SB Nation - LeRon McClain

Ravens Offense Remains Predictable

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:36:29 -0000

10 days ago: Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) leaves Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy (54) and cornerback Phillip Buchanon (31) in his wake as he carries the ball during the first quarter of the NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Despite the Baltimore Ravens recent success that has them right in the middle of the playoff race, their offense not only remains predictable, but it hs even been more so in the last five games than ever before. Look at this trend specifically about the team's reliance on RB Ray Rice during this period.

I noticed that it appeared that whenever Rice ran the ball or caught a pass for a long gain (19 yards or more), rather than bring in one of the other bigger running backs to give Ray a breather, then almost always gave the ball right back to him on the very next play, sometimes two or three plays in a row after that long gain. Not only was Rice obviously winded, but so was the opponents' defense, which seems like the perfect time to pile on with the fresher and heavier legs.

But no, look at these numbers:

Since week 9 at Cleveland, Ray Rice has had 10 plays, either rushing or receiving, of 19 yards or more. One of those resulted in a TD, so that one is out of the equation, leaving nine plays of that length. Seven of those nine times, the very next play was a run by Rice, only two of them gaining over three yards and those were both only 5 yard runs. Once, they gave the ball right back to Rice two straight times, for gains of five, then -1 yards. Even more questionable, twice they actually gave the ball three more times in a row to Rice right after those long gains! Never did he gain more than 3 yards on a play. Furthermore, in this past week's Detroit Lions game, Rice ran 52 yards on the opening drive deep into the Red Zone. Inexplicably, the Ravens ran Rice for two yards, then again for no gain, and then Flacco passed to him for a six yard gain but Rice fumbled the ball and Detroit recovered to end that scoring threat. Think that his fatigue from being the target three straight times after a 52 yard run had anything to do with not being able to hold onto the ball?

Predictability should have very little to do with just one single player on a football team. Perhaps the QB can be marked with trends based on play calling, but the RB position on the Ravens has been one of strength based on numbers and the three-headed monster that had the team in the AFC Championship Game last year and all teams afraid of our running game. While Ray Rice has been a major reason fro our success this season, we have actually had more success the less he runs the ball and the more the carries are spread around to Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain.

Prior to the Lions game, I said the Ravens needed to run the ball at least 40 times and I wanted to see Rice with a maximum of 20 carries, McGahee with 12 and McClain with eight. I came pretty close as Ray had 13, Willis 12 and LeRon six. The remaining nine carries were spread around to others to total the 40 I had hoped for. Forty rushes and 23 passes is more like the Ravens team of last year, when we controlled the ball and the time clock. This should be a lesson to the team as its future recipe for success, as the next opponent, the Chicago Bears, are ranked 24th in the NFL against the run.

However, the predictability, especially giving the ball right back to Ray Rice after long gains, needs to stop and they need to bring in fresh legs when they have the other team winded and down in the dumps. The stats don't lie in this case, and as good as Rice has been this year, those plays after the big gains have not added to his reputation and will only add unnecessarily to the wear and tear on his smaller body.

Flacco's Progress?

Bruce Raffel — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:35:58 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

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All we've heard through the Castle and all across the football media is how Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco has progressed from his rookie year to his sophomore season. After Monday night's career worst performance, where he "earned" a 27.2 QB rating, I decided to look back at the stats to see how both seasons measured up against each other to determine his real progress.

Everyone knows that the Ravens have reversed their offensive tendencies to be more of a passing team this year than last year's run oriented offense. Yes, the type of offense that wore teams down, dominated the time of possession and got the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game with a the first rookie QB to ever win one, much less two road playoff games.

