Why is Balt. good every year?

[Icecube]

Everytime you think their days are over as a contender, they find a way to get right back into the mix of being an upper team. 

How do they do it?

 

They draft well, and keep drafting well. They come off a 14-2 season and have one of, if not THE best drafts in the NFL. It's crazy they nabbed Queen, Dobbins, Madubuike and Duvernay in the draft after going 14-2, just insane. 

[D Bone]

John Harbaugh is at the top of the list of reasons. 

[The Gipper]

Good management/talent evaluation.  Good coaching.  Things the Browns have lacked. 

[SdBacker80]

-Well established successful defensive system/philosophy.  They have guys that leave and they still do well.  
 

-they have never had QB play that has crippled them.  They’ve had Some game managers over the years but they’ve played well.  

-Billock and Then Harbaugh.

-kicker is an absolute weapon and a clear advantage over most teams

[Comeonman]

5 minutes ago, SdBacker80 said:

-Well established successful defensive system/philosophy.  They have guys that leave and they still do well.  
 

-they have never had QB play that has crippled them.  They’ve had Some game managers over the years but they’ve played well.  

-Billock and Then Harbaugh.

-kicker is an absolute weapon and a clear advantage over most teams

— exact opposite of the Browns of the last couple decades

[ballpeen]

They think D first.

 

If you have a really good D, you are in every game.  If you give up 30+ points a game, you can't always keep up with that.  If you give up 17 or under, most teams have a shot.

 

 

I know offense is sexy, but D is what wins you games.

 

Put your effort in to the D.

[Icecube]

18 hours ago, D Bone said:

John Harbaugh is at the top of the list of reasons. 

He's definitely at or near the top. 

[Icecube]

17 hours ago, SdBacker80 said:

-Well established successful defensive system/philosophy.  They have guys that leave and they still do well.  
 

-they have never had QB play that has crippled them.  They’ve had Some game managers over the years but they’ve played well.  

-Billock and Then Harbaugh.

-kicker is an absolute weapon and a clear advantage over most teams

The one clear mistake was giving Flacco that big deal coming off the SB win. But what choice did they have? Win a ring and let the QB who won it walk? Oh, wait, they did do that with Dilfer. 

 

That 2000 D was up there with anyone, including the '85 Bears and 70's Steelers. 

[Bob806]

20 hours ago, SdBacker80 said:

-Well established successful defensive system/philosophy.  They have guys that leave and they still do well.  
 

-they have never had QB play that has crippled them.  They’ve had Some game managers over the years but they’ve played well.  

-Billock and Then Harbaugh.

-kicker is an absolute weapon and a clear advantage over most teams

Kyle Boller was horrible but yeah otherwise they've been solid.

[Gorka]

Asking why Pitt is a contender every year must be getting old.

[Orion]

Why is Balt. good every year?

Because they're the Browns.  The Browns were always a solid team (sprinkle in a sporadic bad season).

After they took off on us we got a new franchise (don't even start Gipper) that should've been called the Impostors.

 

[Icecube]

50 minutes ago, Gorka said:

Asking why Pitt is a contender every year must be getting old.

Well, how many playoff games have the Steelers won in the last 10 years? I'm not sure 8-8 qualifies as "good." We'll see how "good" Pitt is after Ben is gone. 

[D Bone]

1 hour ago, Orion said:

Why is Balt. good every year?

Because they're the Browns.  The Browns were always a solid team (sprinkle in a sporadic bad season).

After they took off on us we got a new franchise (don't even start Gipper) that should've been called the Impostors.

Oh man, that was the 3rd Beetlejuice... 

[The Gipper]

2 minutes ago, D Bone said:

Oh man, that was the 3rd Beetlejuice... 

It is just factually false. And you all know it

[D Bone]

[Gorka]

2 hours ago, Icecube said:

Well, how many playoff games have the Steelers won in the last 10 years? I'm not sure 8-8 qualifies as "good." We'll see how "good" Pitt is after Ben is gone. 

Your post only questions why Balt is good and why they are always contenders, not why they have won so many playoff games.

But to address your jumping to another point...

In the last 10 years Baltimore has appeared in the playoffs 7 times, winning 8 times, losing 6.

In the last 10 years Pitt has appeared in the playoffs 6 times, winning 5 times, losing 6.

The sad thing is that those two vermin are always contenders while the two situated Ohio exist in a state of perpetual suckdom.

[Axe]

Because Ozzie paved the way..

[ballpeen]

On 7/19/2020 at 9:26 PM, ballpeen said:

They think D first.

 

If you have a really good D, you are in every game.  If you give up 30+ points a game, you can't always keep up with that.  If you give up 17 or under, most teams have a shot.

 

 

I know offense is sexy, but D is what wins you games.

 

Put your effort in to the D.

Not surer why one replied with a sad icon?  Balt. has always been D first team.

 

 

Build a solid D,  have a good enough O.

 

 

That is how I would do it.

[Orion]

3 minutes ago, ballpeen said:

Not surer why one replied with a sad icon?  Balt. has always been D first team.

...changed it to 'confused'.  I'm just not one of those 'Defense Wins Championships' guys.   I firmly believe that defenses don't score enough points to win games.  IMO you have to have a good offense.  And by that I mean a good PASSING offense.  (and the better your running game, the better your passing game can be)  

I'll grant that, in the playoffs, the defense can be the big separator ( CAN BE, but isn't always ), but I don't think you make the playoffs with a bad offense....and if you do, you're usually playoff fodder.  

