WEBVTT - Drive Time: Ravens Perspective with Daniel Oyefusi 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:05.200 Drive Time with Travis Wingfield begins. Now, let me check 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:09.680 your pulse if you're not far of what is up? 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:13.720 Dolphins And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast, part of 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:18.760 the Miami Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:22.000 How's it going everybody? I am your host, Travis Wingfield. 0:00:22.040 --> 0:00:24.680 And on today's show, we're gonna welcome in Daniel oya 0:00:24.720 --> 0:00:27.560 Fuzie to get the Ravens perspective. I know he works 0:00:27.560 --> 0:00:30.320 on the Dolphins beat, but he grew up a Ravens fan. 0:00:30.400 --> 0:00:32.360 He knows that team very well. Plus we'll hear from 0:00:32.400 --> 0:00:35.440 the assistant coaches, Vic Fangio, Frank Smith, Eric Studis feeling 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:37.520 much much more. We'll go ahead and pick the week 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.360 seventeen games. Plus I have a gripe to pick with 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:44.000 regards to the conversation around talent acquisition and the GM 0:00:44.320 --> 0:00:46.320 of the Miami Dolphins. All of that and more from 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:49.400 the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. 0:00:49.440 --> 0:00:57.440 This is the Draft Time Podcast. Maie daff join me 0:00:57.640 --> 0:00:59.960 in welcoming and my guest today from the Miami Herald, 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:03.480 Daniel oh Yafusie. And since it is Baltimore, Ravens week, 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:06.479 we had to welcome back to the podcast Daniel O. Yafusie, 0:01:06.959 --> 0:01:09.400 formerly of the DMV, now I beat reporter for the 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:11.720 Miami Herald. Daniel, Welcome in my man. How was your 0:01:11.720 --> 0:01:12.440 holiday season? 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:13.720 That was cool? It was cool. 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:13.880 You know. 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:15.360 I had to had to stay back home because the 0:01:15.400 --> 0:01:17.440 Dolphins played on Christmas Eve. But obviously I get to 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:20.200 go back home for a New Year's Eve game in Baltimore. 0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:23.400 Hometown meets a current town for you in week seventeen. 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:26.479 This has always been an intriguing matchup to me, intriguing 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.760 opportunity to get other perspectives on being a sports fan 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.240 who also works in sports. For me, the team I 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:33.720 root for is the team that I cover, so it's 0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:36.160 pretty easy. But I was curious, you know, and what 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:39.560 is journalism one on one other than being impartial and 0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:41.320 not you know, being a fan in the press box. 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.720 So my question is how do you balance fandom and work, 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:47.160 especially in a game where your two worlds kind of collide? Here? 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:50.560 Yeah, so quick kind of background context for those who 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:52.880 may not know, you know, I'm from the Baltimore area. 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:55.400 You know, it's no surprise obviously I grew up a 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:57.960 big Ravens fan and then actually got the opportunity which 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:00.240 to have what was kind of a dream job of 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:02.240 like you you know, to cover the Ravens from my 0:02:02.320 --> 0:02:04.040 hometown paper at Bottom or so. So I did that 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:07.440 for two seasons before coming to Miami. And yeah, you know, 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:09.680 you never really think about it, you know, up until 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:11.880 the moment. You know, I had an old professor in 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:14.440 college who asked me like, do you really want to 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:16.920 cover your favorite team? Do you really want to do that? 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.040 And I never thought about it, And you know, you 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:20.799 do have to kind of separate it. You do have 0:02:20.840 --> 0:02:23.600 to understand that, you know, there is a line. You know, 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:25.520 you know, I don't necessarily work for the team in 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:28.720 that capacity, but I'm there to do a job and 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.919 be a conduit to the fans. But you know, I 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:34.480 kind of used my institutional knowledge to enhance my reporting, 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:37.000 and now, you know, I think I've kind of leaned 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:38.760 into it this week, you know, having so much knowledge 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.120 on both these teams, so you know, you try to 0:02:40.320 --> 0:02:41.720 try to use it to your advantage. 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:44.080 Honestly, I saw you talk about the ice Tnar gloves, 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.079 not knowing that story from the background. That's one of 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:48.040 those things that is a benefit of having known the 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:50.399 team since you were a child, because you remember Dan 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:53.160 Marino pitching ice Tnar Gloves in South Florida and just 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:55.680 how funny that moment was in the Hard Knocks episode. 0:02:56.040 --> 0:02:58.080 So do you I have to imagine you go back 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:00.760 and watch the Ravens games like pulling up game pass 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:02.360 the next day? Do you do you go that route? 