When Baltimore came back around in the fourth round and nabbed tight end Dennis Pitta from BYU, many observers were probably dumbfounded.   Two high-profile tight end prospects in back-to-back spots?   It seemed that the Ravens' selection of Pitta and Ed Dickson may have been overkill.   However, there is definitely more than meets the eye. Although Pitta and Dickson are similar in size and weight measurables, and are exceptional pass catching tight ends with unrefined blocking skills, their roles and route combinations will be different in the offense. While Pitta is someone who can play outside of the hash marks, look for Dickson to live in that zip code. In Dickson, the Ravens may be able to unearth their version of Jermichael Finley or Marques Colston -- lean, long receivers that stretch the windows for a quarterback to throw to. In other words, these guys have the wingspan to extend to the ball like other receivers can't.   ...

Offense   1)      Run deception: The play-action passing game is wide open for the Ravens on first down. Whether they are able to execute is a different story.                 Thanks to the attention that the Baltimore rushing attack has garnered over the week, the Indianapolis defenders will have their eyes in the backfield. At times this season, they have bitten up field to defend the run. However, they also have the speed to recover and break on the ball if the pass is delivered late.   Joe Flacco’s timing will need to be impeccable when he turns his head to throw the ball.   Moreover, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will have to sharply window-dress. In other words, the run-action has to mirror the down-and-pull running game that the Ravens have used so often on first down since the Detroit game.   However, this time, t...

Offense   1. Quick drops: Against Pittsburgh and Oakland, quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked eight times. In particular, he and the offensive line struggled on third down, against heavy blitz packages.   Enter New England and Bill Belichick’s blitzkrieg scheme. Belichick doesn’t have the edge rushers that he’s had in years past, so he relies on exotic looks to breakdown protection. He’ll bring defenders from every direction, including from the secondary.   Against Baltimore in Week 4, New England blitzed Flacco often, and they will likely recycle the same formula.   One way that the offense can combat the potential quick-hitting pass rush is to strike even quicker through the air. Flacco’s snap count should be fast-paced, preventing the Patriots from dancing around before the snap.   Moreover, the second-year quarterback should get rid of the ball off of three and five step drops. The quicker he gets t...

  Offense    1)    Use Asomugha as a decoy: Coming into this game, the Raiders big focus will be to slow down the Baltimore rushing attack. Given that cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha is able to shut down his side without safety help, Oakland will drop strong safety Tyvone Branch into the box on early downs. If Branch plays close to the line, there will be one-on-one opportunities for the receivers to exploit on the outside. For quarterback Joe Flacco, he must find a way to move the single safety away from cornerback Chris Johnson’s side, so he can attack Johnson as opposed to Asomugha.   Flacco will need to use his eyes to move free safety Hiram Eugene to Asomugha’s side. If Eugene moves from his landmark to provide help to Asomugha, Flacco should have an opening off of the backside.     2)    Grab the early lead: The mentality on offense should be to attack and establish a quick two possess...

Offense   1)    Exploit the B gap blitz: The Steelers continue to execute the crossfire blitz to perfection. The crossfire blitz involves the two inside backers crashing the A or B gaps at the same time, through a twisting motion.      However, against the Ravens, the Steelers changed up the look.   Instead of sending both inside linebackers, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau sent Lawrence Timmons through the B gap. Timmons did a tremendous job of disguising his pre-snap movement to indicate that he would drop into coverage, only to crash through the gap at the last second. Moreover, James Farrior shaded over to cover the middle.   The offensive line and backs were unable to contain Timmons, and he was able to sack Flacco two times.   This blitz has to be accounted for in the rematch. The linemen and the backs have to block better, and Flacco should get to the line quicker to have more time to make hi...

Offense   1)    Decipher the A gap blitz: Over the years, the inside blitz has been a staple play for the Chicago defense. This design has the inside and weakside backers perched directly in front of the A gaps. The backers will either blitz simultaneously; bluff the blitz; or one linebacker will shoot the gap while the other will drop.   Quarterback Joe Flacco had a tough time with this look against Indianapolis. The inside linebacker did a nice job of disguising his movement to indicate blitz, only to drop into the window that Flacco fired the ball through.  The backer was able to pick off Flacco and seal the game for Indianapolis in the waning minutes.   The Bears play similar games with their linebackers at the line-of-scrimmage. Flacco has to be patient with his post-snap execution. Even if the linebackers show blitz, he will need to anticipate where the backers are once the ball is snapped before firing to his hot read. &...

Offense   1)    Open attack from the start: The Ravens have reached the point where they can no longer afford to start slow on offense. Beginning every game in a two-back, one tight, two-wide set has yielded minimal results.   The team should open from a three-wide, shotgun spread formation. Detroit ranks dead last in pass defense, and the game plan should be to attack through the air on early downs. The offense needs to play with a killer instinct.   Moreover, this is also a game for quarterback Joe Flacco to get his confidence and rhythm reestablished himself after a subpar performance against Green Bay.   2)    Bombs away: With Mark Clayton out of the lineup, receivers Demetrius Williams and Kelley Washington will fill in. The duo brought a spark to the offense on Monday that wasn’t present before. In the case of Washington, he came up with a couple of nifty, clutch catches. Williams was able ...

Offense   1)     Rev up the three-headed monster: The three-headed monster made its return of sorts against Indianapolis two weeks ago. In that ballgame, the trio of Ray Rice, Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee gained 98 yards. The key though was the distribution of carries, as McGahee and McClain logged a total of nine carries.   Against the stingy Steelers, the three backs carried the ball 29 times for 132 yards. The formula was similar; Rice carried the ball 19 times, while McGahee and McClain again received nine handoffs.   As the weather gets colder, this plan has to be integral for offensive success. With Rice being a big part of the passing game, McClain and McGahee should receive around 10 carries a game, and McClain should be the closer to batter defenses into submission in the fourth quarter.   The Packers boast a tough run defense, led by their three-man line. If the Ravens are able to run the ball ef...

Offense   1)    Four-wide spread: Baltimore should take a page out of the Indianapolis game plan from a week ago. Last Sunday, the Colts started the game against the Ravens in a single back, four-wide look, in which tight end Dallas Clark flexed to the slot. With four targets spread evenly, the safeties had to honor the inside receivers. Thus, there were one-on-matchups available for Peyton Manning to exploit on the outside.   When Pittsburgh is in its base defense, the Ravens should pressure the safeties as much as possible. Spreading the formation will force the safeties out of the box, and create mismatches, depending on how the Steelers chose to cover.   Moreover, there would be chances for the slot receivers to run straight at the safeties. In a game in which Troy Polamalu will be on the sideline, the middle of the field must be tested.   2)    Hurry without huddling: The Pittsburgh defense oft...

Offense   1)    Pass in running situations; run in passing situations: For years, the book on the Colts has been to run the ball right at them. Even during the ‘06 season, in which Indianapolis won the Super Bowl, the unit was dead last in the league against the run. But against Baltimore, it has been a different story. Since 2005, the Colts have limited Baltimore to 309 yards on 92 attempts, for an average of 3.3 yards per carry.   The Colts’ formula has been the same during this quasi-rivalry. Create a couple of three-and-outs on defense; give the ball back to Manning; grab an early lead; and force the Ravens to play catch-up. Baltimore has fallen into this trap every time, and a big reason is because they have attempted to begin games by pounding the ball out of power formations. Indianapolis committed all of its resources to stopping the run every time.   This time around, the Ravens have to be less predictable, a...