Ravens Offense
1) Smash up the gut: The Ravens should emphasize a no-nonsense, straightforward line of attack against the winless Rams. No gimmicks, tricks or cute plays are needed to move the ball against the St. Louis defense. Baltimore needs to play smash-mouth football all day on Sunday.
Baltimore has had success running up the middle behind pull blocks from guards Jason Brown and Ben Grubbs. Both players are not only able to move quickly to the second level but they do a nice job of locating and planting pursuing linebackers.
It is key that the center (whether it is Chris Chester or Mike Flynn) is able to handle his man without any help so that either guard is free to pull up the middle. If the guards hammer away at the Ram linebackers, that group will eventually wear down and Willis McGahee should be able to break through some tired tackle attempts as the game winds down.
2) Cutting through the zone: Unlike the Ravens’ last four opponents, the Rams set up in a 4-3 alignment. Additionally, they tend to use more zone looks in the secondary.
However, there have been a number of times when St. Louis’ zone shell has been split apart. This is due in large part due to their safeties and linebackers playing undisciplined football through five games.
Instead of staying true to their landmarks in two-deep coverage, safeties Corey Chavous and O.J. Atogwe have misread plays and been caught out of position. By the same token, the backers have had trouble staying in the right zone pockets in coverage situations.
Clearly, the Ravens will need to test what has been the gray area in the middle of the Rams’ defense. The tight ends will need to be used heavily on underneath middle crossers and slants.
At some point, the safeties may become overzealous and jump the inside routes to help the linebackers cover either tight end and once the double team occurs in the middle, Steve McNair should be able to work against man coverage on the outside.
3) Feed Clayton the ball: There has yet to be a Mark Clayton sighting through five games of the season. The former Sooner was supposed to have a breakout performance in his third year. Instead, all he has done is break in and out of the lineup on a routine basis after logging a few snaps.
This is the perfect opportunity for Clayton to regain his place as an integral part of the passing attack. He needs to be utilized early and often against the Rams.
Clayton is at his best when he catches passes in stride and is able to gain yardage in the open field. This is the type of game in which Clayton could flourish running quick hitting routes that strike the corner cushions of the intermediate zone scheme.
Ravens Defense
1) Stunts, loops and twists: Much of the Rams’ offensive woes can be attributed to the offensive line breakdowns up front. This is a group that has been decimated by injuries and is a shell of what it was a year ago.
Even when the line has had help from extra blockers in maximum protection situations, it has still struggled. Not only are the linemen having trouble physically sustaining their blocks, but they are also having trouble identifying rushers, and the result has been free runners hitting the quarterback.
Going up against Baltimore may be the worst-case scenario for the Rams to get their act together. Although the Ravens have struggled to get to the quarterback as frequently as they did a year ago, last week’s performance against the 49ers was encouraging because the front seven was able to apply pressure using zone blitzes.
Specifically, there were a number of occasions when rushers alternated positions and came from different angles once the ball was snapped. Rarely did the Ravens use a static rush.
Expect the same type of strategy to be implemented against the Rams. There will be times when ends will start off lined up on top of the tackles, only to loop to the inside and allow the blitzers to crash off the backside. In other instances, a couple of the linemen may drop into coverage while the linebackers rush up the field.
The blitz packages will not be as heavy as they normally are but they will be harder to decipher.
2) Multiple receivers: Although the Rams are a bit depleted at the wide receiver position, they will still rely on their spread formations to manufacture gains through the air against Baltimore.Obviously, Torry Holt is the key target of this group. It is probable that Issac Bruce will be out for Sunday’s contest, so the back end defenders won’t have to worry about staying with him in coverage. But the Rams have other wideouts who can cause damage.
Former Titan Drew Bennett is a vertical threat with the size and leaping ability to snag catches down the field. Randy McMichael is an athletic tight end who has yet to make much of an impact in the passing game, but is still capable of creating mismatch problems against the Ravens’ secondary.
The defense should be ready to face a lot of three and four-wide sets on first down and second down. They should especially be prepared to face some sort of form of the two-minute offense that other teams have run to perfection against the Baltimore secondary.
3) Expect the unexpected: This game screams for Dante Hall to be involved in the Rams’ offensive game plan. Alas, Hall will be out, which is good news for the Ravens. Hall would have been among the tricky gadget players to keep a keen eye on in this game, given that the Rams may flash some of their circus style theatrics on Sunday.
Receivers may run reverses, backs might throw passes and there could be a flee-flicker or two. The Rams need to use whatever tactic they can to make plays against the Baltimore defense. The Ravens need to be play disciplined and fundamentally sound to avoid being caught napping when the Rams turn to their bag of tricks.
One-on-one Matchup to Watch: Chris McAlister versus Torry Holt: In a St. Louis offense that has been riddled by offensive ineptitude, Holt remains a reliable playmaker. He creates separation by running precise, hard cutting routes. Whether he runs a fly pattern or a hitch pattern, Holt’s motion and stride remains the same. In order for McAlister to stick Holt, he will need to display tremendous footwork and use his hands well, especially at the line-of-scrimmage.
