Ravens Must Contain Robert Griffin III
By Samuel Njoku
The Baltimore Ravens will match up against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Here's the scouting report.
Washington Redskins' record: (6-6-0) Tied for 2nd in the NFC East
Offense:
The Redskins' offense goes only as far as Robert Griffin III will take them. And in the past few weeks, it's obvious that RG3 can take them pretty far.
A week after a great performance against the New York Giants, the Redskins will look to duplicate their performance against the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore will need to be able to keep RG3 contained as Washington will show plenty of looks to give him the best chance to succeed. One of the great things about RG3 is his ability to push the ball down the field with his arm. The Redskins may have found a few week points in the Ravens defense after Charlie Batch found success last Sunday. Of course, Baltimore has to worry about Griffin's legs as well. If he's in trouble, the rookie QB can extend plays with his world-class speed. Baltimore faced a similar situation with Michael Vick earlier this year, so they'll be familiar with the gameplan on Sunday.
The Ravens also struggle stopping the run at times. Against this top ranked rushing unit, they'll need to do a better job. A large portion of their rushing success boils down to the running ability of RG3. So far he has accumulated over 700 rushing yards this season. But the real test will be stopping Alfred Morris. He has 1106 rushing yards for 6 touchdowns so far this year. He is also averaging 4.8 yards per carry. If Baltimore can shut down the running game, they can force Washington to become one-dimensional. If they can't, the Redskins have a good chance to win this contest.
Defense:
Much like Baltimore, the Redskins defense leaves a lot to be desired. Similar to Baltimore however, they've seen a boost in production the past few weeks. Washington was able to hold Eli Manning and the New York Giants to 16 points. That's an impressive feat against one of the more explosive teams in the NFL. Washington will need to duplicate their performance against a Baltimore team that can explode if they get into a rhythm. The Ravens will need to do their best to protect Flacco. They haven't done a great job of that recently, but will need to do so to keep up with Washington's high flying offense. The easiest way for Baltimore to win this game is to run the football effectively. Washington is 4th in the NFL when it comes to stopping the run. That means Cam Cameron has to be patient and keep the defense honest. Making Baltimore one-dimensional almost always results in a win for the opposing team.
Coaching:
Mike Shanahan has brought his success to Washington after winning back-to-back Championships with the Broncos in 1997-98. The Redskins haven't had much success against the Ravens since the team was formed in 1996. The Ravens own a 3-1 All-Time record against Washington. The Redskins haven't defeated Baltimore since 2000 by a score of 10-3. Coincidentally, that was the same year the Ravens won the Super Bowl.
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Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. He can be reached for comments at SamuelN870@gmail.com. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
