ANOTHER AFC NORTH STREET FIGHT

Packers Wing into Baltimore to Face the Ravens

If there’s any team in the NFL that resembles the Green Bay Packers it’s the Baltimore Ravens. The biggest difference between the two teams is at wide receiver where the Pack has a huge advantage.  But the Ravens have as big an advantage with their ferocious pass rush. Check… mate.

As the Packers wing their way into Charm City we’ll take a good look at how these two former Super Bowl winners with MVP quarterbacks match up and who has the advantage.

QUARTERBACK –

Okay, this is an easy one, right? Aaron Rodgers is the clear runaway favorite over almost any other quarterback not named Peyton Manning this year.

Better slow down a bit. The Ravens reigning Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco is starting to bear an

eerie resemblance to the Franchise in Green Bay. Both have similar builds, both have cannons for arms and are deceptively fast and can also use their legs to beat you. Granted neither QB will be mistaken for Russell Wilson or RG3 or Colin Kaepernick anytime soon but when both Flacco and Rodgers decide to haul the mail themselves they are capable of moving the chains with their legs.

Both QB’s play behind offensive lines that can sometimes force the run- for- your life episodes that put a few more grey hairs into the heads of the coaches. Think Mike McCarthy or John Harbaugh wants their $100 million dollar man running? Think again. Flacco is built like Rodgers, and can (sometimes) throw like Rodgers and can, in his own unique way, lead a team without the rah-rah of Ray Lewis. Flacco can fire the ball with some Chinese mustard on it. His option of receivers has been severely limited this year. Last year the now departed Anquan Boldin and red hot Jacoby Jones were Flacco’s targets of choice.

But Rodgers has a huge advantage on his deep ball accuracy. When pressured Rodgers will hold the ball too long and get sacked while Flacco will cough it up more frequently than Rodgers in the same situation. Given the Ravens paltry record this year in defending the deep ball – the Ravens are at the very bottom of the league in the number of deep ball plays given up - and with the Packers new found success in the running game Rodgers play-action calls may just open up the friendly skies for some deep strikes off play action.

Flacco has improved vastly in his tenure, but Rodgers is still in the ‘elite’ category while Flacco is in the very good category.

ADANTAGE – GREEN BAY

RUNNING BACK –

Okay, this is an easy one, right? The Ravens’ Ray Rice is the clear runaway favorite over almost any other running back not named Adrian Peterson this year.

Better slow down a bit. The Packer have rookie Eddie Lacy who is starting to bear an eerie resemblance to the yard eating machine in Baltimore. Both have similar builds, both have excellent vision and are deceptively fast and can also use their brute strength to beat you.

But Lacy is a mere babe in the woods while Rice had been battle tested. Rice is arguably the best cutback runner in the game. He can explode through the line and either bowl over or juke a linebacker out of his jock strap. The Ravens RB’s have been as banged up as the Packers this year, so much so that more than reliable backup Bernard Pierce has stepped in admirably when Rice went out. The Packers James Starks and rookie Jonathan Franklin both filled in while Lacy was out with a concussion and posted back to back 100+ yard games and Lacy was but 1 yard shy of making it a triple/ triple last week. The Ravens have a run oriented ball control offense with big play capabilities, an offense Mike McCarthy is trying to develop in Green Bay. Lacy does not have the body of work to stack up against Rice who has put together a stellar career in Baltimore. Lacy is younger, an advantage in a position that sees running backs age faster than any other position, but this really isn’t much of an argument.

ADVANTAGE – RAVENS

WIDE RECIEVERS –

This is going to be a short entry as it should be. The Ravens found themselves in cap hell last

season, a season in which GM Ozzie Newsome had gambled and mortgaged the future in an attempt to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Baltimore and it paid off.

However in the off season the bill came due for that magical run, a run aided when Joe Flacco launched a prayer that the Denver Broncos’ secondary fell asleep on and completely blew in last year’ AFC Championship Game that propelled them into the Super Bowl. The money was not there to resign Anquan Boldin and he was traded to the Niners. The defense was all but gutted as Ray Lewis and C Matt Birk retired, Ed Reed jumped ship to Houston, Bernard Pollard also found big bucks elsewhere and Daniel Ellersbe and Paul Kruger left for greener, richer pastures.