Now we are a pass first offense and sit at 6-6 with the need to sweep the remaining four games to even get a sniff of the post season. So how much better has Joe been this year compared to last year? Well, the stats don't lie and here they are:

It is ironic that we are doing this now and you will see why that is. Flacco accumulated his 2008 stats in 16 games last year but we are comparing all 16 games of 2008 to the first 12 of 2009 because due to the re-focus of the game plan this year, Flacco has virtually the same passes attempted and completed through 12 games this year compared to 16 games last year. What does that mean? Basically, it shows that the Ravens are having Joe throw 25% more often in 2009 than he did in 2008. Regardless of his success, it goes away from the way this team has been defined and achieved success from the Super Bowl year of 200 through even last season.

Let's look at the amazingly similar passing stats:

Year Games Att. Comp. %-age Yards Avg. TD INT Long Sacked Rating

2008 16 428 257 60.0 2971 6.9 14 12 70 32 80.3

2009 12 406 257 63.3 2881 7.1 14 11 72 26 84.6

Less important, but noteworthy are his rushing stats comparison:

Year Att. Yards Avg. Long TD 1st Downs Fumbles

2008 52 180 3.5 38 2 16 5

2009 28 51 1.8 10 0 7 2

The stats show very similar numbers, including the exact same number of completions both years, and almost the same numbers the rest of the way around. The rate of throwing picks is actually up from last year, as he's thrown almost the same number in less attempts. His yards per completion are surprisingly down, most likely due to the recent reliance on Rice Rice out of the backfield rather than throwing downfield. While his sacks are down, the season still has four more games left and those numbers, as well as his TD and interceptions, will surely increase.

While obviously less important, the noticeable difference in his rushing stats tell a tale themselves. He is staying in the pocket or throwing the ball more on the run rather than running this year much more than last. He scrambling last year that resulted in many more first downs may have defenses sitting back waiting for the late release and possible interceptions, many of what we have seen in the Red Zone this season.

Most fans would have said he has made huge strides this season before they read this. Now we have to possibly scratch our heads and say what were we thinking? Better yet, we need to ask the coaching staff if they've seen these same stats and what are they thinking? Isn't this the best evidence presented to make a case for returning to our success by running the ball as the first option and passing as the second option? Utilizing all three running backs like we did last year and not putting Flacco in the position of having to carry this team at a point in his development that he is obviously just not ready to do after only one full season in the NFL. While I accept the fact that he had a pretty good year last season as a rookie, there was too much read into that success and the next step the team expected him to make was just too big of a jump from year one to year two.

Now is the time to say the stats on paper tell the true story and let them be a reminder of what we were able to do with Flacco not being the one to lead the team to success with the weight of the offense on his young shoulders. Go back to what we did and still do well and that is run the ball as Flacco is on pace to make close to 600 passing attempts which could put an unnecessary strain on his young shoulder and arm. I have no problem featuring Ray Rice as the feature back, but give Willis McGahee 10-12 carries a game an LeRon McClain 8-10 as well.That would also limit the wear and tear on the smaller Rice, who should still get 20 touches a game combined rushing and receiving.

Is the possibility of Flacco throwing for close to 4000 yards true progress? Not in my opinion, as the reason is that this team is just relying on him way too much and while the stats are showing the same results as last year, the team as a whole is not.

Dissecting the Ravens Loss: The Aftermath

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:11:02 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Phelps - AP

15 days ago: Baltimore Ravens' Haloti Ngata is seen on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 27-14. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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Once again, what were we Baltimore Ravens fans expecting? To go into enemy territory, much less the hallowed ground of Lambeau Field and upset one of the best passing offenses and the number one rated defense in the NFL? Taking an offense that has scored only two offensive TD's in the past seven weeks in the first half up against the Packers, the weather, the prime time audience, the referees AND the announcers? Seemed like the entire world was against the Ravens last night, didn't it? Well, guess what, they weren't and it was just the Ravens themselves that were their own worst enemies.

If the Green Bay Packers weren't almost as bad as the Ravens in accumulating penalties, this game would have been the blowout that many Green Bay fans said it would be here on The Beatdown all week long. There was a huge difference between these two teams and it showed on the field in the plays when yellow bean bags weren't being thrown all over in record setting embarrassing numbers.

