The Ravens need to make sure they don’t have a letdown like the week after the first win over the Steelers, when they got thumped 26-13 on the road by the Titans.  The Seahawks have lost three games in a row by a combined score of 63-28!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens aren’t going to change what they do this weekend.  Ray Rice is the main man of the offense for the Ravens and that won’t change this weekend in Seattle.  The Seahawks are only giving up 3.4 yards per carry so far this year, but 110.4 yards rushing per game….so Rice and Ricky Williams will have to fight for every yard they get this Sunday.  The Seahawks don’t have much of a pass rush or a secondary, so Joe Flacco is going to likely be very successful throwing the ball this weekend.  Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith could be in line for huge games, with TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta working the middle of the field.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks finally got Marshawn Lynch going last weekend, but he’s going to have a rough time against a Ravens’ D that is only giving up 86.8 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry.  The Seahawks will need to stick with the running game, to help slow the pass rush of the Ravens.  That isn’t likely to work.  Tarvaris Jackson has been pretty awful so far this year and none of his receivers would scare a solid Division 1 College Football Team.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, SEAHAWKS 13

The Ravens made a huge comeback last weekend to beat the Cardinals at home last weekend.  The Steelers have won four games in a row but last week’s game against the Patriots (25-17), might have taken a lot out of them.  The Ravens pounded the Steelers 35-7 in Baltimore in the opening week of this season, so they come into this game extremely confident.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are going to come out running the ball with Ray Rice and Ricky Williams against a Steelers’ D that is giving up 99.1 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.  Rice dominated the Steelers both running the ball and catching it out of the backfield in the first matchup this year between the teams.  If Joe Flacco has time to throw the ball, and he should with LaMarr Woodley out and James Harrison very iffy to play tomorrow night, he should do well.  The Steelers only have 2 interceptions this year, so Flacco will let the ball fly with confidence to Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta and Ray Rice.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Ravens are going to be sending the house after Ben Roethlisberger in his game.  Terrell Suggs is kryptonite to “Big Ben” as he has little problem getting to him and getting him on the ground.  The Steelers’ O-Line will have no chance of stopping him as he plays well against them even when they beat the Ravens.  The Ravens already have 24 sacks this year and that is the same amount the Steelers have given up.  The Ravens are not worried at all about stopping Rashard Mendenhall as he never seems to play well against them.  The Ravens are only giving up 89.1 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry so far this year.  Opposing QBs only have a 65.5 Rating against the Ravens, who are also likely not overly worried about Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 23, STEELERS 16

The Ravens return home after taking one on the chin from the Jaguars in Jacksonville last Monday Night.  The Ravens are 3-0 at home this year where they have outscored their opponents 98-38!  The Cardinals have lost five games in a row as their season is going right down the commode.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are likely going to come out of the locker room with a bad attitude this weekend.  That means that they are likely going to come out running the ball with Ray Rice and Ricky Williams.  The Cardinals are giving up 114.2 yards rushing and 3.8 yards per carry, so Rice and Williams are going to have to fight for every yard they get this Sunday.  The Cardinals don’t have much of a pass rush, so Joe Flacco should have a lot of time to throw the ball.  The Cardinals are giving up 274.2 yards passing per game and Anquan Boldin will be very motivated, as he will be playing his first game against his old team.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Ravens are going to likely double cover Larry Fitzgerald while at the same time blitz a lot.  This is going to put a ton of pressure on QB Kevin Kolb.  Kolb has a reputation of throwing the ball to the wrong team when an opposing defense hits him a few times early in the game.  Terrell Suggs will likely thump Kolb a few times this Sunday.  Cardinals’ starting RB Chris Wells will likely miss this game due to injury and Alfonso Smith scares no one.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, CARDINALS 10

The Baltimore Ravens are rolling right now as they have won three games in a row.  The Jaguars are going the other way as they have lost five games in a row.  This is going to be a horrible game on Monday Night Football this week, unless you are a Ravens’ Fan.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are going to try to remain balanced in this game.  Ray Rice and Ricky Williams are going to get their fair share of touches against a Jaguars’ D that is giving up 115.0 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  If Joe Flacco has time to throw the ball (and he should), look for him to try to stretch the field by throwing a bomb or two to rookie WR Torrey Smith.  Anquan Boldin will also be in on the action quite a bit for the Ravens in this game.  Flacco should also get his TEs (Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta) more involved in the passing game on Monday Night.

