THE BALTIMORE RAVENS are, of course, named after the titular character of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem.
Their mascot is called Poe (and until 2008 had two ‘brothers’ called Edgar and Allan). There is a very good reason for this as Poe died in Baltimore in 1849 and is buried there.
For those of you unfamiliar with the poem (or haven’t seen The Simpsons version of it) it centres on the narrator trying to provide a rational explanation for the appearance and behaviour of the raven before accepting the bird as a physical manifestation of his soul.
If anyone represents the heart and soul of the Baltimore Ravens it is perennial Pro-Bowler and 17 season veteran Ray Lewis. His loss to a torn right triceps last weekend could completely derail the Ravens’ season. Remember, this is a team that have seen four of their five wins come by one score or less. Without Lewis, those narrow wins easily convert to heart-breaking losses.
Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans
With both sitting on 5-1, Baltimore and Houston have the best record in the AFC. Indeed, with six weeks in the books, they are the only teams with winning records in the American Football Conference. The Ravens have won four in a row, while Houston is coming off the back of its first loss of the season.
Luckily for the Texans, who were burned for six passing touchdowns by Aaron Rodgers last weekend, they face no such threat in the Ravens. Joe Flacco, who has completed just 61.7% of his passes (18th in NFL) and thrown only eight touchdowns (tied for 11th), remains an average quarterback, which makes it all the more surprising that Baltimore continue to rely on him to win games while ignoring Ray Rice.
The Ravens rank fifth in average yards per attempt (4.7) but have made just 143 rushing attempts (19th in NFL) through six games. It makes no sense, especially with a player who has surpassed 1,200 yards in three of his four seasons in the NFL and only has five career fumbles to his name.
For the Texans, defence remains their strength – last week’s annihilation aside – and they rank seventh in both pass and run defence. On offence, the Texans are eight in rushing (805 yards) but just 17th in passing (1,375 yards) because, unlike the Ravens, they are unafraid of to use their most potent weapon, Arian Foster, who already has 561 yards rushing this year (2nd in the NFL).
Verdict: The Ravens could as easily be 1-5 as they are 5-1 this year and the loss of Lewis and Lardarius Webb is huge going forward, especially as they continue to stutter on offence. I fully expect the Texans to bounce back this week and confirm their position as the best of a bad bunch in the AFC. Texans by 7+
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
There were a lot of disappointed Irish NFL fans this week when it was announced that London would host a second NFL game in 2013 rather than Croke Park, especially as it will involve Dan Rooney’s Pittsburgh Steelers. I wasn’t upset though; the current incarnation of the black and yellow are awful.
Last week, for example, they lost to the worst team in the NFL and are 0-3 on road trips this year. They currently sit third in the AFC North, scoring the fewest points in the division and in real danger of missing out on the playoffs for just the second time since 2004.
This week, they play their first divisional game of 2012 against a Bengals team that raised real hopes of repeating last year’s success with three wins in a row before losing to both the Dolphins and previously win-less Browns in their last two games. The reason for their recent run is obvious, as only four teams have worse turnover differential than Cincinnati. Continue that trend this weekend and they can forget about the post-season.
Verdict: This Steelers team is still struggling to adapt to new offensive co-ordinator Todd Haley’s mindset and are showing their age on defence. If the Bengals can find their run game, the win is there for the taking. Bengals by 3.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady listens to a reporter’s question during a press conference yesterday. Stephan Savoia/AP/Press Association Images
New England Patriots @ New York Jets
Nobody has scored more points in the NFL this year than the New England Patriots (188). Only nine teams have conceded more than the Jets’ 141.
The Patriots have the top ranked offence in the NFL (445.3 yards per game). The Jets (295.5 ypg) are ranked 30th in the NFL.
The Patriots have lost their three games by a combined total of four points. The Jets have lost their three by a combined total of 57 points.
The Patriots have converted more third downs (41) than any team in the NFL. Tim Tebow has converted three fourth down punt fakes for the Jets this year.
The Patriots have welcomed back Aaron Hernandez in recent weeks and found a way to get the ball to Wes Welker. The Jets have lost their two best players in Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes.
The Patriots have Tom Brady. The Jets have Mark Sanchez.
Verdict: Knowing how the 2012 season has gone so far, the Jets will probably win this game. However, if logic prevails, Patriots by 10.
All fixtures and predictions:
Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills – Bills
Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers – Cowboys
Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts – Colts
Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings – Vikings
Washington Redskins @ New York Giants – Giants
Green Bay Packers @ St. Louis Rams – Rams
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Buccaneers
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Oakland Raiders – Raiders
Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears – Bears
