The 2010 NFL season has reached the three-quarter mark, and like any good game on Sundays, it’s usually the fourth quarter that decides success or failure.

It’s a chance to take stock of each conference after 13 weeks and 12 games with one-liners on each of the teams. Below are some stats, observations and conjecture as we look ahead to the final four weeks.

First, here is a look at the AFC by divisions. Records are through Week 13:

AFC East

New England Patriots (10-2): Patriots have won last four, including huge win over the Jets to solidfy their claim as AFC’s best team behind conference-best (+110) scoring differential; road to AFC title will go through Gillette Stadium and coach Bill Belichick.

New York Jets (9-3): Despite 3-1 stretch, Jets went from potentially being in line to host AFC title game to very vulnerable after shredding of New York’s vaunted D by the Patriots.

Miami Dolphins (6-6): Dolphins continue to confound with 5-1 road mark, but 1-5 home record — that will be main reason they will not make playoffs as well as offensive woes (-23 point differential).

Buffalo Bills (2-10): Bills finally saw results after 0-8 start with two straight victories, but close loss to Steelers and blowout defeat to Vikings has slowed Buffalo’s progress.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): Steelers have grabbed choke-hold of AFC North after winning the war in Baltimore last week behind QB Ben Roethlisberger and stout defense; now Pittsburgh could host AFC Divisional Playoff at always-tough Heinz Field.

Baltimore Ravens (8-4): Only home loss of season so far to Steelers was costly as Ravens may have three straight playoff games on the road instead of one or two home games; predicted high-production offense has gone cold at bad times.

Cleveland Browns (5-7): Cleveland continues to be a “tough out” thanks to solid running game behind RB Peyton Hillis; if they get QB (and maybe head coach) situation settled in offseason, could be 2011 team to watch in AFC.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-10): The wheels have completely come off the cart for one of the preseason favorites to win the division — nine-game losing streak may spell the end of the Marvin Lewis era in Cincinnati.

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5): Jaguars, after 3-1 stretch, find themselves on top in the division, despite worst point differential among all division leaders (-43) — only question is can they hold off slumping Colts?

Indianapolis Colts (6-6): Colts’ injuries have finally taken a toll; forget Peyton Manning for a moment, being in position of having to pass so much has allowed opponents to tee off in crucial situations — but Indy can still catch Jaguars for division title.

Houston Texans (5-7): Lack of strong starts have doomed Texans, 1-5 in their last six games — last chance for Houston (and maybe coach Gary Kubiak’s job) comes with Monday night visit by Ravens in Week 14.

Tennessee Titans (5-7): When you didn’t think anybody else could surpass Minnesota as NFL’s best soap opera, here comes the Titans; normally unflappable coach Jeff Fisher has had to deal with Vince Young, Randy Moss and owner Bud Adams in recent weeks.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): Chiefs seem to have control of the division after a three-game win streak and perfect 6-0 home mark; can they hold off the Raiders and Chargers over the final four weeks?

Oakland Raiders (6-6): Progress has been slowed by 3-2 mark in last five games, but 4-0 division record could be factor if they get help before Week 17 showdown at traditional rival Chiefs.

San Diego Chargers (6-6): Amazing how one loss changes things after blowout defeat by Raiders last week that stopped four-game win streak; season on the line vs. Chiefs this week.

Denver Broncos (3-9): A three-game losing streak coupled with Spygate-like scandal in London finally cost Josh McDaniels his coaching job; Eric Studesville gets his audition but the supporting cast is not there.

And now for the NFC by divisions:

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (8-4): The Eagles are tied for the division lead, but arguably have the NFC East’s toughest schedule left with two games vs. Dallas and one each against the Giants and Vikings — for what was originally expected to be a transition year, a lot is still on the table.

New York Giants (8-4): Giants are playing as well as any team in NFC right now, but head coach Tom Coughlin’s team must navigate Minnesota, Philadelphia and Green Bay the next three weeks to stay in the division and Wild Card mix.

