The Baltimore Ravens are in the desert to face the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football.
The Cardinals, suddenly vulnerable with a 1-2 record the past three weeks, come back home to one of the loudest crowds in the NFL. The Ravens have won but once the entire year, so the odds are clearly against them on this day.
But don’t think for a second the game is already won by Arizona. Football is a weird game. The strangest things happen when you least expect them.
So, strange as it may sound, the Ravens can beat the Cardinals on Monday Night Football. Here’s how they can get the job done.
Get Justin Forsett going early
Finally over his ankle injury, Ravens running back Forsett must be raring to go full speed. The best way for Baltimore to first attack Arizona’s impressive defense is by pounding away at the middle. Though the Cardinals sport the No. 6-ranked run defense, they still allow over 104 yards per game.
Keeping the chains moving and Arizona’s high-powered offense off the field is a huge key to winning the game. For the running game to gain traction Forsett must be a workhorse early on Monday Night Football. And, it wouldn’t hurt to get him involved in the passing game, catching some screens to keep the defense honest.
Steve Smith in “Ice up, son!” version 2.0 against Patrick Peterson
Peterson is one of the league’s premier cornerbacks, but Smith Sr. has been eating top corners for breakfast the past decade-and-a-half. The iron man didn’t show up on injury report this week after suffering multiple fractured vertebrae in early October, which is just ridiculous. Dude’s got to be made out of titanium or something.
After missing a week because of the injury, Smith put up 137 yards on seven receptions with a touchdown against San Francisco last weekend. He’s averaging over 100 yards per game and can go off for double that on any given Sunday.
Obviously, this means Joe Flacco will need protection, but that’s why we focused on point No. 1 beforehand. If the running game is working, then Arizona’s defensive scheme will need to adjust, meaning passing lanes will open up for Smith down the field and Flacco will face less pressure to begin with.
Bend, but don’t break defense
The Cardinals are just deadly on offense on plays deep down the field. Carson Palmer has a knack for throwing catchable deep balls, and Arizona is loaded with speed at receiver. John Brown averages 16.1 yards per reception with two deep scores and Michael Floyd is a deep threat down the sidelines.
If the Ravens can keep the Cardinals receivers in front of them, then they can perhaps win some battles in the red zone, where the field shrinks. Allowing Arizona to connect on long bombs — at home, no less, where they’ll trigger avalanches of cheers — is how teams get beat. If the Ravens can successfully implement the “bend, but don’t break” defense, then victory will be attainable.