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by Matt Pearce

Win In The Trenches, Win The Game

January 31, 2013 in Super Bowl XLVII, What to Look For

Super Bowl XLVII is being dubbed as the "Harbowl" because of brothers John and Jim Harbaugh being the head coaches of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers respectively.  While this is a good storyline, it won't exactly determine who will win this game.  These two teams played last season on Thanksgiving night in Baltimore and the Ravens won 16-6.  Both teams are similar to those teams from 2011 but, there are still many differences.  In this game, the key will be winning the battle of the trenches.

1.  Offensive Line
The biggest reason the Ravens are in the Super Bowl, in my opinion, is the offensive line.  You can argue other things like the defense stepping up, Ray Lewis announcing his retirement, and Joe Flacco but, without the offensive line, Flacco wouldn't be playing as good as he has.  Without Flacco, the Ravens wouldn't have made it this far so, the offensive line is a big deal.

Throughout the postseason, the offensive line has given up only four sacks in three games.  In the regular season, they allowed thirty-eight sacks in sixteen games.  This comes out to 2.38 sacks per game.  Sacks isn't the whole story though, as the line was allowing constant pressure during some games which gave Flacco no chance to complete was pass.  In fact, in the game against the Denver Broncos in week 15, the line allowed eighteen hurries, ten knockdowns, and three sacks (not counted as knockdowns) on forty pass attempts.  In their matchup in the Divisional Playoffs, the Broncos only had one sack and never had much pressure.

The reason for this sudden change was a change in the line itself.  Starting LG Jah Reid was injured for the Wild Card game against the Indianapolis Colts.  This forced a complete reshuffling of the line.  Normal LT Michael Oher went to RT, normal RT Kelechi Osemele went to LG, and backup Bryant McKinnie went to LT.  McKinnie started at LT last season but was forced to the bench when the Ravens drafted Osemele. Before the next game, against the Broncos, the Ravens placed Reid on injured reserve which locked in this lineup for the rest of the playoffs.

On to Super Bowl XLVII, the line will face a tough matchup with the 49ers who finished the regular season 3rd in total yards allowed and 2nd in points per game.  The biggest challenge will be for the left side of the offensive line.  Left tackle McKinnie will go up against Defensive Player of the Year candidate Aldon Smith who has 19.5 sacks this season.  Right guard Marshal Yanda will face All-Pro DE Justin Smith.  One stat in favor of the Ravens is that neither has recorded a sack since week 14 against the Miami Dolphins.  The reason for this is Justin Smith then missed some time with a triceps injury.  This shows that without Justin Smith, Aldon Smith is an "average" pass rusher.  Even in their two playoff games, Aldon Smith has no sacks and Justin Smith has been playing injured in those two games.

Since Yanda is an All-Pro guard, the Ravens will hope he can handle Justin Smith one-on-one.  This then allows more attention to go to Aldon Smith with McKinnie probably getting some help from a tight end or a running back.  If Yanda can handle Justin Smith, it frees up the whole offensive line.  It means on run plays C Matt Birk and LG Kelechi Osemele could double team NT Isaac Sopoaga and lets FB Vonta Leach get to the second level and take out one of the 49ers All-Pro ILBs in Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman.

The key for the Ravens offensive line is to stop Justin Smith.  If they can do this with just Marshal Yanda then it will free up other lineman to block linebackers and the rest of the defensive line.  Anytime you can get offensive lineman on linebackers in the run game, it is good.  In the passing game, if the line can hold up, Flacco should play similar to how he has so far in the playoffs.

2.  Joe Flacco
Speaking of Flacco, he has big responsibilities in the game.  This is his chance to show the world that he is an elite quarterback like he said before the season.  So far this postseason, he has been elite going 51-of-93 for 853 yards with 8 TDs, 0 INTs, and a QB rating of 114.7.  His passing yards, touchdowns, interceptions, and QB rating are all the best for QBs in this postseason.  

Beyond the stats, he has gone into Denver and beat MVP candidate Peyton Manning and went into New England and beat Tom Brady.  Not only did he beat both, he outperformed them and now he finds himself in New Orleans for the Super Bowl while they watch from home.

The best part of Flacco's game this postseason has been the deep passing game.  On passes to wide receivers Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin, Flacco is averaging 16.7 yards per completion.  During the regular season, the 49ers were good at stopping the deep pass but, in the playoffs, they have regressed and quarterbacks are 10-of-15 for 264 yards with 3 TDs, 1 INT, and a QBR of 100.  If you want to see a full chart for this click here.

Expect the Ravens to come out passing against the 49ers.  Against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, they came out running and it didn't work.  In the second half, they started to pass the ball and this second half performance won the game for them.  Don't expect the Ravens to abandon the run game though as they will need it for play-action passes and the Ravens always seem to lose when they don't run the ball.  As always, they will use Smith to take the top off the defense and then use Boldin and TE Dennis Pitta across the middle of the field.

Joe Flacco

The Ravens will need one more good game from QB Joe Flacco to win the Super Bowl.

3.  Stopping the Run
When the 49ers played the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs, the Packers couldn't stop QB Colin Kaepernick or RB Frank Gore.  In the NFC Championship Game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Falcons were able to stop Kaepernick from running but couldn't stop Gore.  If the Ravens want to win, they will have to at least contain both of them.

Coming into this game, the Ravens defense is on fire.  They have given up 14 points per game in the playoffs and have only allowed four touchdowns.  Despite the Ravens not having played a good running teams in the playoffs, they have a few advantages over the Packers and the Falcons in stopping the 49ers run game.

The best defense to run for stopping the option, which the 49ers will run, is the 3-4, which the Packers use but not the Falcons.  However, the Packers defense has consistently been awful over the last few years.  The Ravens run the 3-4 defense and, they have the right personnel to stop the outside runs.

Rookie outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw has been one of the best run defenders at his position all season long.  Therefore, expect him to play a little bit more than usual on Sunday.  When you think of Terrell Suggs, you think of a pass rusher, not a run defender.  However, Suggs has become a good run defender over the last few years and it has become the most evident this year.  Due to all of his injuries limiting his pass rushing ability, Suggs has become a better run defender.  Paul Kruger also will play at OLB for the Ravens but he is mainly a pass rusher so he won't be talked about here.

