Ravens Offense
1) Air McNair: This is the game where Air McNair may make his return after being in semi-retirement for the better part of two seasons. McNair has had some big passing days, but he has yet to come out firing on 10 or 11 straight pass attempts, especially in Baltimore. Only out of necessity has McNair had to pass the ball upwards of 40 times against the Tennessee Titans.
But against the Steelers, a team which has not given up a 100-yard performance against any tailback all season, look for the game plan to revolve around McNair’s ability to spread the ball around to his full complement of receivers through the air. The Steelers have struggled to cover the pass with consistency this season, especially when they’ve had to deal with bigger receivers on the outside. This could be a game that features Demetrius Williams and Clarence Moore on the outside to take advantage of the mismatches.
2) Going without a huddle: In order to fully exploit Pittsburgh’s defense when the spread pass attack is implemented, the Ravens should try to use a no huddle pass attack to keep the Steelers in their base defense. It will be difficult for Pittsburgh’s linebackers to keep up with Baltimore’s three and four wide sets without the help of an extra corner or two to support in deep coverage. To add, if the Ravens use this game plan, they should be able to slow down Pittsburgh’s pass-rush, as linebackers would be forced to spread out and drop into coverage pockets to cover a tight-end or wideout. Considering that the Ravens are at home, and McNair appears completely comfortable running the offense, the time is perfect for the offense to use a no huddle attack.
3) Blitz pickup: The key to having success against Pittsburgh’s defense is to slow down or neutralize their pass rush. Pittsburgh runs a lot of intricate blitz plays which can confuse an offense. They will use zone blitzes, bring their safeties and run crosses with their linebackers. Whatever it takes to get the quarterback on the turf is what the Steelers will do. On the other hand, the offensive players are used to seeing a lot of different pressure packages, going up against perhaps the most complicated schemes in football that defensive coordinator Rex Ryan cooks up in practice. So the lineman should have a good handle on what the Steelers will try to do.
Also, McNair has played against the Steelers plenty of times, and given that he gets rid of the football quickly and makes the right hot reads, he should be able to protect against take too many shots on Sunday.
Ravens Defense
1) Trips and the bunch: Like the Ravens, look for the Steelers to turn more to their passing game on Sunday in order to hit on some big plays against a stingy Baltimore defense. Baltimore is third in the league against the run, and they have usually had success stuffing the Pittsburgh ground game, so it would be a surprise if the Steelers look to pound away continuously at the Ravens’ front line. Instead, look for the Steelers to use three and four receiver sets, especially on third-down. Out of these personnel packages, Pittsburgh likes to overload one side of the field with three receivers and isolate one receiver on the other side. Against this type of formation, the Ravens may have to play more zone coverage as opposed to man-to-man, so the defensive backs are not caught interfering or running into each other when they have to chase three receivers who are running completely different routes that cross each other.
2) Trench war: Although the emphasis of Pittsburgh’s attack may come through the air as opposed to the ground, they will still look to run the ball plenty of times against Baltimore, whether the Ravens have a tough run defense or not. Running the ball is the Steelers’ staple, and they will never deviate too much from that philosophy. Traditionally, the Steelers have looked to attack Baltimore right up the gut, trusting their interior linemen’s ability to get to the second level. Alan Faneca and Jeff Hartings form one of the best guard/center combinations in football. The two players are excellent in using an initial double team on the nose guard, and when one of the two has that player taken care of, the other will bounce off that block to block a linebacker. This is the type of blocking scheme that All-Pro inside linebacker Ray Lewis will undoubtedly encounter on Sunday if he suits up. Overall, the defensive tackles need to keep Faneca, Hartings and guard Kendall Simmons from moving to the second level.
One-on-One Match-up to Watch: Casey Hampton versus Mike Flynn: Despite the Steelers’ struggles, they still remain a top notch defense, especially against the run. Hampton has been regarded as the best nose guard in football for quite some time. His strength is using his lower-body to stay stout and drive through the lineman who he’s matched up against. Flynn has struggled against Hampton over the years, because he has had trouble guarding against Hampton’s bull-rush move. If the Ravens are to have any success running the football, Hampton must be blocked successfully without the use of a double-team, so the guards are free to block the inside backers moving down-hill.
NOTE: Join the GAMETIME crew, Ravens mascot Poe, Ravens cheerleaders and other surprises at Della Rose’s Avenue Tavern in White Marsh prior to the Ravens @ the Bengals on Thursday Nov. 30 at 6:30PM. There will be authentic autographed memorabilia given away and there is a free sign up for a Toyota raffle — the prize being a brand new 2007 Yaris! More details on on the home page calendar.
