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Sneak Preview - SNEAK PREVIEW: RAVENS V. FALCONS
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Posted On: 11/18/06
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DOWN SOUTH JUKIN’ ~ This Sunday’s matchup versus the Falcons, who lost (17-13) to the Browns last Sunday, is the 4th of 4 games against the NFC South for the Ravens this season. Baltimore opened the 2006 campaign with a 27-0 shutout at Tampa; lost (23-21) at home to the Panthers, and won in New Orleans (35-22).
Atlanta heads into The Vault with 2 consecutive losses and a 5-4 record. Following the Falcons game, the Ravens remain at home to face the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers on 11/26. (It’s the only time this season the Ravens are home twice in a row). In a “short week” after facing Pittsburgh, Baltimore will play at Cincinnati on Thursday, 11/30 before they rest and prepare to play the Chiefs on the road on December 10.
DON’T GET TRAPPED ~ “With this team, the coaches don’t have to work too hard on selling the ‘1 game at a time’ mantra. I can’t imagine this team falling into any traps that will allow them to lose focus on the task at hand. We have too many tested veterans who understand the nature of the beast. All games are difficult. Winning always has a dramatic upside. We look for signs, but I doubt we’ll find any: are the players staying later and taking that DVD home to study; is the locker room picked up; are they attentive in meetings and at practices? We like the intensity and focus of this group.”
EVERYBODY’S WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND ~ When asked what he’d like to do on a weekend away from football, Jamal Lewis said: “I’d probably go out of town. I want to go to Dubai. I’d like to go out there and buy some property, maybe a condo.”
Admittedly the city of Dubai had me scratching my head so I googled it. Here’s what I found out. Dubai is in the Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. Its culture is rooted in Islamic traditions although they are tolerant and welcoming to foreigners who do not practice the religion of Islam. Expatriates are free to practice their own religion, alcohol is served in hotels and the dress code is liberal. Women don't face discrimination. Courtesy and hospitality are one of the many virtues of Dubai. Rulers are keen to maintain their culture and do so through a number of practices. One is promoting sporting events that are representative of their past. Falconry, camel racing and dhow sailing are still popular in Dubai. The NFL is not.
DIRTY BIRDS GETTING IT DONE ~ There are many impressive things about the Falcons, but what stands out when you examine their 1st 9 games are the notable road victories at Carolina (20-6 on 9/10) and at Cincinnati (29-27 on 10/29). Also getting the Ravens' attention is Atlanta's 41-38 overtime triumph over the Steelers (10/22). “You score 41 points against the Steelers, you're doing a lot of things right on offense,” Baltimore coach Brian Billick said.
AIR MCNAIR IS BACK! QB Steve McNair has been on top of his game since Billick took over as OC leading the Ravens to 3-straight wins. During those wins McNair has racked up 777 yards and 5 TDs on 67-of-101 (66.3%) passing, he has a QB rating of 97.7, good for the 7th-best mark in the NFL during that time.
SAME OLD PLACE IT’S THE SAME OLD CITY ~ McNair has plucked the Falcons’ feathers in all three games he’s played against them, completing 58.0% of his passes (29 of 50 attempts) for 369 yards, 3 TDs and no INTs for a 101.2 QB rating. McNair is a perfect 3-0 against Atlanta.
KICK IT OUT! There has not been a more accurate and clutch kicker in the NFL over the past year than Matt Stover. Dating back to the 7th game of the ‘05 campaign, Stover has nailed a perfect 36 of 36 FGs (including 16 of 16 this season), a mark that currently ranks as the NFL’s longest streak. Right now, his streak is the 3rd longest in NFL history, just shy of Mike Vanderjagt (42) and Gary Anderson (40). Stover is 16-of-16 this season.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR…CAN WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE? The Ravens have allowed only 3 points in the 3rd quarter this season – the least amount permitted in any quarter by any NFL team this season (next best is Carolina’s 9 in the 1st period). The Ravens have also given up an NFL-least 51 points in the 2nd half in ‘06 (Bears’ and Patriots’ 61 next best).
Four times this season the Ravens have been up by at least 14 points in a game this year (Tampa Bay on 9/10, Oakland on 9/17, New Orleans on 10/29 and Cincinnati on 11/5), all games won by the Ravens. Under Brian Billick, the Ravens are 43-1 when they are ahead by at least 14 points during a contest.