The outside linebackers in a 3-4 defense are the most important players in stopping outside runs, which is mainly what Kaepernick does.  Since the Ravens have a pair of good outside linebackers, the should be ok in this part of the run game.  They also showed this in their week 14 matchup against the Washington Redskins.  While the Ravens lost, they were able to limit QB Robert Griffin III to 34 yards on 7 rushes before he was hampered by a knee injury.  Therefore, it is Gore that the Ravens will have to really worry about.

The outside linebackers will have to set the edge for runs and probably will be assigned to Kaepernick on the option plays.  This means that the rest of the front seven will be responsible for stopping Gore.  This is what the Falcons couldn't do and the Ravens could fall in the same boat. The nose tackle position has been very inconsistent for the Ravens this year with not very good production.  This allows lineman to get blocks on the linebackers which can spring the running backs free.  This is never good for a run defense as it allows constant runs of five yards or more.

A way to fix this is putting normal DE Haloti Ngata at NT but this all but eliminates him from rushing the passer which he is so good at. Therefore, the Ravens will have to stick with Ma'ake Kemoeatu and Terrence Cody at NT.  Them, along with DEs Ngata, Arthur Jones, and Pernell McPhee will need to get push and take on blockers to disrupt the runs and allow the linebackers to run free and make tackles.

Expect the Ravens to have schemed up a decent way to stop this high powered run game of the 49ers.  However, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are great offensive minds which means they also will have schemed up something.  This means it will come down to execution and who can make plays.

4.  Pass Rush
Containing Kaepernick isn't the only thing the Ravens outside linebackers will have to do, they will also have to generate a pass rush when the 49ers pass it.  It will be a tough challenge for the Ravens pass rushers as the 49ers line has only given up two sacks this postseason but, they did give up forty-one sacks in the regular season which ranks tied for 23rd best in the NFL.

The Ravens, on the other hand, recorded thirty-seven sacks in the regular season, tied for 15th best, and have six sacks in the postseason.  In the game against the Patriots, they recorded no sacks but were able to have constant pressure.  Rushing the passer isn't all about sacks, most of it is getting enough pressure to force the ball out of the quarterback's hands before he wants to throw it.

Playing the 49ers, the biggest problem with getting pressure is the threat of Kaepernick to scramble and pick up chunks of yards.  Therefore, don't be surprised if the Ravens have either a linebacker in the middle of the field spy Kaepernick or just tell the edge pass rusher to contain on certain plays.  This should limit the scrambling ability of Kaepernick on pass plays.

On to specific players, OLB Paul Kruger had been quite a tear since week ten against the Oakland Raiders.  He had a total of ten sacks in nine games starting with that game.  His streak finished after a 2.5 sack performance against the Colts in their Wild Card game.  He has been shut out in the last two playoff games though.  The Ravens will need Kruger to regain his late season form to get pressure on Kaepernick and disrupt the 49ers passing game.

On the other side of the line will the Terrell Suggs.  Suggs has overcome a torn achilles and a torn biceps to be able to play this season.  In the regular season, Suggs was only able to record two sacks in eight games.  In the postseason, however, Suggs has two sacks, both against the Broncos.  Suggs will need to be in top form as the 49ers have a great offensive line, plus he will have big responsibilities in the run game.

While Kruger and Suggs will rush from the outside, Haloti Ngata, Arthur Jones, and Pernell McPhee will rush Kaepernick from the inside.  Of those three, McPhee has turned his game on recently.  Against the Patriots he batted down two passes including one that resulted for an interception.  In the previous game, he had a strip sack of Peyton Manning.  McPhee had been limited by injuries all year but now, he seems to be back in form.  Jones had 4.5 sacks in weeks 12-14 but has no others on the season.  Ngata, has been a force inside when healthy and, he seems to be in good health right now.

As stated above, who ever wins in the trenches will win the game.  So, it might not be as fun to watch as a high powered passing offense, like the Patriots, but the battle in the trenches will be great to watch as there will be some great matchups and, most importantly, it will determine the game.

Paul Kruger

Ravens OLB Paul Kruger will be a key player in Super Bowl XLVII.

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by Matt Pearce

Joe Flacco vs Tom Brady

January 19, 2013 in What to Look For

In what is a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game, the Ravens will travel to Foxboro to face the New England Patriots.  These two teams played in week three and the Ravens prevailed 31-30.

1.  Quarterback Battle
A few years ago, when the Ravens and Patriots played, the main thing to watch was the Ravens defense going against Patriots QB Tom Brady. Now, with the way Ravens QB Joe Flacco has played, it is Joe Flacco vs Tom Brady.  Over the last few games, Flacco has stepped up to help the Ravens win.

So far in the postseason, Flacco and Brady are the top two quarterbacks based on a few statistics.  In QB rating, Flacco is first and Brady is second.  Out of the quarterbacks who have started a playoff game this season, Flacco and Brady are the only two to throw for zero interceptions. When you look at passing yards per game, Brady is first and Flacco is second and the only other quarterback  who is averaging over 300 yards per game is the Texans Matt Schaub.  Lastly, Flacco has thrown for five TDs which is two more than anyone else as five people, including Brady, have three touchdowns.

Now to the game, it very well could come down to the last drive, just like the last two times they have played.  In the regular season, Flacco led the Ravens down the field for a game winning field goal.  In last years AFC Championship Game, Flacco led the Ravens on a late drive but, Lee Evans dropped the game winning touchdown pass and then Billy Cundiff missed a short field goal to send the game to overtime.  In this sense, Flacco has the advantage but, you never know what Brady would have done if he had the ball on the last drive.  Also in the last two games, Flacco has outplayed Brady.  Flacco has gone 50-of-75 for 688 yards with 5 TDs, 2 INTs, and a QBR of 68.1.  Brady went 50-of-77 for 574 yards with 1 TD, 2 INTs, and a QBR of 78.8.

This game will come down to which quarterback plays the best and, it could come to whether one of these two can lead their team to a game winning drive.  Also, in the last two games against each other, Flacco and Brady each completed 22 passes and then 28 passes.

