vmax Posted October 15, 2014 Posted October 15, 2014 Let's take a peak at the Ravens next opponent.... Falcons failures stunning: The Falcons aren't even good at home anymore. Their offense wasn't even a factor at home Sunday, on the fast track against a suspect defense. It has been a shocking descent, and for a team that we all know can't stop anyone, it's threatening to render the Georgia Dome half-empty soon enough.Atlanta has lost three in a row and four of its past five and faces a difficult task traveling to Baltimore next week. Matt Ryan's first half against Chicago was about as bad as anything we've seen from him. The Falcons followed that by starting the second half with a false start penalty. They seem perpetually out of kilter and I can't remember a time when this club seemed as predictable and easy to defend. The pass protection remains a weekly issue. And there aren't any injuries to Julio Jones and Roddy White to blame everything on this season.Barring a miracle turnaround I would expect this to be it for head coach Mike Smith. With a new stadium to fill and PSLs to sell, it will be very interesting to see what owner Arthur Blank does should he part with his coach. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/24750689/nfl-week-6-observations-steelers-stink-until-they-prove-otherwise The Ravens have won 21 of their last 23 home games against NFC teams. Atlanta is the third NFC team to face the Ravens this season. Baltimore has outscored the other two NFC teams by a combined score of 86-27. The Ravens' defense ranks 18th in the NFL, allowing 361.2 yards per game. The Ravens are ranked seventh against the run, giving up 90.7 yards per game with three touchdowns. Atlanta allows 419 total yards per game, 31st in the NFL. The Falcons are 29th against the pass and 27th against the run. Atlanta is allowing 28.3 points per game while Baltimore is giving up 16.2 points per contest.1. The Ravens are playing Atlanta in Baltimore for only the second time. The series is tied at two wins each. In 2006, the Ravens beat Atlanta in Baltimore, 24-10. The Falcons have won two of three games in Atlanta, including a 26-21 victory in 2010.2. The game features two of the top place kickers in the NFL, Justin Tucker of the Ravens and Atlanta's Matt Bryant. Tucker has made 13-of-16 field goal attempts this season. Bryant is eight-of-nine and has made four-of-five attempts from 50-plus yards.3. The Falcons, who are 0-3 on the road this season, have lost their last five road games. Since the start of the 2013 season, Atlanta is 1-10 on the road.4. The AFC North is the only division in the NFL in which every team has at least a .500 record. Cincinnati (3-1-1) leads the division, just ahead of the Ravens. Cleveland is 3-2 and Pittsburgh is 3-3. NFC South teams could have a major impact on the division. The Ravens are 2-0 against the NFC South while Cleveland is 1-0 with a win against New Orleans. The Bengals are 1-0-1 with a win against Atlanta (24-10) and a tie with Carolina (37-37). Pittsburgh has split two games against the NFC South, beating Carolina (37-19) and losing to Tampa Bay (27-24).5. M&T Bank Stadium has not been a popular destination for NFC teams during the last 12 seasons. The Ravens are 21-2 against NFC teams at home during that time period, losing only to Green Bay in 2013 and Carolina in 2006. Coach John Harbaugh is 12-1 against NFC teams at home.Outlook: Look for the Ravens to use their superior ground game to keep Ryan and the Falcons' offense on the sidelines. It could be a huge game for Forsett.Prediction: Ravens 34, Falcons 14 http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/10/15/nfl-week-seven-ravens-vs-falcons-by-the-numbers Quote
varaven45 Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Max, it all sounds good and hope you are right, especially since I'll be at the game w my Falcon buddy Sunday. Conventional wisdom points to a huge Ravens performance on Sunday. But nothing ....and I mean nothing surprises me anymore. Case in point : how many really saw a 30 point win in Tampa, and similar wins against Pittsburgh and Carolina; Only to lay eggs against Cincy at home and Indy at their joint. Semi-related point: who saw Dallas and their horrible D stealing a win in Seattle, or Carolina playing Cincy to a tie in their house If I've learned anything about this game after playing and watching sports over 40 years, Its that we can expect the unexpected, and savor all the fun moments along the way. Oh and hope the home team comes away with a W on Sunday. Quote
papasmurfbell Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Atl is falling apart. I am having a feeling Smith will get the hook at the end of the season. Quote
