LaMarr Woodley Takes A Jab At Joe Flacco

The NFL offseason is typically quiet this time off year, with or without a lockout. There hasn’t been too much news being made except for players taking up other occupations, talking trash, holding POW’s (player organized workouts), and taking up space on the police blotter. 

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley  has spent a little time amping up the hard hitting rivalry between the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Woodley appeared on the NFL Network’s All Access show and took a swipe at the Ravens, more specifically quarterback Joe Flacco. Woodley said that Flacco could never lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl since the Steelers stand in their way.

“No, not at all because they have to go through one team — that’s the Pittsburgh Steelers in that AFC Championship,” Woodley said. “So in order for them to get to the Super Bowl, they have to beat us, and we’re not gonna let that happen once we get that close. So that’s not gonna happen in this lifetime.”

He wasn’t quite done there either. He did say that Cleveland’s Colt McCoy would be a “great quarterback” and took a shot at the Cincinnati Bengals and their situation with Carson Palmer.

 “Well, honestly, when they play against us, it really doesn’t matter whether he’s there or not,” Woodley said about Palmer and the Bengals.

You can’t go against what he’s said since the Steelers have ended Baltimore’s postseason run the last two years. The tables might be turned if Baltimore can ever get them at home, but that’s not guaranteed either since the Steelers play them well in Baltimore.

Tyrod Taylor: ‘I’m the most dynamic quarterback in the draft’

You know what they say, if you don’t believe in yourself, no one will. Well, Tyrod Taylor has plenty of belief in himself. More than what you would hear from a sixth round draft pick. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. It’s just that he has a long way to go to help the Baltimore Ravens.

Taylor was the ACC offensive player of the year and doesn’t lack confidence coming into the NFL.

“I believe I can do it all,” Taylor said after being drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens. “I believe I’m the most dynamic quarterback in the draft. I have the ability to move the pocket and keep the play alive, and I also have the ability to stay in the pocket and make every throw that they ask for. My style is kind of a mixture of all.



“I want to do whatever it takes to help the team and in the best situation. Most teams have talked to me as a quarterback. I’m evaluated as a quarterback. After talking to the Ravens’ coaching staff, they look at me as a quarterback and want to mentor me and mature me as a quarterback.”

You know what that means don’t you? Wildcat package.

If Taylor is developed properly and is eager to learn, he could be a productive backup. He does have some skills as he passed for 24 touchdowns against 5 interceptions last season at Virginia Tech.

“I’m going to reach out to Flacco,” Taylor said. “We’re teammates now, so hopefully we can get some study sessions on and just help my progression. The lockout is difficult for a quarterback because you’re not able to get the playbook as soon as you can, but everyone is in the lockout. I’m going to try to reach out to Flacco, get in the playbook and learn it as quickly as possible.”

Right now he’s saying all the right things. Personally I would like to see him some success at the NFl level since there are a lot of doubters out there about him.

  

 

Quote Of The Week: Brian Billick

Former Ravens coach Brian Billick on why it’s so hard to get that first-round quarterback pick right. Money line: “I am living proof that if you miss on a first-round quarterback, as I did with Kyle Boller, you end up broadcasting games and writing about the NFL instead of coaching.”

Source: CBSSports.com

Bart Scott Let’s Loose On Patriots And Ravens

It’s the NFL offseason, there’s a lockout and league news never stops. Whether it’s criminal activity, players being involved in different activities, or just interviewing with the media, it’s all NFL all the time and I like it. Except for the labor strife.

New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott had a few things to to say in an interview with Metro New York.  He complimented his coach Rex Ryan and backed up what Ryan said about guaranteeing a Super Bowl win. He also had some not so kind things to say about the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.

“The Ravens don’t operate like the Ravens anymore. [Head coach John] Harbaugh changed everything. The Ravens aren’t that loose anymore,” Scott said. “We laugh, we joke, but then we go out there and put in a defensive system. We have our fun, and then on the field, we know what to do. If you study for the test, there’s nothing to be nervous about, right? If you don’t know what you’re doing, that’s when you can’t have fun. We know what we’re doing, but on the field, we back it up, too.”

Then he started in on Wes Welker and the Patriots. Remember when Welker mocked Ryan about the foot fetish ordeal? Scott hasn’t forgotten it. He’s keeping the rivalry stoked by adding more fuel to the fire.

“That’s doesn’t sound right, that kind of talk. That’s when you know they’re buying into us, when they start sounding like we talk,” Scott said. “Wes Welker start trying to be us, sounding like we do. That’s how you know they want to be us.”

I tell you the Jets are good for football. Not everyone likes their brash, cocky attitude, but they’ve backed it up. Mostly in the playoffs, where they’ve won every game on the road. Call me out if that’s not true. If they can catch a little bit of luck the Lombardi Trophy will end up in New York. Besides, someone has to be the bad guy, right? 

 

Like Father, Like Son

Back in 1995 Gary Moeller was fired from the University of Michigan after a drunken outburst at a Southfield, Michigan restaurant.