2.  Passing Game
While I just talked about Flacco vs Brady, we still need to take a look at how Flacco can perform great this week.  The Patriots ranked 29th in total passing yards and passing yards per game.  In their only playoff game this year, the Patriots gave up 343 pass yards.  In the postseason, most of Flacco's good performance has come from the deep passes.  He has averaged 10.75 yards per attempt so far this postseason.  Expect, the Ravens to try and use Torrey Smith to take the top off of the defense and then get the ball underneath to Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta. Smith had 127 yards on 6 catches with 2 TDs in the earlier matchup.  Boldin had 4 catches for 48 yards and Pitta had 5 catches for 50 yards and 1 TD.  Since the Patriots have proved they are susceptible to the passing game, expect the Ravens to attack that way early, and often.

Joe Flacco

Ravens QB Joe Flacco will need to outplay Patriots QB Tom Brady for the Ravens to win this week.

3.  Defense
While this may seem very broad, it is still an important topic.  Despite Brady being an elite quarterback, the Ravens are 2-2 in their last four games against him.  The main reason for this is the defense being able to contain Brady.  Brady hasn't been as effective as usual do to the defensive scheme.  Since the Ravens have played Tom Brady enough, they have been able to figure out something that works against Brady. Simplifying it, there are two ways to attack Brady.  The first is to blitz him and the other is to sit back in coverage.  In theory, blitzing works because Brady will have less time to throw but, if Brady identifies the blitz, he will change the play to get the ball out fast enough.  Dropping back in coverage would work in theory because it would be harder to find an open receiver but, you are only sending three or four rushers after Brady which will usually not be enough to get significant pressure.  This then gives Brady the time to find an open receiver because the secondary can't cover a receiver forever.  Therefore, you have to pick your times to blitz and try and confuse Brady.

4.  Ray Lewis and Ed Reed vs Tom Brady
Tying into confusing Brady is Lewis and Reed as it will be up to them to try and confuse Brady.  Lewis is the defensive leader and it will mainly be his responsibility to get people to line up and confuse Brady.  When Brady does audible, it will be up to Lewis to change the defensive alignment. For Reed, it is his job to switch the secondary assignments.  Combined, Lewis and Reed have enough experience to be able to get the Ravens in a good defense to defend against Brady.

More specifically to Reed, he will be the main player stopping the Patriots from passing deep.  Last week against the Broncos, Peyton Manning never even tested Reed in coverage which is very rare.  Based off this picture, Brady is very aware of what Reed can do but, expect Brady to attack Reed with a few deep passes as Reed no longer has the range he used to have.

Ed Reed

Patriots QB Tom Brady has great respect for Ravens S Ed Reed.

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by Matt Pearce

Do The Ravens Really Have A Chance?

January 10, 2013 in What to Look For

After beating the Indianapolis Colts last week, the Ravens will travel to Denver to face the 1st seeded Broncos.  These two teams faced back in week 15 and the Broncos won a blowout in Baltimore.

1.  Do The Ravens Have a Chance?
Ever since the Ravens beat the Colts, everyone has been saying they will lose to the Broncos.  ESPN got into the action early, posting this main headline.  If you don't want to click the link, the headline reads "Thanks for the Memories" … and has a subhead saying, "…because Sunday was your final NFL win, Ray Lewis. Your career will end in Denver."  Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla got into the act next saying "If this Rust Belt town needed a bib to catch all the sentimental tears shed at the last home game of iconic linebacker Ray Lewis, how is Baltimore going to handle the emotional breakdown when the Broncos force him into retirement as a loser?" and "Like Lewis, their very passionate but washed-up warrior, the Ravens now seem better at striking a pose than striking fear in the hearts of a foe."  These are just two of many examples of what most of the media is saying.

Ravens CB Cary Williams offered his opinion on this by saying "You see it everywhere.  Every time you turn on the [darn] TV you see somebody talking about the Broncos and the Patriots in the AFC championship game.  It’s great [sarcastic]."  He added "That’s fine [being an underdog]. We appreciate it. We love that.  People are counting us out.  We like that. We love being the underdog.  You get to go out there and prove people wrong"

The only person I could find who would pick the Ravens is FOX Sports's Peter Schrager.  He said "Yes, I like the Ravens to upset the Broncos in Denver on Saturday afternoon. And it’s not even because I am blown away by Baltimore. Truthfully, I’m just not sold on Denver."  He also said The Ravens are no doubt battle tested. Denver? They’ve been in cruise control since October,” he wrote. “If Saturday’s game is close in the second half, are we certain the Broncos will respond under pressure? I know Baltimore’s been through those wars this year."

Now, for my opinion on this matter.  All of the teams left in the playoffs deserve to be here and, despite what everyone is saying, both the Ravens and the Texans have chances to upset the Broncos and Patriots, respectively.  Oddsmakers don't believe in the Ravens making them a 9.5 point underdog.  I get why everyone is saying the Broncos will cruise to victory but, in all honesty, they aren't looking deep enough.  When these two teams played, yes, the Broncos demolished the Ravens.  However, the Ravens had almost half of their starters on the injury report and many didn't play.  The Ravens are now healthy enough to put up a fight.  Next is the Ray Lewis factor.  I know this doesn't sound like much but, if you give any football team enough bulletin board material they will play way better than expected, especially if Ray Lewis is their leader.  The last reason is the offensive line but we will look closer at this a little later.  I am not saying that the Ravens will win this game but, they will play the Broncos a lot closer than most people think and, in a close game, anything can happen.

2.  Peyton Manning vs Ray Lewis
This isn't a performance matchup, this is an audible matchup.  Manning will change the play at the line all the time based on what he sees in the defense.  Back in week 15, the Ravens had Josh Bynes starting at ILB who started the season injured and then on the practice squad.  Now, the Ravens have Ray Lewis back who can go audible-to-audible with Manning.  Lewis is definitely the player he used to be but, his mind is still just as good, if not better from all his experience.  Manning has won an astounding nine straight times so it will be interesting to see how Manning does against the Ravens when they have Ray Lewis.  This will also be the last time these two will face each other due to the retirement of Lewis.

Peyton Manning (left) and Ray Lewis (right)

Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis will face each other for the last time.

3.  Offensive Line
Last week the Ravens offensive line finally looked good as a unit.  They only allowed one sack and that was on a naked bootleg.  Its not just sacks either, the line didn't allow much pressure.  Last time the Ravens played the Broncos, the Broncos defensive line had a field day getting pressure on almost every play.  Quarterback Joe Flacco never had a chance to throw the ball as he was running for his life.  In the running game, the line had no push all day long against the Broncos.  Against the Colts last week, the line opened up some big holes allowing the backs to run for 170 yards.  If the Ravens offensive line can play like it did last week then they should give Flacco enough time to find the open receiver downfield.  Even if they play like last week, it might not be enough as the Broncos defensive line is better than the Colts' line.  The most important player to contain is LB Von Miller who has 18.5 sacks this year.

