NFL Divisional Game - Baltimore @ Denver (SETTLED)
Baltimore (11-6) at Denver (13-3)
When: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Reviewing Round 1: Lifted by the emotion surrounding Ray Lewis’ final home game after 17 seasons with the Ravens, Baltimore gave the future Hall of Fame linebacker a fitting sendoff with a 24-9 victory. Lewis lived up to his end of the bargain with a team-high 13 tackles in his first game since tearing a triceps in Week 6. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin sparked Baltimore’s offense in the second half with five catches for 145 yards and one touchdown. Ravens backup running back Bernard Pierce (13 carries for 103 yards) had a better day than starter Ray Rice, who lost his first two fumbles of the season. Fortunately for Baltimore, the Colts couldn’t convert either turnover into points.
Last meeting: The Broncos jumped to a 28-point lead en route to a 34-17 road victory in Week 15. Baltimore’s offense could get nothing going early, being held without a first down on its first five drives. The Ravens’ defense eventually got worn down by a Broncos attack that featured 45 runs, which is the most rushing support quarterback Peyton Manning had ever received in an NFL game. Manning did his part with an efficient 204-yard, one-touchdown effort that didn’t include a turnover.
Ravens player to watch: Rice. Failing to feed him the football consistently is one of the reasons Cam Cameron was fired as offensive coordinator in mid-December. The Ravens are at their best when Rice is logging 20-plus carries. He only had 12 attempts for 38 yards in the first matchup against Denver, although that stemmed partially from Baltimore falling so far behind midway through the third quarter. The Ravens need to get Rice on track early to minimize the pass rush on quarterback Joe Flacco.
Broncos player to watch: Outside linebacker Von Miller. His 18.5-sack season was overshadowed by bigger numbers registered by Houston’s J.J. Watt (20.5) and San Francisco’s Aldon Smith (19.5). Miller, though, earns props for being the best player on an underrated Broncos defense. The Ravens were the only one of Denver’s final nine opponents to hold Miller without a sack. But the heavy pressure Miller and his teammates applied destroyed Flacco’s rhythm while the score was still close.
Summary: On paper, this game looks as lopsided as the first Baltimore-Denver matchup. The Ravens are a much worse team away from home while the Broncos went 7-1 at Sports Authority Field. Coming off the special Lewis-fueled atmosphere against the Colts, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh must now try and prevent a letdown on the road. The Broncos also enter the playoffs as the NFL’s hottest squad with 11 consecutive playoff victories. One of the few things that can give the Ravens hope: Manning sometimes doesn’t play as well in the playoffs as during the regular season. While he was with Indianapolis from 1998 to 2011, the Colts lost their first postseason game in seven of 11 appearances.