Washington Redskins (5-7): The Redskins season has become a trainwreck as head coach Mike Shanahan has had to deal with several distractions, including DT Albert Haynesworth’s suspension for conduct detrimental; the Skins defense should be suspended as well, allowing the fifth-most points in the NFC.

Dallas Cowboys (4-8): The Cowboys have gotten off the deck to become a team no one wants to face down the stretch; Dallas could play spoiler in the NFC East and help Jason Garrett remove the interim coaching tag.

NFC North

Chicago Bears (9-3): The Bears have won five straight to hold the division lead by one game thanks to resurgent play by QB Jay Cutler and LB Brian Urlacher; Chicago has murderous final four weeks capped by Week 17 visit to Packers.

Green Bay Packers (8-4): Despite injuries, Packers are firmly in the playoff mix, but key Week 12 loss at Atlanta looms large as well as final three games against New England, Giants and Chicago — win those and Green Bay will have earned its postseason ticket.

Minnesota Vikings (5-7): A change in head coach to well-respected assistant Leslie Frazier has helped the mood in Minnesota, but the final four weeks will be all about Brett Favre’s literal limp to the finish of his career (I think).

Detroit Lions (2-10): Some of the strides made early in the season by the Lions have been erased by the current five-game losing streak; coach Jim Schwartz is still looking for consistent winning formula.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons (10-2): The hottest team in the NFC with six straight wins, the Falcons may do something no Atlanta NFL team ever has — host the NFC Championship Game in January; but they have to get through Week 16 Monday Night game vs. Saints.

New Orleans Saints (9-3): The defending Super Bowl champions are playing like it for first time all season with a current five-game win streak as the Saints try to go stride-for-stride with the Falcons; back-to-back road contests at Baltimore and Atlanta in Weeks 15-16 are New Orleans’ key games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5): The air has finally come out of the Buccaneers’ balloon with two straight losses, but Tampa Bay is just one game out of a Wild Card spot with favorable matchups in the next three weeks before Week 17 at Saints.

Carolina Panthers (1-11): The Panthers just want the season to be over, and the housecleaning will begin soon after starting with head coach John Fox; Panthers are a NFC-worst minus-153 in point differential.

NFC West

St. Louis Rams (6-6): The Rams have quietly put themselves in position to make the playoffs out of a weak NFC West, but don’t mistake St. Louis as a weak team — QB Sam Bradford is one of the league’s feel-good stories of 2010, and division could come down to Week 17 tilt at Seattle.

Seattle Seahawks (6-6): The Seahawks are in position to capture the NFC West, but head coach Pete Carroll’s squad still has worst point differential among NFC teams with a winning record (-49); Week 17 vs. St. Louis could be the decider.

San Francisco 49ers (4-8): San Francisco not officially dead in NFC West race, but last gasp could come this Sunday vs. Seattle; if they win, they still have games vs. St. Louis and Arizona — teams they have already beaten in 2010.

Arizona Cardinals (3-9): Cardinals have gone south for the winter as they have lost seven straight and hold NFC’s second-worst point difference (-138), but have three winnable games in final four weeks.

For up-to-date Tweets on the NFL and the Ravens, please follow me on Twitter (@BlogAndTackle). For more national NFL stories, please visit my personal site at BlogAndTackle.net.

Well, we’re coming down the homestretch of a week without Ravens football. With the team returning to practice today, my life is starting to feel normal, again.

Meanwhile, Baltimore’s football lovers have been pacifying their cravings by speculating about the impending future, as well as walking down memory lane.

Today, I will address the latter.

After all, we kinda look into the past in our everlasting effort to predict the future, right?

Last weekend, the Baltimore Ravens organization honored the 2000 Super Bowl Champions. Along with a pretty touching halftime ceremony, fans were treated to an array of tributes on the jumbotron and some pretty cool commemorative t-shirts.

** WNST.net provided a plethora of interviews with members of that memorable squad, to include Rod Woodson, Peter Boulware, Priest Holmes, Matt Stover, Michael McCrary, Jamal Lewis, Jamie Sharper, Brandon Stokley, Duane Starks and numerous others. You can find each interview, in its entirety, in the Buy A Toyota.com Audio Vault (RIGHT HERE)

In addition to the publicly recognized festivities, the Ravens also hosted a party for the former players, last Saturday evening. Obviously, I was not at the event and cannot responsibility speculate on the happenings of the affair. However, numerous accounts of an altercation between Trent Dilfer and Ozzie Newsome have spread throughout the local and national sports media landscape.

