AP News, January 8th, 2007
The Baltimore Ravens won a franchise-record 13 games this season because their offense provided sufficient support to the league's top-rated defense. They hope to implement the same formula Saturday in their playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts.
After yielding at least 100 yards rushing in each of their 16 regular season games, the Colts stacked the line of scrimmage last weekend in an effort to stop Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson. The strategy worked perfectly: Johnson was limited to 32 yards on a season-low 13 carries, and the Colts advanced with a 23-8 victory.
Kansas City had few options after discovering Johnson would have no room to run. Forced to throw, Chiefs quarterback Trent Green went 14-of-24 for 107 yards with three turnovers.
The Ravens expect the Colts to implement a similar ploy Saturday against running back Jamal Lewis, who ran for 1,132 yards and is the focal point of the Baltimore attack. Lewis averaged 22 carries over the Ravens' last four regular season games _ all of them wins.
Just because the Colts stopped Johnson, that doesn't mean the Ravens won't attempt to pound Lewis into the line a couple dozen times, if for no other reason than to keep Colts quarterback Peyton Manning off the field.
But if Indianapolis stops Lewis, the Ravens won't panic. That's because they've got quarterback Steve McNair, who has done an excellent job this season distributing the ball to his receivers without any hint of favoritism.
Todd Heap leads Baltimore with 73 catches, followed by Derrick Mason (68) and Mark Clayton (67). Rookie Demetrius Williams has chipped in with 22 receptions, and fullback Ovie Mughelli had 21.
So if the Colts stack eight men at the line, the Ravens will be happy to put the ball in the air.
"It's good to be versatile, to be able to run the ball and throw the ball," Clayton said, "and when we throw the ball, we have options. We know that Mason can get open, Demetrius can get open, Todd Heap is open and myself. So, that's really good for us."
And tough for the Colts. Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy compared the Baltimore offense with that of the Chiefs, but gave the nod to Baltimore because of its wealth of wideouts.
"It's similar in a lot ways in that it's built on the running game, and utilizing their weaponry," Dungy said. "I think their wide receivers are probably a little more explosive, but it's similar in theory."
The Ravens are 9-1 since coach Brian Billick fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel and started calling the plays. Lewis has received plenty of work, but McNair has done much more than simply hand off the football.
"It's a lot of guys taking pressure off each other," Heap said. "Steve has done a good job of really going through his progressions and really not keying on one guy and not predetermining where he's going with the ball. He's done a good job of going through his reads and saying: 'OK, we'll take what the defense gives us. Let's hit the open guy.'"
Said McNair: "That's a sign of a good offense and a good chemistry that we have. We can distribute the ball in so many different ways; they can't pinpoint where we're going to throw the ball."
Even Mughelli has gotten into the act. He entered the season with three career receptions and no carries in five career starts, but this year an integral part of the attack.
"It's very gratifying," he said. "I don't want people to think I was arrogant or cocky because I'm not, but I knew I could help this team running and catching the ball."
Mughelli will provide the Colts one more thing to worry about.
"Last year, I was wide open and I wasn't ever an option," he said. "Now, they're using me to open things up for the running game and to pick up key first downs. It's such a big difference from before."
