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— Both teams pretty much have to win to remain in the playoff picture. The Ravens are 6-4, and the Eagles are 5-4-1. A loss probably drops either team out of the race.
— After playing four of the last five games on the road, the Ravens get to play two straight at home. The home crowd should give them a lift.
— After getting handled by the Giants on Sunday, the Ravens have to prove they are real. They have only beaten one team that has a winning record, and that's Miami, which didn't have a winning record at the time. The Ravens also must prove they have something left in the tank. They have a lot of older players on defense, and there are questions surrounding whether they have enough left down the stretch.
— It will be interesting watching both defenses. The Eagles blitz as much as the Ravens. The major difference is that the Eagles have a veteran quarterback in Donovan McNabb, and the Ravens have a rookie in Joe Flacco.
Eagles Keys For Success
1. Get McNabb going early. This is easier said than done. Something is wrong with the 10-year veteran quarterback, who hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in the first quarter since Week 2 against Dallas. McNabb had overcome some slow starts during the team's three-game win streak in October, but he's played terribly in the past two games, completing just 47.2 percent of his passes against the Giants and 48.3 against the Bengals. If the Eagles are going to turn around their season, it must start with their franchise leader.
2. Be tough in the trenches. The Eagles were outmuscled and outmanned at scrimmage against a Bengals team that had just 10 sacks and hadn't put pressure on anyone. That's not a good sign going into their game against the Ravens, who have one of the league's biggest, most powerful defensive lines. Coach Andy Reid builds his offense around tough, hard-nosed bullies on the line, but this year's line isn't getting a push off the ball and clearing holes for Brian Westbrook. There are some grumblings inside the locker room that Reid's pass-centric offense isn't allowing the line to get tough early and establish the run, but Reid persists in throwing more than 65 percent of the time.
3. Pressure and contain Flacco. For a rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco did a decent job protecting the ball and moving the chains against the Giants, but he threw two interceptions against the defending champs and scrambled from pressure more often than normal. The Eagles should follow the script and send the house at Flacco in an attempt to make him uncomfortable in the pocket.
Ravens Keys For Success
1. Run the ball. If they can't, they are in big trouble. The Ravens' passing offense is predicated on play action. They lack quality receivers who can get open on their own as far as challenging defensive backs one on one. Except for Derrick Mason, they get no separation.
2. Get healthy on the offensive line. Both starting tackles, Willie Anderson and Jared Gaither, have been bothered by injuries, and the top backup, Adam Terry, has had ankle problems. This isn't an offensive line. It's a M*A*S*H unit.
3. Get pressure on McNabb. It's unlikely that will happen with their front four, but the Ravens need big games from their two top rushing linebackers, Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs. If Donovan McNabb has time, he will rip up the Ravens' secondary.
The Bottom Line
The Eagles tied the Bengals. The Bengals? The Ravens need this game and they will be energized by the home crowd. They will have no problem taking out the Eagles' running game, especially after the Giants ran through the Ravens for 207 yards on the ground last Sunday. The Eagles will try to confuse Flacco with blitzes, but the rookie will remain composed. He'll hit enough big plays off the play action to lift the Ravens to victory.
Pick: Ravens 20, Eagles 10
— After playing four of the last five games on the road, the Ravens get to play two straight at home. The home crowd should give them a lift.
— After getting handled by the Giants on Sunday, the Ravens have to prove they are real. They have only beaten one team that has a winning record, and that's Miami, which didn't have a winning record at the time. The Ravens also must prove they have something left in the tank. They have a lot of older players on defense, and there are questions surrounding whether they have enough left down the stretch.
— It will be interesting watching both defenses. The Eagles blitz as much as the Ravens. The major difference is that the Eagles have a veteran quarterback in Donovan McNabb, and the Ravens have a rookie in Joe Flacco.
Eagles Keys For Success
1. Get McNabb going early. This is easier said than done. Something is wrong with the 10-year veteran quarterback, who hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in the first quarter since Week 2 against Dallas. McNabb had overcome some slow starts during the team's three-game win streak in October, but he's played terribly in the past two games, completing just 47.2 percent of his passes against the Giants and 48.3 against the Bengals. If the Eagles are going to turn around their season, it must start with their franchise leader.
2. Be tough in the trenches. The Eagles were outmuscled and outmanned at scrimmage against a Bengals team that had just 10 sacks and hadn't put pressure on anyone. That's not a good sign going into their game against the Ravens, who have one of the league's biggest, most powerful defensive lines. Coach Andy Reid builds his offense around tough, hard-nosed bullies on the line, but this year's line isn't getting a push off the ball and clearing holes for Brian Westbrook. There are some grumblings inside the locker room that Reid's pass-centric offense isn't allowing the line to get tough early and establish the run, but Reid persists in throwing more than 65 percent of the time.
3. Pressure and contain Flacco. For a rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco did a decent job protecting the ball and moving the chains against the Giants, but he threw two interceptions against the defending champs and scrambled from pressure more often than normal. The Eagles should follow the script and send the house at Flacco in an attempt to make him uncomfortable in the pocket.
Ravens Keys For Success
1. Run the ball. If they can't, they are in big trouble. The Ravens' passing offense is predicated on play action. They lack quality receivers who can get open on their own as far as challenging defensive backs one on one. Except for Derrick Mason, they get no separation.
2. Get healthy on the offensive line. Both starting tackles, Willie Anderson and Jared Gaither, have been bothered by injuries, and the top backup, Adam Terry, has had ankle problems. This isn't an offensive line. It's a M*A*S*H unit.
3. Get pressure on McNabb. It's unlikely that will happen with their front four, but the Ravens need big games from their two top rushing linebackers, Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs. If Donovan McNabb has time, he will rip up the Ravens' secondary.
The Bottom Line
The Eagles tied the Bengals. The Bengals? The Ravens need this game and they will be energized by the home crowd. They will have no problem taking out the Eagles' running game, especially after the Giants ran through the Ravens for 207 yards on the ground last Sunday. The Eagles will try to confuse Flacco with blitzes, but the rookie will remain composed. He'll hit enough big plays off the play action to lift the Ravens to victory.
Pick: Ravens 20, Eagles 10
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