There are a few games a year where I have no idea what to expect going into it. Takes me back to college (Happy Homecoming, Eau Claire) where we would have sketchy details as to what the night pertains and there is a chance it could be a great one where we are recapping it like a Monday morning quarterback or regretting every move we made going all GOB Bluth. This is how I described the Packer game right now because there is so much that can happen and it really all comes back to the unpredictable nature of Baltimore's offense.
It is really the true definition of the mixed bag offense and it starts with their playcalling. Ray Rice is one of the best running backs in the National Football League, but he is still dinged up a bit from a hip injury that caused him to miss a game this season. Rice and touchdown vulture Bernard Piece are both very competent, yet the Ravens tend to ignore the fact they have a running game. Rice had 27 carries against Miami last week which is basically equal to the amount of carries he received in the first two games of the season. Rice has not had a 100 yard game since the Divisional round of the playoffs meaning it has been six games and currently is struggling holding onto the football. Rice has two fumbles in four games. He already has more fumbles than he had all last season. Something to watch for is the Packers trying to jar the ball loose on Sunday.The other part of the unpredictable Ravens offense puzzle is Joe Flacco. The newly paid quarterback can give you a game where he looks deserving of MVP consideration or he can look like Blaine Gabbert's cousin, there is no real in-between with Flacco. Take the Buffalo game as a great example of Flacco being a weird bird at quarterback. He throws for 347 and two touchdowns... Great. But then he also includes five interceptions..WTF. Flacco for the season has a quarterback rating of 70.7 and with the Packers opportunistic defense, they could make some plays on the new 20 million dollar man. All of the above is the reason why people do not get fired up when talking about Flacco, but he can definitely put up points with the best of them on certain days.
This will be yet another test for the Packers offensive line. It feels like every week writing this post, there is a paragraph about the offensive line facing a tough front-seven and they tend to handle them well albeit Cincinnati's ability to knock down passes. Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil are very mean on the outside with Haloti Ngata inside (Ngata has an injured hip, but they expect him to play), one of the best to play the game. The Packers offensive line has given eleven sacks in four games. This is a massive improvement from last year where after Week 4, it felt like Rodgers would leave on a stretcher before the year was done. This will be a big test for them, but I expect they can pass it again as they have all season.
Aaron Rodgers can do some work with their secondary. As always for the Ravens, it has been their weakest part of their defense. I would not be surprised if Rodgers takes some shots down field early in this game. Also, look for Jermichael Finley to have a big game in the middle. Peyton Manning seemed to have his way with this defense, and he did it over the middle of the field. I actually expect the Packers to utilize a lot of the same things Denver did in the first game because Rodgers can be at a Manning-level when he gets into the right groove.
The Packers have only been to Baltimore once since the Ravens were a franchise, and they were walloped 48-3 in 2005 which coincidentally is the first time Green Bay saw Rodgers playing for the Green and Gold. I doubt that happens this week. This feels like a close game even with the Ravens unpredictable offense and I think the Packers do just enough to finally win a close game on the road. Green Bay 20 Baltimore 17.
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