Wow, what can you say now? Talk about getting the monkey off of our backs! We just put up 33 on the 7th ranked defense of the Dallas Cowboys and when our backs were against the wall and it looked like once again we were going to fold in the fourth quarter, we silenced the crowd, including a bunch of old time Cowboy stars in a big, big way!

Easily the biggest win of the season and maybe one of the biggest regular season road victories in the Ravens history! I am so stoked about this victory that I can't sleep if I tried. So many great things to say about this team, especially the offense. We all knew the defense would be tough and we kept them pretty much out of the end zone other than the first quarter TD off of Flacco's fumble until the fourth quarter was half over.

Tony Romo looked bewildered and like a deer frozen in headlights! TO never got untracked and if not for Witten, they might have lost even worse. All we heard was how great their defense had been playing and how challenged our offense was. Fans over at Blogging the Boys thought we might not even score against them. Here at the Beatdown, we were worried that our FG's would not be enough because we were missing the TD opportunities in the Red Zone. We still have Red Zone issues, so we decided to score from well outside the 20 yard line.

McGahee and McClain's TD runs were so incredible that not once, but twice we ran for long TD's when our backs were pushed up against the wall after Dallas tried to make a game of it late in the fourth quarter. Twice, the Ravens offensive line opened huge gashes in the supposedly unpenetratable Dallas defense and the game was over. Don't lie to me, both times we kept looking at the clock and prayed that the defense was not going into their prevent mode, rushing only three and sitting back until we lost another close one. I couldn't have handled another last minute meltdown. Thankfully, we responded in a huge way that sealed the deal.

Who do we look at for the key to victory? Cam Cameron called a masterful game. Derrick Mason proved he was a warrior and left it all out on the field. Who else stepped up? Punter Sam Koch kicked the hell out of the ball all night and ran like a fullback on that fake punt. Who else, I could go on all night but I won't. I'll have to leave that to another post, and you all can debate that here under the comments. I'm too fried to write any more and will post again in the morning.

Great, great win for a incredible season that will continue into January. Can you believe it? Do YOU believe in miracles? YES!

The Baltimore Ravens travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys in what will most likely be the last football game in Texas Stadium history. The stands will be packed, the game is on the NFL Network and many old time Cowboy greats will be in attendance for what should be an emotional evening for many. However, once the game starts, as the Ravens' Ray Lewis has said, it's just sixty minutes of football and the best team will win.

Personally, I'm sick and tired of all the love that is being generated this week about the Cowboys and their old, aging stadium, while the Ravens continue to get no respect based on their inabilities to win the big games on prime time television. At the same time, that's fine with me, because the only respect they need is from their opponents on the field and not from the so called "experts" on sports televison.

The word is that the winner firmly plants themselves in the playoff hunt while the loser is on the outside looking in. This is definitely true on most counts, but there is the opportunity to back into the playoffs for both teams if the others in the hunt falter along the way in these last two games. However, the best way to insure playing football in January is to take care of business yourself and that is exactly what the Ravens are looking to do tonight on prime time TV.

Baltimore knows it has its work cut out for them and are considered underdogs by four points, according to many betting sites. The Cowboys have a great passing offense and will be hard to keep off the scoreboard. That said, the Steelers managed to hold them to 13 points, but that was in the cold, damp weather of Heinz Field, while this game will be played on the slick surface in a much warmer and drier climate. While the Ravens pride themselves on playing hard hitting, turnover creating solid defense, the game will be won or lost with the play of the offense and of course, namely the Ravens rookie QB, Joe Flacco. Flacco has not looked too good the past couple of weeks, playing more like a rookie than the solid signalcaller he had looked like earlier this season. At the same time, the Ravens have still won seven of their last nine games, with their only losses to the NY Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. Combined with other loss to the Steelers earlier this season, along with losses to the Titans and Colts, that is where they get their reputation of not being able to win the big games. They've beaten up on the weaker teams, people have repeatedly said, which is true, but have played three of the five losses very close. They have been blown out by the Giants and Colts and while the Giants did win that game by 20 points, there were four specific plays that doomed the Ravens and could have made a big difference in the outcome. But then again, no excuses, good teams make the big plays and that is what it takes to win in this league. Right now, until the Ravens prove they can win the close, tough games, they will continue to be placed in the categoriy of pretenders rather than contenders.

