Chargers Favored By 3 at Home Against The Ravens

NFL News - September 18th, 2009 - Written by Scott

The San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens are both coming off close wins during week one in games that should have posted bigger wins for these two teams.  The Chargers had to steal a win from the Raiders in the final seconds and the Ravens held off the Chiefs after recovering from some mistakes that could have cost them the game.  These two teams will meet Sunday in San Diego with hopes of improving on their week one performances.  The Ravens might have it tough as the Chargers are 20-4 at home since 2006.

The Chargers offense, which has scored more points than any team in the league since 2005, did not get off to the start they expected in week one.  Playing against a tough Raven defense might not be the best way to get it going. Philip Rivers was consistent last week as he threw for 252 yards and a touchdown.  LaDainian Tomlinson was held in check though, as he only managed 55 yards on the ground.  He is currently nursing an injured ankle, so his yards probably won't increase this week against Baltimore's rush defense, if he even plays.  The Chargers also have two injuries on the offensive line. On defense, they will need to use their aggressive pass rush to keep Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco from having a big day as he did against the Chiefs throwing for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The offense for the Ravens had a huge day last Sunday as they had a total of 501 yards.  Running backs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee rushed for a combined 152 yards last week.  They will need to have the same kind of performance to open up the passing game for Flacco.   The offensive line will need to contain the pass rush of Shawne Merriman as well.  The Ravens' defense played great against the Chiefs, as they held Kansas City to just 188 total yards. They do a great job of stopping the run, but will need to blitz and utilize their pass rush to keep quarterback Philip Rivers from staying in the pocket and completing passes.  This will also force tight end Antonio Gates to stay in and help block.  They did not force a turnover last week which is very uncharacteristic of their defense.  Getting a turnover could weigh heavily on the outcome in this game.

BetUS has the Chargers favored at home by 3 with an over/under at 40.  The Ravens have lost seven of their last eight on the road and hope to improve on this record on Sunday.

To discuss this and other NFL related stories be sure to check out our new forum at:
https://www.usaplayers.com/forums/nfl-news/