Prediction: Ravens at Raiders, 1.3.10
January 3rd, 2010 | by Kevin Hanson |Let’s put it bluntly. Heading into a win-and-you’re-in game against the league’s most dysfunctional franchise, the Ravens don’t deserve to make the playoffs if they can’t put away the Oakland Raiders.
And let’s be fair. Despite shooting themselves in the foot against Pittsburgh last week, the Ravens have beat up on the really bad teams that they have played this season.
Here are my three keys to the game:
1. Limit penalties. Last week, this was one of my three keys in the Pittsburgh matchup. Due to their 113 penalty yards against the Steelers, the Ravens are now the most penalized team in the NFL based on yardage. Against an inferior Oakland team, the Ravens need to avoid shooting themselves in the foot.
2. Ray Rice and the running game. Rice rushed the ball 30 times in week 16 for the first time in career. In the past three games, the Ravens have rushed 109 times and passed only 81 times. No team has allowed more rushing touchdowns than Oakland has this season.
3. Limit turnovers. Related to key 1, the Ravens are facing a team that they should beat without question. Joe Flacco has thrown only one interception in the past three games while throwing seven touchdowns. Provided the Ravens don’t lose the turnover battle, they should run away (see #2 — pun intended) with this game and make the playoffs.
Prediction: Ravens 31, Raiders 10
Tags: Joe Flacco, Oakland Raiders, Playoffs, Ray Rice