But which category are the Cowboys in? If you look at their recent streak, they are certainly considered contenders by the results, even with the close loss to the Steelers. However, over the course of the entire season, they stand side by side with the Ravens, both with 9-5 records. What should we expect Saturday night when all the hype ends and the hitting begins?

We all know what the Cowboys offense can do when they're clicking on all cylinders. If so, then this game will get ugly and be over early. Dallas has the big play capability and can put points on the board in a hurry. If the Ravens play back and do not put pressure on Tony Romo, he will pick us apart all evening and we will be out of it by halftime. However, Romo is prone to making mistakes and if the Ravens defense can harass him, then there is no reason that we can create the turnovers to level the playing field and disrupt their offense. The Cowboys will be limited in the running game with the questionable status of RB Marion Barber and their rookie replacement doesn't stand to get too many yards against the Ravens tough run defense. Therefore, it all comes down to the pressure from the front four and the secondary's ability to limit the big play and come up with the turnovers that this offense will desperately need.

Offensively, the Ravens are facing a very tough defense in the 7th ranked Dallas Cowboys. While the Ravens lead the NFL in interceptions, the Cowboys lead in sacks, around 20 more than the Ravens defense. Keeping DeMarcus Ware and his teammates out of Joe Flacco's face will go a long way towards the Ravens success. Adding an extra OT to block the Cowboys front four might buy Flacco a bit of time, but he will need to get rid of the ball quickly and have open receivers to throw to. Sending two receivers out at a time just won't get it done. Playing conservative football proved it won't work against the Steelers and wasn't the reason the Ravens got where they are in the first place. Opening the offense and throwing everything, including the kitchen sink at the Cowboys is going to be necessary to win this game. Trick plays, great execution and throwing downfiled is going to have be  a big part of the gameplan if the Ravens hope to keep up with the Cowboys.

I absolutely think the Ravens have the ability to go into Dallas and leave with a victory. The odds are certainly stacked against them, as there are a lot of things that need to go right for them to pull this one out. However, the Cowboys may actually be looking past the Ravens at the Eagles next week, much less getting all caught up in the hype surrounding the last game at Texas Stadium. Together, that makes them ripe for the upset and that is exactly what I am predicting. Predictable, huh, for the Ravens blogger, eh? Not really, as I've predicted the Ravens losing at Pittsburgh, New York and even Miami earlier this year. It's just that the stakes are higher and to me the defense of the Ravens is more opportunistic than the Cowboys and will prove that tonight. Ray Lewis will hit the Cowboys as hard as they have been hit all season and Ed Reed continues his bid for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Here's predicting that while the Cowboys offense totally outplays the Ravens offense, it doesn't matter as the Ravens defense sets up our offense through the turnovers that this team has feasted upon all season. Dallas scores five times to the Ravens four, but the final score is all that matters.

Ravens:  24-23

This Saturday's game in Dallas is a pivotol game for both teams. There is a pretty decent chance that the winner of this game goes to the post season while the loser will most likely fall out of the playoff race, or at least to the bottom of the barrel of those teams still in the hunt. Therefore, while this is a must-win for both teams, only one can do so. How then, can the Baltimore Ravens go into Texas Stadium for the final game in its histroy, and beat a Dallas Cowboy team that is as desperate for a win as they are? There is a lot of "if's" to overcome if they want to emerge as the front runner for the final Wild Card slot in the AFC and send the Cowboys to an embarassing defeat in front of their home fans.

Usually, the key to the game lies in the trenches on both sides of the ball. That is where I usually look for an advantage or disadvantage for the offense and defense. Last week, I spoke about the bouncing ball, as both the Ravens and Steelers defenses seem to capitalize on the tipped pass which leads to field position and easy points. This week we'll go to another area of contention that I believe holds the key to victory for the Ravens over the Cowboys.