oldno82 Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Nice to see that Atlanta has such a balanced defense: they can't stop the run or the pass. 2 Quote
cravnravn Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Oh boy, I honestly didn't know Matty Melt & Co were that bad. Joe should have a field day. Quote
papasmurfbell Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 ATL has to be in the bottom 6 in the league. Quote
tsylvester Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Oh boy, I honestly didn't know Matty Melt & Co were that bad. Joe should have a field day. Im stupid because this game is easy............. The Ravens have been consistant in one thing- being inconsistant. With that said, I expect a close game to start, maybe even a trade scoring first half with the two pourus secondaries. But a Ravens win in the second half.... Quote
cravnravn Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 If they are that bad, then I want to see a performance like I seen at Tampa Quote
vmax Posted October 16, 2014 Author Posted October 16, 2014 Nice to see that Atlanta has such a balanced defense: they can't stop the run or the pass. Quote
vmax Posted October 16, 2014 Author Posted October 16, 2014 High of 57...good football weather and just about right for points scored by the Ravens. varav...I hear exactly what you're saying. season after season the Ravens lose to some bunch of scrubs. Hell...Miami would be win less thatone year except for the Ravens gift. Quote
oldno82 Posted October 17, 2014 Posted October 17, 2014 Man I hope I don't regret this, but with nearly equally potent offenses and our D better than theirs, plus playing at home, this should a fairly easy Ravens win. Quote
vmax Posted October 17, 2014 Author Posted October 17, 2014 RAVENS -7 VS FALCONS: Betting against Atlanta on the road is normally a good play. It's especially a smart idea when they come in with the second-worst defense in the NFL, giving up 419 yards per game. The Falcons have lost all three road games this season by double digits, with an average margin of defeat at 12.3 points. Such won't bode well for them as they prepare for yet another road contest in Baltimore.In those three roads losses, the Falcons have scored just 19.3 points per game as opposed to 35.3 points per game in three homes games. Matt Ryan and the passing attack averages just 269 yards per game on the road as opposed to 344.7 passing yards at home.And now the Falcons will face a Ravens team that surrenders just 16.2 points per game, which is the third-best scoring defense in the league.Throw in the fact that the Ravens have won five straight games against NFC South opponents and things just don't look good for the Falcons in terms of ending their current three-game overall losing streak. Ravens 20, Falcons 17http://espn.go.com/blog/atlanta-falcons What's fascinating about Sunday's meeting is the differing directions of their franchises. After an 8-8 non-playoff season, the Ravens and Flacco are back in the playoff hunt at 4-2. The Falcons aren't. They are 2-4, winless on the road and let the Chicago Bears dominate them at home in Week 6. Making matters worse for the Falcons is they are playing in Baltimore. On the road, the Falcons are 0-3 and average only 19.3 points and 269 yards a game. For the second consecutive season, they have been hampered by injuries. Three starting offensive linemen and safety William Moore have landed on injured reserve. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/1standgoal-14week7/plenty-stake-bengals-colts-john-clayton-first-goal There were suspicions about how good the Falcons were back when they were actually good these previous few years. The suspicions proved warranted as they let their window slip away. The 2014 version of the black birds doesn't even seem like a cousin of that feisty bunch. This team doesn't run the ball very well and their defense is allowing 28 points per game. The Ravens like being at home and quarterback Joe Flacco should have another day when he can spread the wealth. The Ravens secondary is still a work in progress, but the Baltimore front should be able to make Matt Ryan very uncomfortable.Prediction: Baltimore 29, Atlanta 19 http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/10/17/stan-the-fan-charles-week-seven-picks Everybody is on the Ravens bandwagon for this game. Quote
cravnravn Posted October 18, 2014 Posted October 18, 2014 Can't believe the media pundits haven't done their usual Matt vs Joe bs.... Quote
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