When the Jaguars have the ball:  The Jaguars are going to try to run the ball with Maurice Jones-Drew against a Ravens’ D that is only allowing 76.6 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry.  The Jaguars have already given up 17 sacks so far this year, so I can see OLB Terrell Suggs meeting up often with rookie QB Blaine Gabbert in the backfield.  WRs Mike Thomas, Mike Sims-Walker and Jason Hill are going to have to make some plays in this game if the Jags are going to have any chance to compete in this game.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, JAGUARS 6

This is going to be a tough game tomorrow and the Ravens know it.  The Ravens beat the Texans 34-28 in O.T. last year.  At least the Ravens have had two weeks to prepare for this game.  The Texans are coming off a tough loss to the Al Davis motivated Raiders last weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are going to come out running the ball with Ray Rice and Ricky Williams this Sunday.  The Texans are giving up 4.8 yards per carry this year, so the Ravens should have success on the ground.  Even without OLB Mario Williams, the Texans have a good pass rush.  That means that Joe Flacco will likely keep the passing game of the shorter variety this weekend.  That means that Anquan Boldin and TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta are going to be the main targets in the passing game.  If the Ravens are running the ball well, I think they will take a couple of deep shots off play action to rookie WR Torrey Smith.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Ravens have only given up 72.5 yards rushing per game and 3.2 yards per carry so  far this year.  They are going to be keying on Arian Foster and daring Matt Schaub to beat them with his arm.  Terrell Suggs is going to be turned loose by the Ravens quite a bit in tomorrow’s game in an effort to really screw up Schaub’s timing.  The Texans will likely keep the passing game of the shorter variety to TE Owen Daniels, WR Jacoby Jones, WR Kevin Walter, RB Arian Foster and FB James Casey.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 23, TEXANS 17

The Ravens laid a whoppin’ on the Rams last weekend in St. Louis.  The Jets got pushed around last weekend in Oakland by the Raiders.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are going to come out running the ball with Ray Rice and Ricky Williams against a Jets’ D that is allowing 136.7 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry so far this year.  The Ravens are hoping to run the ball well, so that the Jets’ D creeps up to stop it.  The Ravens then plan to go over the top off of play action to rookie Torrey Smith.  Anquan Boldin is going to have to earn every yard he gets this Sunday with CB Darrelle Revis likely on him.  It would also be nice for Joe Flacco to look for his young TEs (Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta) in this game.

When the Jets have the ball:  The Ravens are going to gang up to stop RBs Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson, and force Mark Sanchez and his receivers to beat them through the air.  The Ravens are going to be blitzing like mad men in this game with Terrell Suggs leading the charge as Sanchez has already been sacked 9 times so far this year.  Sanchez has not been throwing to his WRs much so far this year, but the Ravens still need to keep their eyes on Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason.  The Ravens’ LBs and safeties will need to be up to the challenge of stopping LaDainian Tomlinson and Dustin Keller in the passing game as they have been Sanchez’ favorite targets in this game.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, JETS 16

The Baltimore Ravens were flat last weekend after kicking the Steelers’ butts in the season opener.  I look for them to be much more focused this weekend against the Rams in St. Louis.  The Rams have suffered a lot of injuries to key players so far this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Rams are giving up 177.5 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry so far this year, so look for the Ravens to get back to the ground in this game.  Ray Rice and Ricky Williams will likely be the focal point of the offense for the Ravens this weekend.  The Ravens will try to get Joe Flacco back on the right track this Sunday as he will be looking a lot of Anquan Boldin, Lee Evans and his TEs (Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson) this Sunday.  The Ravens will likely have some success throwing the ball as long as Flacco has time in the pocket.  Opposing QBs have a 87.3 QB Rating against the Rams so far this year.

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are likely going to be starting #3 RB Jerious Norwood against the Ravens due to injuries to Steven Jackson and Cadillac Williams.  The Ravens are only giving up 70.0 yards rushing per game and 3.1 yards per carry.  With those factors in mind, look for Sam Bradford to try to air it out against the suddenly very weak secondary of the Ravens (except for Ed Reed).  The Ravens need to get a good pass rush against the Rams, because if Bradford has time to stand in the pocket, he going to complete some throws downfield to Danario Alexander, Brandon Gibson and Mike Sims-Walker.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, RAMS 20

