PLAYOFF RACES HEAT UP AS 22 TEAMS IN CONTENTION
FOR TRIP TO SUPER BOWL XLVI
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the suspense continues to build as teams make their final playoff push. So far, four spots have been clinched – Green Bay (NFC North, first-round bye), San Francisco (NFC West), Houston (AFC South) and New Orleans (playoff spot).
"We have to just keep playing, working hard and getting better," says center MATT BIRK of the 10-3 Baltimore Ravens, who can clinch a playoff berth in Week 15. "We can get to where we want to go. All we have to do is focus on our opponents and work hard and get as good as we can."
BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-3) at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (6-7) (Sunday, NBC & Telemundo, 8:20 PM ET)
The Ravens have won four in a row and tie for the best record in the AFC at 10-3. The Chargers have won two games in a row and have moved within two games of first place in the AFC West.
Baltimore linebacker TERRELL SUGGS had three sacks and three forced fumbles in last week’s 24-10 victory over Indianapolis, the only such performance in the NFL in the past three seasons.
San Diego quarterback PHILIP RIVERS threw three touchdown passes and improved to 22-2 (.917) as a starter in December, the best mark among QBs who began their careers in the Super Bowl era (minimum 15 starts).
"Until they say we’re done, there’s always a chance," says Chargers safety ERIC WEDDLE.
In addition to NBC, the game will air on Telemundo in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco/San Jose and Washington, DC. This is the third of three simulcasts on Telemundo during the 2011 season through a production partnership with NBC Sports.
SUNDAY NIGHT
BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-3) AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (6-7)
SERIES
|
RAVENS |
CHARGERS |
SERIES LEADER |
4-3 |
|
STREAKS |
4 of past 5 |
|
COACHES VS. OPP. |
Harbaugh: 1-0 |
Turner: 2-2 |
LAST WEEK |
W 24-10 vs. Colts |
W 37-10 vs. Bills |
LAST GAME |
9/20/09: Ravens 31 at Chargers 26. Baltimore QB Joe Flacco passes for 2 TDs & RB Willis McGahee rushes for 2 TDs as Ravens earn road win. |
|
LAST GAME AT SITE |
9/20/09 |
|
BROADCAST |
NBC (5:20 PM PT): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Dave Sims, James Lofton, Scott Kaplan (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 94 (WW1), 92 (Bal.), 93 (SD). XM: 227 (WW1), 225 (Bal.), 226 (SD). |
STATS
PASSING |
Flacco: 263-465-3,122-15-9-79.9 |
Rivers: 302-480-3,745 (2C)-22 (2C)-17-87.5 |
RUSHING |
Rice: 234-1,029 (2C)-4.4-10 (1C) |
Mathews: 185-943-5.1-4 |
RECEIVING |
Rice (RB): 62-593-9.6-2 |
Jackson: 53-952-18.0-8 (T3C) |
OFFENSE |
346.0 |
388.1 (2C) |
TAKE/GIVE |
+3 |
-7 |
DEFENSE |
278.1 (3L) |
330.5 |
SACKS |
Suggs: 13 (1C) |
Barnes: 7 |
INTs |
Webb: 4 (T3C) |
Weddle: 7 (T1L) |
PUNTING |
Koch: 46.3 |
Scifres: 48.1 |
KICKING |
Cundiff: 114 (1C) (33/33 PAT; 27/35 FG) |
Novak: 100 (31/32 PAT; 23/28 FG) |
NOTES
RAVENS: Seek 5th consecutive win…In only career start vs. SD, QB JOE FLACCO completed 17 of 26 passes (65.4 pct.) for 2 TDs vs. 1 INTs & 96.6 rating. Flacco (8) needs 300-yard passing game to surpass VINNY TESTAVERDE (8) for most 300-yard passing games in Ravens history…In past 2, RB RAY RICE is averaging 153.5 rush yards per game. Rice leads NFL with 307 rush yards in Dec. Ranks 1st among NFL RBs with 593 rec. yards in ’11. RB RICKY WILLIAMS (9,916) needs 84 rush yards to reach 10,000 career…WR ANQUAN BOLDIN had 4 catches for 112 yards in only meeting vs. SD (w/ Cardinals). Rookie WR TORREY SMITH ranks 2nd among NFL rookies with 6 TD rec. (A.J. GREEN, 7)…Lead NFL with 45 sacks…S BERNARD POLLARD had 1st INT of season last week…LB TERRELL SUGGS(13) needs 2.5 sacks to surpass PETER BOULWARE (15 in ’01) for most sacks in season in Ravens history. Has 7 sacks in past 3…DE CORY REDDING has 3.5 sacks in past 3…CHARGERS: For career, QB PHILIP RIVERS is 22-2 (.917) as starter in Dec., best mark among QBs who began their career in SB era (min. 15 starts). Rivers had 436 passing yards vs. Ravens on 9/20/09, 2nd-most in game in career…RB RYAN MATHEWS aims for 4th consecutive game with 100+ rush yards (137, 112, 114). Mathews (943) needs 57 rush yards to reach 1,000 for 1st time. RB MIKE TOLBERT posted 6th rush TD of season last week & 17th since ’10…TE ANTONIO GATES (582) needs 5 catches to surpass HOFer CHARLIE JOINER (586) for most career catches in franchise history. Recorded 75th career TD rec. last week, 2nd-most among TEs in NFL history (TONY GONZALEZ, 95). In past 2 vs. Bal., Gates has totaled 11 rec. for 183 yards (16.6 avg.) with 2 TDs…WR VINCENT JACKSON (952) needs 48 rec. yards to reach 1,000 for 3rd time in career. Jackson had 6 catches for 141 yards with TD catch in last game vs. Bal…S ERIC WEDDLEis tied for 1st in NFL with 7 INTs this season.