Green Bay showed it is absolutely a serious playoff contender, as any offense that can spread the ball around and score like that can compete in any game and their defense is solid and very athletic with as good a defensive player in the league this season in the veteran CB Charles Woodson. Conversely, the Ravens are absolutely not a serious playoff contender, regardless of whether or not they sneak into the post season as a Wild Card, which surprisingly, they still could.

There were so many things that went wrong last night, and that was just a microcosm of the Ravens frustrating season. Perhaps it would not have been so frustrating had the expectations not been so high at the beginning. I actually truly believed that we were a Super Bowl contender rather than a playoff pretender. However, we are exactly what our record states we are, an average team. We beat the poor teams that we are supposed to beat and lose to the better teams that look to be better than us (because they are). To me, that is as good a definition of average and hence our 6-6 record.

Our defense is nowhere near the one we had last year but is still not the reason this team is losing these close games that are getting us closer to the edge of the ledge. The offensive line has looked great some games and flimsy others. There are so many issues related to why it appears that Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain have not been used to their abilities, as well as all the positives regarding the stunning growth of 2nd year RB Ray Rice into one of the league's best all-purpose players.

The finger can be pointed at the coaches and I would not try that hard to push it in another direction. The play calling has been questionable, the personnel moves suspect and the seemingly lack of motivation and urgency just not there. However, if the poor playcalling had been executed and the suspect personnel delivering on their chances, then we might not be pointing the finger at the guys on the sidelines.

For the reason we loved him so much last year and hailed him as the Franchise Quarterback we never had, it appears that many Ravens fans are reluctant to point that finger in the direction of Joe Flacco. However, it is very hard not to place more blame on Joe than any other individual player for the team's poor showing in 2009. Flacco may have put up more passing yards, TD's and other passing stats, mostly because he is throwing the ball so much more. However, his progression of slowing down the game like so many successful veteran QB's seem to talk about has not appeared to have happened with him. Too many times he is intent on throwing the ball when he breaks the huddle that no matter how the play develops, he still forces the ball into areas that he has no business doing so. His four Red Zone interceptions in critical times have contributed more to those losses than any other player. It has gotten to the point that it is now expected, which was the exact issue when Kyle Boller was under center. Why this team doesn't just run the ball up the middle or at worst off tackle confounds me but for whatever reason they pop it outside for losses and make horrible passing decisions time and time again that kill drives, momentum and end with frustrating losses.

How does this team rebound? It beats a woeful Detroit Lions team and then perhaps even beats the disappointing Chicago Bears as well, both home games. That puts us at 8-6 and surprisingly still in the playoff race. But this will continue to be a mirage for the Ravens, as they will need to not only go to Pittsburgh and beat the revenge-minded Steelers but then to Oakland, who has proven that they are not the pushover that some teams have thought they were. You just know that somewhere along that way, the train is going to find another way to derail itself and the hope will be squashed and the level of frustration will continue to rise until this nightmare of a season is over and the team can address all the holes, problems and needs it obviously has seen this year.

Ravens' Thursday Injury Report

Bruce Raffel — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:54:34 -0000

Once again, there are no players listed on the Baltimore Ravens Injury Report as "out" after today's practice. However, long snapper Matt Katula (elbow) and DT Haloti Ngata (ankle) still are on the "Did Not Participate" list, which is not good. You almost never hear about the long snapper unless it is not good. It is also my recollection that our backup long snapper is none other than,....wait.....Willis McGahee! Is that silence and staring you are doing right now? That is not a typo, as McGahee was taking reps at the long snapper position in Training Camp and might indeed be Katula's backup. Time to cross your fingers, right? Ngata's ankle is not looking good but we are still pretty deep at defensive tackle but then again, how do you replace one of the two or three best DT's in the game so easily?

