Ravens Post Game Interviews

[Luvnit2]

https://www.bengals.com/news/what-zac-taylor-joe-burrow-and-the-bengals-said-after-the-41-17-win-over-the-rav

A lot of great stuff. One thing that caught my eye was CJ giving Sample credit for one of his TD's for blocking Campbell one on one.

" Even though I caught the touchdown, Drew [Sample] had to block Calais Campbell one on one and did a hell of a job. If [Sample] didn't block [Campbell], the way he did, Joe [Burrow] would not have been able to get the ball off. That touchdown is for Drew for sure. That block really helped me to get open."

This team is well coached and talented. Yes, I said it, well coached and I was a guy not long ago calling for Lou's and Zac's head.

ZT's second half adjustments have been great. They also had some communication issues early on the OL and Burrow was getting hit often, but again they adjusted in game.

This team is fun to watch.

[Sled21]

One thing I have always said about Zac is he learns. He's gotten better with each game, and gets better within a game. Sometimes he gets hammered for play calling, but in reality we don't really know what the defenses are doing and why he's calling what he's calling. You can't tell that by watching the game as an outsider.

[*bfine32*]

The ONLY way Sample (the bad one) is getting a TD is if another player gives him one.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(10-25-2021, 10:51 AM)bfine32 Wrote: The ONLY way Sample (the bad one) is getting a TD is if another player gives him one.

Nicely done.

[Sled21]

(10-25-2021, 10:51 AM)bfine32 Wrote: The ONLY way Sample (the bad one) is getting a TD is if another player gives him one.

So it's a good thing his main duty is to block and let CJ catch the tds.

[Luvnit2]

(10-25-2021, 10:51 AM)bfine32 Wrote: The ONLY way Sample (the bad one) is getting a TD is if another player gives him one.

I guess you missed al the games our great receiving TE Eifert was beaten badly and cost us games by poor blocking. Every player has a role, Sample's role is to block.

[3wt]

(10-25-2021, 10:38 AM)Sled21 Wrote: One thing I have always said about Zac is he learns. He's gotten better with each game, and gets better within a game. Sometimes he gets hammered for play calling, but in reality we don't really know what the defenses are doing and why he's calling what he's calling. You can't tell that by watching the game as an outsider.

Great post.   I've been one that has hated a lot of Zach's play calling - especially his insistence on slowing us down with the run game in the first half.

I will say that Burrow tends to agree with me, so I feel a little less sheepish.

But the truth is I have no idea on the inside thinking involved.   And the Mixon and Perine touchdowns in the second half silenced me pretty good.

I think I'm going to be more likely to suspend my judgement, shut my mouth and just watch.

Wat an awesome game.   And I agree, Zach appears to learn and improve.  And he unquestionably has put together  a heck of a team.

Most encouraged I've been in decades.   As much as I loved and appreciated all that Marvin did, I feel like we're slowly putting a Super Bowl team together - if we can stay healthy.

[Daddy-O]

(10-25-2021, 10:57 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I guess you missed al the games our great receiving TE Eifert was beaten badly and cost us games by poor blocking. Every player has a role, Sample's role is to block.

Agree everybody has a role but TE's need to also be a receiving threat, otherwise you may as well just put in another OL and make him eligible.  And Sample is not a threat in the pass game.

Who knows, maybe he's our secret weapon and we're saving him for a very important situation later in the year...

[*bfine32*]

(10-25-2021, 10:53 AM)Sled21 Wrote: So it's a good thing his main duty is to block and let CJ catch the tds.

No, it is not a "good thing" that our 2nd Round TE main duty is to block. 

[Luvnit2]

(10-25-2021, 11:21 AM)bfine32 Wrote: No, it is not a "good thing" that our 2nd Round TE main duty is to block. 

Well in his defense, TJ is an average blocker at best and could not fill that role. You fellas would be bitching if Sample missed the block and got Burrow killed. TJ can't block and then go down field and catch a long TD pass either?????????

I wanted Ertz, he is a true pass catcher and blocker to replace Wilcox. But, we have Sample. The coaching staff's job is to maximize the strengths of each player so ZT using Sample as a run and pass blocker is a smart move in my humble opinion. Sorry, Sample won't be a fantasy TE and likely never a pass catcher. As for draft position who cares. As long a s a player does his job whether round one or 7 or a FA, each player has a job to do.

As they say, just "do your job".

