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Sneak Preview - SNEAK PREVIEW: RAVENS V. COLTS

Photo by Sabina Moran
Posted On: 1/11/07
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi
SNEAK PREVIEW: RAVENS V. COLTS
SIMPLY THE BEST ~ There is no denying the accomplishments of the Ravens defense this season. Among them: First in points allowed (201, including just 64 [9.1 per game] in final 7 games – 26 teams allowed 300 or more points for season); 1st in total defense (264.1 yards); 1st inside the 20 (33.3% Tds allowed); fewest 3rd downs converted (28.8%) and fewest 1st downs permitted (236); 1st in takeaways/giveaways (+17) – 2nd in takeaways (40 to Chicago’s 44); 1st in INTs (28, including 5 for TDs); and 2nd in sacks (60 to San Diego’s 61).
 
IT’S THIRD DOWN ~ The Ravens defense is also tops in the league when defending on third down, yielding a conversion percentage of just 28.8%. Chicago (31.0%) and Carolina (31.5%) finished second and third respectively. The percentage gets even better for the Ravens when playing at home. At The Vault the Ravens defense allows 20.6% of third downs to be converted (20 of 97). During the Ravens 5 game home winning streak, opponents have converted just 9 of 57 third downs (15.8%).
 
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME ~ The Colts also enjoy the comfortable confines of their home field where they are undefeated in ’06. The road has been unkind to the Colts (perhaps they should use the Mayflower), losers of 4 straight away from Indianapolis. In those 4 consecutive losses Peyton Manning’s offense has managed to average only 18 points per game while giving up 28 points. At home the Colts average 30 points.
 
Also on the road, the Colts have yielded 200 yards rushing per game on average. The Ravens have averaged 112 yards rushing during their 4 game winning streak while facing defenses that on average rank 20th v. the run. The Colts are ranked 32nd.
 
Conversely the Ravens winners of 5 straight at home give up only 12 points per game on the season at The Vault on average at home, 8.5 points on average over the last 4 while averaging 24 points scored.
 
AND SPEAKING OF OFFENSE, Brian Billick’s troops are getting it done. Since Billick took over the purple reigns of the offense after Game 6, the Ravens have hardly been a one dimensional team. The team led the NFL in time of possession (32:49) and sack ratio (+43); 17 sacks allowed was a franchise record and 2nd in the NFL to Colts’ 15. In the last 10 games of the season, when Coach Billick coordinated, the offense was 10th in the NFL (344.2 ypg), 1st in sacks allowed (5), 2nd in pass completions (66.7%), 5th in 3rd-down conversions (44.1%), 5th in passer rating (94.1), 2nd in fewest INTs (6) and, most importantly, 9th in points scored (24.3). (If you extrapolate the Ravens’ offense under Billick to 16 games, Baltimore would rank 7th in the NFL.) Steve McNair started all 16 games, leaving 2 in the 1st quarter (loss vs. Carolina on 10/15 and win over Cleveland on 12/17).
 
AIR MCNAIR NOW BOARDING ~ During seven career games against the Colts, Steve McNair boasts a 68.1 completion percentage (145 of 213 passes completed). That marks his 2nd-highest completion percentage against any team (Kansas City, 71.1% in 2 meetings). McNair has thrown for 1,405 yards, averaging 200.7 yards per game (his 3rd-highest passing yards per game average against any NFL team he has faced at least 5 times). He also has 6 TDs versus 2 INTs in those games versus the Colts. His INT percentage against the Colts (0.9) is his lowest against any NFL team (min. 5 meetings).
 
In those games, McNair has posted a 92.3 QB rating against Indy, his 2nd-highest rating against any team (95.7 against Cincinnati in 15 meetings) with at least 5 contests against a single team. In 4-career home contests against the Colts, McNair's completion percentage jumps to 68.6% (94 of 137 passes completed), for 965 yards (241.3 yards per game) and 4 TDs.
 
ON THE RECEIVING END OF MANY OF THOSE PASSES was Derrick Mason. Mason has faced the Colts 7 times, posting 49 receptions for 562 yards (11.2 avg.) and 1 TD. He has also converted 30 catches into 1st downs, his 3rd-highest total (39 against Cincinnati in 15 games and 35 against Pittsburgh in 16 games), earning a 1st down on 61.2% of his catches against the Colts. Mason has 3 catches of 25-plus yards and has picked up 138 yards after the catch in Colts meetings.
 