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:04.919 So Honestly, when I first got to Miami to cover 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:07.040 the team, you know, I definitely wanted to stay like 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:09.160 connected to the team and you know, cover you know, 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:11.080 watch them a little bit. But just the nature of 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:12.600 the beast with the beat, you know, it's really tough 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:12.960 to do that. 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:13.160 You know. 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:16.000 I have a former colleagues in Baltimore and some riders 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:17.560 who you know that their their word is like no 0:03:17.720 --> 0:03:19.800 gospel to me. So I trust them and I make 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:21.720 sure to read them the day after, but not too much. 0:03:21.800 --> 0:03:24.040 You know, if if the Dolphins are playing a night game, 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:26.040 with the Ravens are playing a night game, maybe I'll 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:29.400 be able to watch them, but not too much review. Honestly, 0:03:29.440 --> 0:03:30.960 just the nature of the beast with this beat just 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:32.080 doesn't allow the time. 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:34.639 That's because you're watching Jalen Ramsey's I'm not trying to 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:38.840 figure out. Yeah, definitely, let's go ahead and start though 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:40.360 here with the Ravens and the quarterback position where I 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:42.680 always do as we get ready for this massive, massive 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:46.600 game in the AFC. Because for Lamar, just watching his tape, Daniel, 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:48.400 I think he's the best he's ever been from the 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:51.120 pocket right now. But I'm curious as someone that has 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:53.160 watched him from first snap as a rookie up till now, 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:55.680 what have you seen in terms of the evolution of 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:58.160 his game this season and my accuracy playing better and 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:00.240 where do you think he has kind of grown in 0:04:00.280 --> 0:04:00.720 his game. 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:05.360 Yeah, it's really it's really crazy to watch old highlights 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:07.920 from the twenty eighteen season and to see how he's 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:11.640 changed physically. He's changed mentally, Like his body is different, 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:15.680 his throwing style is a little bit different. And you know, 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:19.160 jump fast forward to now the present day with Todd 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:21.680 Monkin at the helm taking over for Greg Woman. You're 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:24.440 seeing them really give him the keys to the car. 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:26.359 You know, he really has a mastery and ownership of 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:28.880 the offense. You're seeing him make checks at the line, 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:31.359 and yeah, I mean with time, you know, I know 0:04:31.360 --> 0:04:33.200 that there were a lot of talks when he first 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:35.760 entered the NFL about you know, whether he should play 0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:38.640 different positions, and obviously, you know, he stood on his 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:40.760 grounds and he you know, he was steadfast in his 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:43.159 belief and as Mike McDaniel alluded to it, you know, 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:45.279 he has he's had to define to find himself. So 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:47.000 you've seen him grow and you know, and just the 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:49.400 mastery of the offense and how defenses want to contain 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:50.279 him and approach him. 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:52.360 So we talked about this with I think coach fanju 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:55.159 on Thursday, with the addition of the weapons they have there. 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:56.680 We'll come back to that here in a second, but 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:58.760 I want to talk about the change in offensive corner 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:00.800 like you mentioned, because you I have to imagine that 0:05:01.360 --> 0:05:03.320 the shift and system has maybe had a bit of 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:05.480 an impact in terms of how he's evolved. How is 0:05:05.520 --> 0:05:07.520 the offense do you think different under Todd Monkin than 0:05:07.560 --> 0:05:08.400 it was Greg Roman? 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:10.120 Yeah, Well, start, we have to start off with Greg 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:13.320 Roman and how we really designed an offense in twenty 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:17.520 nineteen around Lamar's rushing ability. And you know that scheme 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.039 combined with his ability, was really what led him to 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:23.400 be a unanimous MVP and to lead the NFL in 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:28.760 passing touchdowns, but as time went on, defenses adjusted to that, 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:31.720 they found a ways to kind of limit those design runs. 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:34.760 And I think that there was such such a craving 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:37.400 in Baltimore for them to really expand the offense, specifically 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:40.320 the passing game, bring in some new concepts, some spacing. 