4.  Pass Rush
The best way to disrupt Manning is to get pressure on him.  I think everyone knows he isn't a mobile quarterback at all.  If you can get pressure on him, it will force him to make faster decisions and will eventually lead to him making a mistake and throwing the ball to the wrong spot. Manning has been blessed with a great offensive line this year which has only given up 21 sacks, good for 2nd best in the NFL.  The bad news for Manning is the only team that has allowed less sacks is the New York Giants and, the Ravens were able to get 3 sacks on Manning's younger brother, Eli.  Also going for the Ravens, is Paul Kruger.  Kruger now has 10 sacks in his last 9 games.  He is also coming off a 2.5 sack game against the Colts.  Also in this game, Kruger had an amazing 5 QB hits.  If the Ravens can't get pressure on Peyton Manning, they will have a very tough time winning.

Paul Kruger

Ravens OLB Paul Kruger will need to have another great game to try and neutralize Broncos QB Peyton Manning.

 

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by Matt Pearce

Ray Lewis's Final Home Game

January 5, 2013 in What to Look For

The 4th seed Baltimore Ravens will host the 5th seed Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at 1pm ET in a Wild Card matchup.  Adding to what was already a great game, Ravens LB Ray Lewis announced on Wednesday that he will retire at the end of the season.  His retirement means this will probably be his final home game.

1.  Ray Lewis
If you think Ray Lewis plays with a lot of emotion in regular games, imagine what it will be like on Sunday.  M&T Bank Stadium has always been a tough place to play with loud fans.  Now with this being Lewis's final home game, the place will be rocking all day long.  Lewis has been on the injured reserve/designated to return list since week 6 with a triceps injury.  The plan was for Lewis to get healthy for the playoffs and, that is exactly what happened.  In game, it is uncertain if Lewis will play all the time, or if he will just play situationally.  I know Lewis will want to play all the time, and he probably will get to do that.  One thing that is certain about his in game impact is the whole Ravens teams will be fired up to try and win this game for Ray.  The fans will be just the same, especially when Lewis will do his pre-game introduction for the last time.

2.  Chuck Pagano
Before Lewis announced his retirement, Pagano was the main storyline for this game.  Last year, Pagano was the Ravens defensive coordinator. In the offseason he was hired to be the Colts head coach.  Four games into the season, he was diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia. This will be his first time returning to Baltimore since he left for the Colts.  Pagano was loved by the players and he still is.  If he didn't have to play the Ravens, you know the team would be rooting for him to win.

The emotion of the Ravens will be matched by the Colts, whose whole season has been an emotional roller coaster.  Nobody expected the Colts to make the playoffs after they went 2-14 last season.  However, they have played for Pagano all season long under the motto of Chuckstrong. Most Colts player shaved their heads to show support of Pagano.  Even two cheerleaders shaved their head during their game against the Bills. Some Ravens players showed their support by shaving their heads as well.  This game will be pitting emotion against emotion.

Lastly, since Pagano was the Ravens defensive coordinator last year, he knows the Ravens very well.  New defensive coordinator Dean Pees has changed the defense a little but, too much change wouldn't have worked.  Its not just Pagano that will know the Ravens well either.  Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004-2011 and also was with the Cleveland Browns from 2001-2003. He has faced the Ravens many times so he knows what to expect.  He also knows what to expect from Dean Pees as Pees was the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots from 2006-2009 and faced Arians.  The coaching battle in this game is going to be a key factor in who wins.

Ray Lewis

This will be Ravens star LB Ray Lewis's last home game unless, the Ravens face the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game, which is unlikely.

3.  Ray Rice
This matchup favors Rice heavily.  The Colts currently rank 29th in rush defense allowing 137.5 yards per game.  If the offensive line can control the Colts defensive front, Rice will get into the second level and run for 10 yards consistently.  In week 16 against the Chiefs, the Colts allowed 352 rushing yards.  Of these 352 yards, 226 of them went to Chiefs starter, Jamaal Charles.  This is good news for Rice and his backup Bernard Pierce.

The bad news for Rice is that he has been in a playoff slump.  In his last five playoff games, Rice hasn't rushed for more than 70 yards.  He has also averaged 3.3 yards per carry in these games.  Over his last five games (not counting Cincinnati because he barely played), Rice has averaged 88 yards per game and his career average for yards per carry is 4.5.  Lastly, over Rice's last four playoff games, he has had less than 100 total yards.  Due to the Colts bad run defense, Rice should be able to snap these two streaks.

4.  Ed Reed
As we know, this will probably be Ray Lewis's last home game.  However, it could be Reed's last home game as well.  Reed is a free agent at the end of the season and he hasn't had contract negotiations since 2011.  CBS Sport's Jason La Canfora has speculated that this could be Reed's last home game.  The reason for all this speculation is Reed has debated retirement over the last few offseasons.  Some people believe that since Lewis will retire, Reed will join him.

On to the game impact for Reed, he will be facing a rookie QB who has thrown for 18 INTs in Andrew Luck.  Over his career, Reed has feasted on rookie QBs.  When you combine this with the fact that Reed has had some great playoff games, he could be primed for a big game.  The last game that Reed recorded an interception in was week 13 against the Steelers.  Luck has played well in his rookie year but, turnovers have been a problem.  The Ravens defense is very good at forcing turnovers so Luck will have to limit them if he wants to led the Colts to the next round. Expect Reed to intercept one of Luck's passes on Sunday.

Ray Lewis (left) and Ed Reed (right)

We know that Ravens LB Ray Lewis will retire at the end of the season but, will S Ed Reed join him?

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by Matt Pearce

Battle For Playoff Momentum

December 28, 2012 in What to Look For

Baltimore Homepage

This week the 10-5 Baltimore Ravens travel to Cincinnati to face the 9-6 Bengals.  These two teams played in week one and Baltimore won a blow out 44-13.

