Going from a dominant defense to a defense that has given up a whopping total of 400 yards over 3 consecutive games has been a big blow to the Baltimore Ravens pysche. Last in total defense at 409.1 yards per contest in addition to the loss of key linebackers Eric Barton and D'Qwell Jackson, the Cleveland Browns are far from a playoff contention team. On top of that, the Brady Quinn/ Derek Anderson musical chairs QB experiment has yielded a lackluster 3-4 record. A win tonight will be a saviour to Ravens playoff hopes or a boost in Browns' quest to locate their ever elusive team identity. It's going down this Monday night!
1) The Rice Factor -- RB Ray Rice has become an integral part of assisting the Ravens in clinching their four wins. Should the Browns be able to hold him to under 75 yards their chances at securing a win go up almost two fold.
2) The rushing game -- Without question the Ravens claim to fame lies in their ability to push the ball. With a struggling defense that is rush heavy, the fact that Cleveland has allowed 170.5 yards rushing on average is to the Ravens advantage.
3) Turnovers -- The only other factor in the Browns upset equation is the possibility of multiple Ravens turnovers aka the Ravens ability to take care of the ball.
4) Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson experiment -- One would think after three years that Brady Quinn would be well adjusted in his role of quarterback of the Cleveland Browns however his roller coaster ride along with co-captain Derek Anderson has been anything but inspiring. What started off as a marriage poised for success has turned into a separation of sorts that has left Quinn benched on several occasions and more frustration to go around. Perhaps with ample opportunity to prove his potential to evolve into an all-pro quarterback.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens