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:42.040 You know, it seemed like Lamar was kind of playing 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:43.720 in a phone booth in the past couple of years. 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:45.320 So I think that's one of the main things we've 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:48.479 seen with the introduction of Todd Monkins schame like he's 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:52.120 retained a lot of the standard gap power run schemes 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:55.200 that has made the Raven's offense so successful, but now 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:58.000 we're seeing more modernized passing concepts. We're seeing some space 0:05:58.040 --> 0:06:01.279 and some kind of like college s spacing in terms 0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:03.239 of the splits, so of the wide receivers and whatnot. 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:05.800 And obviously they've they've made some changes in personnel, given 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.280 him his kind of best set of receivers since he's 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.000 been in the NFL, and we're seeing that with some 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:12.960 of the success that he's happened in the passing game. 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:15.320 I think there's there's some some lessons being learned there 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:17.760 from the Ravens experience over the last several years because 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:21.160 you have these great defenses, this great quarterback, these great players, 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:23.760 but the playoffs results haven't been there. Right one and 0:06:23.800 --> 0:06:25.720 three under Lamar Jackson, they missed the playoffs. One of 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:27.479 the years that he was in there he was injured 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:28.840 that year, but one of the years as of being 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:30.640 a pro for him. But it's almost like a good 0:06:30.640 --> 0:06:33.440 example for something we've learned with the Dolphins team this year, 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:35.320 where like the Chiefs game, you know, didn't go their way, 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:37.720 the Eagles game didn't go their way, the Buffalo game, 0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:39.680 and this whole idea of you know, not beating the 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:41.880 teams of winning records, Like there's something to be said 0:06:41.880 --> 0:06:43.840 about overcoming the hump. And I think I think back 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:45.719 to like his rookie year right that. I think it 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:47.760 was the Chargers in the playoffs with Derwin James like 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:50.480 matched him, like it was this revolutionary system they ran 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:52.880 like dime defense every rep to handle him. And then 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:54.760 the loss of the Titans. It feels like the Ravens 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:57.440 have kind of taken those experiences in the past and 0:06:57.480 --> 0:06:59.359 gotten better from them. Would you agree with that now? 0:06:59.360 --> 0:06:59.960 Almost definitely? 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:02.400 And it's gradual, you know, it's not a lot of 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:04.360 cases where you see a team just go from nothing 0:07:04.440 --> 0:07:06.960 to on top of the world. So you know, you 0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:08.479 you learn through a lot of your experience. Mike mc 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:11.440 daniel has talked about that, like learning from those from 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:14.440 those losses and having those beteachable moments. I think that 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:16.000 the Ravens have done that, and that's why we've seen 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:18.680 the changes in the offensive scheme and we're seeing the 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:19.640 growth from that unit. 0:07:19.760 --> 0:07:22.360 It's been fun to watch man there. I like, I know, 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:23.760 I root for the Dolphins, but there are so many 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:25.160 things that teams do across the league them It's like, 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:27.240 that's fun to watch. I appreciate that. And the Ravens 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:28.880 have been one of those teams for a long time now, 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:30.360 and a big part of that is the other side 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:32.120 of the football. And I don't even know where you 0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:34.640 start here because they're dominant at all levels. They have 0:07:34.680 --> 0:07:37.120 stars at every position. I was having a conversation with 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:38.600 some of the guys in the video room and they 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:40.240 were like, they have star players. I'm like, maybe not 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:43.160 to the casual fan, but like Justin Mattopwueke is a star, 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:45.600 Kyle Hamilton's a star, like Marlin Humphrey is a star. 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:48.440 So I guess we start there with a guy who 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:49.880 could be a bit of a swing player, guy that 0:07:49.960 --> 0:07:51.800 might not play in the game. What do you think 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:55.320 the presence or absence of Kyle Hamilton could How could 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:56.720 that impact this potential game? 0:07:57.120 --> 0:07:57.360 Yeah? 0:07:57.360 --> 0:07:58.720 Well, I saw a tweet a couple of days ago 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:01.480 about force multipliers the defensive side of the ball. And 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:04.200 you know, you have the standard names, the highest whold 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:06.160 names like Miles Garrett and and TJ. 0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:06.600 Watte. 