Game 10 – November 22, 2011

When your quarterback and star running back have nearly the identical number of touches you can call your offense balanced. Cam Cameron dialed up 27 pass plays and Ray Rice had a combined 25 touches as the offense topped 30 points for the first time since the week four win over the NY Jets. The return to normalcy proved a winning formula as the Ravens were 2/3 in the Red Zone and Flacco finished the game with a 105.5 QB rating.

The offense is now averaging 31.8 points per game at home compared to 19.4 in away games.

One encouraging aspect of the win over Cincinnati is the evolution of the passing game. Last week at Seattle the receivers were secondary to the tight-ends. The win over the Bengals saw the opposite as Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith each had a touchdown catch, while Ed Dickson was held to two receptions for only 21 yards.

How does a defense game plan for the Ravens if they can’t get consistent pressure on Joe Flacco when he now has weapons at every position?  Boldin can work outside the numbers; Smith can stretch the defense and Dickson can work the middle. Combine that with a dual threat running back and it should provide some sleepless nights for the opposing team’s defensive coordinator.

With six games remaining the Ravens sit atop the AFC North and have a clear path to a home playoff game; something not yet seen in the John Harbaugh era.