Stay with Baltimore Beatdown all day and post your comments and thoughts as you watch us shock the world and certainly the Rocky Mountain area and yank the Denver Broncos from the ranks of the NFL unbeatens! I'll join in the aftermath of the carnage when I return home from the game, where I'll be drinking Dom Perignon and eating baked brie off of silver platters served by french maids with long black gloves and high boots in the Club Level. It's the Ravens' annual Halloween game and the cheerleaders will be dresses in all sorts of provocative outfits to bother and distract me. However, they won't be able to distract the Ravens from returning to their early season form as the Bye week that both teams enjoyed last week ends up helping the home team more than the visiting one.
(See more on "Ravens v. Broncos: Prediction & Open Thread" after the 'Jump')
If the Denver Broncos can fly 2500 miles and beat an angry, tough, hard hitting Baltimore team in their own stadium in front of 70,000 screaming fans who are just as angry and frustrated by the results of the last three games, well, then I'm right on their bandwagon with them. Until then, I see the Ravens offense putting points on the stingiest team in the NFL, even in the second half, when the Broncos have shut down everyone up until now. I also see the defense getting back on track, with enough pressure to harass and fluster Kyle Orton into throwing more than just a useless last second Hail Mary interception. For the first time in three games, the Ravens run defense returns to its past of keeping the opposition's rusher under 100 yards and forces the opposition to throw much more and sooner than they want, leading to the game changing plays that we know this defense is all about.
Joe Flacco continues to show why he is the best young QB in the game today, as he withstands the pressure and his offensive line gives him the time to find his open receivers. I expect Todd Heap, Mark Clayton and Kelley Washington to make big contributions and even won't be surprised to see a significant appearance from seldom seen Demetrius Williams and perhaps even L.J. Smith. Derrick Mason will be blanketed by Denver's Champ Bailey, which should have Flacco looking elsewhere for the big plays on offense. Speaking of big plays, right now there is no one in the league putting together a better all around season than Baltimore's Ray Rice. Whether it be running the ball or catching it out of the backfield, expect him to get the touches necessary that he's sure to make at least, if not a handful of big plays that turn the tide of the game in Baltimore's favor and keeps it there for all sixty minutes. Between Rice, Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain, the running attack will wear down the Broncos athletic, but small defensive front seven and take its toll as the latter stages of the game roll around. This time, the last couple of minutes won't be needed to either pull one out for either team as the Ravens finally prove that they could have came into this game at 6-0 just like the Broncos. The differences are that we are 3-3 and pretty damn angry about it and the Broncos and their fans will see what this team is made of as Denver falls for the first time all season.
Ravens 27-16