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:08.440 But you know, I saw a truth that also mentioned 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:10.360 Kyle Hamilton, and he's kind of evolved into that type 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:12.480 of player. I think he's like had an all problem 0:08:12.520 --> 0:08:14.480 to be first team All Pro type season. I just 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:16.600 want to bring up a stat that I found from 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:19.520 one of my colleagues, Jonas Schaeffer of the Baltimore Sun. 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:22.600 Entering the game against the forty nine Ers, which they 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:26.040 obviously won very handily, the Dolphins, excuse me, the Ravens 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:29.760 had the top offense or top defense when Kyle Hamilton 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:32.839 is on the field, you know, first in yards for 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:34.760 play success rate. When he's off the field, you know 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:36.200 that drops to thirty second. 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:36.520 Wow. 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.960 Wow, he has that much of a swing on this defense. 0:08:40.000 --> 0:08:42.040 And as you mentioned, it's because of the versatility and 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:43.840 his ability to do so much on the field. 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:45.600 You know, if you look back to that Week two. 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:49.319 Game against the Ravens against the Dolphins, Kyle Hamilton was 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:50.959 a rookie, he was kind of coming into his own. 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:53.080 The Ravens really didn't know what to do with him. 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:55.000 You know, he played a lot of safety and he 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:57.560 was actually involved in one of the bone coverages that 0:08:57.600 --> 0:09:00.640 results in that in that late comeback. Since then, they've 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:02.040 kind of figured out, like, we're not gonna put him 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:03.559 in a box. We're gonna allow him allow him to 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:06.120 succeed everywhere. So you see him line up at safety, 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:08.440 you see him line up at nickel, which really might 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:10.320 be his best position. You see him line up on 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.720 the edge at linebacker, and he allows them to do 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:14.400 so much. So like you can kind of run those 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:17.520 three safety looks, but Cayle Hamilton is more of a 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:21.240 cornerback in the slot, and then Marlon Humphrey and Brandon 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:23.240 Stevens can do what they do. So if he's out, 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:25.160 then you kind of have to rearrange what you're doing 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:28.000 in the secondary. And that's why you know his knee 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:29.760 injury is something that we're all monitoring because it really 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:33.200 could swing with the Dolphins. How the Dolphins could attack 0:09:33.400 --> 0:09:34.520 the Ravens defense. 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:36.360 Because he has the most snaps in the slot for 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:38.719 the Ravens defensive backs. Nobody blitzes more than he does 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:40.240 in that defense. So, like you said, it could change 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:43.120 the entire structure of that defense. So the first versus 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:46.520 thirty second ranking? Is it because he missed high with injury. 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:48.199 He was off the field because he's a guy you 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:49.720 probably wouldn't want to take off the field. 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:52.280 Ever, right, Yeah, it's more so just whenever he's off 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:54.000 the field. You know, you know, this knee injury is 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:55.680 really the only thing that he's really dealt with. But 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:57.320 it's just like when he's off the field, you know, 0:09:57.360 --> 0:09:59.040 you know, if he's out, you know, maybe they have 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:01.680 to put Arthur Maller, who's you know, in the serviceable 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:02.600 slot cornerback. 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:03.480 But it really just changes. 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:05.880 I mean, like Kyle Hamilton, like you said, he's gonna blitz, 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:08.480 he's gonna cover, He's like really impactful and run support. 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:11.120 So obviously with those those edge runs, those perimeter runs 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:12.960 that the Dolphins like to run, he's gonna be very 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:14.920 impactful with that if he's able to play. If not, 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:17.199 you know, it really does change the complexion of their 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:19.520 defense despite a lot of really good players. 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:21.200 It kind of sounds like Jalen Ramsey in a lot 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:22.559 of ways, how he kind of frees up the rest 0:10:22.559 --> 0:10:23.679 of the defense to do what it does, or maybe 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:25.400 even Jevon Holland. I know there's lots of examples of 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:27.600 that here from Miami as well, So good stuff there. 