The Mostly Accurate Predictions
1. If the Ravens want to be successful Monday night, they will need to keep the Saints offense on the sideline for as long as possible. That means the Ravens will need to convert on 3rd downs and they will need to move the ball downfield. The best way to do that is to run the ball down the Saints throat. Justin Forsett leads the Ravens ground game which ranks 10th in the NFL on the ground with 124.1 yards per game. The Saints run defense ranks 19th, allowing 114.7 yards per game on the ground. The Ravens need to let the ground game dictate the pace of play and if they stick with it, they should be successful. The defense comes up with 2 turnovers in a Ravens victory, 34-27. ~ Joe Polek
The Saints offense had less time of possession than the Ravens as a result of a great performance from the Ravens’ running game. The Ravens went 9-for-13 on 3rd down as a result of better situations because of runs on early downs. The Ravens certainly dictated the pace of the game. If you count the turnover on downs, the defense came up with 2 turnovers. This is about as spot-on of a prediction we’ve had in our bold predictions, with a 100% accurate score.
2. Re-energized and focused after their week off, the Ravens continue their impressive streak of besting Drew Brees and company. Forsett scampers for 110 yards and two touchdowns, Bernard Pierce gets another and Steve Smith Sr adds to his touchdown total making it 11 against the Saints for his career. The defense will have its hands full containing Brees but his depleted arsenal of weapons is the deciding factor. Ravens win 28-21. ~ Brian Bower
Brian was pretty accurate on a few fronts. Forsett did scamper for more than 110 yards (182) and did score 2 TDs. Bernard Pierce did not score a TD, but Steve Smith Sr. did add to his TD total against the Saints with an incredible catch with a Saints defender draped all over him. The final point margin was also spot on.
3. I watched a lot of the Bengals-Saints game last week, and the Saints just aren’t a very good football team. Drew Brees throws at least 2 interceptions trying to force the ball downfield. One of the interceptions will be intended for Jimmy Graham. The Ravens win by a 7+ point margin. ~Tyler Lombardi
The final margin was 7 points, but it wasn’t really that close. Drew Brees did throw a pass that could have been intercepted downfield, but Terrence Brooks made a poor play on the ball. Will Hill’s pick-six was intended for Jimmy Graham.
4. The Ravens come out of the bye fresh and rejuvenated, and jump out to a 10-point lead at the site of their most recent Super Bowl victory. Ngata, Jernigan, McPhee, and Williams collapse Drew Brees’ pocket all night, making him uncomfortable and ineffective. A late Jimmy Graham touchdown catch makes things interesting, but the Ravens hold on for a close victory, 27-24. – Derek Arnold
The Ravens did a good job of pressuring Drew Brees most of the night, getting 4 sacks and 8 QB hits. He wasn’t exactly ineffective, however, throwing for over 400 yards. A late Jimmy Graham TD did actually make things somewhat interesting, putting Derek’s prediction higher on the list.
5.
* The Ravens will bat down at least 1 pass to stall a drive or create a turnover.
* The fans screaming “O” will be very audible during the National anthem.
* The Ravens will rush the ball at least 28 times.
* Joe Flacco will not be the last Raven to touch the football on any turnover. ~ Ken McKusick
The only thing Ken was wrong about was the batted pass. Other then that, he was spot on. The only turnover came from a Juszczyk fumble. The “O” was certainly audible, and the Ravens rushed 32 times.
The Mostly Inaccurate Predictions
6. Unfortunately, this game is really poorly timed for the Ravens. While the Saints are not the team they used to be, they are still dangerous and not likely to lose 3 straight at home. The Ravens offense plays well, but Drew Brees is just a little better – Saints 34-31. ~ Brian McFarland
The Ravens running game proved to be the difference in this game. It was the reason that the Ravens offense played much better than the Saints offense. The Ravens scored more TDs where the Saints came away with FGs and a missed 4th down. Brian was right about the Saints not being the team they used to be, and the Ravens exposed that.