Trent Dilfer has addressed the encounter, and he termed it “nothing confrontational or juicy.” However, the story’s source suggested “Trent was pissed” regarding his departure from the team. You can find the article outlining the incident (HERE).

Once again, I was not at the party and I have no firsthand knowledge of anything regarding the event. Thus, I will not devote any further insight into it.

That said, I am going to devote some energy to chronicling the career of Trent Dilfer, which includes his brief time with the Ravens. It’s a career many quarterbacks would love to fulfill; he’s got a Super Bowl ring and a Pro Bowl appearance to his credit. These are pretty special distinctions.

I’m also fully aware of Trent’s reputation with Baltimore’s football fans. He’s a beloved guy, who garners a great deal of sympathy and storied support from a large sect of Ravens loyalists. You love the guy and your affection is easy to understand.

He was the quarterback of the only team to win a Super Bowl for this city, in nearly 40 years ….

Fast forward yourself a couple months to the week following Christmas. You will most likely be experiencing the typical holiday happenings – your kids are complaining about the things Santa did NOT leave under the tree …. your wife is counting down the days until school returns from the seasonal break …. and you’re simply trying to survive such an ordeal.

Oh yeah, and you’re also digesting the Ravens latest win, against the Cleveland Browns, in the final road game of the regular season. It will probably be a little tougher than most of us originally imagined, but beating the Browns will be a mandatory formality.

And, as certain as many parents are looking ahead to the second half of the school year, many of us are looking ahead to some pretty exciting circumstances …..

College football’s biggest bowl games are approaching …..

New Years festivities are being planned …..

Rex Snider is watching his new HAIR as it’s starting to grow …..
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And, the Ravens will be readying for the ultimate arrival of the Cincinnati Bengals in the season finale’ …..

Now, bring yourself back to this 28th day of October …..

For me, the challenge in writing a good blog is partly bound in highlighting a specific theme or idea that hasn’t been addressed by other writers. While such originality is usually my mission, it’s not always possible.

But, I still try ….. So, as I walked out of M&T Bank Stadium, upon witnessing the Ravens thoroughly destroy the Buffalo Bills, I envisioned the things we would hear on the radio and see in blogs, come Monday morning.

Heck, I was hearing it as we walked across the Hamburg Street bridge. My wife is not a football visionary. However, she is a passionate Ravens fan. Thus, her ensuing comments were as predictable as the sunset every evening. “You and your buddies said there was no way the Buffalo Bills would hang with the Ravens” ….. “You gonna blame today’s crappy 4th quarter on the opponent being a good team?” ….. “This might’ve been a win, but it’s an embarrassing win” ….. If I would’ve had a rope, I could’ve hanged myself – right there, above the train tracks. It was a better alternative than begging her to “PLEASE SHUT THE HE@# UP,” which is not a good idea with my wife. Trust me, I’ve done it and I’ve paid for it. Besides, she was

New Ravens tackle Scott Kooistra has only been in Baltimore a  for a little over a week, but already after several practices and one Ravens victory last week, he already feels at home.

While inactive last week in the Ravens 31-17 victory over the Broncos, Kooistra said that he loves the atmosphere already here in Baltimore.

“Just the feeling around here…the excitement, the vite you get when you walk in the facility or into the stadium before a game, it’s special,” Kooistra told Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” Thursday.

Kooistra was signed to Baltimore’s active roster on October 6th, when the Ravens waived Prince Miller, who later joined the team’s practice squad.

Kooistra, who stands at 6’6”, 335 pounds, is in his eighth year out of NC State. A two-year starter for the Wolfpack his junior and senior years, he blocked for San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in Raleigh.

He has spent all eight seasons of his NFL career entrenched in the AFC North. Drafted by the Bengals in the 7th round of the 2003 Draft, from 2003-2009, he played in 84 games for Cincinnati over that time, mostly playing special teams and seeing reserve action on offense.