It's the clock! The time clock and more notably the all important statistic, time of possession. The Ravens have owned that statistic in their victories and while they've won that battle in some of their losses, the overwhelming wins have had the same overwhelming difference in time of possession. Winning the battle for the clock means that your offense keeps the ball the longest and not only tires out the opponents' defense, but keep the opponents' offense off the field. This will be the key in the Ravens ability to beat the Cowboys. We will need to keep the Dallas offense off the field as much as possible. In all the Cowboys losses with Tony Romo at the helm, either before or after his injury (with the exception of Pittsburgh), Dallas has gotten their offensive stats, yardage and even points. The Steelers game was the only game where they were totally shut down offensively for much of the game and that was due not only because of the Pittsburgh defense, but the cold and rotten weather that the Cowboys did not react well to. The Ravens have the defensive ability to disrupt the Cowboys offense just like the Steelers, but playing in Dallas will not make the weather a factor, at least for the Cowboys.

Therefore, the Ravens offense will have to move the ball, control the clock and most importantly, as a result of the aforementioned, they must score points of those long, ball controlling drives. Scoring 13 points will not be enough to beat the Cowboys, as the Dallas offense puts points on the board at home and will do so against even a tough Ravens defense. Dallas has averaged over 27 points per game at Texas Stadium and only once, in a 13-9 victory over Tampa Bay, have they been held to less than 20. They are 6-1 at home, with their only loss to the Washington Redskins in week four, when Romo still had 300 yards passing in a 26-24 defeat. So if the Ravens plan to win the time of possession battle, they better expect to put up a bunch of points if they want to win the battle on the scoreboard.

The Ravens certainly can score this season and have proved it by averaging over 24 points per game on the road. However, they've averaged only 11 points per game in their three road losses (Pittsbrugh, Indy, Giants), which will just not get the job done this Saturday in Dallas. The Cowboys defense ranks 7th overall (7th-rush; 8th-pass; 12th-points allowed) but they can be scored upon, giving up just over 20 points per game. This is where the Ravens offense needs to take advantage of, and make the plays downfield to put points on the board. No more settling for FG's in the Red Zone by remaining conservative once we get into scoring position. This team needs to pull out all the stops on offense and make sure QB Joe Flacco has the time and gameplan to make the plays. Dallas' DeMarcus Ware has 19 sacks and is looking to break the all-time season sack record of 22.5. He needs to be kept from getting that record against Jared Gaither, Adam Terry and even Todd Heap if necessary. Overloading his side of the offensive line can help us as much as it did by neutralizing Pittsburgh's James Harrison last week. However, this means less pass receiving options if Heap stays in to help, which puts added pressure on the wide outs and increased the need for significant contributions from others, such as Yamon Figurs and Marcus Smith, both of whom are capable of making the big play if called upon. Flacco can't rely on the 8-10 yard curls to Derrick Mason all game and must go over the top, if only to keep the Cowboys secondary honest. Le'Ron McClain needs to continue what is now a Pro Bowl season by ripping off huge chunks of yardage and Willis McGahee needs to atone for the past two worthless games by playing a big role and redeeming himself, while proving to the team and fans that he has a place in this offense now and in the future, as this team desperately needs his contributions. Hopefully, Ray Rice will have recovered and can add a different perspective to the offense as well.

Defensively, the Ravens cannot play the bend-but-don't-break pass defense that doomed us last week vs. Pittsburgh. Dallas' receivers are too big, too fast and too good to expect that style to limit their damage. They are as good as anyone in the league at getting their YAC. Allowing them to slant across the middle will feed right into their gameplan as it has for the teams that have been able to move the ball against us. The health of CB Fabian Washington is a major key in the ability to limit their success. Don't expect the Ravens to shut down the prolific Dallas passing game, only to slow it down. Tony Romo is prone to making mistakes and while he throws on the run as wll as anyone, he has proven to be rattled by tough defenses and hard pass rushes. The Ravens have the ability to throw both at him at if they are able to do so, expect the turnovers that will be critical to the Ravens offensive success.

