The Matchup:
Raiders rush offense vs. Ravens rush defense
The Game:
Ravens at Raiders, Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS.
The Question:
Who will get the best of this matchup?
| Raiders rush offense |
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Ravens rush defense |
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By Merril Hoge
Special to ESPN.com
Both of these units finished No. 1 for a reason. A big part of the reason nobody thinks you can run on the Ravens is the publicity they've gotten. They've also done a terrific job against some great backs. But there are a couple things that need to be kept in mind. The Raiders might have the most underrated offensive line in football. They are huge up front unlike the other two teams Baltimore has faced in the playoffs. They are geared for power and movement -- to get double-teams and to get movement back to the linebacker. While it is big, the line is also fundamentally sound and explodes off the football. The Raiders get movement on the defensive tackles. All of that makes it easier to get a hat on Ray Lewis. The Raiders are a north-south rushing team.
That is a disadvantage to Lewis. When you go sideline to sideline on him, he's at his best. When you run north and south, you negate some of his strength. When you get guys that are 30 to 50 pounds heavier than Lewis, he's not going to win that matchup all day. He can outrun all those guys to the sideline and make plays. But if they keep lining up and playing smash-mouth with bigger guys, the Raiders will be able to make some plays in the running game.
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By Mark Malone
Special to ESPN.com
At this point, there's no way I'd pick against the Ravens' defense. I respect what the Raiders have done offensively. They led the NFL in rushing, and they've been persistent and dominant. But the Ravens are as physical a rush defense as I can remember. The only thing comparable is maybe the '85 Bears defense. Nobody knew how to run against them when they first came out; they used to kill people.
The Ravens have Tony Siragusa and a host of big tackles sitting up front who eat up blocks. Ray Lewis is usually running free, but he could take on guards one-on-one by himself, defeat them and still make plays. The Raiders may have no chance to get a hat on Lewis, because the Ravens' defense is that good. They are as good of a rush defense as I've ever seen in the NFL.
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