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:29.800 But either way, with or without Kyle Hamilton, they still 0:10:29.800 --> 0:10:32.679 have that front on that defense, and like, how do 0:10:32.720 --> 0:10:35.000 the Dolphins contain that rush? Maybe a better question is 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:37.480 how do the Dolphins stop the Ravens defense from turning 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:39.040 this game on its head? With the splash plays we 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:41.520 saw against a very good nine Ers offense that I 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:43.640 think most folks were picking to just roll their way 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:45.440 all the way to the Super Bowl over their last 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:47.760 three games and a couple of playoff games NFC, but 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:49.480 they ran to the Baltimore Ravens and that was not 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:52.600 the case. There fifty four sacks, twenty six takeaways. How 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:56.360 does Miami prevent Baltimore's defense from basically making this a 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:57.040 non contest? 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:58.800 Well, say, the thing that I think could work in 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:00.640 the Dolphins favor is that they have a lot of 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:02.760 tape that they can really reference. 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:03.840 It's kind of a template, you know. 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.720 And in recent weeks, the Ravens have played not only 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.760 the forty nine Ers, but the Los Angeles Rams, who obviously, 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:13.360 you know, they all come from the same same Shanahan styletree. 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:16.720 You know, both those teams I think had various varying 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:20.080 levels of success against the Ravens defense. You know, the 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:23.080 thirty three to nineteen you know win over the forty 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:26.280 nine Ers, I think it kind of glosses over, you know, 0:11:26.320 --> 0:11:28.800 the fact that early on in that game, the forty 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:30.720 nunders did have success, you know, targeting in the middle 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:31.200 of the field. 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:32.680 They got some explosive runs with. 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:35.040 Christian McCaffrey, and I think that that's definitely some things 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:36.840 that Mike McDaniel and staff are going to try to 0:11:36.880 --> 0:11:39.240 key on. But when you look at some of the 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:41.200 turnovers that they were able to force, you know, some 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:43.160 of them were kind of unforced errors. 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:44.319 Sometimes it was. 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:47.040 A matter of the you know, the picture getting muddied 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:49.920 and forcing rock Period to hold onto the ball a lot. 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:52.120 And you know, you talk about, you know, style of quarterbacks, 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:54.080 I guess you would say two and Rock Prairie are 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:56.319 kind of very similar in terms of you know, anticipation 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.160 and timing and whatnot. You know, so in terms of 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:01.760 muddying the picture, sure, you know, if you know, they 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:04.400 can find a way to you know, read post snap 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:07.679 pre snap kind of get a clearer picture and exploit 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:10.240 some you know, some holes in the coverage, especially the 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:12.320 middle of the field. I think that there are yards 0:12:12.320 --> 0:12:15.079 to be gained against the Ravens defense. But it's a 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:16.439 matter of know, when you turn over the ball, you 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:17.720 can drive all the way down the field, but if 0:12:17.760 --> 0:12:19.079 you turn over the ball in the red zone, or 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:20.520 if you're turning the ball over after a couple of 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:23.480 successful uh snaps, you know, it's all or not. 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:25.800 Why do you think this is going a little bit 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:27.160 off script on your here? Why do you think that 0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:29.520 the Rams were able to have so much success compared 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:32.040 to the Niners for the entirety of that game Because 0:12:32.040 --> 0:12:34.400 I went back and looked, and you know, PFF tracks 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.600 gap runs versus zone runs, and the Niners are you know, 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:40.360 the most prominent out zones outside zone team in the NFL, 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:43.400 along with Miami. But they they didn't they didn't shift 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:45.839 their model to more man gap, whereas the Rams were 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:49.719 dead split fourteen apiece, fifty gap fifteen percent zone. Why 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:52.040 do you think that the man gap scheme runs had 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:53.360 more success against Baltimore? 0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:55.600 Yeah, well, obviously, you know, we talked about the evolution 0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:58.120 of the Shanahan style, you know, offense and you know 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:01.320 the various you know, offshoot kind of putting their own 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:02.360 their own print on it. 