Ravens vs. Falcons: TV Schedule, Live Streaming, Radio, Game Time and More

The Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons will use Week Four of the preseason solely to find the reserves needed to make another run at the postseason.

Both the Ravens and Falcons saw their seasons come to a disappointing end a year ago. With two franchise quarterbacks set to enter the prime of their careers, and defenses worthy of postseason success, these two teams have plenty to be excited about entering the season.

Rookies will be expected to contribute early for both sides, veterans are looking for one last chance at Super Bowl glory and both teams are in two strongly contested divisions.

The Ravens need to find a way to escape the shadow of the Steelers' postseason success while the Falcons need to find a way to win a postseason game.

Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and Roddy White won't be on the field very long in this game, if at all, but these teams have players desperately looking for experience.

Where: Georgia Dome; Atlanta, Georgia 

When: Thursday, 7:30 P.M. EST

Watch: Ravens: WBAL-TV, WJLA-TV, WHTM-TV. Falcons: CBS. Streaming online at NFL.com ($9.99 for Preseason Package). Replay on NFL Network Saturday at 1 P.M. EST

Listen: Ravens: 98 Rock, WBAL-1090 AM. Falcons: Star 94 FM, 790 The Zone.

Ravens' Key Addition

Vontae Leach. The Ravens made a lot of good offseason moves, but landing the fullback in charge of blocking for the league's leading rusher from a year ago leads them all.

Leach will quickly become Ray Rice's favorite teammate.

Falcons' Key Addition

Julio Jones. The rookie receiver is one of the few college players that will be able to come in and physically dominate the competition. He's been lighting it up throughout the entirety of training camp and the Falcons couldn't be happier with their decision to trade up for him.

Ravens' Biggest Loss

Jared Gaither. The loss of Gaither has caused the Ravens to go out of their way to land Bryant McKinnie. Michael Oher isn't doing himself any favors on the line and the signing of McKinnie, whose skills are quickly declining, was a desperation move.

Falcons' Biggest Loss

Jerious Norwood. The Falcons' running game isn't the force it once was, and the loss of a change of pace player like Norwood doesn't help.

They have some younger replacements, Jacquizz Rodgers primarily, to replace him. It will be interesting to see how the running game fares with two primary backs like Michael Turner and Jason Snelling.

What They're Saying

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is saying for a defensive unit that’s looking to climb to elite status in the league, the Falcons' outing against Pittsburgh in Saturday night's exhibition game was troubling. From the outset against the Steelers, the Atlanta pass defense was leaky. The Falcons have just one exhibition game left, against the Baltimore Ravens at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome, to work things out.

The Baltimore Sun states that considering some of the deficits along the Ravens offensive line, signing a left tackle with the resume that Bryant McKinnie boasts might not be considered a huge leap for the organization. But in his remarks confirming an agreement with McKinnie on Tuesday, general manager Ozzie Newsome noted that several University of Miami standouts like inside linebacker Ray Lewis and free safety Ed Reed vouched for McKinnie. McKinnie, a former Hurricane himself, said he appreciated the endorsements from his new teammates.

Ravens' Player to Watch

Bryant McKinnie. The long-time tackle is stepping into a new situation and needs to be spot on to help protect Joe Flacco. Every snap he takes with his new line will be a huge positive toward getting on the same page.

Falcons' Player to Watch

Harry Douglas. The No. 3 weapon for Matt Ryan has garnered a lot of good attention this preseason. He'll be expected to help take some of the load off Tony Gonzalez in the middle of the field. Douglas has the speed to stretch the field and should excel in the slot in this offense.

Matchup to Watch

Falcons' run game vs. Ravens' front seven. The Falcons would love to get their yards per carry average back up this season and that starts with the blockers up front. A stronger run game means better play action opportunities for Matt Ryan and company.

Ravens' Key Position Battle

Wide receiver. The Ravens went from not having a legit No. 2 after the loss of Derrick Mason to having a veteran and rookie in Lee Evans and Torrey Smith. Both have the ability to stretch the field and it will be interesting to see how they fit in.

Falcons' Key Position Battle

Defensive tackle. Former first round pick Peria Jerry has the potential to be a legit starter in the NFL and it will be interesting to see how long he stays behind Jonathan Babineaux and Corey Peters. This team needs all of them to be players though.

Key Storyline

Both of these teams are heading for another postseason berth and have legitimate shots at contending for the Super Bowl. The way they handle their business in the final preseason game may finalize potential roster spots for playoff runs. Look for the special teams players to be on top of their game.

Prediction

Falcons 21, Ravens 20