Winning the turnover battle will feed right into winning the time of possession. The combination of events that lead to the battle for control of the clock will determine the victor in this game. The Ravens absolutely have the ability to accomplish this and the Cowboys know it. Whether or not the Ravens can make it a reality remains to be seen. This is now by far the Ravens toughest and most critical test of the season. while no one expected them to be playing a meaningful game at this point of the season, they've earned the right to be doing so. Now is the time to earn the right to play in January as well. It all begins, or ends, this Saturday night in Dallas.

PS-(Added 12/18, 6pm EST): Colts all over the Jags tonight!

Just taking a break from all things Ravens to wish everyone (yes, even the ,...gulp,...Cleveland fans, even though they don't have as much to be thankful for) a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. The kids are home from school, eating and now drinking everything in the house, having tons of friends over to mess up the basement and parking all over the lawn, knocking down driveway lights, leaving the doors open and lights on all over the house throughout the entire night, spilling beer on the carpet, smelling the house up with their blunts and who knows what else, and.....oh wait, get a grip, Rexx. Uhhh....nevermind (<---has issues).

Anyway,...the Ravens probably have a practice this morning then off to their homes to enjoy a festive meal and watch some Thursday football, as there are three games for us to enjoy, although only one involving an AFC team. I heard yesterday from former Dallas Cowboys GM Gil Brandt on Sirius NFL Network, that the reason the Lions and Cowboys are always playing on Thanksgiving is that when the league started this, they were the only teams who agreed to play at this point of the week and have been schedued as such ever since. However, I'd like to see more rivalry games that might have a higher interest level than some of these one-sided affairs. Of course, perhaps the NFL is thinking that they can put the Lions on every Thanksgiving even if they suck because it's the only game on and we have no other choice. Hmmm,...pretty smart thinking, those NFL brainiacs!

So, to stay up to date with my weekly selections, here are my Picks & Pans for the Thanksgiving Games:

Teneessee over Detroit: Wow, wouldn't it stir up a lot if the Lions pulled the upset and won their first game today? The Titans would also have lost their second in a row and now the Indianapolis Colts would start frothing at their mouths! However, something tells me that ain't gonna happen, as the Titans will be ready and angry to take out the frustration of losing their first game on the hapless Lions. Expect some big days out of the Titans RB's and enough from QB Kerry Collins to satisfy their passing attack. Meanwhile, the Detroit braintrust is probably focusing on whom to take with their first pick of the 2009 NFL Draft than what to do with this team the rest of the 2008 season!

Dallas over Seattle: To be honest with you, I actually think this game will be closer than the point spread suggests (-12.5). The Seahawks have had QB Matt Hasselbeck back for a couple of weeks now and Dallas' pass defense is nothing to write home about. At the same time, Tony Romo is back and appears to once again be in sync with TO, as evidenced by last week's connections between the two. Dallas is on a mission to get in the playoffs while the Seattle players are auditioning for next year. I expect a high scoring game with Dallas scoring more than Seattle.

Philadelphia over Arizona: Yes, that is correct. Despite the Eagles horrible performances the past two weeks in tying the Cincinnati Bengals and getting blown out by our Baltimore Ravens (yea!), the Eagles are now home and have defended their home turf pretty well this season. I expect a big bounce back game from Donovan McNabb, to quiet his naysayers (that will never happen) and continue the controversy of what to do with him once the season is completed (hint: 'da Bears!). The Cardinals have a great passing attack but the Eagles defense has played well in their two recent defeats. I expect both teams to put up the points but the Eagles pass rush and secondary makes the difference as they collect more turnovers than the Cardinals and edge Arizona in what is my Upset Special Pick of the Day.

(NOTE: I'll make my Picks & Pans of the rest of this weekend's game on Saturday and the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday.)

Hate to beat a dead horse, but I always try to find that proverbial needle-in-the- haystack of something positive to take out of what looks to be such a glaring negative on the surface. If you dig a little deeper, you can see the good, instead of just the bad and the ugly.