Despite starting only one game over that time period, Kooistra understands his role and is still fortunate to be able to continue suiting up for NFL franchises.

“Everybody has a role on this team,” Kooistra noted.

He enjoyed his time as a Bengal very much, and one of his favorite teammates in Cincinnati was none other than Chad Ocho Cinco, and even as a Raven right now, he can’t hold no ill will toward the Bengals’ high-profile receiver.

“This might be blasphemy,” Kooistra laughed, “but I have nothing against him. He’s a hard worker, he goes to work everyday and does what he has to do.”

“He’s not going to change for anybody; that’s just who he is. You have to let him do his thing.”

He saw four games’ worth of action for the Browns at the end of last season and in the 2010 preseason after being released by the Bengals, and he got to stay in the state of Ohio to play football.

The other benefit for Kooistra after having played for three out of the four AFC North teams? He can still keep his hatred for the Steelers.

“Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh,” Kooistra replied. “I’m just happy to be on this side of the rivalry.”

He can play both guard and tackle, and he expects to have that same role here in Baltimore.

“I was backing up up three or four positions in Cincinnati and in Cleveland and here I expect to I will have to do the same thing and play my role to the best of my abilities.”

And he already feels like he fits right in with of one of the best offensive lines in the league.

“We have a pretty solid line here,” he told Forrester. “I think that all that matters is you get the job done. You block up the other defenses and let Joe [Flacco] do his thing, run the ball, and try to win some games.”

Tune into WNST and WNST.net as we continue to follow the Ravens through the 2010 season! WNST-We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

The Ravens were not only happy to earn a 31-17 win at home against the Denver Broncos Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, they were also content in how they did it.

One bright spot in the Ravens’ performance Sunday was their 233 yards rushing; highlighted by the play of running back Ray Rice, who got the ball from the start, rushing the ball 29 times for 133 yards and two scores.

The two touchdowns were not only his first two scores of the season-they were his first touchdowns since last December’s 48-3 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 14 of the 2009 season.

Rice had been nursing a bruised knee that he suffered in the Ravens’ Week 3 victory over the Cleveland Browns and it had severely impacted his running style the last several weeks in game and in practice.

While Rice did suit up in last week’s 17-14 victory over the Steelers, running back Willis McGahee got the start over Rice and neither back really looked perfect, and Rice still seemed hobbled, crippled, and not 100 percent.

Not on Sunday. From the get-go, Rice appeared healthy as can be-making his signature cuts and moves with ease, and Rice said he felt as comfortable as he ever has been.

Rice’s longest run went for 18 yards, and he had two other runs of 12-yards, his second being the run with 11:45 remaining in the fourth that put him over the century mark for the first time this year.

And he got all the help he could ever need from an offensive line that opened lanes and a fullback in Le’Ron McClain who delivered several bone-crushing hits on Broncos MLB D.J. Williams, who did finish the game with 15 tackles, mostly on Rice downfield.

“That was all offensive line,” Rice said. “They got me to the safety.”

“I’ve never seen a group work harder,” Rice added. The stats haven’t shown the last few weeks, but today, if I was to give a game ball, I’d have to give it to them.”

The Broncos defense had actually came off a pretty good game in their Week 4 victory over the Tennessee Titans, in which the Denver defense held Chris Johnson to 53 yards rushing on 19 carries.

“I’m not sure what Tennessee tried to do against them last week, but we wanted to attack them up front,” Rice said. “We wanted to get them moving.”

“The littlest guy they have in their front seven is D.J. Williams, who is a great player. The rest of them were 270, 280 anchoring the front…I know our defense, when they have to play long drives, they get tired.”

The other surprising note about Rice’s scores were that they were both from one yard out-the first being his score with 2:30 left in the second quarter to put the Ravens up 14-0, and the later coming with 14:21 remaining in the final quarter that put Baltimore out of reach of Denver, 24-7.

