Marquee Matchup

While the Titans air it out, the Ravens will grind the game down

Tennessee Titans (12-4) at Baltimore Ravens (10-6) Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST M&T Bank Stadium (69,084)

In a matchup of former AFC Central rivals, the Tennessee Titans travel to Baltimore to take on the AFC North champion Ravens. QB Steve McNair was rested last week but should be ready to lead Tennessee's high-powered passing game and challenge the third-ranked Ravens defense.

Baltimore will counter with the same formula that won them Super Bowl XXXV: a dominating running game featuring Jamal Lewis and a defense that leads the league in fewest yards-per-play allowed (4.2). Baltimore has won the last five consecutive meetings, including a 24-10 playoff victory in its championship season.

Ravens offense vs. Titans defense

Jamal Lewis AP

Baltimore won the AFC North title before stepping on the field last week, but the Ravens' offense was determined to help Lewis break the single-season rushing record set nineteen years ago by Eric Dickerson. Finishing 39 yards short of the record, Lewis' 2,066 yards ranks him second all-time and makes him only the fifth back in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. Lewis is supported by one of the biggest offensive lines in the league, with many of his yards coming behind LG Edwin Mulitalo and All-Pro LT Jonathan Ogden.

QB Anthony Wright (52.8 percent completion rate, 72.3 QB rating) is 5-2 as a starter after taking over at midseason but has thrown six interceptions against five touchdowns in his last five games. Wright lacks the arm strength to throw the deep ball but is very athletic and can buy time with his feet when pressured. While the passing game is limited, WRs Marcus Robinson and Travis Taylor, and TE Todd Heap have stepped up at different times during the season to keep defenses honest. Look for the offense to use more draws and screens to neutralize Tennessee's pass rush.

Tennessee leads the league in run defense, allowing only 80.9 yards per game. The Titans allowed only one back to gain over 100 yards against them this season (Edgerrin James, Week 2). The defensive front plays gap-control responsibility, forcing the ball carrier toward the linebackers or safeties. LBs Peter Sirmon and Keith Bulluck, together with safeties Tank Williams and Lance Schulters, account for 40 percent of Tennessee's tackles made this season. DEs Jevon Kearse and Kevin Carter recorded a combined 16 sacks, allowing the defense to mask coverages without the need for a fifth man to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Samari Rolle and Andre Dyson should be able to cover Baltimore's receivers, allowing Williams to become the eighth man in the box in run support.

Titans offense vs. Ravens defense

Steve McNair Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

The Tennessee offense is based around the skills of NFL MVP candidate McNair (3,215 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions). With the injuries to both legs, McNair is not the scrambling threat that he has been in the past, but he can still move in the pocket and has the strength to fight off arm tackles.

Injuries in the early season forced the Titans out of their traditional two-tight end formations and into more three-wide receiver packages with dramatic results. Four receivers averaged more than 13.5 yards per catch and will allow Tennessee to spread the field against a Baltimore defense that is thin in the secondary. RB Eddie George (312 carries, 3.3-yard average) came on strong as the season progressed but lacks the cutback skills of Jamal Lewis and the consistent burst for the stretch play.

Baltimore is ranked among the top six defenses in points per game (17.6), total yards (271.3), rushing yards (96.0) and passing yardage per game (175.3). The Ravens have not allowed a 100-yard rusher since Miami's Ricky Williams in Week 11 and have held their last four opponents to 100 or fewer rushing yards. Baltimore has not surrendered an offensive touchdown in its last nine quarters of play and held Pittsburgh to 133 total yards, not counting the 81-yard touchdown pass off a fake punt.

MLB Ray Lewis (163 tackles) leads the 3-4 defense that swarms to the ball, eliminating marquee backs as running threats. The real challenge this week for Baltimore is to stop McNair and his stable of underrated receivers. Last week, the Ravens were able to handle Jerome Bettis with only seven men in the box, allowing the secondary to play multiple variations of Cover 2 schemes, limiting Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress to a combined three catches for 24 yards.

