Well, there unfortunately is not a Ravens blogger here at SBNation, so I took to the streets to find a suitable replacement. I had five hard hitting questions that needed answering, and I lucked upon this fellow:
I'd like to credit Wikipedia for this picture, as well as the accompanying biography of this Raven character. I followed him around for a while and got some answers about the big game this Sunday.
The Ravens are a team that have struggled offensively for much of the year, but have been saved by their defense. What will the Ravens do Sunday to try to establish the offense early on?
Raven: Cawwwwww!
Dave: An excellent point. Much like you travel by wing, the Ravens will have to establish their air game early on. Jamal Lewis has been downright useless at times this year, so the Ravens will have to turn to guys like Derrick Mason and hope they can come with big plays on a depleted Falcons secondary.
Obviously, this is a critical game for the Falcons' offense, which is at a crossroads right now. Will the Ravens' DBs be able to shut down Vick 's arm, or is he going to have a good game through the air?
Raven: Cawwww!!
Dave: Another valid point. The Ravens have a lot of older players getting by on reputation, like Ray Lewis, but the defensive backs are still a talented lot. Ed Reed and Samari Rolle have played well this year despite advancing age, but Christ McAllister is the real worry, because he's such a lethal cornerback. I don't expect a big day out of Mike Jenkins.
Bart Scott seemed to come out of nowhere this week. As a knowledgable Ravens fan and raven, what's your take? Is he an elite linebacker?
Raven: Cawwwwwwwwwww!
Dave: Whoa, I'm sorry I questioned him. It's true that Scott is still less well known than Ray Lewis, but he's an amazing player, and one who Vick and Dunn should be wary of. He'll be taking Lewis's spot on Sunday, too, as the linebacker is out after having minor surgery. Scott has 65 tackles, 5 sacks, and an interception on the year, and those numbers don't even begin to reflect how dominating he can be. I'd say he's the key to the game on defense.
The Ravens look like a playoff team, but they're bound to have some trouble down the line, especially without a high caliber offense in the postseason. Will the Ravens get bounced in the first round, or will they make it further?
Raven: Nevermore!
Dave: I...I think that's kind of unrealistic, actually. I think if the Falcons can hold the line on defense, this game could be very close. The Falcons might even win it. I also think the Ravens will probably get no further than the championship round, and I somehow doubt they'll get that far. So take that, raven!
Who wins this game, and by what score?
Raven: Ravens win. The Falcons totally suck.
Dave: You're a real jackass, raven.
Raven: Cawwww!
Dave: So there you have it, the opinions of a single bird. I think the Falcons pull off a narrow win here (I'm not completely jaded yet, I guess), but when I tried to tell him that, he crapped on my car. Live and learn, I guess.
See you all back here tomorrow for the Friday injury report.