The following players were limited in participation Thursday: Todd Heap (ankle), LeRon McClain (shoulder), Haruki Nakamura (chest), Tom Zbikowski (illness). On yesterday's Injury report but practicing today were Prescott Burgess (illness), Jarret Johnson (shoulder) and Frank Walker (illness).

Practice Report: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

Kirkendall — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:52:16 -0000

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, we'll (TRY TO) update the practice/injury chart leading up to Sunday's game. The chart is pretty self-explanatory. If the player is listed as out, they're out for the game. If they did not participate, they didn't practice. If they were limited, then they only participated during a portion of practice (typically means missing 11-on-11 drills). If the player is listed as full participation, it simply means that they practiced fully and that the only reason they're listed is because injury was an issue the week before.

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Jeremi Johnson (knee)	LP	LP
S Tom Nelson (shoulder)	LP	LP
S Roy Williams (forearm)	LP	LP
RB Bernard Scott (knee)	FP	FP
T Andre Smith (foot)	FP	FP

RAVENS	WED	THUR	FRI
LB Prescott Burgess (illness)	DNP	FP
LS Matt Katula (elbow)	DNP	DNP
S Haruki Nakamura (chest)	DNP	LP
DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	DNP	DNP
CB Frank Walker (illness)	DNP	FP
S Tom Zbikowski (illness)	DNP	LP
TE Todd Heap (ankle)	LP	LP
RB Le'Ron McClain (shoulder)	LP	LP
LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	FP	FP

Wednesday Injury Report

Bruce Raffel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:58:20 -0000

The Baltimore Ravens released their Injury Report for Wednesday. While there is no one listed as "out" for the game, the list of "Did Not Participate" is unusually long for the team, but should be pared down as the week progresses. So far the following players did not participate in Wednesday's practice:

Prescott Burgess (illness), Matt Katula (elbow), Haruki Nakamura (chest), Haloti Ngata (ankle), Frank Walker (illness), Tom Zbikowski (illness).

Todd Heap (ankle) and LeRon McClain (shoulder) were listed as "Limited Participation." Stay tuned for daily updates and changes as they occur when I receive the reports for Thursday, Friday and Final Game Status direct from the team.

Ravens v. Broncos: Prediction & 'Open Thread'

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:07:46 -0000

Stay with Baltimore Beatdown all day and post your comments and thoughts as you watch us shock the world and certainly the Rocky Mountain area and yank the Denver Broncos from the ranks of the NFL unbeatens! I'll join in the aftermath of the carnage when I return home from the game, where I'll be drinking Dom Perignon and eating baked brie off of silver platters served by french maids with long black gloves and high boots in the Club Level. It's the Ravens' annual Halloween game and the cheerleaders will be dresses in all sorts of provocative outfits to bother and distract me. However, they won't be able to distract the Ravens from returning to their early season form as the Bye week that both teams enjoyed last week ends up helping the home team more than the visiting one.

(See more on "Ravens v. Broncos: Prediction & Open Thread" after the 'Jump')

If the Denver Broncos can fly 2500 miles and beat an angry, tough, hard hitting Baltimore team in their own stadium in front of 70,000 screaming fans who are just as angry and frustrated by the results of the last three games, well, then I'm right on their bandwagon with them. Until then, I see the Ravens offense putting points on the stingiest team in the NFL, even in the second half, when the Broncos have shut down everyone up until now. I also see the defense getting back on track, with enough pressure to harass and fluster Kyle Orton into throwing more than just a useless last second Hail Mary interception. For the first time in three games, the Ravens run defense returns to its past of keeping the opposition's rusher under 100 yards and forces the opposition to throw much more and sooner than they want, leading to the game changing plays that we know this defense is all about.