Most of the time, the goal line duties are relegated to McGahee or fullback Le’Ron McClain, who are bigger backs, but after both showed indecisiveness near the goalline on the Ravens first two drives of the game(especially a turnover on downs on the first Ravens drive highlighted by not being able to score on the 1 yard line), Rice saw action near the end zone and made the most of the opportunities.

Rice said he being put in that situation meant that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron had all the faith in the world that Rice was going to show off his skills.

“That’s trust,” Rice said. “You trust that coordinator, whoever is calling the plays, is going to do what’s best for the team. I don’t consider them bad calls down there. It’s about execution…Cam’s just calling the plays. The players, we’ve got to execute them.”

Rice not only was a factor in the running game, but he also got his normal touches in the passing game from quarterback Joe Flacco.

Rice also caught four passes for 26 yards, and liked the balance he saw out of the game-plan Sunday.

“I like to call it a well-balanced attack,” he said. “When you define identity, last year we were a physical running team. The thing about this season so far is that when we needed to pass the ball, we passed it. Today, when we needed to run the ball, we ran it. There was no second-guessing what we were going to do.”

Gaining 233 yards on the ground, the Ravens’ offense looked as if it was from two years ago, when the three-headed monster of Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le’Ron McClain got the Ravens to an 11-5 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship game.

“It’s back,” McGahee said of the three-headed attack. “We’ve been away from it for awhile, but we did a great job today.

“That’s our goal every week,” McClain said of the 233 yards rushing. “We set a high standard level. We want 250 a week. We take pride in that. We got Ray going today.”

And if the Ravens play defense the way they did against the Broncos today combined with the churning of the clock and the opposing defenders today, the Ravens feel like they can beat anybody, anytime.

“I think we can go all the way as long as we don’t hurt ourselves,” McGahee said. “That goes for everybody. The sky’s the limit for us.”

Tune into WNST and WNST.net as we continue to follow the Ravens through the 2010 season! WNST-We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

The Baltimore Ravens made some costly mistakes Sunday against the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, but with a late touchdown pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh with just 37 seconds left on the clock, the Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time in the Joe Flacco-John Harbaugh era.

“There’s only one way to describe it-it’s a team victory,” Harbaugh said. “”To come in here and win this game, it’s important for us. It’s important for a lot of reasons. But, it’s mostly special because of who we’re playing.”

“That football team is a tremendous football team, and this is a tough place to play in. That’s our arch rival and we found a way to beat them in their place, and that’s what makes it so special.”

The win-on top of the Bengals’ 23-20 loss to the Browns-puts the Ravens atop the AFC North due to a head-to-head win over the Steelers.

With the Ravens trailing 14-10 with 2:44 left to play on the Steelers 2-yard line on fourth down, the Ravens elected to throw a fade into the back of the end zone. With no healthy backs, the Ravens really had no choice but to throw, but a bad pass and a bad route by Boldin allowed the ball to fall out of bounds and incomplete.

John Harbaugh and the coaching staff also decided to go for the win instead of kicking the field goal to make it a one-point game and give the ball back to the Steelers with two timeouts and the two-minute warning.

The Ravens blew their second timeout attempting to avoid a delay-of-game penalty before their chance at the end zone to keep it at the 3-yard line.

However, the Steelers then struggled getting out of their own 5-yard line, committing two penalties and were forced to punt to the Ravens, who had wasted their two remaining timeouts before getting the ball back from the Steelers.

“I felt like we were going to win the game when we had the ball earlier when they stopped us on downs,” Houshmandzadeh said. “It’s the one thing with this defense. You know we’re going to get the ball back. I don’t think they wanted to take a chance throwing the ball…and we were able to capitalize.”

With 1:08 left on the clock, Flacco found Boldin for the first two plays of the drive, while Flacco then found Houshmandzadeh twice more, the second being the go-ahead score at 0:32.

The linebackers bit on the coverage with Boldin, and Houshmandzadeh beat Bryant McFadden for the 18 yard score.

“I came to Baltimore to make a lot of plays,” Houshmandzadeh said. “Not to sound cocky, but that’s what I’m supposed to do…it feels good to make a play considering what’s been going on. I feel like that’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Linebacker Ray Lewis then picked off a Charlie Batch pass intended for Hines Ward to seal the win for Baltimore (3-1, 2-1 AFC North).