SUNDAY MORNING GOT THE SACK ~ This season, LB/DE Adalius Thomas has quietly moved into third place on the Ravens’ all-time sacks list, registering 35.5 for his career, which stands behind Peter Boulware (70) and Michael McCrary (51). A.D. has now accomplished something in 2-straight seasons that neither McCrary nor Boulware even did once. During the 2005 campaign, Thomas became the 1st Raven to post a sack in 5 consecutive contests (games 12-16), and this year, he’s done is again over Baltimore’s last 5 contests. Thomas can set a new Ravens’ best at 6 games this week vs. the Falcons.
SINCE LAST WE MET ~ Although regular combatants in the preseason, the Ravens haven’t faced the Falcons in regular season action since November 11, 2002 in Atlanta, a game won by the Falcons 20-17. During the contest the Ravens were without starters Ray Lewis, Michael McCrary and Chris Redman. The Ravens limited QB Michael Vick to 12-of-24 passing for 136 yards, plus 7 rushes for minus-5 yards. But, the big play of the game was a QB Jeff Blake fumble at the Ravens’ 2, which was scooped up by Atlanta DE Patrick Kerney, who ran 4 yards for a TD. WR Travis Taylor enjoyed his best game as a Raven, catching 4 balls for 127 yards and running once for 39 more. Blake was 14-of-27 for 229 yards. The Ravens, who fell behind by 2 TDs in the 1st half, played well the rest of the way. However, they still couldn’t muster enough for the comeback. For the 2nd straight week, the Ravens surrendered more turnovers than they forced and were penalized more than their opponents.
Their late surge occurred when FB Alan Ricard rumbled 19 yards to the end zone. Suddenly, Baltimore had the game tied at 17-17, but later in the 4th quarter, Jay Feely kicked a 40-yard FG, giving Atlanta a 20-17 lead it would not relinquish.
The regular season series between the clubs is tied at 1. During his inaugural campaign as head coach of the Ravens, Brian Billick’s squad defeated the Falcons in Atlanta 19-13 in overtime on October 3, 1999.
OH ATLANTA…I GOT TO GET BACK TO YOU ~ Some Ravens and Falcons will be reacquainted this week at The Vault. Besides the obvious (Ed Hartwell), Ravens WRs coach Mike Johnson will see some familiar faces. Johnson came to Baltimore this season after serving as a QBs and WRs coach for the Falcons from 2002-05. He spent 3 seasons working with Vick, who improved greatly under Johnson’s guidance, at times looking unstoppable. In 2004, Vick earned his 2nd Pro Bowl and became the 1st NFL quarterback to throw for more than 250 yards and run for over 100 yards in a single game (at Den. 10/31/04).
Falcons RB Warrick Dunn and Ravens CB Samari Rolle were teammates at Florida State from 1994- 96…Falcons DE Josh Mallard and Ravens RB Musa Smith played together at the University of Georgia from 1999-2001. In his final season in 2002, Smith was joined by Falcons QB D.J. Shockley, an incoming freshman…Ravens P Sam Koch and RB Cory Ross played from 2001-05 at Nebraska, where they crossed paths with Falcons LB Demorrio Williams from 2001-02…Syracuse’s offensive line is represented well, as Ravens T Adam Terry reunites with Falcons G P.J. Alexander (with whom he played in 2001) and T Quinn Ojinnaka (with whom he played from 2002-04)…Ravens FB Ovie Mughelli and Falcons G Tyson Clabo played together at Wake Forest in from 2000-02.
SO TAKE, TAKE ME HOME ~ The Ravens are tied for the NFL’s 2nd-best home record over the past 6 seasons with a mark of 38-14 (.731) just two games behind the Denver Broncos who boast a home winning mark during that time of 40-12 (.769). The Ravens have won 7 of their last 8 at home.
IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE ~ The Ravens love the month of November at home where they’ve been red hot. Under head coach Brian Billick at home in the month of November, Billick’s teams own a .786 winning percentage (11-3 record), the best mark of any month during the year.
Additionally, the Ravens are nearly unbeatable during the Brian Billick Era when posting a “plus” rating in turnover ratio. Here are the records for Billick’s teams:
When turnover ratio is +2 or better: 38-0
When turnover ratio is +1 or better: 55-5
When turnover ratio is +1, +2 or +3: 48-5
When turnover ratio is even: 11-10
When turnover ratio is negative: 6-39
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Posted On: 11/18/06
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