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Sneak Preview - SNEAK PREVIEW: RAVENS @ TITANS

Photo by Sabina Moran
Posted On: 11/12/06
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi
SNEAK PREVIEW: RAVENS @ TITANS
A WIN AGAINST THE TITANS ON SUNDAY would improve the Ravens record to 7-2 on the season making it the best start in franchise history. A win would also snap the regular season series tie between the clubs. Both have 7 wins going head to head. The Ravens are 1-1 against Tennessee in post season play each team winning on the road. Overall the Ravens are 3-3 at Tennessee. A win would also make the Ravens 5-1 in the conference, an important tie breaker for playoff positioning.
 
 
THESE CLUBS HAVE HAD SOME TITANIC BATTLES in the past. In 16 contests (including 2 playoff), 8 of the games have been decided by 3 or less points (3 by 2 points and 2 by 1 point). The largest margin of victory came in 1999 when Baltimore prevailed 41-14 on 12/5. The Ravens are averaging 20.1 points in the 16 games, including 336.9 yards of total offense (89.5 rushing and 222.3 passing). Tennessee/Houston has put up 16.2 points per game, averaging 318.3 yards (106.7 rushing and 200.3 passing).
 
FROM CHARM CITY TO MUSIC CITY…Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is a Baltimore native. Schwartz played linebacker for Georgetown University after graduating from Baltimore’s Mount St. Joseph’s HS. He then began his coaching career at the University of Maryland as a graduate assistant in 1989. Four years later, he joined the Browns as a college/pro scout. In 1996, the Browns became the Ravens and Schwartz became a defensive assistant, working with the OLBs and as a quality control coach until 1998. Also coaching at the University of Maryland was Titans QBs coach Craig Johnson, who was the offensive coordinator there from 1997-98 and also worked with the QBs until 1999. Titans S Vincent Fuller is also native to Baltimore, having attended Woodlawn HS from 1997-2000 before playing college ball at Virginia Tech.
 
WELCOME HOME STEVE…There’s little doubt that Steve McNair will receive a warm ovation from fans that cheered him on as a member of the Titans franchise for 11 seasons. How is McNair adjusting to his new home in Baltimore? “I love the city. I haven’t had time to really get into the city to do the charity work around the Baltimore area that I’d like to yet. That will take an entire off season to put together. The more I’m here, I’m settling down and adapting to Baltimore. I was in Nashville for so long that this is definitely a different culture.”
 
When asked if the fans of Baltimore have helped with his adjustment to The Land of Pleasant Living McNair said, “As far as interacting with the people and fans here in Baltimore, they’ve really welcomed me with open arms. It’s great to have that support, and it makes the transition a lot easier.”
 
CHASING HISTORY: Steve McNair is approaching numbers only 2 Hall of Fame signal callers achieved. McNair is 1,590 passing yards away from joining Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young as the only QBs in NFL history to run for over 3,500 yards and pass for over 30,000.
 
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK STEVE…The Ravens have only given up 13 sacks through 8 games (including none last week for the 1st time this season vs. Cincinnati) and are on pace to shatter their all-time best single-season sacks allowed mark (35 in 2004). Currently, Baltimore is on track to finish the season with 26 sacks. Along with the Bengals’ game, the Ravens’ best protection performances this year have come against the Bucs (9/10) and Saints (10/29), when they only allowed Steve McNair to be corralled once.
 
Below are Baltimore’s fewest sacks allowed totals through the opening 8 games of a season:
 
2006 - 13
1997 - 14
2003 - 16
1996 - 18
2002 - 18
 
SPEAKING OF SACKS…This season, LB/DE Adalius Thomas has quietly moved into 3rd place on the Ravens’ all-time sacks list, registering 34.5 for his career, which stands behind Peter Boulware (70) and Michael McCrary (51). But what is particularily impressive about “A.D.” is the fact that he accomplished something last season (and can do it again this week at Tennessee) that neither McCrary nor Boulware ever did. During the 2005 campaign, Thomas became the 1st Raven to post a sack in 5 consecutive contests (games 12-16) and this year -- with 4 straight under his belt heading into the Titans’ matchup -- Thomas can equal that mark. In franchise history, only 3 players have ever tallied sacks in at least 4 consecutive games. Here’s how the elite crew stacks up:
 
Adalius Thomas 5 (games 12-16 in 2005) 5.0 sacks
Adalius Thomas 4 (games 5-8 in 2006) 4.0 sacks
Peter Boulware 4 (games 5-8 in 2004) 3.5 sacks
Terrell Suggs 4 (games 1-4 in 2004) 4.0 sacks
Peter Boulware 4 (games 11-14 in 2001) 5.5 sacks
Peter Boulware 4 (games 1-4 in 1999) 5.0 sacks
 
Saints RB Deuce McAllister on Adalius Thomas…"I don't know what you call him, a hybrid I guess. They put him everywhere. Three or four times, they moved him to where I'd have to block him, and I'll lose that battle 9 times out of 10."
 
