Week 2: Ravens Keys to Victory
After a week 1 shutout victory on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens return home to face off in a week 2 home opener against another division opponent; the 0-1 Cleveland Browns. The Ravens will be without RB Danny Woodhead (hamstring) and linebacker Z’Darius Smith (knee). Outside of those injuries the Ravens are healthy and a heavy favorite to win as the Westgate Sports Book in Las Vegas has the Ravens as 8 point favorites. Here are 3 keys to secure a Ravens victory
Limit Mistakes
The one way to give life to any underdog is to give them extra chances. The Ravens did a good job securing the ball against the Bengals in week 1, with the only turnover coming from a interception by a pass that should have been caught by Terrence West. Another week of mistake free football should be enough to keep Browns in check. The Browns have thrown rookie quarterback Deshon Kizer into the fire from the start of the season and even though he loss in his first game against the Steelers, the rookie played pretty good going 20-30 222 yards 1 TD and added a rushing TD. So the last thing the Ravens want to do is make mistakes and give him a short field to work with.
Capitalize on Opportunities
The headline that’s been floating around this week, that will for sure be reiterated during Sunday’s broadcast is that the Ravens are undefeated at home vs rookie quarterbacks. A lot of that has to do with the defense and coordinator Dean Pees’ creative disguises that often confuse rookie quarterbacks. So I anticipate there being a few forced turnovers, but its important for the offense to convert those turnovers into points. Out of the 5 forced turnovers against the Bengals, the Ravens converted them into 10 points and that is okay, but three of the ensuing drives after the turnovers resulted in 3 and outs . Over time that can be deflating to a defense that is playing lights out. So I look for the offense to put together good drives after forced turnovers.
Keep the Flock Engaged
There is no feeling better than a warm September afternoon at M&T Bank stadium watching the Ravens kick off their first home game. The crowd will be in full force supporting every good run, every completed pass, and every tackle. But on third downs while the defense is on the field, the crowd turns into a whole new monster. I am looking forward to seeing how rookie quarterback Deshon Kizer responds to the deafening noise. So with that being said…… RAVENS FLOCK MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!!
