Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Baltimore Ravens: Keys To the Game for the Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens continue their quest to a second Super Bowl title when they return home to take on a surprising Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.
The Buccaneers have been one of the few surprises in the league this year, currently sitting with a 7-3 record and in position to make the playoffs this season.
Josh Freeman and Mike Williams highlight a young, high-powered offense that has been fun to watch this season.
The Ravens are home for the next two weeks, with the mighty Steelers coming into town next Sunday night. Can a hangover be avoided?
Matt Miselis is a Ravens and NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com.
Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis.
Ravens Running Defense Needs To Step Up Their Game
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In 2010, the Baltimore Ravens run defense hasn't played like the one of old.
The unit is giving up plenty of runs of 20-plus yards, and last week allowed a third string running back to gain over 100 yards on the ground.
Tampa Bay will attempt to run the ball early with rookie LeGarrette Blount. Rookie Terrence Cody continues to get more snaps alongside Ngata. Can he close the gap for Blount at home this week?
If the running back can be contained, the pressure will be all on Josh Freeman which isn't what the Bucs are looking for.
Ray Rice Will Have 150 Total Yards of Offense
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In 2010, Ray Rice hasn't lived up to the hype after his dominant second year last season.
Injuries and inconsistency now has Rice splitting more carries with Willis McGahee. Can another late surge in November/December be on the rise for Ray? It may come at a perfect time.
The Buccaneers are among one of the leagues worst at stopping the run, despite containing Frank Gore last week.
The game could get out of hand quick if Rice can't be stopped, which would allow Flacco to find his receivers down the field quite often.
Who In The Ravens Secondary Will Cover Mike Williams?
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The biggest question for the Baltimore Ravens secondary is containing Mike Williams.
Tampa Bay's passing game goes as far as Williams, who is emerging as one of the best rookie receivers in the game.
Both Lardarius Webb and Chris Carr may get some coverage plays against Williams, who is a huge threat with the deep ball.
The main weakness on the Ravens defense is the deep ball, a specialty that Freeman and Williams like to take part in.
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Joe Flacco Needs a Hot Start Against Tampa Bay Defense
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is one that is different than the average scheme most quarterbacks see.
Joe Flacco is seeing this kind of defense in an entire game for the first time, despite being a third-year quarterback in the league.
The Buccaneers pass defense is among the top ten in football, which does bring an interesting matchup against the Ravens receivers.
However, Flacco continues to find new ways to find his weapons down the field. Having faced the majority of the best passing defense, Joe should be able to put up good numbers at home where he is nearly flawless at.
The Struggles and Turnovers In The Redzone Need To End For Ravens Offense
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Arguably the biggest problems for the Ravens offense has been the inability to score in the red zone.
The offense is unable to convert long drives into touchdowns and are only able to settle for field goals.
More importantly, turnovers in the running game have also been an issue when within the opponents 20-yard-line.
Tampa Bay does have an offense that can put up points, so hopefully the red zone woes can begin to go away this week in front of a sold out crowd.
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