1.  Playoff Scenarios
Both the Ravens and Bengals have already clinched playoff berths.  The Ravens have clinched the AFC North and the Bengals will be a wild card team.  While the Bengals are locked in as the 6th seed, the Ravens seeding is still up for grabs.  Currently, they are the 4th seed which will see them play the Indianapolis Colts next week.  For the Ravens to improve their playoff position, they need the New England Patriots to lose to the Miami Dolphins which seems unlikely.  Along with the Patriots losing, the Ravens will need to beat the Bengals.  If these scenario plays out, the Ravens will become the 3rd seed and play the Bengals for the third time this season next week.  Since it is unlikely the Ravens improve their seed and the Bengals can't improve their seed, this game becomes a battle for momentum heading into the playoffs.  The Bengals have won 6 of their last 7 and their only loss was on a field game as time expired.  The Ravens have lost 3 of their last 4 and but their win was utter domination of the defending Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants.  Based on their currents streaks, the Ravens seem to need this game more than the Bengals, especially when you factor in the possibility of becoming the 3rd seed.

2.  Containing A.J. Green
Originally, I named this stopping A.J. Green, but then I realized it is impossible to stop Green, you have to contain him.  Earlier in the year, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Green might be the best wide receiver in the NFL.  Green is currently in the top 10 for receptions, targets, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, receiving yards per game, and first downs on pass plays.  In the week one matchup, Green had 5 catches for 70 yards on 11 targets.  In order to contain Green, Ravens CB Cary Williams will need to be on top of his game.  Williams has been "consistently inconsistent" this season, allowing many big plays but making many pass breakups and interceptions as well.  The 6'1" Williams has the best size in the secondary to matchup with the 6'4" Green.  Jimmy Smith is 6'2" but he is still recovering from his sports hernia injury and hasn't looked the same since returning.  Expect the Bengals to try and go deep to Green multiple times to try and take advantage of the Ravens injured secondary.  This means S Ed Reed will need to come ready to play this week.

A.J. Green (18)

The Ravens led by star S Ed Reed (20), will need to contain Bengals WR A.J. Green (18).

3.  Who Plays?
Despite each team not having much to play for, they will both play to win.  This is because both teams want momentum heading into the playoffs and, it is a divisional game.  With the way the AFC North is, no players would want to miss a divisional matchup.  Even though both teams said they will play to win, that doesn't mean a few players won't play, especially for the Ravens.  If I were the Ravens, I would hold out the key players who are questionable, DE Haloti Ngata, G Marshal Yanda, and WR Anquan Boldin.  Also, the Ravens the disadvantage of the Patriots playing at 4 pm.  If both games were played at the same time, the Ravens would be able to see the score and take out key players if the Patriots started to pull away.  On the Bengals side, head coach Marvin Lewis said "I don’t really have any beat-up guys.  So, the only thing that is at stake is you go out and play to win the game every time we go."  In fact, the Bengals only have 6 plays on the injury report, three are probable, one is out, and the other two are questionable.  Expect both teams to do what they said, and play to win.

4.  G Marshal Yanda vs. DT Geno Atkins
Here is a perfect example of an AFC North matchup.  While I did say Yanda was questionable, he is expected to play, just like last week.  Yanda has been the best lineman for the Ravens this year, allowing only 3 hits and 8 hurries on 516 pass blocking plays.  He is also one of two guards to allow 0 sacks so far this season.  In the run game, he has opened up holes all season long.  This week he will meet his match in Geno Atkins. Atkins has 12.5 sacks this year which ranks 5th in the NFL and leads all 4-3 DTs in sacks.  He isn't just a pass rusher either, he has been influential in stopping the run game for the Bengals this year.  In week one, Atkins got the best of the Ravens, recording 2 sacks.  If the Ravens want to be successful on offense this week, they will need to neutralize Atkins.

Marshal Yanda

Ravens G Marshal Yanda draws the tough assignment of stopping Bengals DT Geno Atkins.

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by Matt Pearce

Second Manning Brother in Two Weeks

December 21, 2012 in What to Look For

Baltimore Homepage

This week the 9-5 Baltimore Ravens face the other Manning brother in Eil, who leads the 8-6 New York Giants into Baltimore.  On a side note the Ravens will wear their black alternate jersey's for this game.

1.  Playing Motivated
This is a key game for both the Ravens and the Giants.  The Ravens have lost their last three games and are in danger of dropping all the way to a wildcard.  The Giants have lost four of their last six games including an embarrassing 34-0 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week.  While the Ravens clinched a playoff berth last week, they still need a win to clinch the division.  If the Giants lose out, they will not be able to defend their Super Bowl title.  Due to these factors, both teams should come out and play hard, making for a playoff caliber game in a game where there are massive playoff ramifications.

2.  Which Teams Show Up?
As stated above, both teams are coming into this game on bad streaks.  Both have been very inconsistent this season also.  The Ravens have beaten the New England Patriots 31-30 but, have lost to the Denver Broncos 34-17 and the Houston Texans 43-13.  Even stranger is that the Patriots have beaten these two by a combined score of 38.  Similarly, the Giants beat the New Orleans Saints 52-27 and the Saints beat the Falcons 31-27.  The Giants also have beaten the second and third best teams in the NFC (Green Bay and San Francisco) by a total of 51 yet they lose to a team only marginally better by 34 and even worse, they get shutout despite putting up 26 points on the vaunted 49ers defense.  I wouldn't expect both teams to be on top form but, I don't expect them to be their worst and they should play near the same level on Sunday.

Ray Lewis (52)

Ravens LB Ray Lewis recovers a fumble.

3.  Offensive Line
While the Giants only rank tied for 16th in the NFL with 32 sacks, (coincidently they are tied with the Ravens), they still have three top pass rushers.  All three of them play defensive end and could potentially give Ravens offensive tackles Michael Oher and Kelechi Osemele fits.  Lets start with Jason Pierre-Paul.  The 23 year old is having a down year with only 6.5 sacks.  This is good for 34th in the NFL.  He may only have 6.5 sacks but, he still a threat to get a sack on every pass play.  Veteran Osi Umenyiora has 6 sacks for the season.  He doesn't play as many snaps as Pierre-Paul as he is more of a situational pass rusher for the Giants.  Last is Justin Tuck who is in the midst of his worst season in which he has played in all games.  He only has 3 sacks for the season and it is unsure if he plays against the Ravens as he hasn't practiced yet this week.  While the Giants pass rushers are having a down year, they are still a real threat, especially against a weak Ravens offensive line.