The Ravens have a star-in-training in Torrey Smith, a blazer who is becoming a big gamer in every passing week. Smith is a home run hitter who should in all likelihood draw double coverage. If the Pack can generate enough of a pass rush Flacco is prone to making mistakes under pressure. Opposite Smith is the born again in Baltimore Jacoby Jones who finally had the breakout year the Raiders grew tired of waiting for before he was shipped out. But Jones is coming off an injury and may or may not even play Sunday and after the top 2 the rest of the Ravens receiving corps are the likes of a nothing like he used to be Brandon Stokeley and Tandon Doss, Deonte Thompson and rookie Marlon Brown, hardly an imposing lineup.

But when it comes to imposing lineups roll out Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones and

it becomes almost irrelevant after that. Call it game, set, match Packers by a ton.

ADVANTAGE (in a BIG way) – GREEN BAY

TIGHT ENDS –

The biggest blow to the Ravens hopes at a repeat run came when TE Dennis Pitta went on the IR with a knee injury in the pre-season. Pitta was a breakout star who emerged last year and figured to factor in to the Ravens attack in a leger fashion. His loss and the Ravens inability to find anyone even close to Pitta’s caliber have torn a huge chunk out of the Ravens playbook. The Ravens are left with underwhelming Ed Dickson and Billy Bajema who was signed, released, resigned then re-released and then re-re-resigned this week.

In Jermichael Finley the Packers have yet another piece of Rodgers’ arsenal of weapons. Finley has been dinged with a concussion this year but has played noticeably better. In a contract year Finley needs to add to his consistency and subtract his drops. If he does that the Brinks truck will be backing up to his door. But he need to stay healthy. If he plays, he’ll see a ton of balls thrown his way as the Ravens secondary will be overmatched in this game.

ADVANTAGE – GREEN BAY

OFFENSIVE LINE –

In most cases of the game ‘Can You Top This?’ it begins with a feat and the next one up has to be

better. In this case it is going backwards. While The Packers line is improving and the Ravens line held up well enough for a Super Bowl run neither line is particularly respected in the NFL. The Ravens have seen Flacco sacko’d almost as many times as Rodgers. Bryant McKinnie is playing like a man on his last legs for the Ravens. The retirement of C Matt Birk has left a huge hole in the middle of the Ravens line. The Pack counters with losing LT Bryan Bulaga to a preseason knee injury and former 1^st rounder Derrick Sherrod still unable to play after a horrendous broken leg.

The key to this game will be in how well each line can hold up and perform. The Packers have to get to Flacco. Getting pressure and hits are the keys to forcing Flacco into mistakes. The loss of Clay Matthews to a broken thumb limits the Pack’s pass rush but against this line they may be able to do so. They’ll have to to keep Flacco from lighting up the secondary

On the other side the Packers line will have their hands full against the Ravens staunch pass rush. The Ravens have 19 sacks already, the highest mark they ever had at this point in the season. Neither team’s linemen will get a restful night’s sleep this week, and how they fare against their opponents will not only dictate the game but will also be an indicator of where their team is headed for the year.

ADVANTAGE – NONE

DEFNESIVE LINE –

This is a curious one. The Ravens have a far superior line in terms of talent and results hands down. In Haloti Ngata, Terrence Cody, Arthur Jones, and Chris Canty the Ravens boast a stout defensive front. Add the newly added Elvis Dumerville at the hybrid DE/ OLB and the Ravens have a fierce pass rushing unit. Keeping Rodgers clean is a tall order and the best way to neutralize the Pack attack is via the pass rush. The Ravens know going in their secondary is lousy. Without a pass rush they are going to be lit up. Oh, the Ravens will generate a rush. But they will also have to contend with a now in place Packer running game as Eddie Lacy will get 20 – 25 carries. If they can contain the run they have a much better chance to get to Rodgers. But if they can’t Rodgers could very well play-action the Birds to death.

Without OLB Clay Matthews B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly will be called upon to keep the running game in check, a necessity against Baltimore’s Ray Rice and at the very least collapse the pocket and hurry Flacco. While the Ravens have more talent on their side the Packers are also playing against a line that can be leaky at times.