I'm talking about how our so-called #1 rated run defense gave up over 200 yards to the New York Giants in Sunday's 30-10 thrashing. It could have been even worse, had Brandon Jacobs not gotten himself injured and had Tom Coughlin not played it smart and kept him on the sidelines after he ran for 73 yards in the first quarter alone. Had he stayed in, he probably would have gone over 100 by halftime. In addition, had Coughlin been focusing on the record rather than just ending the game, he could have given the ball to Bradshaw a couple of more times instead of going into the victory set, and he certainly would have earned the last four yards he needed to go over the century mark as well. Giving up 100 yards to two rushers in the same game would have been more humiliation that I could have stood. Hats off to Coughlin for having the class not to rub it in, but something tells me we won't be talking about our so-called "streak" too much in the near future.

But where is the positive to take out of the #1 ranked run defense getting run over by the bus (Jacobs) and the sportscar (Bradshaw)? Here it is and you'll see that it makes sense. Jacobs finished with 73 yards on just 11 carries, for a 6.6 yards per carry average. His first carry was his longest, as it put them in scoring position on their first drive after his 36 yard run. Take away that carry, which was actually almost a tackle for loss, and he has 10 carries for 37 yards, a modest 3.7 yards per carry average. Bradshaw finished with 96 yards on 9 carries, with a 10.7 yard average per attempt. He had that one backbreaking long run of 77 yards down to our goal line that closed out the Giants scoring as we held them to a field goal. Take away that lone carry and he finishes with 8 carries for 19 yards, under 3 yards per attempt. Even their third back, Ward, had 22 of his 41 yards on 11 carries on one play. Without that big gainer, he also finishes with a meek 19 yards on 10 carries, good for under 2 yards/carry.

I'm trying to find the positive here, guys, and if the Ravens had made the inital tackles on those three plays and limited those guys to even around 10 yards each on those carries, then they would have still had over 100 yards as a team (probably around 120 yards), but none of them would have been anywhere near the century mark. What I'm trying to say here is that we just played the best team in the league. Now I know some of you will say the undefeated Titans should have that moniker, but we've played both and I'm sure there's no way you can say the Titans are a better, well rounded team on both sides of the ball than the Giants. Sunday, the Giants took a team that had won four in a row, regardless of who we beat, and made us look like the Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals, all rolled into one.

There are not going to be much in the way of an opponent the rest of the season who's offensive line and running backs come anywhere close to what the Giants showed us. The other three NFC East teams all boast good o-lines and running backs, but not to the extent of New York. Besides, none of them have a passing game that is as efficient as the Giants. I'm not saying they're better than the Cowboys through the air, but they are more efficient, as Eli doesn't make the mistakes that Romo does. The other three are definitely beatable and playing two of them at home is a huge advantage.

The Ravens can get back on track this weekend in hosting the Eagles, who should be embarassed to have had the first tie game since 2002, and that tie may come back to haunt them if they remain in the playoff hunt. However, since they are now 5-4-1 and coming here for a loss this weekend, leaving Baltimore with a 5-5-1 record will certainly not help their playoff chances.

It still may be premature, but we can't avoid it much longer. The playoff scenerios are beginning to take shape in each devision and the contenders are separating from the pretenders. While most divisions, other than the AFC South and NFC West, still remain available for the taking (I'd probably add the NFC East to that, but not until after Sunday!), the Wild Card slots are totally up for grabs.

As far as the Ravens, while it is possible to make the playoffs out of the AFC North as a Wild Card, I'd prefer to leave that challenge to the Steelers and not desire to go on the road for three straight games in order to make the Super Bowl. So therefore, what will it take to make the playoffs and more importantly, win the AFC North?

I posted some thoughts about this as a comment on another FanPost on this site and feel pretty strong about my opinions (gee, really!?). To me it comes down to one basic premise and two specific games. The basic premise of any playoff contender is that you must win the games you are supposed to win. That means you beat the teams below you in the standings, whether it be at home or away. You have to win most, if not all of your remaining home games and do the same on the road, and not let yourself lay an egg and subject yourself to an upset.

