (#125).

How did that work out for the Ravens? The Ravens trade up to pick #18 and get Joe Flacco - QB Delware . They traded picks #26 and #89 acquired from the Jags. With pick # 71 from the Jags, Baltimore picks Tavares Gordon - ILB from Miami. Finally, the Ravens trade pick #125 with Oakland and get CB Fabian Washington.

Flacco and Washington are both starters. Washington has to date, posted 18 tackles + 3 assists. Gordon played in 4 games before being placed on IR and has year to date stats of 3 tackles & 2 assists. Flacco is having a good rookie year so far.

Overall, that trade has worked out very well for the Ravens and they're in the middle of the playoff hunt. Did this deal put them over the top?

Harvey Stats - Harvey has played in 12 games this year and has to date 9 tackles, 2 assits, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, and 1 Int.

How does that compare to other D line Rookies? Harvey was the 5th D linemen taken in the draft. Chris Long (#2) DE from UVA, Glen Dorsey (#5) DT from LSU, Vernon Gholston (#6) DE from Ohio State, and Sedrick Ellis (#7) DT from USC were taken ahead of Harvey. Gholston was moved to LB when he arrived at the Jets so I will through out his stats for this comparison.

Of the top 4 picks, Harvey finishes last at #15 with his year to date stats. Long ranks #1, Dorsey is #2, and Eliis is tied for #7. Of 37 rookie D linemen in the NFL, 7 are not active. Of the remaining 30 active rookie D linemen - Harvey ranks #15; middle of the pack. Groves ranks just behind him at #16.

Long's stats - 28 tackles, 7 assists, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

There's the comparison by the numbers. Now let's go a little deeper and look at Harvey's production vs the Texans on Monday night. Harvey was matched against another rookie - LT Duane Brown from Va Tech and not a veteran LT. How did Harvey do? He was shut out statistically for the entire game. He did manage a QB pressure that forced a bad pass on 3rd down.

Comparisons have been made to Mario Williams rookie year so let's take a look at that. Williams finished 2006 4th out of 39 active D line rookies with 35 tackles, 12 assists, 4.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Projecting Harvey the rest of the season at current pace, Harvey's year end stats would be 12 tackles, 3 assist, 2 sacks, 3 passes defensed, and 1 int.

Well, there you have it. There are the facts. I leave it to the reader to judge his effort. Now for the $33 million question - Was he worth the price we paid?

[Note by River City Rage, 12/06/08 12:23 PM EST ] OGN wrote this fantastic fanpost that started a pretty good conversation. I'm moving it to the front page so everyone can see it! - Chris

Overall, that trade has worked out very well for the Ravens and they're in the middle of the playoff hunt. Did this deal put them over the top?

Harvey Stats - Harvey has played in 12 games this year and has to date 9 tackles, 2 assits, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, and 1 Int.

Long's stats - 28 tackles, 7 assists, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

Well, there you have it. There are the facts. I leave it to the reader to judge his effort. Now for the $33 million question - Was he worth the price we paid?

Poll

How do think Harvey will do in the future?

He's a Bust

13 votes

He will improve, but never be a consistent impact player

53 votes

Future star - he just needs more time to develop

54 votes

Don't know - could go either way

56 votes

176 votes | Poll has closed