Now, not that this matters to die-hards, but you ARE a sexier team if you can put up points.  You ARE more entertaining to watch (and will have more prime time games), you'll sell more jerseys  and will be noticed (we know Haslam likes the limelight and sales) if your offense can be on highlight shows.  Heck, it's been hard even for us die-hards to watch our team over the last 20 years!  I mean how many times did ya wish ya raked leaves or painted the shed instead of wasting your Sunday afternoon watching no QB throw to NO receivers with NO running back?

 

[Icecube]

4 hours ago, Gorka said:

Your post only questions why Balt is good and why they are always contenders, not why they have won so many playoff games.

But to address your jumping to another point...

In the last 10 years Baltimore has appeared in the playoffs 7 times, winning 8 times, losing 6.

In the last 10 years Pitt has appeared in the playoffs 6 times, winning 5 times, losing 6.

The sad thing is that those two vermin are always contenders while the two situated Ohio exist in a state of perpetual suckdom.

I'm surprised the Steelers playoff record was that decent the last decade. 5-6 ain't awesome but it's better than I recall. 

And dude, jumping to another point is what most threads do. 

[Icecube]

3 hours ago, Orion said:

...changed it to 'confused'.  I'm just not one of those 'Defense Wins Championships' guys.   I firmly believe that defenses don't score enough points to win games.  IMO you have to have a good offense.  And by that I mean a good PASSING offense.  (and the better your running game, the better your passing game can be)  

I'll grant that, in the playoffs, the defense can be the big separator ( CAN BE, but isn't always ), but I don't think you make the playoffs with a bad offense....and if you do, you're usually playoff fodder.  

Now, not that this matters to die-hards, but you ARE a sexier team if you can put up points.  You ARE more entertaining to watch (and will have more prime time games), you'll sell more jerseys  and will be noticed (we know Haslam likes the limelight and sales) if your offense can be on highlight shows.  Heck, it's been hard even for us die-hards to watch our team over the last 20 years!  I mean how many times did ya wish ya raked leaves or painted the shed instead of wasting your Sunday afternoon watching no QB throw to NO receivers with NO running back?

 

You are dead on. And obviously, a great D helps the O, and vise versa. If your O can't even make 1st downs, the D will wear out, not maybe, but definitely.  

[Icecube]

3 hours ago, ballpeen said:

Not surer why one replied with a sad icon?  Balt. has always been D first team.

 

 

Build a solid D,  have a good enough O.

 

 

That is how I would do it.

So much for the "D and running game matter less" theory. Balt. proves you can win with D and rushing. But you still need some passing threat, regardless. 

[Gorka]

10 minutes ago, Icecube said:

 

And dude, jumping to another point is what most threads do. 

 

Of course they do. And in your case jumping to another point avoids having to agree with me.

Like Baltimore the last 10yrs, Pitt has also has been good. Agree?

[Gorka]

Baltimore is good because they are the Browns in purple.

What we have in Cleveland is some sort of aberration.

aberration is  deviation from truth,  divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state

The natural state of the Browns was before they moved.

[Icecube]

1 minute ago, Gorka said:

Of course they do. And in your case jumping to another point avoids having to agree with me.

Like Baltimore the last 10yrs, Pitt has also has been good. Agree?

Of course Pitt has also been good too. I admitted I was surprised they were 5-6 in the playoff the last 10 years. And, once again, their D looks really good.  

[Gorka]

2 minutes ago, Icecube said:

Of course Pitt has also been good too. I admitted I was surprised they were 5-6 in the playoff the last 10 years. And, once again, their D looks really good.  

Thanks. I didn't really expect that reply, but then again you aren't Gipper lol!

 

[The Gipper]

8 hours ago, Gorka said:

Thanks. I didn't really expect that reply, but then again you aren't Gipper lol!

 

Where did I say that Pittsburgh didn't have a good defense?   I only ever said that Vagitron often overrates unproven players on the Steelers.  And I said that only by the grace of a decent defense was that team able to make it to 8-8 last year. 

Or, if we were to do a unit by unit comparison with the Browns  I said that  think the 2 DLs would be about even.  The Steelers LB corps would far out rank the Browns, and that the Browns  DB corps, overall is likely superior to Pittsburghs.  

So...I guess if "you aren't Gipper"  it means you have not taken the effort or time to try to do any kind of decent analysis of the talents on the two teams. 

So...here is YOUR opportunity to do so. 

[Browns149]

21 hours ago, Gorka said:

Your post only questions why Balt is good and why they are always contenders, not why they have won so many playoff games.

But to address your jumping to another point...

In the last 10 years Baltimore has appeared in the playoffs 7 times, winning 8 times, losing 6.

In the last 10 years Pitt has appeared in the playoffs 6 times, winning 5 times, losing 6.

The sad thing is that those two vermin are always contenders while the two situated Ohio exist in a state of perpetual suckdom.

Well both of those teams start 3-1 or 4-0 almost every year with the Browns and Bungles in the division 

Same with the Patriots with the Jets and Miami 

[TypicalBrowns50]

Ravens had a great draft. I was jealous. Filled basically all their needs with talented upside 

[Gorka]

2 hours ago, Browns149 said:

Well both of those teams start 3-1 or 4-0 almost every year with the Browns and Bungles in the division 

Same with the Patriots with the Jets and Miami 

The Pats had even more of an advantage. They were the sole contenders in that division for what seemed like decades. You forgot to include the Bills who until the last couple of years became pretty good. Six easy wins year in and year out for the Pats.