ADVANTAGE – RAVENS

LINEBACKERS –

Out is Clay Matthews. He broke his thumb on a sack of them Lions Matthew Stafford last week

and will be out at least a month. The loss to the Packers pass rush is enormous. But Mike Neal and Nick Perry are coming off the best games of their careers. Neal has settled into his hybrid DE/OLB role far better than anticipated and has played extremely well. Perry will most likely be tabbed to fill Matthews’ huge shoes and the enormously talented 2^nd year man now has a chance to shine against the Ravens slow as the Statue of Liberty LT Bryant McKinnie. Both Neal and Perry will need to make an impact against the Ravens playmakers.

The hits just keep on coming as Brad Jones is out with a hammy and Rob Francois has been IR’d with an Achilles injury. Andy Mulamba has a sore ankle and rookie Nate Palmer may see action against the Ravens. Jamari Lattimore will play inside with A.J. Hawk and the middle of the field is where Flacco will try to test the Packers.

The Ravens counter with one of the scariest players in the NFL in LB Terrell Suggs. T-Sizzle already has 7 sacks is a major force on the Ravens D. With Dumerville and Courtney Upshaw the Ravens are still effective at the LB spot but their lack of speed is a mismatch someone like Rodgers and Finley could exploit. Without Matthews and the X Factor of who can step up the Ravens have an advantage here.

ADVANTAGE – RAVENS (but not as much as one may think)

SECONDARY –

The good news of the Packers is S Morgan Burnett is back. The better news is CB Casey

Hayward has been a full participant in practice this week marking the first time since the preseason he has done so. Should the ball hawking Hayward be able to play at full speed, something at this point which is doubtful at best, he adds another dimension to the Pack’s deep coverage. He may see the field occasionally but will probably not see much action. Tramon Williams has fallen but is still formidable. He, Sam Shields, Davon House and Burnett will be charged with making sure the always deep threat Torrey Smith doesn’t get a chance to toast the Pack. Smith’s eye popping 20.6 yards/ catch is cause enough to warrant double coverages.

But the Ravens have been decimated by injury and departure to their secondary. They are ranked 32^nd in giving up plays over 40 yards and that alone is great cause for concern. Ladarius Webb, Jimmy Smith and rookie Matt Elam have been burnt so much the Ravens fire insurance has been cancelled. Don’t think for a second that McCarthy and Rodgers are not aware of that fact. Given the Pack’s abilities to not only go for but hit the home run ball and McCarthy’s aggressive play calling style a play action deep ball nightmare begins to emerge in Baltimore. Now, all the Packers have to do to bring this to reality is to keep the beasts up front off Rodgers long enough to make the throws. And – he will make those throws.

ADVANTAGE – PACKERSPACKERSPACKERSPACKERSPACKERSPACKERS

SPECIAL TEAMS –

The Ravens Justin Tucker has been almost automatic this year. The Packers Mason Crosby has not missed a kick all year. Since being relieved of his kickoff duties by the vastly improved Tim Masthay Crosby has been able to focus on his kicking alone. Not only has Crosby been driving the ball well his kicks no longer have the fluttering knuckleball look. That indicates Crosby has found his groove and is hitting the ball perfect.

The Packers return-by-committee and the Ravens weird looking catch style of Tandon Doss make this one a toss-up.

ADVANTAGE – NONE

COACHES –

Mike McCarthy has a Super Bowl win. So does John Harbaugh. Unlike his boisterous little bro

Harbaugh is intense, smart, well organized and well controlled. The same can be said of McCarthy. It will be an interesting chess match between these two.

In this one the Packers Rodgers is licking his chops to get after the Ravens secondary. This game boils down to whether or not the Ravens can breach the Packer line and get to Rodgers, and hurry, hit, or sack him. The Ravens have big play ability and the Packers have to limit the damage on D. The Ravens are a shell of the defensive monster they used to be. It will still be an AFC North- type bare knuckle street brawl but after the Pack’s collapse against Cincy they learned they’ll have to get tougher. The Ravens will be a mauling, brawling lot that will test the will of the Pack.

And while they are still formidable Rodgers should be able to find the opportunity to go deep on repeated occasions. If Lacy can keep the safeties honest look out. The Pack has it going and they’ll pull away here.

 

 

 

 

 

GREEN BAY 30

 

 

 

 

 

 Baltimore 20