[kalibengal]

(10-25-2021, 10:57 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I guess you missed al the games our great receiving TE Eifert was beaten badly and cost us games by poor blocking. Every player has a role, Sample's role is to block.

not to beat a deadhorse...but you dont draft a pure blocking TE in Round 2. He was 6th round or FA material and we all know it
That said, based on whats going on now and Uzo being our "pass catching TE" im happy as I can be. 
Hoping we grab a good all purpose TE in future to team up with Uzo .....Ertz lit it up in 1st game with AZ..argh!

[Stewy]

Zac sounds like a real coach and stuff. :)

[Luvnit2]

(10-25-2021, 11:55 AM)kalibengal Wrote: not to beat a deadhorse...but you dont draft a pure blocking TE in Round 2. He was 6th round or FA material and we all know it
That said, based on whats going on now and Uzo being our "pass catching TE" im happy as I can be. 
Hoping we grab a good all purpose TE in future to team up with Uzo .....Ertz lit it up in 1st game with AZ..argh!

Yet you and others keep beating it. We can go back and see every team miss on 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks. OK, they thought he would be a better pass catcher and were wrong, but he can block, something a lot of these fantasy studs can't do.

He has a role and that is to block which a TE is asked to a lot in any offense.

[Big Boss]

Word through the grapevine is Lamar Jackass didn't shake Burrow's hand after the game.

[*bfine32*]

(10-25-2021, 11:41 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Well in his defense, TJ is an average blocker at best and could not fill that role. You fellas would be bitching if Sample missed the block and got Burrow killed. TJ can't block and then go down field and catch a long TD pass either?????????

I wanted Ertz, he is a true pass catcher and blocker to replace Wilcox. But, we have Sample. The coaching staff's job is to maximize the strengths of each player so ZT using Sample as a run and pass blocker is a smart move in my humble opinion. Sorry, Sample won't be a fantasy TE and likely never a pass catcher. As for draft position who cares. As long a s a player does his job whether round one or 7 or a FA, each player has a job to do.

As they say, just "do your job".

As I said: The ONLY way Sample is going to get a TD is if another player gives him one.

Spain is a great blocker and just what will be the only way he gets a TD/ It's if another player gives him one.

The difference is: Spain doesn't wear a receiver eligible jersey, Sample does. 

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(10-25-2021, 11:21 AM)bfine32 Wrote: No, it is not a "good thing" that our 2nd Round TE main duty is to block. 

Worked out well for Mark Breuner, Reggie Kelly, etc.

And they were 1st rounders.

[Luvnit2]

(10-25-2021, 12:33 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: Worked out well for Mark Breuner, Reggie Kelly, etc.

And they were 1st rounders.

We live in a fantasy football world now so many think blocking and tacking is not important since it gives them no fantasy points, unless you had CJ yesterday who gave credit to Sample for a great block in pass protection

[*Go Cards*]

His stats are only just a small Sample size, give him time.

Yet do think he will score a TD this season eventually with all the attention our WR's draw.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

Drew Sample has been targeted 5 times this season. 2 catches for 9 yards. He has looked like a doofus on a few routes. Okay. Sure.

He has 47 catches on 64 targets in his career so far (that's a 73.4% catch rate) with one TD. Nobody is going to pretend that Sample is an amazing tight end, or even that he's a Reggie Kelly blocking stalwart. But he is hanging in there in a limited role. When C.J. Uzomah credits him for a TD he scored and someone mentions it in a thread, the thread should not immediately go in the "Drew Sample sucks" direction. Seriously, get a freaking grip.

If this is the worst high draft pick of the Taylor era, then we're going pretty well. He's still on the roster and clearly ahead of Wilcox and Moss. Last year when CJ went down, Sample was called on to catch more passes -- and he caught 40 of them. He's clearly not going to have the opportunity to match or better that this year, and it's not his role to do so. Not worth a second round pick? Sure, fine. Which tight end draft later would you prefer?

3rd round:
Josh Oliver
Jace Sternberger
Kahale Warring
Dawson Knox

4th round:
Trevon Wesco
Foster Moreau

5th round:
Zach Gentry

6th round:

Kaden Smith

7th round:
Isaac Nauta
Tommy Sweeney
Alize Mack
Caleb Wilson

Only two names on this list stand out to me, and they are Dawson Knox and Foster Moreau. I can forgive the Bengals for overlooking a couple strong tight end prospects beyond round two. Apparently Kaden Smith has had some moments, but nobody is writing home about him. Would you prefer they take someone from a different position? Okay. You can make that gripe about the majority of all draft picks ever made. Be my guest if that's your thing.

The point here is that we could do a lot worse than Drew Sample. He's replaceable, but also not a significant active detriment. And he absolutely deserves some love for helping to spring CJ for yesterday's bomb TD.