Offense

1) Draws and delays: When the Ravens faced Tennessee during the regular season they were able to run the ball effectively out of the shotgun set. In particular, in obvious passing situations, the draw play worked well against a hard-charging Tennessee defensive front.

The play sets up well for the offense when it runs away from All-Pro Albert Haynesworth, who will make his return to the Tennessee lineup on Saturday. Specifically, when the action was directed against the right side of the Tennessee line, tailbacks Willis McGahee and Ray Rice had success gashing the Titans for drive-sustaining plays.

On third down, expect to see the return of the draw to the Baltimore offense, with Rice and McGahee leading the way.

 2) Pump fakes and double moves: Among the pass plays that the Ravens hit on against the Titans, on a consistent basis, was the curl and the hook routes. Those routes were completed underneath when the corners played off the line against the Baltimore receivers.

In this game, there may be an opportunity for quarterback Joe Flacco to use the underneath routes to bait the corners to bite. Specifically, if pump fakes are implemented, and the corners are aggressive in trying to defend the comeback routes, there could be space for the receivers to run through over-the-top on the second stem of the double route.

The Baltimore receivers run precise double move routes, and they were able to break open on those moves against the Dolphins. Flacco just was not able to accurately connect on the deep strikes. The results could be different on Saturday.

3) Passes in the flat: The running backs have not had a big day operating out of the backfield as pass catchers in quite some time. Part of that inactivity has been due to the injury to Rice. With Rice out of the lineup, McGahee has had to take on more of a blocking role. The backs will have an active day as blockers to help pick up the ferocious Tennessee rush, but at the same time, they should be used in the passing game to take advantage of openings in the flats.

With the return of Rice to the lineup, the team should experiment with an assortment of two back combinations out of the shotgun set. McGahee and Rice could create matchup problems for the Tennessee backers in open space.

Defense

1) Blitz the edges: The Baltimore defense was dominant against the Tennessee attack until the last two drives of the game. At that point, quarterback Kerry Collins and his line did a tremendous job of adjusting the blocking scheme to pick up the inside blitz. Collins hit on inside slants and crossers, which turned into big plays, given that the Baltimore backers had vacated their landmarks to rush the quarterbacks.

It may be a better idea for defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to flank the Titans from the perimeter. One of the clever designs that Ryan used was a weak side rush in which linebackers Terrell Suggs and Jameel McClain came from the same side. Employing these types of rushes may be the only way for Baltimore to dent Tennessee’s tough pass blocking unit.

2) Defending multiple rush formations: Given the versatility of backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White, Tennessee can run an assortment of run plays, out of various formations. Johnson has the ability to operate out of a single back set, White can carry the ball out of power formations, and there will be times when both backs are on the field at the same time. 

The Baltimore defense will need to think run first in this game. Regardless of the formation that the Titans show, the front seven will need to be active, disciplined and tackle flawlessly to stymie the Tennessee ground game.

3) Man Coverage: The Baltimore corners normally play man-to-man coverage, but in this game in particular, playing a predominant man coverage scheme will be key. In order to bring heat against Collins, the front seven will need to be active on blitz packages, and as a consequence, the back end defenders will need to hold up in single coverage. The front four will be hard-pressed to get pressure without the support of extra rushers, so it will be up to the secondary to play well without help.