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:04.280 So and it goes back to personnel as well. 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:05.360 So it's like if you look at a lot of 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:07.120 those successful runs at the fourty nine ers had, I 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:10.080 mean they're running right behind Big Trent Williams at left tackle. 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:12.440 It's a difference. Yeah, it definitely makes a difference. 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:14.000 And obviously the Rams have kind of a vault over 0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:15.679 the years and the Sean McVay as well, where we've 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:18.960 seen more inside kind of duo type runs as well. 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.320 So I think it goes down to kind of personnel, 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:23.720 but also keeping in mind what the defense does as 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:25.679 well and doesn't do well, and trying to exploit that. 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:27.680 Going back to a separate question I asked you earlier, 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:29.959 this is another good example of how the NFL season 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:32.000 is full of highs and lows, and you lose a game, 0:13:32.040 --> 0:13:33.840 and everyone thinks you stink and you can't make a 0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:36.319 possible run of the championship. With the Baltimore evens as 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:38.319 good as they've been all year long. They're twelve and three, 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:40.880 thanks in large part to a great quarterback in great defense. 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:43.320 But the losses are so curious because they're teams that 0:13:43.360 --> 0:13:45.679 you would assume Baltimore would beat. But that's not how 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:48.120 the NFL works, right, The Colts, the Steelers, and Browns. 0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:50.199 I believe at least one of those games was a 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:52.040 backup quarterback and the Steelers game might have been as well, 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:54.360 but I can't remember. But they wipe out the Lions, 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:56.640 a good team, they wipe out the Seahawks, they destroy 0:13:56.720 --> 0:13:58.560 the forty nine ers. What do you think happened in 0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:00.800 those losses? Why do they lose games teams that they 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:01.679 are clearly better than? 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:03.480 Yeah, I feel like that's what like been the one 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:05.800 knock on the Ravens and maybe like the past year 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:07.640 or two. You know, there's talented as any team in 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:09.680 the NFL, but you know they get these big leads 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:11.360 and then all of a sudden they evaporated. You know 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:14.000 they're there, I mean you saw it firsthand week to 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:17.480 last year. I think that in terms of the offense, 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:20.160 you know, they do go through some lows. They are 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:23.800 so predicated on Lamar creating. You know, obviously they have 0:14:23.840 --> 0:14:26.760 a really good run offense, but that is kind of 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:30.080 starts with Lamar in terms of holding linebackers and the 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:32.840 defensive front, and then him creating with design runs the 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:35.040 passing game. For the strides that they've made in the 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:37.000 passing game, there are times where it is a bit 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:40.280 disjointed and we see, you know, the it's not really 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:43.120 the the on script plays, but the off script's kind 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:45.280 of second plays when Lamar is running around and kind 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:47.320 of and you'll see you'll kind of notice, if you know, 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:49.160 I know you've watched the tape this year, Lamar is 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:51.400 not scrambling or kind of getting out the pocket to run. 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:53.680 He's getting out the pockets kind of reset himself and 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.360 and throw the ball. But sometimes the passing offense isn't 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:59.600 as as cohesive as you maybe like it to be 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:01.960 you're a Ravens fan. So they do go through some 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:05.240 lulls and then sometimes you know, the Ravens have a 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:07.000 have a really good pass rush. But I think it's 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:10.240 also you know, we talk so much with Miami about 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.840 how rush and coverage you know, go hand in hand. 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:16.720 So I don't think that the Ravens have a singular, 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:17.920 like dominant presence. 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:18.280 You know. 0:15:18.280 --> 0:15:20.360 I know Matty Beka is having a career year, you know, 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:23.080 eleven double digit sacks, But I don't know if they 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:26.040 have like a singular, dominant deep pass rusher that can 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:28.000 take over a game. So, you know, if you don't 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:30.320 have that in key moments again kind of go back 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:31.640 to week two, we've seen that if you don't have 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:33.000