The Ravens' special teams almost cost them a victory last week, allowing Pittsburgh to take advantage of its aggressive style with an 81-yard fake punt for a touchdown. A second gaffe occurred when punter Dave Zastudil suffered a concussion and broken nose late in the first half, pressing backup QB Kyle Boller into punting duty and a weak 29-yard effort that the Steelers turned into a field goal. Kicker Matt Stover has an 87 percent success rate on field goals at home and kicked a 47-yarder to win last week's overtime game.

Tennessee kicker Gary Anderson completed his 22nd regular season in the league with a flourish, connecting on four field goals against Tampa Bay. While solid at close range, Anderson is only 10-of-14 beyond 40 yards with his longest successful attempt being from 43 yards. The combination of Derrick Mason (12.4 yards per punt return) and Justin McCareins (11.4 per return) has helped the Titans win the battle of field position. Punter Craig Hentrich ended the season with a great effort, averaging 50.7 yards on three punts with two inside the 20-yard line.

Baltimore RG Bennie Anderson vs. DT Robaire Smith.  With Jevon Kearse and Kevin Carter relegated to containing the elusive McNair, expect Smith (4.5 sacks), who has a knack for deflecting passes at the line of scrimmage, to play a pivotal role against Anderson, who struggles against quick pass rushers.

Tennessee WR Derrick Mason vs. DC Chris McAlister. Mason, who was fifth in the league in receiving yardage (1,303), is McNair's go-to guy and typically draws double coverage, clearing the way for Tennessee's other receivers to contribute. McAlister, usually aligned against the opponent's top receiver, has three interceptions and has defended 14 passes this season, three of them coming last week. If McAlister can cover Mason without help, the Titans' passing game will suffer.

QB Steve McNair vs. Ravens pass rush. McNair sat out last week's game with his highly publicized injuries to both legs but has proven to be effective playing with pain in the last two seasons. The Ravens lead the league in sack production (47) and fewest yards per play (4.2).

Baltimore's weakness has been in third down production (31.9 percent), which was offset by a second-ranked defense that held opponents to a 29.4 percent success rate. Tennessee, who was fourth in the AFC in third-down offense (40.8 percent) and led the league in forcing opponents to punt the ball away (27.7 percent), will certainly challenge the Ravens.

Ravens head coach Brian Billick decided to leave his starters in for the entire game plus overtime last week even though they had secured a playoff berth earlier in the day with a loss by the Bengals. In exorcising their demons by defeating a Steelers team they had not beaten in five previous meetings, Billick is gambling with gaining psychological momentum while risking physical and emotional exhaustion.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher made two bold moves that paid dividends last week, sitting McNair down to rest his injuries and DT Albert Haynesworth for disciplinary reasons. McNair will need all his strength to lead the Titans to three road victories en route to the Super Bowl. Disciplining Haynesworth, a major contributor to the Titans' run defense, maintained continuity and poise at a highly emotional time of year.

In 13 years since the league went to its current format of 12 playoff teams, 22 of 26 Super Bowl teams drew first round byes. Two of the four exceptions: Tennessee in 1999 and Baltimore in 2000.

The Titans have lost only 27 games since the '99 season, and almost 20 percent of those losses have been to the Ravens. While history is on their side, this is a young Baltimore team with an inexperienced quarterback who hasn't played well in the last three games. The game will balance on McNair's health and the Titans' ability to outman the Ravens secondary with multiple receivers.

Expect a low-scoring game with Tennessee winning by a field goal.

Written by Wayne Morris of Real Football^TM. Throughout the season, the Real Football^TM staff will bring you an "insiders" analysis of key matchups in the league. The Real Football^TM staff includes coaches, players, scouts and other experts with real experience inside the NFL, who give you access to a unique, exclusive look inside the game.