Raiders of the Lost Al Davis Come to Town

Ravens host Raiders Sunday @ 1 pm

Week 8 of the NFL season pits the Baltimore Ravens against the Oakland Raiders in Baltimore. 30 to 40 years ago Oakland coming to Baltimore was as big as it gets. But those Raiders are gone and the Colts don't play in Baltimore anymore.

In fact the days of the big bad silver and black are only a memory. They are now an (Art) shell of a team with Al Davis having lost his mind. But nonetheless they are coming to Baltimore to play the Ravens.

Funny thing is they have some talented players coming with them to play. Running backs Justin Fargas and rookie stud Darren McFadden make a very good rushing tandem. The 2 have rushed for 590 yards on the year. A third back Michael Bush has added an additional 202 yards on top of that. That's 790 yards between the three-some. That is why the Raiders are ranked at #5 overall in rushing offense. However when it comes to passing the ball Oakland is ranked #27 in the NFL at passing offense. 2nd year QB JaMarcus Russell out of LSU is still trying to prove he was worth being drafted as the first overall pick in 2007.

So while Russell has a rifle of an arm he is still a work in progress. So the Raiders need to run the ball. That is going to be a problem. The Ravens eat running backs as a vitamin supplement. They are still ranked #1 overall at stopping the run.

Thus I see Baltimore controlling this game from the defensive side of the game. Even though they have dropped from the #1 overall defense to #2 they are only allowing an average of 16.7 points per game. Which ironically the Raiders are averaging 16.2 points of scoring per game. You see where we are going here? Advantage Ravens!

On the other side of the ball the Ravens offense will be facing the #26 ranked NFL defense. So there should be some opportunity for Baltimore to sustain a running attack and give rookie QB Joe Flacco some time to throw the ball. Kid Joe has shown steady growth and this should be a confidence builder. Although bizarre things happen in this league. Brett Favre put up a zillion points on the Cardinals but only 13 against this same lame Raiders defense only last Sunday.

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Adding to the mix that teams who travel East from West notoriously have difficulty with the time change, then I smell a Ravens win. A nice mix of ball control and play action with a few downfield attempts should net more than their average of 17.5 points per game. Which the offense needs to shift it into the next gear if the playoffs are in sight. The Ravens are the #26 ranked NFL offense. Actually the Raiders offense is ranked higher at #23. In the NFL and offense needs to average at least 20 points to be considered productive and respectable.

All things considered I am expecting a Baltimore 24-13 win over Oakland.

Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens injury report as of 10/23

Name/Position/Injury/Practice Status/Game Status

Oakland
Jon Alston LB Foot Did Not Participate In Practice -- Derrick Burgess DE tricep Did Not Participate In Practice -- Darren McFadden RB Toe Limited Participation in Practice -- Gerard Warren DT Ankle Limited Participation in Practice --

Baltimore
Yamon Figurs WR Knee Did Not Participate In Practice -- Derrick Mason WR Illness Did Not Participate In Practice -- Demetrius Williams WR Ankle Did Not Participate In Practice -- Derrick Martin CB Shoulder Full Participation in Practice -- Willis McGahee RB Knee Full Participation in Practice -- Jared Gaither T Neck Limited Participation in Practice -- Chris McAlister CB Knee Limited Participation in Practice -- Ed Reed S Thigh Limited Participation in Practice -- Dawan Landry S Neck Out (Definitely Will Not Play) -- Samari Rolle CB Shoulder Out (Definitely Will Not Play) -- Adam Terry T Knee Out (Definitely Will Not Play)

By Andy Natalie
ProFootball-fans.com Baltimore Ravens Correspondent