Garceau: Ravens Hope To Return With New Life At MetLife
Can J-E-T-S Trip Fix Slumping Ravens?
Last Sunday at MetLife Stadium Odell Beckham Jr. toyed with the Baltimore defense to the tune of 222 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns as the Giants handed the Ravens their third straight loss.
The Ravens return to the scene of the crime this Sunday with the Giants Blue swapped out for the Jets Green at MetLife. The Ravens injury list is a lengthy one filled with key players including quarterback Joe Flacco. If the Ravens' 2016 season is going anywhere (like the playoffs) you can put this game in the must-win column.
Worst case scenario, the Ravens drop their fourth straight to a Jets team that's 1-5 and fall to 3-4. With remaining road trips to Dallas, New England, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and a home schedule that includes the Steelers, Bengals and Eagles forget the playoffs the Ravens will have to battle to finish .500.
Best case scenario the Ravens take care of business with the Jets like they always do (they've won 8 straight in the series), the Steelers without Big Ben lose to the Patriots (they're 7-8 point underdogs) and the Ravens are suddenly tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the AFC North.
Ravens Did You Know's?
- The only time the Ravens lost to the Jets was 1997, the first time they played. Jets 19-16 in OT, Vinny Testaverde and Neil O'Donnell were the quarterbacks.
- The Ravens defense forced only 14 turnovers last season. They already have 11 this season and rank third in the NFL with 8 interceptions.
- Joe Flacco has thrown 151 consecutive passes without an interception. Eric Zeier holds the team record with 175.
- Since week 4 when Terrence West (Towson U) became the Ravens featured running back he ranks fourth in the NFL with 295 yards rushing in 3 games.
- With a Ravens win Sunday John Harbaugh will pass Brian Billick for most regular season wins by a Ravens head coach (Harbaugh 80-54, Billick 80-64).
The Other Big Ben
The latest across-the-pond ball will be this Sunday with the L.A. Rams hosting the NY Giants at London's Twickenham Stadium (9:30 AM ET, NFLN). It will be the second of three games played in London this season and the first-ever NFL game at Twickenham. Next Sunday, October 30, the Bengals host the Redskins at Wembley Stadium (9:30 AM ET, FOX).
The NFL will also return to Mexico City on Monday, November 21 (8:30 PM ET, ESPN) when the Oakland (Las Vegas) Raiders host the Houston Texans in the first-ever Monday Night Football game to be played outside the United States.
Can't wait for Super Bowl LXX in Shanghai, didn't Disney tell us it's a small world after all.