Joe Flacco continues to show why he is the best young QB in the game today, as he withstands the pressure and his offensive line gives him the time to find his open receivers. I expect Todd Heap, Mark Clayton and Kelley Washington to make big contributions and even won't be surprised to see a significant appearance from seldom seen Demetrius Williams and perhaps even L.J. Smith. Derrick Mason will be blanketed by Denver's Champ Bailey, which should have Flacco looking elsewhere for the big plays on offense. Speaking of big plays, right now there is no one in the league putting together a better all around season than Baltimore's Ray Rice. Whether it be running the ball or catching it out of the backfield, expect him to get the touches necessary that he's sure to make at least, if not a handful of big plays that turn the tide of the game in Baltimore's favor and keeps it there for all sixty minutes. Between Rice, Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain, the running attack will wear down the Broncos athletic, but small defensive front seven and take its toll as the latter stages of the game roll around. This time, the last couple of minutes won't be needed to either pull one out for either team as the Ravens finally prove that they could have came into this game at 6-0 just like the Broncos. The differences are that we are 3-3 and pretty damn angry about it and the Broncos and their fans will see what this team is made of as Denver falls for the first time all season.

Ravens 27-16

Ravens @ Vikings: Prediction & "Open Thread"

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:24:07 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

2 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco's helmet pops free after being hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington, left, and linebacker Ray Lewis during the fourth quarter of the NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Baltimore. Cincinnati won 17 - 14.(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Keep it here all day to post your thoughts and comments before and during today's game between the Baltimore Ravens at the Minnesota Vikings. It's going to be a real tough one, considering the Ravens are in the midst of a two game losing streak at 3-2, while the Vikings sit among the top few teams in the NFL at 5-0.

But that doesn't matter at all once the teams take the field. The Ravens will be by far the toughest test for this undefeated Minnesota team. While the Vikings have won every game this season, they haven't faced the hard hitting Ravens, who up until last week, were as balanced a team as there was in the league. The home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last week soured a lot of people on this team, but they have proven they can play with the tough teams based on their win at San Diego and last second losses to the New England Patriots as well as the Bengals.

(More on Ravens @ Vikings: Prediction & "Open Thread" after the 'Jump')

The Vikings also present what should be the Ravens toughest test of the season. Adrian Peterson is the best RB in the league, Brett Favre is playing more like a 20 year old than a 40 year old, the offensive line is big and nasty, and that's just their offense! Defensively, Minnesota may have the best front seven in the league, stopping the run as well as the pass. Their cornerbacks are solid, shut down their opponents' top receivers and make the big plays, leading the league in interceptions.

Since I'm such a home town fan, I see that the Ravens seem to play to their opponents' expected level of competition. This means that we play as good or as poorly as the opponent appears to be playing. Part of the reason the Ravens lost last week to he Bengals is that we fully expected the game to be an easy win but sadly found out that Cincinnati was for real. In both games at the Patriots and Chargers, we either hung tough or took the game to them, not feeling the pressure and folding when we got behind early in the game. I see the same thing happening today, as the team knows they're in for a brutal battle and have their backs against the wall.

Facing an angry Ravens team is not something most teams want to do, but knowing the Vikings, they'll be up to the task. Peterson should get his yards, but as long as the Ravens stop the long run, they should still be in the game. Forcing Favre to throw more than the game plan wants to is in the Ravens favor. While Favre has enjoyed a great season thus far, the Ravens have faced him with success in the past. If Favre has to air it out for the Vikings to win, the Ravens can pin their ears back, pressure him to return to his gunslinger mode and make the interceptions to change the game.

Offensively, I fully expect the Ravens to pound the rock more this game than they did last week, which should open up the passing game. Willis McGahee needs to be involved on a regular basis to spell Ray Rice, plus pounding LeRon McClain into the front wall of the Vikings defense should soften them up for the big play. The Vikings have been susceptible to the passing game, usually to the slot receiver and the tight ends. Expect to see a lot of throws to both Kelley Washington and Todd Heap and perhaps even a L.J. Smith and David Tyree sighting.

