Jaguars-Ravens: Baltimore Hoping to Fly into Playoffs

With a trip to the playoffs at stake, the Baltimore Ravens hope to insert a new chapter in the city's storied football history when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The day marks the 50th anniversary of the “Greatest Game Ever Played,” a 23-17 overtime victory for the Baltimore Colts in the 1958 NFL Championship Game.

While many former Colts will be in attendance for a halftime ceremony honoring the 1958 team, the Ravens are focused on creating history of their own.

Following a 5-11 season in 2007, new coach John Harbaugh has led the Ravens to a 10-5 record, needing only a win over the Jaguars to capture the last wild-card spot in the AFC Playoffs.

On the opposing side, the Jaguars are playing out the string with a disappointing 5-10 record after high expectations entering the 2008 campaign.

Earlier in the week, vice president of player personnel James "Shack" Harris resigned, adding further uncertainty to the organization’s tumultuous season. The news of Harris’ departure supplements the impending change within the organization.

Notable veterans such as middle linebacker Mike Peterson and tackle Khalif Barnes are unlikely to return to the team that advanced to the AFC Divisional Round only a year ago.

Complementing the off-the-field distractions is the failure of the Jaguars’ offense. Quarterback David Garrard has turned the ball over more frequently than he did last season, and the running game ranks 18th in the league, numbers that do not bode well for any visitor coming to play the Ravens’ second-ranked defense.

The Baltimore defense is +9 in turnover difference, good for third in the NFL. Look for the Ravens defense to pressure Garrard into making mistakes with safety Ed Reed looming in the secondary.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is expected to play, but he will have a difficult time gaining consistent yardage on the ground against the Ravens’ front seven.

Despite this, defensive coordinator Rex Ryan will need to be aware of Jones-Drew’s receiving prowess, as he leads all running backs with 61 catches and 555 receiving yards.

The Ravens’ 21st-ranked offense will face more of a challenge from the Jacksonville defense, 12th overall.

The rushing attack received a boost last week with long touchdown runs by Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain in the final minutes of their win over Dallas.

The Ravens can be a scary team in January if McGahee can regain some of last year’s form. Last week’s game was a good sign.

Rookie Ray Rice hopes to return to the field after missing the last two games with a shin injury. The Ravens would like to have Rice on the field to get back into rhythm in hopes of a playoff run.

Rice provides more of a receiving threat out of the backfield than either McClain or McGahee.

The Jacksonville defense is vulnerable in the secondary, giving up 25 touchdown passes this season, so expect quarterback Joe Flacco to test the Jaguars with the deep ball.

Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron would like to see Flacco follow up his solid performance against Dallas with strong production in the regular season finale. Flacco has not thrown for multiple touchdowns in a game since Week 13.

Wide receiver Derrick Mason continues to battle the effects of an injured shoulder expects to play on Sunday. Mason has been the team’s most valuable player on offense, aiding in the rapid development of Flacco.

Outlook

All signs in this one point to a Ravens’ blowout in the regular season finale.

The crowd will be in full-fledged playoff mode with an extra boost from the halftime celebration of the 1958 champion Colts.

The Ravens have everything to play for in this one while the Jaguars are thinking about how to spend their upcoming vacation time.

The Ravens will go up early thanks to the legs of Le’Ron McClain and some big gains through the air. When they do, the Jaguars will begin going through the motions, leading to the Ravens taking ultimate control.

Perhaps the Jaguars’ best chance in this one would be for the Buffalo Bills to upset the New England Patriots in the early game, which would clinch the last playoff spot for the Ravens prior to Sunday's kickoff.

Harbaugh might be more inclined to rest veterans such as Mason and Ray Lewis if the team’s playoff ticket is already punched, but even that might not be enough for the Jaguars to win in Baltimore.

The prediction: Ravens 27-10

Can the Ravens secure the last wild-card spot in the AFC? Or will the Jaguars play spoiler to close out their disappointing season? Leave your comments and predictions below.

The Night Before Festivus: Baltimore-Style

This is a poem adapted from The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore. In the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl run of 2000, guard Edwin Mulitalo coined the phrase "Festivus" in referring to the playoffs, a term taken from the popular television sitcom Seinfeld.

The Night Before Festivus

'Twas the night before Festivus, when all through Charm City
Ravens fans were stirring and even felt giddy.
The jerseys were hung by the chimney with flare,
In hopes that Joe Flacco soon would be there.

The fans were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of the playoffs danced in their heads.
And when we awoke and December 28 was the date,
We just settled down for a winter's tailgate,
When out in the end zone there arose such a clatter,
The opponent looked over to see what was the matter.