The Baltimore Ravens are looking to keep rolling against the Titans this weekend in Tennessee.  The Ravens could have a little bit of a let down this Sunday and still beat the Titans.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens have to be licking their chops at the sight of the Titans’ D.  They are likely going to pound Ray Rice and Ricky Williams at the interior of the Titans’ defense and challenge MLB Barrett Ruud.  After the Ravens establish a solid running game, look for Joe Flacco to attack the Titans deep off of play action passes to Lee Evans and Anquan Boldin.  Also look for the Ravens to attack the Titans over the middle with TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Ravens are going to focus on stopping Chris Johnson and daring Matt Hasselbeck to beat them by throwing the ball.  The Ravens are going to need DE Terrell Suggs and the rest of the D to get to Hasselbeck, because if he has time to throw the ball, he could do some damage to the secondary down the field.  WR Kenny Britt (5 rec, 136 yards, 2 TDs) is a absolute mis-match against any of the Ravens’ corners.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 21, TITANS 13

This is always a fierce battle when these two teams play.  This game will be played in Baltimore but each team won on the other teams field in 2010.  Head coach John Harbaugh hasn’t had much luck in his career against the Steelers as he is 2-6 against them.  For that to change this Sunday, the offense is going to have to step up.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the football:  The Ravens are going to have to be somewhat balanced offensively against the Steelers and they are going to have to protect the football (which has been a problem in the past against the Steelers).  The Steelers’ weakness in the secondary is at CB, so look for Joe Flacco to try to get the ball outside the hash marks in the passing game this Sunday.  He will need good protection from the outside against the Steelers if he’s going to have enough time to take some shots down the field.  That is easier said than done with OLBs James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley blitzing off the edges.  WRs Lee Evans and rookie Torrey Smith have the speed to beat the Steelers’ CBs if Flacco has time to throw the ball.  The Steelers stuffed Ray Rice last year as he only rushed for 52 yards on 17 carries (3.1 ypc) against them.  He also caught 3 passes for only 27 yards.  Rice will need to play better than that if the Ravens are going to win this game.  If Rice has a hard time early in this game, don’t be surprised to see the Ravens put Ricky Williams into game to give the Ravens’ offense a different look.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Ravens need to get after Ben Roethlisberger with a pass rush and hit him a few times hard early in the game to try to get into his head.  OLB/TE Terrell Suggs always seems to abuse the putrid offensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers and I think he’s going to have another huge game this Sunday.  The Ravens are going to need to blitz OLB Jarret Johnson a lot in this game from the other side of the defense, hoping that he can also get to Roethlisberger a few times.  Haloti Ngata should provide a nice inside push on passing downs for the Ravens.  Ray Lewis and Jameel McClain along with the rest of the front seven should be able to do a solid job against Rashard Mendenhall.  Mendenhall rushed for 145 yards on 43 carries (3.4 ypc) with 2 TD runs against the Ravens last year.  The Ravens’ corners are not the best around, so they will need safety help over the top in dealing with speedsters like Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 16, RAVENS 13

These two teams absolutely hate each other.  Forget about the Jets/Patriots game, this is going to be the hardest hitting game of the weekend without a doubt.  The Ravens and Steelers split this season which each team winning by a field goal on the other teams’ homefield.  The Ravens beat the Steelers 17-14 on 10/3 at Heinz Field but the Steelers didn’t have “Little Ben” for that game.  In the second matchup, the Ravens broke “Little Ben’s” nose on the first play of the game but the Steelers prevailed 13-10 on 12/5 in Baltimore.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are not intimidated by the Steelers’ run defense so expect Ray Rice and Willis McGahee to get their fair share of touches in this game.  The key players for the Ravens are going to be OTs Marshal Yanda and Michael Oher as they are going to be responsible for keeping OLBs LaMarr Woodley & James Harrison out of the backfield.  If the OTs give Joe Flacco time to throw the ball, he’s going to make some plays down the field against the vastly overrated Steelers’ secondary.  WRs Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Derrick Mason and TE Todd Heap are going to give the Steelers’ D a lot of headaches in this game.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The front seven will be responsible for stopping Rashard Mendenhall and getting to Ben Roethlisberger.  The Ravens should have little problem in dealing with Mendenhall who rushed for 124 combined yards and only 2.8 yards per carry against them this year.  The Steelers OTs have had issues with pass rushers this year so look for the Ravens to turn loose both Terrell Suggs & Jarret Johnson against Flozell Adams and Jonathan Scott.  The Steelers will likely have to settle for shorter passes so the Ravens should get up close and bump the WRs.  The Ravens must give help deep when Mike Wallace is running down the field but Ed Reed should be more than up for that challenge.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 20, STEELERS 16