4.  Pass Rush
The Giants have allowed the least amount of sacks this season with 16.  The next best team is the Houston Texans and they have allowed 20. This means the Ravens pass rush will have an even harder job this week.  In order to disrupt the Giants good passing game, the Ravens need to get good pressure on QB Eli Manning.  This way e can't get the ball to WRs Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.  Since the Ravens secondary is banged up, this will be even more important.  The main players to watch for the Ravens are OLBs Terrell Suggs and Paul Kruger.  Also look for DEs Arthur Jones and Haloti Ngata.  If Jones and Ngata can get pressure on the inside, it will force Manning to move around in the pocket which makes it easier for Suggs and Kruger.  If Suggs and Kruger can get outside pressure, it will force Manning up in the pocket towards Ngata and Jones.  The main advantage that the Ravens have is Manning isn't a mobile quarterback.  The main disadvantage the Ravens will have is Suggs's bicep.  Last week, Suggs played but you could tell he was hurt as he would hold his right arm and he wasn't in for some plays.  On the positive side, he has been a full participant in practice all week and wasn't even on the injury report for Wednesday.  This matchup between the Ravens pass rush and the Giants offensive line will determine whether the Ravens will be able to stop the Giants offense.

Haloti Ngata

Ravens DE Haloti Ngata rushes the passer.

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by Matt Pearce

The Return of Ray Lewis?

December 14, 2012 in What to Look For

Baltimore Homepage

The 9-4 Baltimore Ravens head home to face their longtime enemy, Peyton Manning, who is now with the 10-3 Denver Broncos.

1.  Injuries
Over the first few games, the Ravens had very few players on the injury report, and when they were, they were probable.  Now, the entire team, especially the defense, has been ravaged by injuries.  On the offensive side, All-Pro G Marshal Yanda is questionable with a sprained ankle.  If he can't go, then veteran Bobbie Williams is expected to take his place.  Another All-Pro, FB Vonta Leach is questionable with an ankle injury. Backup TE Ed Dickson is doubtful again this week with a knee injury.  The defensive side is much worse.  The top three ILBs either out of questionable.  Star ILB Ray Lewis will be talked about later on, but Dannell Ellerbe is questionable after missing the last two games and Jameel McClain has already been ruled out.  If none of these three can play, the Ravens will be left with a player who started the season on the practice squad, Josh Bynes, a 36 year old career special teamer, Brendon Ayanbadejo, and an OLB in Albert McClellan.  Interestingly, none of these three were drafted, but then again, Ellerbe and McClain are also undrafted.  Reigning defensive player of the year, Terrell Suggs, is questionable, again, after missing last week with a torn bicep.  Starting S Bernard Pollard is questionable with a rib injury and hasn't been able to practice all week. Backup James Ihedigbo will take over if Pollard can't play.  Ihedigbo was cut by the Patriots after training camp this year.  Lastly, CB Jimmy Smith is questionable with a sports hernia that he had surgery for after the November 4th game against the Browns.  Overall, that is more starters who are out or questionable, 7, than the entire Broncos injury report, 5.

2.  Joe Flacco
There are two reasons to watch Flacco on Sunday.  The first is to see how he plays under new offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell.  Caldwell has said he won't change much at all.  He also has a better relationship with Flacco than Cam Cameron did.  The second reason to watch Flacco is to see how he plays against Peyton Manning.  With how banged up the Ravens defense is, Flacco will have to bring his "A" game to give the Ravens a chance against the Broncos.  Over the last 7 games, Flacco only has two games with more than 200 passing yards.  To complicate matters more, the Broncos rank 7th in the NFL in pass yards per game allowing only 216 per game.  They also rank 11th in the NFL is opposing QB rating, with 80.5.  I can see Flacco having a big game against the Broncos now that he has Caldwell as his offensive coordinator.  However, I can also see him struggling against this tough Broncos defense.

Joe Flacco

Ravens QB Joe Flacco will need a big game for the Ravens to win.

3.  Offensive Tackles
Another thing that the Broncos defense excels at, is rushing the passer.  They rank tied for 2nd in the NFL with 39 sacks.  A whopping 16 of these come from OLB Von Miller.  That is 41% of their sacks.  The Ravens have allowed 31 sacks this year, which ties them for 18th best in the NFL.  To complicate matters even more, the Ravens offensive tackles have struggled recently.  Rookie RT Kelechi Osemele has given up 1 sack over the last 2 games.  Michael Oher, the LT, has been part of 3 turnovers in the last 2 games.  In the Steelers game, he gave up a strip sack which led to the Steelers tying the game.  He also allowed pressure on an INT that game.  In the Redskins game, he also gave up a strip sack which gave the Redskins the ball around midfield.  They will both have their hands full with Miller.  Miller switches sides a lot so there is no way to say who he will be facing for most of the game.  All we know is that if Miller isn't blocked, the Ravens will have a long day.

Ray Lewis

Ravens star ILB Ray Lewis might return for this week's game against the Broncos.

4.  Ray Lewis
As of right now, nobody knows if Lewis play.  For him to be able to, he must be activated from the IR/Designated the Return List.  Due to this, he isn't listed on the injury report but, if he was, he would be listed as questionable.  Normally, I would say the Ravens shouldn't let him play as they will need him healthy for the playoffs. However, the Ravens have lost their 2 games and have looked awful recently.  The return of Ray could give the team a boost.  Another thing is the depth the Ravens have at ILB.  As stated above, the two player who have started at ILB with Lewis gone, are out and questionable.  Lastly, the Ravens won't want a very inexperienced Josh Bynes to be the person matching up against Peyton Manning in audibles.  This would be a complete mismatch.  While Lewis hasn't beaten Manning much, he has always been able to keep up with Manning's audibles and knows exactly what defense to go to based off of Manning's calls.  In the end, nobody knows if Lewis will play, but he is exactly what the Ravens need right now.

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by Matt Pearce

Can The Ravens Stop RG3?

December 7, 2012 in What to Look For

Baltimore Homepage

This week the 9-3 Baltimore Ravens will travel down I-95 to face their instate rival, the 6-6 Washington Redskins.