In a huddle of players that looked like a flash,
The Ravens looked ready for a hard-hitting clash.
The season had boiled down to one single game
as the players were looking for more than just fame,

And what to my wondering eyes looked intense,
For it was Ray Lewis…and the Baltimore defense.

A terrifying unit, so lively and quick,
They’ll hit you, they’ll haunt you, or even grab the pick.
More rapid than wolves these hunters they came,

And Ray whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"T-Sizzle! now, JJ! now, Bannan, Haloti!
On, Trevor! on Leonhard! on, Reed and Samari!
To the top of the mountain! to the top of the hill!
Knock them out! Get the ball! Now in for the kill!"

And then, the offense, led by a menacing line,
Came onto the field and was ready to fly.
A three-headed monster was at running back,
led by McClain, a big rumbling mack.
And Mason the veteran, with his shoulder so sore,
Kept reining in passes, one, two, three, more!

And finally, a sight so perfect, so new;
a quarterback to be proud of, a little like Johnny U.
Joe Flacco was ready to take the city by storm,
his cannon for an arm much better than norm,
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And led them downfield, the fans going berserk.

The Ravens were ready to give such a gift
to the fans of Baltimore who needed the lift.
Coach Harbaugh exclaimed, while his team looked so sleek,

"Happy Festivus to all, and we’ll see you next week."

Ravens-Cowboys Preview

The stars and pageantry will be on full display as the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys add a final chapter to the storied history of Texas Stadium on Saturday night.

As if appearances from legendary stars such as Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith, and Troy Aikman weren't enough, the two teams actually playing will be fighting for their respective playoff lives.

The 9-5 Ravens are currently the sixth seed in the AFC, but the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins currently hold the same 9-5 record. A loss would put the Ravens in the unenviable position of needing help in Week 17 to advance to the postseason.

The Cowboys (9-5) are currently the fifth seed in the NFC and need a win to remain in position for a playoff spot.

The Ravens will try to bounce back from an excruciating 13-9 loss to Pittsburgh after the Steelers scored a controversial go-ahead touchdown with 43 seconds to play. Unlike past Baltimore teams, these Ravens were very quiet in their comments regarding the officiating last Sunday, a reflection of coach John Harbaugh's message of discipline and focusing on the things they can control.

Dallas is riding high after an impressive 20-8 win over the New York Giants in which they held the second-ranked rushing offense to a meager 72 yards on the ground. Even the disgruntled Terrell Owens appears to be content for now.

The Cowboys' high-powered offense will be challenged by the Ravens' second-ranked defense that has the uncanny ability to confuse, and often times intimidate, the opponent.

Running back Marion Barber is a game-time decision with a lingering toe injury, but the Cowboys figure to struggle in the running game regardless of Barber's availability. Baltimore has the third-ranked run defense in the league.

The Cowboys will need quarterback Tony Romo's injured back to hold up against a tough defense. Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan will throw various blitzes and stunts against Romo in hopes of confusing the quarterback in his first encounter with the Baltimore defense. Romo is prone to making mistakes when a defense can keep him in the pocket while applying pressure.

A major factor will be the status of Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington who is questionable with a thigh injury. Washinton is expected to play but has admitted concern with how long his thigh will hold up on Saturday night.

His fourth-quarter exit from last week's loss was evident on Pittsburgh's final 92-yard drive for the game-winning score. Frank Walker took his place in the lineup, forcing Ryan to use a more conservative approach as Ben Roethlisberger picked the secondary apart en route to a touchdown.

If Washington cannot go, the Ravens will need to be creative in finding an answer in the secondary for Owens. Walker nor veteran Samari Rolle have the athleticism to cover the explosive playmaker.

The Ravens will have to keep a close eye on tight end Jason Witten. He will provide a matchup problem if the Ravens are unable to get to Romo quickly enough with their blitzing schemes.

After enjoying great success in the second half of the season, quarterback Joe Flacco has struggled in his past two games, throwing for a combined 249 yards and three interceptions against Washington and Pittsburgh.

The Ravens' offensive line will need to protect Flacco from Defensive Player of the Year candidate DeMarcus Ware. Though tackles Jared Gaither and Willie Anderson have played extremely well and possess great size, Ware's 19 sacks are more than enough to concern offensive coordinator Cam Cameron a great deal.

If the Cowboys are able to pressure the rookie quarterback consistently, Flacco will likely make mistakes, potentially turning the Texas Stadium finale into a laugher.