With that gameplan, I can see the Ravens upsetting the Vikings and getting back on the winning track. Baltimore likes to be the underdog and gets little respect from the experts. Surprisingly, four of seven writers from The Baltimore Sunpapers actually are picking the Ravens to win this game. Even more surprisingly, I agree with those that do, as I see us getting the pressure on the QB that wasn't there last week and while we've lost our last two games and left points on the field, we could have easily won those games with one more good play on offense or defense. Today we make those "one more plays," both on offense and defense, and drop Minnesota from the ranks of the unbeatens in front of their home fans to go into a well deserved Bye week at 4-2.

Ravens: 21-20

Poll

Who wins today's Ravens-Vikings tilt?

Ravens

60 votes

Vikings

162 votes

222 votes | Poll has closed

Five Good Questions with Right Off Russell

Gonzo — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:12:06 -0000

We've been having a pretty good time this week exchanging questions and good-natured barbs with the folks from Baltimore Beatdown, but I received a request this week for a Five Good Question exchange with the folks from Right Off Russell, another Baltimore-centric blog, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to branch out a bit. You can check out the questions he sent me and my responses to them right here, and what you see now are the questions I sent to the good folks at Right Off Russell and their answers. Enjoy!

1) The Ravens lost defensive coordinator Rex Ryan this past off-season, and replaced him with Greg Mattison. What has changed about the defense to this point in the season, and what have you seen that's remained the same?

If you looked at the base Ravens defense, it would be hard to tell the difference. Systematically they are the same. The biggest difference is that Mattison, unlike his predecessor, is not a believer in "exotic " blitz packages. There is none of this walking around trying fake out the offense. While the defense is struggling, I’m not sure this is to blame. Ryan’s defense has been torched over the past 2 weeks. I wonder if the league is figuring it out.

Mattison has some work to do because down linemen are not generating enough pressure up front and it’s exposing the Ravens B-level cornerbacks.

2) Minnesota has a couple of pretty good running backs on their roster, but the Ravens bring the proverbial three-headed monster to town this weekend. Detail for Viking fans that may not see the Ravens on a regular basis how the team utilizes Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and LeRon McClain.

I think we are still trying to figure out the 3-headed monster. What we do know is that Rice is accumulating the majority of the carries. He is the quickest of the 3 and is great at the catch and run. Willis has been extremely effective in the red zone. Not exactly sure why he disappeared last week against the Bengals, but 7 TDs this season is no joke. As for McClain, he is an extremely talented back as was displayed last year. He is almost cursed in that he is also a good blocker. He will see 5 carries a game, but he is desperately needed as a lead blocker.

3) Joe Flacco is quickly becoming one of the league's better young quarterbacks. What do you feel has enabled him to make such a massive leap from 2008 to 2009?

We are definitely happy with Flacco’s emergence this year especially with all the fears of a sophomore slump. I think his success is due to a full year of learning Cam Cameron’s offense. Last season, he was only named the starter because of attrition. While he definitely earned his spot as the starter, it’s amazing how much opening the playbook has allowed him to flourish.

4) Which member of the Ravens that's a little more obscure do you think could play a major role in this Sunday's contest?

I would keep an eye on WR Kelley Washington. Washington was primarily a special teams player with the Pats last year and he tried out for the team in the spring and has yet to look back. He provides size at the receiver position that the Ravens need. He has also made some crucial catches this season. With Derrick Mason demanding most of the attention, I see Washington being able to make some big plays.

5) What is the injury status of the Ravens right now, and how will any injuries they might be working through affect their strategy against the Vikings this weekend?

LT Jared Gaither is still struggling with his neck injury. He has yet to practice since being carted off the field in Foxboro 2 weeks ago. At this point he is being listed as doubtful. The Ravens will continue to deal with the injury by moving RT Michael Oher to the left side and filling the right side with converted Guard Marshal Yanda. The Ravens lost their backup tackle to season ending surgery in the preseason. I think this injury makes their line solid as opposed to dominating.