1.  Containing RGIII
It is as simple as this, if the Ravens can't keep rookie sensation Robert Griffin III in check, they will lose.  In Redskins wins, Griffin has 324 more pass yards, a 12.5 in completion percentage, averages 3.69 more yards per pass, 7 more TD passes, and his passer rating increases by 42.9 points.  Griffin's run game also is effected as he averages 1.3 more yards per rush.  Overall, he ranks 2nd in the NFL in yards per attempt with 8.19 and leads all QBs with 714 rushing yards, yards per game (59.5), and leads the NFL in yards per attempt with 6.8.

Odds are the Ravens will have trouble with him as they are hurting on defense.  Over the course of the season only 4 players have started every game.  In the passing game, Griffin will face the Ravens original number 2, 4, and 5 cornerbacks on the depth chart.  Considering, Charlie Batch, a 3rd string QB passed for 276 yards against the Ravens last week, the Redskins could easily pass for over 300 yards.  The main thing the Ravens will have problems with is Griffin running the ball.  The only running QB the Ravens have faced this year is Michael Vick.  Vick rushed 10 times for 34 yards but from my memory none of those were designed runs.  The Redskins will have runs specially called for Griffin which can be very effective.  The biggest assignment for the Ravens will go to the outside linebackers which will be discussed later.  Expect Robert Griffin III to have a good game against the Ravens with over 300 yards of total offense.

2.  Terrell Suggs
Last week against the Steelers, Suggs left the game late in the game with an arm injury and never returned.  Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Suggs tore his biceps.  Head coach John Harbaugh said "He basically has a bicep, a very serious strain, it could be called a tear, it’s something he could possibly play with. He’s figuring out now with the trainers and the doctors.”  If you are looking for players that have played with a torn bicep, look no father than the Redskins who had DEs Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels do this in 2009.  This season, Miami Dolphins LB Karlos Dansby  has been playing with a torn bicep.  Suggs has said “I have been told a couple of guys in the NFL are playing with torn biceps and that it may get better, it may not. You may need surgery, you may not. I don’t really know. Like I said, we’re going to go over it and decide what’s best to do for the team and myself.”  He also said "We kind of live by the creed, ‘If you can breathe, you can play.’ But we just got to check it. We got to see how it holds up throughout the week."

Whether Suggs plays or not is huge.  He is the most important player for the Ravens on defense when it comes to stopping Griffin.  While he only has 2 sacks this year, he has set the edge in the run game very well.  With Suggs playing this season, the Ravens have relied on a four-man pass rush more than before.  "According to ESPN Stats & Information's John McTigue, the Ravens have the second-best Total QBR allowed (28.9) since Week 7, sending such pressure after posting the second-worst in the first six weeks of the season."  What this really means is the if Suggs doesn't play, they will blitz more often.  However, this hasn't worked against Griffin this year.  Against the blitz he has thrown for 9 TDs, 0 INTs, completed 68.2% of his passes, and has a QBR of 98.4.  When teams don't blitz his QBR drops to 74.1.  I do expect Suggs to play because he is such a competitor.  Proof comes from his fast recovery from a torn achilles this year.  His effectiveness would be very limited but the Ravens will need him this week and for the playoff run.

Terrell Suggs

Ravens starting OLB Terrell Suggs will be key to stopping Redskins QB Robert Griffin III if he plays.

3.  Run Defense
This matchup comes at a bad time for the Ravens.  The Redskins are 1st in the NFL averaging 167.2 rush yards per game while the Ravens rank 23rd allowing 125.8 yards per game.  Redskins RB Alfred Morris ranks tied for 3rd in the NFL with 1,106 rushing yards this year while QB Robert Griffin III leads all QBs.  What makes the matchup even worse for the Ravens is their LBs corps is hurting right now.  We already discussed Suggs above, and their best run stopping LB Dannell Ellerbe missed last week with an injury and will probably be questionable this week.  If the Ravens start stacking the box to try and stop the run game, then the Redskins will just pass it right over them.  The Ravens front seven will need to come and play this week and force the Redskins to pass.

4.  Passing Offense
As bad as this sounds to Ravens fans, the way to attack the Redskins defensive is through the air.  The Redskins give up 299 pass yards per game which ranks 31st in the NFL.  They also rank 4th in the NFL in rush yards per game allowing 91.5.  This is definitely a balancing act for the Ravens though.  Whenever the Ravens lose, star RB Ray Rice doesn't get the ball enough and QB Joe Flacco throws the ball inaccurately.  This has especially be true on the road.  Hopefully for Flacco, he will play good in Washington DC as he usually plays good at home which will only be about 1 hour away.  Key for Flacco to succeed is the receivers getting separation from the Redskins secondary.  One player to watch is WR Torrey Smith who has only 1 game with more than 5 catches since a week 4 win against the Browns where he had 6 catches.

Joe Flacco

Ravens starting QB Joe Flacco drops back to pass against the Washington Redskins.

Remember to check out our SPORTS Trivia Nights in Baltimore at Plug Ugly's on Monday nights @ 7 p.m.! See you this Monday!

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by Matt Pearce

Week Thirteen What To Look For

December 1, 2012 in What to Look For

Baltimore Homepage

Come to Sports Trivia at Plug Ugly's in Canton/Baltimore on Monday Nights @ 7 p.m.

This week the 9-2 Ravens head home to face the 6-5 Pittsburgh Steelers for their 2nd matchup this year.

1.  No Ben Roethlisberger
Earlier today, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that QB Ben Roethlisberger will be out this week.  This has a big impact on both the Ravens and the Steelers.  The Steelers will be forced to start 37 year old (38 in a few days) Charlie Batch.  Last week against the Cleveland Browns, Batch went 20-of-34 for 199 yards with 3 INTs.  He also had a QB rating of 38.7 and a total QBR of 20.8.  The biggest way that this will impact the game is that Batch is not mobile at all.  Since Roethlisberger is very mobile, it is hard to take him down and he can extend the play very well.  Batch cannot do this and will be forced to stay in the pocket which will the allow the Ravens pass rush to get more pressure.  One thing to note about this is even if Roethlisberger played, his mobility would have been severely restricted because of the pain in his should/rib area.

