The Ravens will surely have their work cut out for them this Sunday when Drew Brees and the Saints come to town. This will be the second week in a row the Ravens will have to face one of the top offenses in the league. They fared well against the Texans in the first half last Monday, but looked visibly tired in the second half allowing 301 yards to Matt Schaub and the Houston offense.
One thing is for sure, if they get a lead on the Saints and allow them to get back in the game, which is very likely, they may not be as lucky as they were last week. The Saints come into this game on a six-game winning streak and have scored 30 or more points in five straight. Needless to say, the Ravens’ defense will find out what they’re made of after Sunday. Here are a few things that may help them slow down Brees and the Saints.
Get in Brees’ face early and often
The early part won’t be a problem. It’s the often part that the Ravens have had trouble with this season, especially in the fourth quarter. I just don’t understand why they stop being aggressive when they get a lead. Logic says that if what you did for the first three quarters worked, why wouldn’t it work in the fourth? I understand that as the game wears on, the defense gets tired. But there’s no way they should give up two consecutive 90-plus yard drives. Let’s just hope they learned something from last week and they don’t make the same mistakes again.
Use speed the neutralize the spread
The Saints’ offense is known for spreading defenses out and utilizing their quickness. They started off slow this season, but have really been clicking as of late. The Ravens have the speed on defense to hang with teams who like to spread it out. They just need to make sure they keep the Saints in front of them, and bring them to the ground when they get ahold of them. The Saints have a variety of offensive weapons so they won’t be able to focus on stopping just one or two players. But the key for the Ravens this Sunday is to bring pressure for the entire game. If they get ahead and let the Saints back in the game, they will be staring at their second home loss of the season.
Submitted by Steve Giles
