The marquee matchup in Saturday?s AFC divisional playoff game between Baltimore and Indianapolis at M&T Bank Stadium will be the Ravens? top-ranked defense against the Colts? top-ranked offense.
But the Ravens plan to alter the matchup significantly by limiting Colts quarterback Peyton Manning?s time on the field. The Ravens? offense led the NFL this season in time of possession by controlling the ball for an average of 32 minutes, 49 seconds a game. Baltimore also held the ball longer than opponents in the fourth quarter in all but three games this season and went 13-1 when it won the time-of-possession battle in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens understand the importance of limiting Manning?s chances. In last year?s season opener, the Colts took advantage of four turnovers and eight penalties for 45 yards in a 24-7 victory.
“It?s huge,” Ravens head coach Brian Billick said of winning the time-of-possession battle this weekend. “Not only for long drives and to chew some clock off, but when you get down there, you?ve got to come up with some touchdowns. First, you?ve got to get points, period. But you?ve got to come away with some touchdowns because that offense of theirs is always going to have that specter of, ?Boy, you better put some points on the board because we are.? ”
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said Baltimore?s ability to control the ball this year accomplishes much more than limiting the opposition?s scoring opportunities. If Baltimore?s offense is on the field for a significant chunk of the game, Lewis said, it makes the defense more fresh ? and therefore, more dangerous ? in the latter stages of the game.
“When you?re sitting on the sidelines and you see Steve McNair controlling the ball for seven or eight minutes, you?re not going to have the opportunities when we were playing 80 or 90 plays,” said Lewis, who believes this year?s defensive unit might be better than that of the Super Bowl XXXV team. “We?re the No. 1-ranked defense in three-and-outs. So we?re not going to have all of those huge, huge numbers where we have people with 100- and 200-plus tackles. It?s still up there, of course, but that?s not our concern.”
