Update: Rivers sharp as Chargers cruise past Ravens

[Vin+ 3,121]

TIME: 08:20 P.M. EST

VENUE: Qualcomm Stadium

 

 

 

Stuck in a four-way tie for the best record in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens only can focus on their own business over their final three games.

 

Baltimore looks to clinch its fourth consecutive playoff berth and keep pace for the conference's No. 1 seed when it visits the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night.

 

The Ravens (10-3) have won at least 10 games for the third time in four seasons, though they're making a push to secure their first playoff bye since 2006 after last Sunday's 24-10 victory over winless Indianapolis.

 

Baltimore, seeking to win five straight for the first time since Oct. 29-Nov. 26, 2006, contends it is not looking too far into the future despite what's at stake down the stretch.

 

"The object is just to win the next game, more than anything probably," coach John Harbaugh said. "If that happens, we pretty much know where the chips are going to fall."

 

Ray Rice, who exceeded the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the third straight season with a 103-yard performance against the Colts, echoed his coach's statement.

 

"We have to play the San Diego Chargers. That's the next task at hand," Rice said.

 

While most of the Ravens may be focusing on the present, Terrell Suggs still eyes the team's ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl. A win this week would help Baltimore keep pace with New England (playing at red-hot Denver), Pittsburgh (at San Francisco) and Houston (hosting Carolina) for the conference's top seed.

 

"Championship teams, they don't settle for what's happening right now. Every week, they try to get better," Suggs said. "We're doing a lot of things good, but we have to correct things and get better at the things we're not doing so well. We're still not satisfied. This team is hungry."

 

The stellar play of Suggs has been a major reason the Ravens have won the last four games without star linebacker Ray Lewis, who has been nursing a turf toe injury.

 

Suggs has a career-high and AFC-leading 13 sacks after registering three last week while also forcing three fumbles. Though Harbaugh expects Lewis to play this week, Baltimore is sure to rely on Suggs to continue at his same level.

 

"Terrell has lifted his play. I think he's stronger and faster than he's ever been," Harbaugh said. "He's worked really hard. He works hard in the weight room. He's one of the leaders in that."

 

Chargers coach Norv Turner is well aware of Suggs' ability, as well as Baltimore's third-ranked defense that allows only 278.1 yards and 15.5 points per game.

 

"They're as talented as any team in the league," Turner said. "They're obviously the best defense in the league, in my mind. They're great on third down, they're physical, they're a great pass-rushing group."

 

Turner's squad will have to match that effort if it plans to hold onto its faint playoff hopes.

 

San Diego (6-7) is two games behind Denver and the New York Jets for a wild-card spot, though it has won two straight after crushing Buffalo 37-10 last week.

 

The Chargers have outscored their opponents 75-24 over the past two games, while the defense has forced four turnovers to help end a six-game losing streak that may be too difficult to overcome.

 

They're not giving up hope quite yet, however.

 

"Until they say we're done, there's always a chance," said safety Eric Weddle, who converted a first down on a fake punt and had an interception against the Bills. "Even if we were done, we'd be playing our hearts out."

 

Philip Rivers played another solid game, throwing for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He's thrown seven touchdowns and zero interceptions over his last three games.

 

Ryan Mathews ran for 114 yards for his third straight 100-yard game, though it will be tough to earn a fourth. Baltimore ranks second in the NFL allowing only 85.8 rushing yards per game.

 

San Diego, meanwhile, is tied for 23rd against the run giving up 128.9 yards per game. That may not bode well against Rice, who ranks second in the AFC in rushing behind Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew.

 

Rice, though, was held to 36 yards on only eight carries in the most recent meeting - a 31-26 Baltimore victory Sept. 20, 2009.

 

Rivers threw for a then-career-high 436 yards in that contest, including 141 and a touchdown to Vincent Jackson.

 

The Ravens have won four of the last five matchups, and this will be the third straight meeting in San Diego.

 

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.

Edited December 19, 2011 by BLUE

[Vin+ 3,121]

Chargers declared DE Jacques Cesaire, WR Bryan Walters, CB Shareece Wright, OT Tony Moll, DE/OLB Everette Brown and LB Nate Triplett inactive for Week 15 against the Ravens.

