Shutdown Corner - NFL

Shutdown Corner

Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:33 pm EDT

Michael Oher and Jared Allen have some words for each other

By MJD

Baltimore Ravens rookie tackle Michael Oher(notes) has played exceedingly well so far this season. Yesterday, though, he faced a very stiff challenge from Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen(notes), who's in the conversation for 2009 defensive MVP, if not outright MVP.

How'd it go? Well, let's ask the competitors. What say you, Michael Oher? From BaltimoreSun.com:

"In the second half, I feel like I shut him out," Oher said. "There is nothing really special about him. I think if we played them [in Baltimore], it would make a big difference. The false starts were just mistiming the snap." [...]

"I think he found out I'm an OK player," Oher said. "Guy makes like $100 million. I think I did all right."

Care to retort, Mr. Allen? Via Pro Football Talk:

"Well that's just some idiot trying to talk himself up," Allen said. "I beat that dude like a red-headed stepchild, let's be honest. If he was so good why did they have to chip me all day? Ask him that.

"That's just a rookie trying to build his self-confidence up. Besides, you lost and your quarterback spent his whole day on the back of his head until the fourth quarter. That guy [Oher] will watch film today and realize. Everybody else in the world saw me abuse him."

So what's the truth of the matter? Most observers, I believe, would give the individual matchup to Allen, but it sort of depends on how you're judging. Allen had six-and-a-half sacks in five games previous to this one, and Oher allowed him just one. Oher did commit a couple of false starts, though, and Allen did spend his share of time in the Ravens' backfield. 

When you consider Allen's dominance so far in 2009, though, I think it would also be fair to say that Oher played him better than a lot of tackles out there would have. Factor in that Oher's a rookie, and that that was just his second game at left tackle, and I say he grades out fan-freaking-tastically.

Then again, I'm biased, because I find Oher about 750,000 times more likeable than Allen. Really, I wish they'd both pipe down. Oher eventually will be the kind of tackle who can completely house anyone, but he's not there yet. Allen is currently the kind of defensive end who can dominate anyone, so he can calm down about beating a rookie.

Gracias, PFT.

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125 Comments

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  1. Adam
    1. Posted by Adam Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:50 pm EDT

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    Jared Allen's wikipedia page says he's dating Kelly Clarkson. Odd couple.
  2. Newly Ingalls
    2. Posted by Newly Ingalls Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    How does mjd know which guy is nicer?
  3. Lam
    3. Posted by Lam Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    Can't wait for the round 2 on this match up.
  4. alex m
    4. Posted by alex m Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:57 pm EDT

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    Jared Allen beats children???
  5. tall john
    5. Posted by tall john Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    Allen said. "I beat that dude like a red-headed stepchild".....
    HAHAHA... This coming from a red-neck who slept his stepchild!
  6. jimbO s
    6. Posted by jimbO's Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:59 pm EDT

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    allen's only sack came on a play that looked as if the qb and the o-line were running two separate plays. both oher and grubbs (LG) pulled lef, without attempting to touch Allen, and flacco was looking right. Oher said it right, Allen gets paid $100million and only played a decent game against a rookie
  7. matt s
    7. Posted by matt s Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

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    Dudes like you want players to speak up like this so you have something to write about, and when they do, you want them to "pipe down." God you're weird.
  8. mdc
    8. Posted by mdc Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:05 pm EDT

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    Let's give Oher a break. He had a long, tough road to the NFL. Read Michael Lewis if you have no idea what I am talking about. That said, why would he call out Jared Allen of all people? Allen has been a friggin' monster this season. I'm with 'Lam'; definitely looking forward to their rematch.
  9. swanson_71
    9. Posted by swanson_71 Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:08 pm EDT

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    Allen stayed in the Raven's backfield all day, and was hit by 2 or 3 blockers almost every play! If Allen had 1 on 1 all day there would be no telling how many sacks he would have had!
  10. comic_snoop
    10. Posted by comic_snoop Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:09 pm EDT

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    I watched this entire game and Oher won this battle hands down. I personally think that Jared Allen is the best defensive end in the game right now but Oher won yesterday.
  11. Phil M
    11. Posted by Phil M Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

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    There is no re-match guys, they aren't in the same conference, much less division...
    Allen owned him. It isn't just about sacks, its what his pressure alone causes the line to do. It slows down the TE going out into a pass pattern, the "bubbles" he creates with pressure causing the RB to have to adjust his running lane. The pressure that Flacco "feels" without being pressured...
    I wish people who watched football actually watched football... Sacks are ONE aspect of ONE statistical category.
  12. jays
    12. Posted by jays Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    Oher won the matchup when the game was on the line, and his team should have won the game.
  13. comic_snoop
    13. Posted by comic_snoop Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:18 pm EDT

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    Phil, I agree with you that sacks are an overrated stat but the fact is that on half of the plays that Allen was in the backfield they ran screens and completely removed him from the play. On a screen the tackle is supposed to let the end into the backfield. Oher did his job and he won the one on one battle and if it wasn't a dumba$$ kicker (see Peyton Manning pro-bowl interview) the ravens would have won the game.
  14. vikingmoon84
    14. Posted by vikingmoon84 Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:20 pm EDT

