Next Up: Saints

[52520Andrew]

Aaron Wilson ‏@RavensInsider  24m24 minutes ago

Ravens team spokesman Chad Steele said no injuries suffered when one of Ravens' team buses was hit by a car today

[K-Dog]

 

Aaron Wilson ‏@RavensInsider  24m24 minutes ago

Ravens team spokesman Chad Steele said no injuries suffered when one of Ravens' team buses was hit by a car today

 

oh good grief...

[Militant X 1]

 

Aaron Wilson ‏@RavensInsider  24m24 minutes ago

Ravens team spokesman Chad Steele said no injuries suffered when one of Ravens' team buses was hit by a car today

 

 

It's always something when the Ravens are in NOLA isn't it?  Smh!

[52520Andrew]

Just glad no one is hurt lol

[Underdogsontop!]

Feels like forever waiting for this game.....

[beanfigger]

Right now, the Steelers are listed second in the division and in the playoffs. If we win, we move to second because we currently have the three-way tiebreaker over the Browns and Steelers.

However, the wildcards in that case would currently be the Chiefs and Chargers, with us in seventh.

[cobrajet]

Well this is a must win game since we got little to no help today.

[beanfigger]

Well this is a must win game since we got little to no help today.

 

Weird as it sounds, Cleveland winning actually allows us to move higher up the standings than if they lost. If we were tied with the Steelers only, we'd be behind them in third because they win the head-head tiebreak at the moment. But we win the three-way tiebreak between us, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. That could make things really interesting coming down the stretch, like we might be in better shape going against Cleveland down a game to them in the last week than if we were tied with them. Odd, indeed, but worth paying attention to.

[blitzking33]

For what its worth... Will Hill has played 87% and 95% of the snaps at FS in the last two weeks respectively, so I think its safe to say he's pretty much locked down the FS spot.

 

You'll probably continue to see a rotation of players at SS, mostly between Stewart and Brooks likely.

 

I do find it amusing that they still announced Elam and Stewart as the starters against Tennesee, yet Will Hill played 95% of the defensive snaps.

I know I saw that Elam was counted as a starter on the stat sheet but he wasn't in there for the first play.. However, NFL.com has it that he strarted 9/10 games.

[beanfigger]

Believe it or not, even with a loss in this game we'd still control our own destiny for a playoff spot because of how the schedule shakes out, excluding unforeseen ties in other games or something crazy like that.

EDIT: I may have spoken too soon. I think there is some very far-fetched scenario in which we would still lose a head-head tiebreak to the Steelers, but almost every single game involving all four AFC North teams and the KC Chiefs would have to go exactly correct for that scenario to play out in Pitt's favor. The long and the short of it, we need up tied with Pitt and Pitt alone for second in the division, and it would fall all the way to the common games tiebreaker, which they would win based on their victory against Indy coupled with our loss to them.

[Tank 92]

Believe it or not, even with a loss in this game we'd still control our own destiny for a playoff spot because of how the schedule shakes out, excluding unforeseen ties in other games or something crazy like that.

 

 

Would we have to win out if not depending on others?

[beanfigger]

Would we have to win out if not depending on others?

 

Regardless of what other teams did, if we lost this game and won the rest we would make the playoffs. Of course, other teams could stumble later on allowing us to do the same, but that would obviously be the opposite of controlling your own fate. This is the only game we can lose, at the moment, and still control our own destiny.

[ROH522155]

Messing with the ESPN playoff machine, I had us losing tomorrow night's game and the game in Houston and we still made the playoffs.

[beanfigger]

Would we have to win out if not depending on others?

Check my edit. There is a very remote chance that we would still miss out. It would involve exactly 20 games outside of ours playing out exactly perfectly in Pitt's favor, but it does exist.

[Bmoreazfan]

At least we are not in the Redskins shoes right now if we lose we can still get in. I think we have no shot at taking the AFC North without this W so lets hope it doesn't come down to that. Time to get real and prepare for that scenario because not many teams walk out of NO on Monday night primetime with a w.

[PoeDinkum]

Messing with the ESPN playoff machine, I had us losing tomorrow night's game and the game in Houston and we still made the playoffs.

Yes, what's weird is that if we lose tomorrow all is not lost, UNLESS we get the doors blown off, then for all practical purposes I have no idea how we'd make any waves in the playoffs anyway, so I wouldn't hold my breath versus SD and MIA anyway.

[PurpleCityLights]

don't think we will win this guys.

[AsianRice]

The Bengals and Browns both won today; a lot of pressure for us to win this game to keep in the good pace for playoff spot...

[HoldingCall]

I expect the Saints to attack Anthony Levine. Levine will be starting just his second game at cb, so why wouldn't they? The problem for the Ravens to solve is, how to apply pressure on Brees, stop the run and give Anthony Levine help over the top.

 

Considering the team's inexperienced depth at cb, I see the Saints using at least three wr's the whole game while attempting to wear down the cb position.  

 

Enter, Flacco and company! I believe it will on the offense to keep Brees on the bench as much as possible. Since that may be the case, I think this could be a good time to give the offense the ball first if they win the coin toss to start the game.

 

Hopefully, Kubiac will have the timing of play calls and variety to accomplish what's needed. But the execution of plays will be on the players.

[HoldingCall]

don't think we will win this guys.

I think it's going to be a tough challenge. Special teams and/or a turnover could determine the outcome.

[Neal Could Block the SUN!!]

GAME DAY!!

GO RAVENS!!

[BmoreBird22]

I'm not actually terribly worried defensively because the Saints are missing Cooks, their second option in the passing game, and Colston is in a slump. Who are the remaining receivers after those two? It's Stills and Toon? Either way, I'm not worried about the receivers, just Graham

[TheRavenouseD2008]

Odd feeling about tonight ......... part of me thinks brees might want to learn to duck alot  if not he will be wishing it was grass and not astro turf

[Ravenseconbeast]

Finally some Ravens football. 

 

[Edgar]

It feels to me that we are anticipating a lot of things being "fixed" over the bye week. I hope so. I hope we are more efficient on 3rd downs. I hope our offense isn't at a whopping 99 yards of total offense at the 11 minute mark of the 3rd quarter.

  Unless our offense is 'fixed" and unless Joe can start to play great and carry this team at times, I'm not convinced that even if we win tonight, our offense isn't going to struggle and lay up sluggish starts and stretches for the remainder of the season.

 I hope I am wrong.

[thisme007]

Flacco,needs to bring his A game.. GO Ravens!

[The Mom Gene]

Just Get to Brees.....

[beanfigger]

I'd be okay saving the style points for games that will have a greater effect on our standings in the conference (SD, Mia, Cle, even Hou). I'll take an ugly win tonight (and another against the Jags) and be content to move on. Just win the game however you can, turnovers, kicking game, drawn penalties, blocked field goal, whatever.

[The Mom Gene]

Flacco,needs to bring his A game.. GO Ravens!

That too.

[52520Andrew]

I'm not actually terribly worried defensively because the Saints are missing Cooks, their second option in the passing game, and Colston is in a slump. Who are the remaining receivers after those two? It's Stills and Toon? Either way, I'm not worried about the receivers, just Graham

Stills is the guy I am scared about tonight(outside of Graham of course) when it comes to our secondary.