When you look at the Ravens remaining schedule, you see the following games that, based on their play in 2008, the Ravens should absolutely expect to win if they want to stay in contention for the division title. Those games are at Cincinnati, home against the Redskins, Steelers and Jaguars. Of the other three games that will be close contests against tough teams, we play at the Giants, host the Eagles and visit Dallas. I fully expect us to win at least one of those, and perhaps we can steal one of the other two.

However, as I said earlier, it all comes down to two specific games. Of course that is totally based on the Ravens holding true to what I wrote in the preceeding paragraph about the must wins. The two specific games I keep referring to are the Eagles and Steelers. If we win those two and then take care of business in the other "sure things" (yes, I know there are no "sure things" in the NFL, but I'm putting those games down as wins, as they certainly are "must" wins if we hope to take the division.).

Look at it this way: We win at Cincy, defeat the Redskins and Jags at home, but lose at New York and Dallas (Romo should be back by then and they will be tough at home, especially playing their last game at old Dallas Stadium on national TV on a Saturday night). We will then be sitting at 9-5, and that leaves the Eagles and Steelers games to decide the AFC North. A win over the Eagles plus evening things up with Pittsburgh will put us at 11-5, which to me will be enough for not only the AFC North title, but a first round bye and at least one home playoff game. The way the Steelers and Big Ben have played lately (1-TD, 8-INT last three games), I just can't see them finishing in a 11-5 tie with us, especially when looking at their remaining schedule. The only thing we have to understand is that if we lose a game we're "supposed" to win, then we must win a game that we're "supposed" to lose.

Of course, we can get that all started with an upset victory over the Giants this Sunday at the Meadowlands! What say you?

Tough time for me picking the games last weekend, as I finished 5-9 (ouch). I went for a couple of upsets that didn't happen, but still have a solid record for the season. There are a slew of possible upsets just itching to be picked and you'll see a couple listed below. I'll pick & pan my Ravens at Colts game in tomorrow's post, but unfortunately, you won't see an upset pick from me on that one. Oh well, here goes for the other Sunday and MNF games:

Atlanta over Chicago:  Here's my first upset pick. SportsBook.com has the Bears as a 3 point favorite on the road, but I like the Falcons defending their home turf. Michael Turner has ran great at home and I think he'll have success against an overrated defense, while John Abraham has played out of his head for Atlanta.

Minnesota over Detroit:  Gus Frerotte has made everyone in Minnesota say, "Tavares who?" and combined with AP, will smother a Lions team that might begin to improve under a new GM and QB, as Drew Stanton should take over for the embattled and injured Jon Kitna.

New Orleans over Oakland:  No way the Saints lose twice in a row at home against teams they should have beaten. Drew Brees is supposed to get Marques Colston back at wideout, and Reggie had a career and recordsetting game last week and is aiming for more.

NY Jets over Cincinnati:  The Jets have had a week off to prepare for one of the worst teams and biggest disappointments in the league this year. While it appears the Bengals are beginning to click on offense through the air, the Jets' passing game was lights out last time they played and look to feast on the horrible Cincy secondary at home.

Tampa Bay over Carolina:  The Panthers are on a roll and one of the better teams in the NFC. However, I like the Bucs to defend their home turf and slow down Carolina's offense in a close one that could go either way.

Washington over St. Louis:  Against my better wishes, the Redskins have emerged as one of the top teams in the NFC and a contender for the NFC East crown, with road victories against all their division opponents. Now they're hosting a team in complete disarray. The only question is can they get psyched enough to beat a team that is not supposed to beat them?

Houston over Miami:  While the Dolphins have won two in a row for the first time since at least the 2006 season (duh, they only won once in 2007, and yes, it was against my Ravens, thank you very much for reminding me!), the Texans took a play out of the Ravens gameplan and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory last week by giving up 21 points and the game to the Colts in the last four minutes. However, I still like the Texans offense and Mario Williams to disrupt the 'fins from the defensive side of the ball.

Denver over Jacksonville:  The Broncos defense finally played decent last week after looking horrible the first part of the season. I expect them to repeat that performance to allow their passing attack to put enough points on the board to stay ahead of the Jags stellar running game.