The return of running back Ray Rice will provide a lift as he provides a receiving threat out of the backfield in addition to the bruising running style of Le'Ron McClain. Former starter Willis McGahee has become a virtual non-factor in the running game.

The Ravens will try to control the clock with their running game, but the Cowboys' seventh-ranked run defense has shut down the running game of the Steelers and Giants in their last two games. If the Ravens cannot run the ball effectively, it will force Flacco to throw with Ware and company bearing down on him, something the Ravens do not want to do.

Outlook

Both teams desperately need a win to keep their playoff destinies in their own hands.

The Cowboys figure to come out strong with the excitement and hoopla with the closing of Texas Stadium. The Ravens will need to ride the early wave of emotion and prevent Dallas from jumping ahead in the early stages.

Harbaugh's Ravens are too tough, both physically and mentally, to be overwhelmed by the emotions of the Texas Stadium finale, but they are catching the Cowboys at the wrong time.

The Baltimore defense will do an admirable job against the Cowboys' high-octane offense, but the offense will have trouble generating much of anything against the Cowboys' red-hot defense. Flacco will see better days, but he's not ready to steal a win against a defense as hot as this one.

The prediction: Cowboys 20-13

Can the Ravens keep their playoff destiny in their own hands? Or will the Cowboys put the Ravens' postseason hopes on life support? Leave your comments and predictions below.

Redskins-Ravens Preview

It's difficult to believe this will be Washington's first trip to Baltimore to play the Ravens. This game has been circled on many Baltimore fans' calendars since Art Modell announced he was moving his franchise to Baltimore for the 1996 season.

The rivalry between the teams only exists for the fans of Washington and Baltimore, but this will create an electric atmosphere in Baltimore for Sunday Night Football.

The 8-4 Ravens and 7-5 Redskins appear to be heading in opposite directions. The Ravens, winners of 6 of their 7 games, remain one game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North with a big division battle between the two looming next week.

The Redskins have lost three of their last four games, though the three losses came against three top teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys.

The Redskins have the league's sixth-ranked defense and have an extremely tough secondary. When former Pro Bowl selections DeAngelo Hall and Shawn Springs are your third and fourth cornerbacks, it says something.

The Redskins struggle to get consistent pressure on the quarterback, however, as the trade for defensive end Jason Taylor (one sack) has not brought the impact pass rusher that coach Jim Zorn hoped it would.

Joe Flacco continues to improve each week and has really become a quarterback for opposing defenses to be aware of. Over the past seven games, he has thrown 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions. If the Redskins' defensive line cannot pressure the rookie, he will make some plays with his arm.

The Redskins are tough against the run, ranked seventh overall, but the Ravens' third-ranked rushing attack averages 143.8 yards per game. Look for the Ravens to control the pace of the game, using any of the three-headed attack of Le'Ron McClain, Ray Rice, and Willis McGahee. It will be interesting to see if McGahee will find his way out of coach John Harbaugh's doghouse and back onto the field this week.

Redskins running back Clinton Portis is second in the league in rushing but is slowed by several injuries. Don't expect him to get any healthier against the Ravens' third-ranked run defense that has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in two seasons.

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell has thrown only four interceptions all season, but he seems to lack that big-game confidence to lead a team down the stretch into the playoffs. He has all of the tools to succeed, but the question marks remain until he can beat a tough defense.

He'll get his chance Sunday night against the league's second-ranked defense, but he won't be up to the challenge.

The Ravens' offense will not be able to produce as much this week against a strong defense as they have over the past two weeks, but it will be more than what Portis and the Redskins can muster against the tough Baltimore defense.

The prediction: Ravens 17-10

Baltimore Ravens: Serious Contenders or Happy to be in Hunt?

Despite a convincing 34-3 road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens continue to face the same skepticism.

When will Baltimore beat a good team? My high school team could have beaten the Bengals!

And yes, while the miserable Bengals are already looking ahead to next year’s draft (not to mention whether Marvin Lewis will be retained as head coach), it’s unjust to completely dismiss a Baltimore offense that totaled 451 yards in Sunday’s win, its highest total since 2001.

Remember, we’re talking about the Baltimore Ravens here. Despite winning Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001, the Ravens’ offense has been putrid for the past decade, wasting one of the better defenses of the past 25 years.

If the Ravens had even an average offense over the past eight years, another Super Bowl or two would have been very possible.

With that in mind, let’s acknowledge a Ravens’ offense that has averaged 30.6 points per game over the last seven weeks. Even more remarkable has been the fact that rookie quarterback Joe Flacco has led the unit, throwing 12 touchdowns with only nine interceptions.

