It’s time for our weekly segment of Buy or Sell brought to you by Glen Burnie Motorsports. Each week, we pick three topics and let you know if we’re agreeing (buying) or disagreeing (selling) with the statement. Then, you vote and tell us what you think.
THE RAVENS WILL CONTAIN ADRIAN PETERSON
When it comes to “All Day” Adrian Peterson, you can’t really stop him, you can only hope to contain him. In his only meeting with the Ravens, on his home turf of the Metrodome, Peterson had 143 yards on 22 carries. However, 58 of those came on a single run – take that one out and he had 85 yards on 21 carries. That’s still a healthy 4+ yards per carry, but not quite the 6.5 that the final numbers suggest. This year, AD has broken the 100-yard mark in five of his 12 games, including the last two consecutive. In Weeks 12 and 13, he put up 146 and 211 rushing yards on the Packers and Bears, respectively.
So will the Ravens be able to bottle him up better this time around?
BUY: I think they will. Cleveland held Peterson to 3.5 yards per carry in Week 3, while the Giants kept him to 2.2 and Seattle to 3.1 in Weeks 7 and 11. The Ravens allow only 3.7 yards per carry on the season, just behind the Jets (2.9), Cardinals and Browns (3.5 each) for best in the NFL. The Giants are at 3.8 and the Seahawks at 4.1, so none of the squads that have held AD in check are significantly more stout than are the Ravens. I think he ends up somewhere in the 25 carry, 80-yard ballpark.
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DOOM SHOULD PLAY, EVEN IF HE’S NOT 100%
Elvis Dumervil did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday, and reports out of Owings Mills today are that he’s once again absent from the practice field. He injured his ankle early in the game against Pittsburgh, then returned, but wasn’t his usual self. “Doom” has been far and away the Ravens’ best pass-rusher in 2013, earning a pass rush grade of 23.9 from ProFootballFocus (to compare, the next closest Raven is Daryl Smith, with a 3.7 grade. Terrell Suggs has a 2.7). This is obviously a must-win for the Ravens, though, so should Doom tough it out and suit up?
SELL: If Doom has to miss one game to heal up completely, this would be the one. The Vikings, with Peterson, are obviously a ground team. Rushing the passer will be much more critical in upcoming matchups with the Lions and Patriots, so I’d be OK with Dumervil sitting this one out if he has to. As our own Kyle Casey pointed out, a game of rest did wonders for Haloti Ngata. Courtney Upshaw (-2.7 run defense, per PFF) will have to step up in his absence, and rookie John Simon might get on the field for the first time since Week 7 in Pittsburgh.
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THE HOME PURPLE TEAM WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between these two squads. The Ravens and Vikings have each won two games apiece in the series, with the Vikes taking the last one thanks to a last-second missed field goal. Here in 2013, they’re two teams headed in opposite directions, as the Ravens have won two in a row and three of four to put themselves in position for another playoff berth, while the Vikings are 3-8-1 after making the postseason last year. They are the only NFL team without a road win so far in 2013 (their victory in London over Pittsburgh doesn’t count), though they do have a road tie.
So will the Ravens get above .500 for the first time since Week 5?
BUY: A dome team, that struggles on the road, coming to one of the toughest places in the NFL for opposing teams to play (Ravens are 26-4 at M&T Bank Stadium since 2010), in inclement weather (snow and sleet are in the forecast for Sunday), against a team that knows they have no margin for error?
Ravens take this one.
Ravens 24 Vikings 13
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Buy/Sell is brought to you by Glen Burnie Motorsports. This hunting season starting, head to Glen Burnie Motorsports if you are looking to buy or sell your ATV. With hundreds of Yamaha products in stock, this is surely a place you’d want to visit. Call 855.253.5253, visit their website or Facebook page for more information. “Enjoy The Ride.”