Arizona over Dallas:  This is obviously the upset special pick of the week. However, I do not advocate betting the mortgage on it (sick joke in these times, eh?). The Cardinals have played great at home, as evidenced by their two huge double digit victories there over Miami and a previously undefeated Bills team. Kurt Warner has been insane at home versus average at best on the road. The Cowboys secondary is very suspect and the Cards will look to exploit it, even without top WR Anquan Boldin. The Cowboys and especially QB Tony Romo has been prone to mistakes and the Cardinals defense is underrated and hard hitting, as evidenced by their being repeatedly hit with fines from the league for head hunting. Watch out TO!

Philadelphia over San Francisco:  I was tempted to add this game to the upset list, but can't seem to get my fingers to go along with it. Even without Brian Westbrook, the Eagles should have too much firepower and anger over losing to the Redskins at home last week to allow the 49ers to defend their home field advantage.

Seattle over Green Bay:  This game is not actually an upset pick, as it is still off the betting boards as of this posting. Due to Seattle's QB Matt Hasselbeck's uncertainty, as well as Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers lingering injury, the line is still undecided. However, the Seahawks has been pretty dismal wherever they've played, so a change in QB to the elusive Seneca Wallace might not be a bad idea. Rodgers will play for the Packers, but they have not looked good the past couple of weeks, especially losing at home to the Falcons last weekend.

San Diego over New England:  The Chargers are off to their typical poor start, but it has to get better soon, or their playoff chances diminish each week they lose again. The Pats have began to get comfortable under Matt Cassel, but this will be a tough rematch of last year's AFC Championship game and Phil River and LT have something to prove. If the Pats gave up 21 to the 49ers last week and reportedly stayed on the West Coast all week to practice, then the Chargers should light up their secondary (I'd love that, as Rivers is my fantasy QB!).

NY Giants over Cleveland (Monday Night Football):  I can't wait to see the Giants put a beat down on the Browns in front of their Dawg Pound and national TV audience, which should pretty much seal the deal for both a Brady Quinn appearance and the notion that 2007 was a fluke of a season for them. The Giants are the best team in football and Eli is also the best Manning so far in 2008. Despite the losses the Giants suffered on the d-line, they have risen like the Champs they are and not only never missed a beat, but actually look better and more dominant on both sides of the ball.

Last Week:  5-9

Season Record:  44-29

With a playoff spot at stake, the Ravens travel into the home of what used to be called "America's Team" to take on the NFC East 2007 Champion Dallas Cowboys. While the Cowboys may no longer be the unanimous choice for the moniker of "America's Team," they are still one of the most popular and certainly one of the better teams in the NFL. However, they play in what also might be the toughest division in the league, which should either keep them sharp for their out of conference games, or wear them down due to the brawls.

Depending on where you stand, this is either a benefit or danger to the Ravens. Regardless of which, don't expect the Ravens to waltz into Dallas and emerge with a victory over a very good Cowboys team. The Ravens may have still be a contender for the Wild Card positions, but they ain't ready to roll with the big boys on the road, as their modest four game winning streak comes to a screeching halt.

The Cowboys have way too many weapons, although I still don't see this game as a blowout. Dallas might have TO, Romo, Marion Barber, Jason Witten plus others on offense, but they still haven't played a defense like the Ravens, who just won't roll over and quit. At the same time, the 'boys should be able to put enough points on the board with this offense to keep the Ravens from making it a close game.

Offensively, the Ravens will have to rely on short passes and the running game, while at some point way too early for this offense, be forced to go to the pass in order to try to keep up with the Cowboys on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, that is where the game gets out of hand, as the Ravens are still not a good enough offense, much less passing team to rely on the arm of Troy Smith (or Flacco, or even Boller) to play catch up.

After a bruising loss to a tough, athletic and veteran Dallas squad, the Ravens will limp home still in playoff contention. Their hopes of playing in the post season now rest on a win against a real tough Jacksonville team while also having to rely on other teams' losing in order to squeak into the playoffs.

Cowboys: 27  Ravens: 13

Season Record:  9-6