ANOTHER IN THE RING OF HONOR…Last week Peter Boulware was inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor. Boulware was noticeably touched by the ceremony particularly when his brother, Seahawks safety Michael Boulware paid homage to Pete as a role model. Here’s Pete on how he would like to be remembered: "I would definitely like people to remember me as a great pass rusher. That was my passion; to get after the quarterback. More than anything else, my parents raised me to be a person of character and integrity. How are people going to remember you when you’re not wearing the jersey?”
 
Seems that every induction ceremony raises the question about Ernest Byner’s place in that Ring of Honor. Let’s face it, it was a mistake and as the first inductee he should have set the standard for future inductees. And if so, that ring is going to get pretty crowded as the years go by. Art Modell should have given Byner a watch for his years of company service, not a placard in that ring. It cheapens it for the deserving inductees. Byner should request his removal from the ring. Let’s face it, if Byner is even remembered he’ll be remembered as a Washington Redskin or a Cleveland Brown.
 
SO IF BYNER IS IN JAMAL LEWIS SHOULD BE A SLAM DUNK RIGHT? Perhaps but what hasn’t been a slam dunk for Lewis is positive yardage when going up against the Titans defense. Lewis has faced the Titans 4 times in his career, starting 3 games. He averages 3.9 yards per carry (67 attempts for 261 yards) and has scored 1 TD in those games. Lewis has picked up 10 1st downs and has 6 runs of 10 yards or more against Tennessee.
 
Last year against the Titans during a 25-10 loss in Nashville, Lewis gained 9 yards on 10 carries and he had a long run of 13 yards. Do the math -- his other 8 carries added up to minus 4 yards.
 
RAVENS 2006 FACTS AND FIGURES…
 
* The Ravens currently rank 3rd in the NFL in total defense, allowing only 273.8 yards per game of offense (69.3 rushing and 204.5 passing).
 
* Opponents only average 69.3 rush yards per game against the Ravens, which ranks as the 2nd best in the NFL (Minnesota). Baltimore is 1st in yards per rush attempt with a 2.9 mark.
 
* The Ravens’ 25 take-aways are the most in the NFL. and their +14 turnover ratio is a NFL best
 
* The Ravens are 1st in the NFL in red zone defense, giving up an 18.8 percentage. The 39 points they have permitted in the zone are the lowest in the NFL this season.
 
* Baltimore is also 1st in the NFL in percentage of passes intercepted, having picked off 6.7% of opponents attempts.
 
*CB Chris McAlister is tied for the NFL’s 3rd-most picks at 4 along with 5 other players, while LB/DE Adalius Thomas is tied for the 5th-most sacks (7.0) in the NFL.
 
I CAN’T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN…There are only 7 teams in the NFL who have a winning record on the road this season, and the Ravens are 1 of those clubs. How important is it to secure victories when away from home? Well, all 7 of the teams with winning road records through Week 9 are in 1st place in their division. Only Seattle and St. Louis (who are tied atop the NFC West) have non-winning road records at 2-2 apiece. With a 3-1 mark heading into this week’s battle at Tennessee, Baltimore will try to pick up its 4th away victory this year. The Ravens have not won 4 road contests in a single season since 2001.
 
A key ingredient to the Ravens’ success on the road this season has been their ability to excel on 3rd down. In 4 games away from home, Baltimore is 43.3% on 3rd-down, good for the 7th-best figure in the NFL..
 
Jonathan Ogden on the decision to let Jim Fassel go…“Something was necessary. We were stagnant and couldn’t get it going. It was a little drastic, but something along those lines had to be done. There’s no magic solution. Players have to execute. We can’t expect Brian to produce if we don’t step up. We have to take care of business. The bottom line is, no matter who you have calling plays, Bill Walsh – whoever – it doesn’t really matter. If we don’t go out and play at a high level, nothing will work. I like the energy we have now, especially at practices. The change has been good.”
 
LET’S GET IT STARTED…One of the Ravens’ keys to success this year has been getting off to a good start right off the bat. Through 8 games, the Ravens have outscored opponents 50-10 in the 1st quarter and dominated the total yardage battle. When looking at the yards from scrimmage, Baltimore has piled up 569 total yards in the opening quarter compared to its opponents’ 404.
 
Here is how Baltimore and its opponents’ quarter-by-quarter production rank:
 
2006 Total Yardage (and Points)
Quarter-by-Quarter
 
Team
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Ravens
569 (50)
567 (48)
572 (18)
669 (55)
Opponents
404 (10)
729 (50)
445 (3)
767 (48)

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Posted On: 11/12/06
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi

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