MURDER BY NUMBERS ~ 4.5 yards per play the Ravens allowed this season, the fewest in the NFL. Baltimore’s 3.3 yards permitted per carry and 5.9 net yards allowed per pass each ranked as the 2nd fewest; 7 total TDs the Ravens allowed in the last 7 games, including 1 over a 14-quarter span between games 10-13. The NFL’s next best mark over the final 7 games of the season was by New England and the New York Jets, who each gave up 10; 84 Three-and-outs Baltimore’s defense forced opponents into this season, roughly 5 per game; 285 QB hits the Ravens racked up this season, led by DT Trevor Pryce’s team-high 73 hits and OLB Terrell Suggs’ 45. ILB Bart Scott added 31 and OLB Adalius Thomas had 30. That averages out to almost 18 QB hits per game; 421 Baltimore dropped opposing QBs for 418 yards in losses this season, a mark that ranked 1st in the league and was the most in an NFL single season since 1990 when the Chiefs produced 421 yards; .820 percentage of rookie WR Demetrius Williams’ catches (18 of 22 grabs) that earned 1st downs this season. A reliable target in the clutch, 11 of Williams’ 18 1st downs (61%) came on 3rd down, the team’s best receiving mark.
 
KNOCKING HEADS AGAIN ~ The Colts lead regular season series, 4-2; the Ravens are 2-1 in Baltimore; the Ravens have averaged 39 points in those two wins against the Colts while the Colts averaged 29 in those games.
 
TRADING PLACES ~ Colts LB Ryan LaCasse was a 7th-round draft pick by the Ravens in 2006, but was traded following the preseason for an undisclosed draft pick. He now will be going up against many of his former teammates and coaches, including Ravens S Gerome Sapp and offensive line coach Chris Foerster. Sapp was drafted by the Ravens in the 6th round of the 2003 draft, before joining the Colts as a free agent in 2004 and eventually ending up back on the Ravens this year after an offseason trade between the 2 teams.
 
YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND ~ Ravens CB Ronnie Prude and Colts RB Joseph Addai played together at LSU (2002-05)…Ravens S Gerome Sapp and Colts LB Rocky Boiman played together at Notre Dame from 1999-2001…Ravens WR Devard Darling and Colts DB Jason David were teammates at Washington State (2002-03)…Ravens LT Adam Terry and Colts DE Josh Thomas were 3-year teammates at Syracuse from 2001-03. That duo also played with Colts DE Dwight Freeney in 2001…Ravens RB Jamal Lewis and Colts QB Peyton Manning were teammates at Tennessee in 1997…Ravens T Tony Pashos and Colts WR Aaron Morehead were 4-year teammates at Illinois (1999-02)…Ravens G Jason Brown and Colts S Dexter Reid played together at North Carolina from 2001-03…Ravens S Ed Reed and Colts WR Reggie Wayne played and were roommates together at Miami from 1998-2000.
 
COLTS’ GAME PLAN? From the Colts' web site, Colts' President Bill Polian points out the keys to a successful day for the Mayflowers…“The number one key is to not turn the ball over. They thrive on turnovers. We’re catching a little bit of a break because B.J. Sams, their world-class return man, is out injured. They still have good return men, but at least we have a chance to cover them. We can’t give turnovers in the kicking game. We effectively gave two Sunday. We can’t kick the ball out of bounds and give them a short field and you can’t turn it over in the kicking game as we did with the punt. We have to clean that up.
 
“Offensively, we cannot turn the ball over. We didn’t do it down there last year and we won the game and I think that’s the most pivotal key to the whole ballgame. The other thing is, when we have the opportunity to make third-down plays against Steve, we have to make them. We have to knock him down. Or at least keep him in the pocket. We can’t let him get out and make his miraculous runs as so many of us have nightmares seeing what he did against us in Tennessee. I think those are the three big keys to the ballgame. If we can do those three things, we have a chance to win a very big ballgame on the road in a hostile atmosphere. If we come up short in any of the three, it’s going to be very difficult to win.”
 
WITH BILLICK MANNING THE SIDELINES THE RAVENS:
  • When leading at halftime: 55-7
  • When leading after 3 quarters: 59-6
  • When scoring 1st: 45-18
  • With a 100-yard rusher: 33-9
  • With a 100-yard receiver: 16-6
  • When playing at home: 46-18
  • When leading by at least 14 points: 48-1
  • When scoring a rushing TD in the 1st quarter: 16-3
A TALE OF THE TAPE ~ Here’s how the Ravens and Colts compare in key statistical categories (all stats except record, streak and last game are from the regular season):
 
RAVENS
CATEGORY
COLTS
13-3
2006 Record
13-4
W4
Current Streak
W2
W 19-7 @ Bills
Last game
W 23-8 v. Chiefs
352
Points Scored
427
38
Touchdowns Scored
50
11
Rushing Touchdowns Scored
17
21
Passing Touchdowns Scored
31
6
Touchdowns on Returns
2
201
Points Against
427
21
Touchdowns Allowed
41
5
Rushing Touchdowns Allowed
20
16
Passing Touchdowns Allowed
16
0
TDs Allowed by Return
5
+17
Turnover Ratio
+7
42.3%
Red Zone TD Pct. For
66.1%
33.3%
Red Zone TD Pct. Against
58.8%
23.2
KOR Avg. For
23.6
21.8
KOR Avg. Against
26.0
7.8
PR Avg. For
9.0
9.2
PR Avg. Against
13.1

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Posted On: 1/11/07
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi

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