7. The Ravens return to the scene of their last Super Bowl triumph rested, relatively healthy, and looking to keep up with the idle Steelers. I’m not sure how to call this game; if the Super Bowl-winning defensive backfield were still patrolling the lanes this would be a no-brainer. But instead we have no Jimmy Smith, a brand new safety corps, and a diminished Lardarius Webb. I fear that Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham will feast on this work in progress. The only way for the Ravens to see this through is to keep the ball out of Brees’ hands. That’s easier said than done. Joe Flacco and the boys will put up some big points, but the Saints will put up a few more. In a high scoring affair, Saints 38, Ravens 34. ~ Fran “The Fan” Vojik
Fran said that keeping the ball out of Drew Brees’ hands is “easier said than done.” That might be true, but the Ravens certainly did just that with a very effective ground game to help keep this from being as high-scoring of an affair as Fran predicted. He did get the Ravens’ score right.
8. I’m optimistic about the Ravens reaching the playoffs, but less so about Monday Night. Obviously the 4-6 Saints are not a powerhouse; and their home losses the last two weeks vs. SF & the Bengals reduces some of the Superdome mystique. Couple that with the losses of Cooks, and Rafael Bush (plus the Ravens having had the bye to get healthier and prepare) and you have logical reasons to think Baltimore could get the road win. Ultimately though, I’ll lean to Brees being able to rally their troops in prime time. If the Ravens return to Baltimore with the win; they will be in a pretty strong position for the stretch. – Chris Stoner
Chris was right about one thing: the win puts Baltimore in a strong position for the rest of the year; however, he was wrong about the outcome. The Superdome mystique is starting to disappear after three straight home losses.
9. After 15 days off, I think the Ravens look sharp and move the ball early, but are forced to settle for field goals as the Saints defense anchors in the red zone. That comes back to haunt Baltimore, as New Orleans (and its fans) get amped up in the second half.
Jimmy Graham and Mark Ingram combine for 300 yards and 3 TD, and Baltimore’s inability to convert promising drives into touchdowns will be their undoing. The Ravens lose a close one to the Saints, 30-26. ~ Mike Fast
Mike predicted that the Ravens’ inability to turn drives into TDs would be their undoing, but it ended up being the Saints who couldn’t end drives in TDs. The Ravens were also the ones who came out firing in the second half, jumping to a 2-score lead after being down by 3 heading into the half.
10. The way the Ravens’ overhauled secondary played against the Titans showed some promise, but that was against Zach Mettenberger. Yes the Saints are struggling but the Ravens won’t be able to keep up with Drew Brees and the Saints passing attack, even with their best wideout Brandin Cooks out for the year. The Ravens will be able to contain Jimmy Graham but Marques Colston and Kenny Stills will both have over 100 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens are 1-4 when their opponent scores more than 20 points; after Monday they’ll be 1-5. Saints 28 Ravens 17 ~ Ryan Jones
The Saints scored more than 20 points, making the Ravens 2-4 when teams score more than 20. For most of the game, the Ravens did a pretty good job of containing Jimmy Graham, who had 6 catches on 10 targets, but he did get a late score to end the day with 2 TDs. Marques Colston (82) and Kenny Stills (98) both had close to 100 yards but they didn’t quite reach that mark.
11. Coming off a bye against a struggling Saints team would lead to the conventional thought of the Ravens being able to win with ease. However, Baltimore simply underperforms in the road in prime time football under John Harbaugh. With it hard to picture New Orleans losing three straight, the Saints offense rolls with 31 points and over 400 yards in a 31-17 win. Joe Flacco passes for over 250 yards and records a TD, but two turnovers will prove to be costly. ~ Kyle Casey
Kyle may have been right about the 400+ yards for the Saints, but yards aren’t everything. The Ravens defense made a few key stops to end drives which kept the Saints offense from rolling. The Ravens also, with the exception of the Juszczyk fumble, did a good job of taking care of the ball, particularly Joe Flacco (except for that awful should-have-been interception but the LB didn’t catch it so it doesn’t matter). Flacco ended up with 1 TD but was 7 yards shy of 250.
12. The Ravens go into the Big Easy and play the role of gracious guests as they hand the New Orleans Saints a big easy victory! Jimmy Graham scores two touchdowns and has 1o0+ yards receiving while Drew Brees chucks it for over 300 yards and 3 TDs in a 38-23 winning effort. ~Tony Lombardi
Jimmy Graham did have 2 TDs, but one of them was close to that area commonly known as garbage time. He ended up with just 47 yards, well short of the 100 yard receiving mark. Drew Brees did throw for 400+ yards and 3 TDs, but it was not in a winning effort.