2.  Joe Flacco
As usual, Flacco will be key to the game on Sunday.  What makes this even more interesting is that Flacco has a 108.8 QB rating at home and averages 322.4 passing yards per game at home.  He will be facing the number 1 pass defense which gives up 165.7 yards per game.  The last time Flacco played the Steelers at home, he passed for 224 yards and threw for 3 TDs with at QB rating of 117.6 and a QBR of 74.3.  If we base Flacco's game off of what he did last time then Flacco should have a good game lead the Ravens to another victory.  The general conception about Flacco is that he is inconsistent which is true.  However, at home he is one of the best QBs in the league.  The last time that he had a game with 2 or more interceptions at home was way back in 2009, which was his 2nd year in the league, against the Cincinnati Bengals.  In fact he only has 4 games with 2 or more interceptions at home and 3 of these were in his rookie year, including 2 in his first 3 home games.  Expect Flacco to pass for about 250 yards against the Steelers on Sunday.

Joe Flacco (5)

Ravens QB Joe Flacco throws a pass against the Steelers last year.

3.  Dannell Ellerbe
Playing for Ray Lewis, Ellerbe has quietly had a great season.  He is second on the Ravens with 81 tackles and also ranks second in sacks with 4.5.  What make this even better is Ellerbe has only been playing full time since week 7.  Before he was playing mostly  in passing situations. Over the last few weeks, Ellerbe has been playing with a cast on his hand as he has a broken thumb.  Last week against the Chargers he also injured his ankle and didn't return.  This week he is questionable and nobody really knows if he will play or not.  The Ravens will need Ellerbe to play this week as the Steelers will run the ball a lot because they are on their 3rd string QB.  Backup Brendon Ayanbadejo is fine in pass coverage and the other backup is Josh Bynes who has 3 career tackles.  Last time these two teams played, the Steelers had some success running the ball so you know they will try again, especially if Ellerbe is out.  I would make a prediction on how he will perform but I honestly have no clue if he will play.

4.  Paul Kruger
Kruger's play this year has definitely been a surprise.  He leads the Ravens with 5.5 sacks.  He also has had a sack in the last 3 games with a total of 4 coming in these games.  It doesn't comes as a surprise though that his production has increased since Terrell Suggs has come back. In his career, Kruger has only had 1.5 sacks against the Steelers but he only has 12 career sacks so this is 8% of his career sacks.  There are two factor that give Kruger an advantage for this game.  One is the Steelers offensive line, as usual it seems, is injured.  The other is that Batch won't be moving around very much and is easy to take down.  Due to these factors, expect Kruger to get 1 sack and the Ravens to total 4.

Prediction:  Ravens 27 Steelers 7
The Steelers are to banged up to make this game competitive.  No team will ever be very good with their 3rd string QB in.  This combined with the fact that the Ravens are playing at home lead to the Ravens winning.

Paul Kruger

Ravens starting OLB Paul Kruger sacks Steelers QB Byron Leftwich.

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by Matt Pearce

Week Twelve What To Look For

November 24, 2012 in What to Look For

This week the 8-2 Ravens travel to San Diego to face the 4-6 Chargers for their 4th road game in their last 5 games.

1.  Trap Game
If this isn't the definition of a trap game, I don't know what is.  The game is put right between games against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  To make matter worse, the Ravens have to travel across the country.  The Chargers are 4-6 but started the season 3-1.  They also have a hit and miss QB in Philip Rivers who has the ability to light up a secondary.  The Ravens will be banged up after their game against the Steelers and could be looking forward to the Steelers game next week as well.  Last year, the Ravens lost all of their games on the road to teams that finished under .500.  One of these was against the Chargers in week 15.  Revenge, should be on the Ravens mind as last year they were embarrassed by the Chargers.  To make matters worse, the game was on NBC's Sunday Night Football.  While the scoreboard says they lost by 20, it was in fact nowhere near as close.  The Chargers out gained the Ravens 415 to 290 and the Ravens didn't score their second touchdown until there was 1:55 left in the game.

2.  Ray Rice
Rice will probably have his 9th game with under 100 rushing yards this week.  The Chargers rank 3rd in the NFL giving up 87.9 rush yards per game.  They also have given up 3.8 yards per attempt, 4 TDs, and the longest rush they have given up is 37 yards.  Lastly, the Chargers have only allowed one person rush for over 100 yards and that was Trent Richardson who rushed for 122 yards in the Browns 7-6 victory over the Chargers.  The Ravens will have to just keep feeding Rice the ball and hope that he can wear down the Chargers front 7 by the end of the game. If the offensive line can't make any holes though, this won't work.  The passing offense hasn't been as good on the road as at home and Rice has averaged 76.2 rush yards per game on the road compared to 63.2 at home.  Also 3 of Rices 4 best rushing games have come on the road (99, 102, and 98).

Ray Rice (27)

3.  Turnovers
This is a battle between a Ravens defensive strength and a Chargers offensive weakness.  The Chargers rank tied for 14th in the AFC with 22 giveaways.  They have 14 interceptions and 8 fumbles.  Their QB Philip Rivers has accounted for all of the turnovers.  He also has a NFL high 43 turnovers since the start of the 2011 season.  The Ravens on the other hand, rank 2nd best in the NFL with a turnover differential of 12 compared to the Chargers -3.  The Ravens have forced 11 interceptions and 10 fumbles for a total of 21 turnovers forced.  This ranks them 2nd only to the New England Patriots.  An even more impressive stat is that the Ravens have forced 9 of their 21 turnovers on 3rd down.  This astonishing 42.9% of their forced turnovers ranks 1st in the NFL.  The Ravens opportunistic defense will need to show up against the Chargers on Sunday. Last year they didn't, and the Ravens lost 34-14 and gave up 415 total yards.  Expect the Ravens to force 2 turnovers and turn them into 10 points which will be the difference in a close game.

4.  Joe Flacco vs Eric Weddle
When you think of the top safeties in the NFL, you think of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu.  However, Weddle has made the last two All-Pro teams and is just as good.  Polamalu is 31 years old, Reed is 34, and Weddle is 27.  Weedle doesn't get all the attention like Reed and Polamalu but over the last few years, you can argue that he has played better.  Last year he had 7 INTs and he already has 3 this year.  Flacco will need to know where Weddle is on every play.  If he doesn't Weddle could make a play that changes the game.  Flacco hasn't played well on the road this year but he can't have that on his mind as they play.  Expect the Ravens to attack the other side of the field against the other safety, Atari Bigby, who isn't nearly as good as Weddle.  The Ravens probably won't have less deep passes in the gameplan because of Weddle, but Flacco will be told to look out for Weddle on these passes.

Joe Flacco

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