 

Amongst the league's most banged up teams all season, the Chargers enter Week 15 near full health. Cesaire remains without a return date from his ankle injury.

 

 

 

Ravens MLB Ray Lewis (toe) and LCB Lardarius Webb (toe) are both active for Week 15 against the Chargers.

 

As are K Billy Cundiff (calf) and CB Chris Carr (back). The four games Lewis missed from Week 11-14 match his total from 2006-10.

 

Inactive for the Ravens are WR LaQuan Williams, WR Tandon Doss, RB Anthony Allen, CB Danny Gorrer, LB Chavis Williams, DT Brandon McKinney and LB Sergio Kindle.

[oochymp 2,393]

so Baltimore will be 10-4 with losses to Tennessee, Jacksonville, Seattle, and now San Diego, fortunately for them, they're not likely to meet any of those teams in the playoffs, but is this team really that bad about playing to the level of bad opponents?

[RazorStar 4,025]

San Diego is just good in December, Seattle is suddenly .500 and have an outside shot at the playoffs... but yeah they don't have much excuse for the other two. Once they stopped running the ball with Rice, they were hooped.

[BLUE 1,026]

Per Rotoworld.com:

 

Philip Rivers was surgical in San Diego's 34-14 win over the Ravens in Week 15, completing 17-of-23 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown.

The Ravens opted to limit banged up LCB Lardarius Webb to slot duties and Rivers took full advantage, force-feeding the ball to deep threats Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd as the Chargers built up a 17-7 halftime lead. Clearly healed from whatever ailed him through the season's first 12 weeks, Rivers has thrown for 804 yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions as the Bolts have put together a three-game winning streak to stay alive in the AFC West. He'll get a Lions' secondary in Week 16 that let itself get shredded by Carson Palmer today. Dec 18 - 11:16 PM

[oochymp 2,393]

San Diego is just good in December, Seattle is suddenly .500 and have an outside shot at the playoffs... but yeah they don't have much excuse for the other two. Once they stopped running the ball with Rice, they were hooped.

sure Seattle is 7-7, but three of their seven wins have come against their own division (one against Arizona and two against St. Louis) which aren't exactly signature wins, and the Ravens are the only team with a winning record that Seattle has beaten (they've also beaten the Giants and Bears, both 7-7) you can't say they're any more worthy an opponent than Tennessee (also 7-7 with an outside shot at the playoffs, a win over a division leader in Denver, and the only team that's kept Cam Newton out of the endzone) I also don't excuse the San Diego loss, sure they've been won a few recently, but prior to this game their recent 'hot streak' was against Jacksonville and Buffalo, but I do acknowledge that SD does play much better late in the year

Edited December 21, 2011 by oochymp

[Thanatos 2,847]

The Titans may be the only team to keep Cam out of the endzone, but they also have the dubious distinction of being the only team to lose to the Indianapolis Colts.

 

And at the time the Ravens played them, all the way back in week 2, Tennessee had just lost to Jacksonville.

 

Every team is schizophrenic to some degree. The Saints lost to the Rams, the Packers to the Chiefs, the Ravens to the Jags, etc. I don't really know that you can look at who a team has lost to to determine how good they are- look at who they've beat.

Edited December 21, 2011 by Thanatos19

[oochymp 2,393]

The Titans may be the only team to keep Cam out of the endzone, but they also have the dubious distinction of being the only team to lose to the Indianapolis Colts.

 

And at the time the Ravens played them, all the way back in week 2, Tennessee had just lost to Jacksonville.

 

Every team is schizophrenic to some degree. The Saints lost to the Rams, the Packers to the Chiefs, the Ravens to the Jags, etc. I don't really know that you can look at who a team has lost to to determine how good they are- look at who they've beat.

sorry, didn't see this post, so I'll just say that I wasn't trying to say that the Titans are a quality loss (in fact, I would argue the opposite) I was really trying to say that the Seahawks are a similarly low quality loss, sorry if that wasn't clear