I also think the Ravens are still recovering from the loss of LB Brendon Ayanbadejo. Brendon was a stud on special teams and he made some huge plays on certain packages on the defense. He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week during Week 3. Now the Ravens are forced to play some 1^st and 2^nd year linebackers who are more prone to make mistakes. They did however just sign Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree to help shore up their special teams.

Who will Win Purple Bowl IV?

ericj69 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:11:45 -0000

I know I've been posting pictures of gorgeous women in this space the past few weeks. But when you talk about purple this much, you better give Grimace his props...or else. (Don't worry guys, the T&A pic just got pushed to after the jump. Grimace won't look there.)

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Mmm...purple.

In what's sure to make Paul Lukas of ESPN Page 2 and Uni Watch fame start dry heaving, the two purplest teams in the NFL will do battle on Sunday at the ~~PurpleDome~~ Metrodome. Wait, sorry, I better be official here--The Mall Of America Field at The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. (Ugh.)

Yes, there will be enough of The Color Purple on the field to keep Oprah, Prince, and even Grimace satisfied as the Ravens and Vikings meet for the fourth time ever and the first time in Minnesota. But which shade of purple will shine brighter on Sunday?

It doesn't take much analysis to see that these two teams share a lot more than jersey colors. Both teams have run-first offenses that have just started to enjoy the luxury of an effective passing game this year. Brett Favre and the Vikings receivers are finally the compliment that we've been looking for to The Best Player in the NFL Period. On the other side, Joe Flacco has made a meteoric leap in his sophomore season to compliment the three-headed Ravens RB monster of Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and LeRon McClain.

And of course, both teams have perennially excellent defenses that give offensive coordinators nightmares.

Wait a second...are we sure about that? Or are the Minnesota and Baltimore defenses getting by more on reputation than results?

It seems blasphemous to even mention, but maybe the defenses of the Vikings and Ravens aren't exactly carrying their teams these days. As far as yardage goes, the Ravens are 10th and the Vikes are 14th in the league so far. Both are still top 10 against the rush, but not in the top 3 like they have each been the past three seasons. The Vikings are 18th against the pass, which isn't too surprising since we're usually in the bottom half there. But the Ravens are currently 26th against the pass in 2009. That's one spot behind the Rams! I don't put too much emphasis on yardage numbers in the NFL, but any time you're behind the Rams in anything, it ain't good.

For the Vikings, it isn't all about the yardage. I know the Ravens have a lot of people that can hurt you, but I'm most afraid of Todd Heap this week. Why? Because the Vikings have made every tight end they've faced so far look like 1996 Shannon Sharpe. There have been times this season where the Vikes D has left the opposing tight end with so much space that it looks like he just he just cleared the room with a fart. They also just gave up 27 first downs and 400 yards to the Rams. Any time you allow the Rams to do that, it ain't good.

Baltimore's once-indestructible defense has been just pretty good in 2009. Their cornerbacks have looked more like turnstiles on some plays, and their lack of pressure is allowing opposing teams to move down the field. Maybe they're still getting used to Greg Mattison's new defense compared to Rex Ryan's former blitz-wacky scheme; maybe they're just a year older and a touch slower.

As for ~~God's Linebacker~~ Ray Lewis: I believe he is without a doubt the best defensive leader in the NFL today, but he's nowhere near an elite player any more. Ray-Ray makes everyone around him better; it shows when he's the last one in on a gang tackle and celebrates like he made the play all by himself. If it wasn't for his leadership, all his teammates wouldn't have been in the right place to make the tackle a full three seconds before he got there!

(Ray, if by some off chance you're reading this, I'm just kidding around. No need to "obstruct any justice" on me OK?)

That said, the Vikes are still 5-0 and the Ravens are still a respectable 3-2 (and could be 5-0 with a little help from those stinkin' refs, or a little more discipline on defense, depending on who you ask). Both teams are elbow deep in the playoff hunt. Heck, before the season, Ravens-Vikes was my Super Bowl matchup. (Now? Gun to my head, I'd have to choose The Manning Bowl. But there's still plenty of season to be played. Oh God, did I just say "gun to my head" a paragraph after making fun of Ray Lewis?! Let's move on, quickly!)