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    Wow, MJD. Are you the reason the refs are fining players for celebrating? What's unlikable about Jared Allen? I'm clearly biased (he's on my favorite team), but what's he done to be 'unlikable'?
    Allen had six and a half sacks in five games. First of all, that number is factoring in the 4.5 sack performance that came against Green Bay. Take out the Green Bay game and he's averaging less than a sack per game. But let's count those sacks. His average comes out to 1.3 sacks a game. Let's round down. He's averaging one sack per game. Jared Allen got one sack. Got his average.
    Oher didn't perform fan-freaking-tastically at all.
  15. comic_snoop
    15. Posted by comic_snoop Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:23 pm EDT

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    Jared Allen is just upset that he got tossed around by a rookie. If he is the "Defensive MVP" he should have racked up at least 4 sacks against a rookie (who was only making his second start at left tackle). Jared Allen you are a great end but not yesterday.
  16. vikingmoon84
    16. Posted by vikingmoon84 Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:24 pm EDT

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    I also like how people say that the Ravens "should have won the game". Last time I checked, a kicker is part of the team. If a kicker can't make a 44-yarder, I'd say that's a weakness. A weakness the Vikings didn't have as Longwell made good on both of his.
    Bottom line. If Antoine Winfield is in the game, the Vikings are probably not in that situation where Paymah tried to defend a pass with his back turned allowing Mark Clayton a gift of a touchdown.
    The better team won, folks. The Ravens played well, but the better team won.
  17. Len K
    17. Posted by Len K Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:24 pm EDT

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    I watched this game in Philadelphia. If that game was played in Baltimore, there likely would have been no false starts by Oher, and the Ravens would have won. And Allen could go back to beating up on the Lions, Browns, Rams and other minor league teams with no offensive lines on their schedule.
  18. David R
    18. Posted by David R Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    "Allen's face was owned by a Ravens rookie Micheal Oher on Sunday October 18th 2009. Oher made Allen look like a small ugly dog try to move on a lion. Allen decided shortly after that he must retire."
    Currently on jared Allen's Wiki-page.
    Hilarious!
  19. vikingmoon84
    19. Posted by vikingmoon84 Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    Correction: Longwell converted all three of his.
  20. justanobservation
    20. Posted by justanobservation Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    Jared Allen really did have a red headed stepchild did'nt he?.
    Does anyone know if the boy is still alive?
    I cannot believe he confessed to beating him so badly!
    Roger Goodel should investigate his child beating.
    Who would ever own up to such a horrible thing?
    Unbelievable!!
  21. Marcus
    21. Posted by Marcus Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    Both these guys are well off-base. Allen did not own Oher and vice versa. Yes, Allen did get a decent amount of pressure early on and got his sack, though that looked like it came from some confusion from the Ravens offense, either a blown assignment or running the wrong play. However, Oher did a pretty good job on him late in the game, you've got to give him credit for at least a solid showing against a top pass rusher. Both need to shut up here.
  22. LeeVanSpleef
    22. Posted by LeeVanSpleef Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    You fail to point out Allen had 4 tackles for a loss, 7 total tacfkles, and 2 qb hurries. I'd call that a good day at the office.
  23. LeeVanSpleef
    23. Posted by LeeVanSpleef Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    You fail to point out Allen had 4 tackles for a loss, 7 total tacfkles, and 2 qb hurries. I'd call that a good day at the office.
  24. LeeVanSpleef
    24. Posted by LeeVanSpleef Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    You fail to point out Allen had 4 tackles for a loss, 7 total tacfkles, and 2 qb hurries. I'd call that a good day at the office.
  25. Jason L
    25. Posted by Jason L Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    To: jays
    You wrote" Oher won the matchup when the game was on the line, and his team should have won the game."
    Well, his team DIDN'T win the game. You can say that about half the NFL games every week. "Well, this team shouldn't won the game because of this & that." "Well, if it wasn't for that pass interference call, my team would have won". Blah, blah, blah. Dude, it all evens out eventually. Every team goes through that. A missed field goal is part of the game. Pass interference is part of the game. Everything is part of the game, so to say they should have won, but missed a field goal. ??? Well, he missed it, so they SHOULDN'T have won, now should they have? Yes, Baltimore outplayed the Vikes the last 10 minutes in the 4the quarter, but that's it. So, they should have won because of that? If I remember right, the Vikes toasted the Ravens in the first half. It was only the last 10 minutes that the Ravens played well enough to win. It came down to a missed field goal. Look at Vikes, it they would have scored just one more touchdown instead of their 4 field goals in the red zone, it never would've came down to a field goal. But I don't sit here & say, "Well, the Vikes should've had 4 more touchdowns instead of field goals." It's part of the game. The guy missed it, they lost. Jays, get over it.

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Shutdown Corner is an NFL blog edited by Matthew J. Darnell. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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