Just under two hours to game time and I’m trying to remember what the storyline on this game is.

I suppose at one point it may have been about Jamal Lewis coming back and playing the Ravens – that’s always interesting, right? Not really. Lewis had some decent games against the Ravens, but Ravens fans especially have never had it out for Lewis now that he’s on the Browns. I don’t really think that Lewis has it in for the Ravens either.

Oh, and did I mention that Lewis won’t be playing today, anyway.

Some in the press are trying to play the “can the Ravens handle this success” card. That’s just silly. The Ravens went 11-5 last year and made it to the AFC Championship – with virtually the same roster. They can handle the success.

They also proved last year that they know how to win games they should win. They even won games they weren’t supposed to win.  Week 1 might have been a scare against the Chiefs, but minus two big mistakes, and that game is a 100% blowout.

Sorry, but there is no story this week. Here’s what the story should be: Can the Ravens put up enough points to overtake the Saints as the league’s #1 scoring offense? Probably not. Can they at least hold on to #2? Probably.

Ravens Rush Attack vs. Chargers Rush Defense:

The Chargers defense is not quite the feared force it was growing into in 2006 and 2007. They are a decent at stopping the rush, but not superb, allowing just over 100 yards a game in 2008 and allowing well over 100 yards on the ground against the Raiders. The Chargers will struggle mightily with the Ravens multi-faceted rush attack, especially if the Ravens return to their run-oriented gameplan and control the clock. Even with limited touches, the Ravens showed they know how to use their running weapons, getting quality touches to Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and even Le’Ron McClain. We may not see any back top 100 yards on their own, but the Ravens expect to be pushing 200 yards as a team on a weekly basis. Edge: Ravens.

Ravens Pass Attack vs. Chargers Pass Defense: Read the rest of this entry »