(More analysis and my Week 6 picks after the jump)

In the end, I see these teams pretty darn even both chromatically and personnel-wise. I think this game comes down to one of my favorite time-honored football cliches: whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins. It's no coincidence that the Vikings are undefeated and happen to lead the NFL in turnover margin. Contrast that with the silly mistakes and late meltdowns that the Ravens have endured the past two weeks, and I like MY purple team to win on Sunday. Unless of course Matt Birk memorized the entire Vikings playbook and recites it perfectly to the Ravens coaching staff. Which is entirely possible, because Matt Birk went to Harvard. (Welcome back Matt!)

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't keep with my weekly theme of posting barely-football-related gratuitous pictures of women in my article. After all, the Vikings are undefeated when I do so, and I'd hate for us to lose just because I didn't do my part!

As most of you know, when the original Nordic Vikings would conquer a foe, they would routinely burn their land and steal their women.

After our modern-day Vikings conquer Baltimore on Sunday, and after viewing this picture of the Ravens cheerleaders, Baltimore can just keep their land as far as I'm concerned. (Besides, I watched "The Wire". That city scares the living bejeezus out of me.)

Prediction: VIkings 27, Ravens 23

As for the rest of my Week 6 NFL picks, hitting at 40 games over .500 in 2009 (home team in CAPS):

Texans over BENGALS: Boom! Upset alert right out of the gate! This has Letdown Game written all over it for Cincy. And if any franchise knows how to do letdown the right way, it's the Cincinnati Bengals.

PACKERS over Lions: Of all the atrocious teams in the NFL this year, at least Jim Schwartz has the Lions giving a shit. And if I happen to get this pick wrong, I wouldn't give a shit. Actually, I'd be thrilled.

JAGUARS over Rams: I'd rather stand nude in the Sahara Desert for three weeks straight with no suntan lotion and then put on clothes made entirely of burlap than watch this game.

Giants over SAINTS: Game of the Year so far. Basically the Anti-Jags/Rams game. I'm picking the G-Men here because I like their defense more than the Flying Sharpers.

STEELERS over Browns: My Eliminator pick of the week, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Even though the Browns are flying high from their thrilling 6-3 shootout over the Bills last week with Derek Anderson setting single-game passing records (the bad kind), they're still Cleveland.

Panthers over BUCCANEERS: Hey, someone has to win. Although both teams will try very hard not to.

REDSKINS over Chiefs: Yes, the Skins are playing their sixth consecutive winless team. And I thought the Vikes had an easy schedule so far! Too many people picking the Chiefs to upset here, so I'll stick to the more offensive Native American stereotype.

Eagles over RAIDERS: The Raiders have become officially too easy to make fun of. If Al Davis was still alive, he would never let this happen.

SEAHAWKS over Cardinals: After the 49ers crapped the bed last week, the NFC West is officially back up for grabs! This is kind of like saying that Tori Spelling is back on the market. Sure, I guess it counts for something, but I wouldn't really get excited about it.

PATRIOTS over Titans: I have an exclusive transcript of the Titans Radio broadcast...from the FUTURE! Here's a sample of Sunday's broadcast:

"Vince Young now under center, Titans down 28-10, early 4th quarter...Young drops back...scanning the field...throws it up for grabs...PICKED OFF!"

JETS over Bills: At this rate, Buffalo residents will help pack the trucks for the Bills' inevitable move to Toronto.

FALCONS over Bears: The Falcons looked waaaay too good last week for me to pick against them this week. Plus I hate the Bears, so it makes my decision even easier.

CHARGERS over Broncos: This is mostly because I'm pretty sick of the Josh McDaniels 2009 Media Fellatio Tour already. I really hope San Diego can knock him down a peg or two.

Last week: 11-3

Season so far: 58-18