Rookie quarterbacks are not supposed to succeed in the NFL, but don’t tell that to Flacco or Atlanta’s Matt Ryan who have their teams in the playoff race.

That’s fine, but Baltimore was crushed by Indianapolis and the New York Giants!

There’s no disputing this. The Ravens have lost six straight games to Indianapolis and have yet to find an answer for the Colts’ high-powered offense. However, the defense was missing cornerback Samari Rolle and was playing with an injured Chris McAlister, who has since been placed on injured reserve.

Rolle has since returned and the emergence of Fabian Washington at the other corner has helped to solidify the secondary. Does this mean the Ravens would definitely beat the Colts in a rematch? Of course not, but keep in mind that Flacco was only making his second career road start at the time.

The Giants thoroughly demolished the Ravens, rushing for more yards against a Ravens’ defense than any team since 1997. Baltimore was playing its third straight road game. And, oh yeah, the Giants are the best team in the NFL. Anyone that expected the Ravens to win this game was being unrealistic.

The Ravens’ two other losses came against Pittsburgh and Tennessee, considered by many as the class of the AFC. Baltimore lost by a total of six points, holding second half leads in both contests.

Both of these games took place early in the season when the offense was still finding its way with a rookie under center. Flacco has grown leaps and bounds since early October.

While the Ravens narrowly came up short against the top two teams in the AFC, does this mean they don’t deserve to be mentioned as a contender?

The numbers suggest they do.

While critics regularly mention the Ravens have only beaten two teams with a current winning record (Miami and Philadelphia), the other top teams in the AFC aren’t exactly beating the 1972 Dolphins every week.

The 11-1 Titans have beaten three teams that currently have a winning record (Minnesota, Baltimore, and Indianapolis).

And while the 9-3 Steelers are coming off an impressive victory over the New England Patriots, the only other teams they had beaten with a current winning record are Baltimore and Washington.

The other top AFC competitors, the New York Jets and the Colts, have each beaten four teams with current winning records.

What can we conclude by these findings? The “haven’t beaten anyone good” argument being used against Baltimore is not as convincing when you see how few “good” teams the other top teams in the conference have beaten.

Every team plays its share of strong and weak teams in the NFL. While strength of schedule can vary, the discrepancy between teams is rarely eye-opening like it can be in college football.

The Ravens’ schedule has been favorable to say the least, but it cannot be held against them.

In addition to looking at the schedule of opponents itself, another helpful statistic to gauge how “good” a winning team really is is total net points, comparing the number of points a team scores to the points it allows. This statistic can often expose the pretenders that are barely squeaking by poor teams and being blown out by superior teams as well as the teams with very poor defenses.

For example, the Indianapolis Colts are at +7 for net points, supporting what many have said about the Colts’ offense struggling to produce as many points as they have in past seasons. While the Colts haven’t been blown out, a 10-6 win over the Cleveland Browns isn’t exactly inspiring. Many critics believe this will doom the Colts in the playoffs.

The 7-5 Denver Broncos lead the AFC West but stand at -27, a result of having one of the worst defenses in the NFL, a reality that will likely cost the Broncos in January.

The top teams for net points in the league are not surprisingly the Giants (+146) and the Titans (+129), but who comes next? The Ravens at +102, three points better than the Steelers.

Does this mean the Ravens are the third best team in the league and are better than the Steelers? As with any stat, it is only one piece of the puzzle to consider, but it suggests the Ravens are a better team than many are giving them credit for.

What we can conclude by the Ravens’ favorable net points difference is not only are the Ravens beating the teams they’re supposed to beat, but they’re also dominating them. This is what great teams do.

The Ravens are doing exactly what needs to be done to compete for a playoff spot in the NFL: beat the teams you’re supposed to beat and hold your own against tougher opponents.

The Ravens have not lost a game to a team with a losing record, something they always seemed to do once or twice a year in the past, sometimes even costing them a playoff spot as it did in 2004.

The question of how serious a contender the Ravens can be remains unanswered, but the last four weeks will provide a clearer picture.

Starting with Sunday night’s game against the Washington Redskins in Baltimore, the Ravens will play three straight teams with winning records before finishing the regular season against Jacksonville.

If the Ravens can win two of three against Washington, Pittsburgh, and Dallas, they will be guaranteed a Wild Card spot with a win over the Jaguars at home on December 28.

Even a 2-2 record would give the Ravens a 10-6 mark and a likely playoff spot, but they would still be haunted by the same doubts of not being able to beat quality opponents.

The Ravens are beginning to show many signs of a great team. Just ask the battered Texans or the aching Bengals. Now, they’ll have to prove it to the NFL’s elite.