Fast forward to 2011 and his son Andy Moeller, a Baltimore Ravens offensive line coach  pleads guilty to driving while intoxicated (DWI). Moeller was pulled over near Greenspring Ave. on Sept. 18 last year by a state trooper while drving 70 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. The arresting officer detected a strong odor of alcohol and noticed him stumble during a field sobriety test with Moeller refusing to take a Breathalyzer exam.

This was Moeller’s third alcohol-related arrest, including an acquittal of driving while under the influence and negligent driving last May 14 in Carroll County where it was determine that he wasn’t driving the car and was parked, in the past four years. He was assigned to probation for driving while visibly impaired in Ann Arbor, Mich, in a December 2007 case.

Damn, I hate to rip the Moeller clan but it looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has said that Moeller will be terminated if there are any other alcohol related incidents.

Moeller needs to tone it down before he finds himself without a job.

Flacco Calls The Jim Zorn Firing A Personal Attack

When a coach is fired it’s usually an indictment on how the coaches planning or teachings translate to the playing field, not the players themselves. If so there would be a whole lot of professional athletes out of work. Like any Detroit Lions or Los Angeles Clippers team. Apparently Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco doesn’t think so. Flacco is pretty angry about the firing of his quarterbacks coach and feels it’s a personal attack on his performance.

“I’m not happy about it, and they know I’m not happy about it,” the third-year quarterback said.

“I also feel like a little bit like I’m being attacked,” Flacco said. “You fire the quarterback coach. Usually when your fire a position coach, it’s because you’re not really happy with how that position did. And when I look back on my season and our season as a team, I mean, we won 13 games. I felt like I had a pretty good year and you’re firing the quarterback coach? It’s kind of an attack on me, I feel like.”


“I’m not going to be happy about it, for a long time,” he said. “This year will be what it is. We’re going to be successful this year. I would have just liked him to be a part of it. He would have liked to be a part of it. And I think it would have been good for him to be a part of it.


“I think Jim was a great coach, I think he was great for our team. I think he was great for me. That’s how I feel about it.”

Joe, if it were a personal attack against you, you would be cut today. It’s not though and you shouldn’t take it as such. I know that sometimes players and coaches form a bond and they work well together, and that’s probably what happened in this case. Flacco and Zorn had that kind of bond. Being a former quarterback in the NFL, Zorn’s teaching probably went over well with Flacco and he probably taught him more than I’ll ever know about the sport. I guess the Ravens didn’t feel the same way about Zorn as Flacco did. He was there for only one season so I figure there was room to grow.

My guess is that there had to be some philosophical difference between Zorn, head coach John Harbaugh, and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. There was a seven hour meeting of the minds and Zorn was questioned about his handling of Flacco. Alledgedly Harbaugh is going to give more playcalling control to Cameron. Behind those closed doors there had to be some disagreement. Harbaugh probably should’ve asked Flacco how he felt about it and came to a conclusion. But that’s not how it works in professional sports.

Flacco had one of his best years statistically, and this is what happens to one of the coaches responisble for it.

Quick Playoff Predictions

The Divisional round of the playoffs has some good matchups this weekend. Here’s my personal predictions on this weekend’s action.

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh- I have to take the Steelers in this one solely because of home field. Pittsburgh always seems to pull one big play out of their backside than the Ravens can. Steelers 17-13.

Green Bay vs. Atlanta- I’m having flashbacks to a playoff game from 1980 that also involved the Falcons. When they played Dallas at home and lost a 30-27 thriller in which they led most of the game. I see the same thing happening today with the Falcons losing a heartbreaker to the Packers. Packers 31-27.

New York vs. New England- The Jets need to ramp up their offensive game if their going to beat New England. The Jets do a lot of tough talking but right now their hurting and the Patriots seem primed to take advantage. For some odd reason I feel a blowout coming on. The Jets defense can only take them so far.
Patriots 30-13.

Seattle vs. Chicago- The Seahawks have somewhat become America’s darling in the past few weeks. This could be a blowout or a tough defensive battle. However I do see the Bears coming out on top since they are at home and there is sure to be bad weather. Bears 20-10.

Terrell Suggs Doesn’t Have To Say Much

Before the seaon started Baltimore Ravens linebacker fired the first shot in the Ravens /Pittsburgh Steelers feud. He wore a t-shirt that said  “You bet your sweet ass I hate the Steelers” at training camp.

Now he’s wearing one that sums up how he’ll always feel about the Steelers. It says “Hey Pittsburgh” with a
Raven telling the Steelers that they’re number one. Unfortunately I don’t have a visual for it.

This rivalry is old school. Almost like the old Raiders-Steelers rivalry. Old style football the way it was to be played.

Nah, there ain’t no message,” Suggs said. “Like I always say, I put on for my city. They rep their city and I’m repping mine. So, here we go. When it comes to football, it’s the most physical game of the year. It’s going to be a physical gang fight, just like the first two games were. “When we go down there, they always hit us with the number ones. I don’t know how they act here because I’ve always been in the locker room by the time all the fans get here. I’m pretty sure we’re hitting them with the number ones. It’s whatever. We’re just going to go play a football game.”

There’s no rivalry today that can equal the Ravens/Steelers blood feud today.