The Ravens overcame two third quarter turnovers-a Willis McGahee fumble on the Ravens first drive of the third quarter with 12:12 left to play, and an Ike Taylor interception of Joe Flacco intended for Derrick Mason with 2:10 left in the period.

But the real difference in the game was Steelers kicker Jeff Reed missing field goals of 45 and 49 yards on the Steelers’ drives to keep six points off the board for Pittsburgh.

Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff also missed a 46 yard field goal on the Ravens first drive in an attempt to help Baltimore jump out 3-0, but the attempt went wide-right.

But give the Ravens offense credit.

Joe Flacco engineered his fourth career fourth-quarter comeback, and some would believe that this is his first ever comeback against a big-time opponent.

“There’s not too many better ways to win a game,” Flacco said, “especially when you come to Pittsburgh. To blow someone out, that’s fun and all, but when the game is that close all the way through it and you go down and win it on the last drive, and once you’ve done it, there aren’t too many better ways to win a game. It was awesome.”

He finished 24-of-37 for 256 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“I think there are going to be a lot of defining moments for Joe,” Harbaugh said. “This is going to be one of them. This is going to be one all the Ravens fans out there remember for a long time.”

The three Ravens receivers had exceptional games. The Ravens established Derrick Mason early, and he ended up leading the team in receiving yards with 80. Anquan Boldin had 7 catches for 68 yards in only his second career game against Pittsburgh, and longtime Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh put the nail in the coffin with his 18-yard score.

The Ravens also made the most of their opportunities with what they had. Each of their backs-Ray Rice(knee), Willis McGahee(head), and Le’Ron McClain (shoulder) battled or received injuries in Sunday’s game-maybe forcing Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to rely more on the passing game as opposed to grinding the ball down the field or getting that short yardage conversion.

They only gained 70 total yards rushing, with McGahee’s 39 yards and a score standing out before leaving with the head injury he received on the hit from linebacker James Harrison.

But a win-especially against the Steelers in Heinz Field-is all that matters, and the Ravens will look to build on the momentum they built up when they host the Broncos next Sunday at 1 PM.

The Steelers will be on a bye next week and had been looking for their first 4-0 start since 1979. Two weeks from now, Ben Roethlisberger will be eligible to come back from his four-game suspension when they take on Cleveland on October 17th.

Tune into WNST and WNST.net as we continue to track the Ravens throughout the 2010 NFL Season! WNST-We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

As the Ravens prepare to face Pittsburgh in a AFC North showdown this weekend at Heinz Field, it’s a good time to look at the numbers as to where the Ravens and Steelers run their offenses and where opponents are attacking them in return. Through the stat breakdowns at NFL GSIS, we get a snapshot of the first three weeks of plays.

RAVENS RUSHING: Last year, the Ravens ran mostly up the middle, with balanced run direction on both sides of the center. In 2010, there has been a slight shift to the left side of the offensive line.

Baltimore has run mostly to left guard (21 plays, NFL Rank-2) and left tackle (18 plays-NFL Rank 2). The success is shown at left tackle with a 6.11-yard average per play (NFL Rank-5), while the left guard runs average just 2.33 yards (NFL Rank-25).

The Ravens have gone up the middle just 10 times so far (NFL Rank-28), with a 2.6-yard average (NFL Rank-30). Compare that to 2009, when the Ravens ran 108 times up the middle (NFL Rank-16) and averaged 4.68 yards (NFL Rank-4).

The offense has run to left end (10 plays, NFL Rank-12; 3.1-yard avg., NFL Rank-24), which is as much as right guard (11 plays, NFL Rank-11; 2.45-yard avg., NFL Rank-19). Where they are not running as much is to right tackle (7 plays, NFL Rank-28; 3.0-yard avg., NFL Rank-21) and right end (2 plays, NFL Rank-31; 4.5-yard avg., NFL Rank-15).

STEELERS RUN DEFENSE: The Steelers have been stout on plays run up the middle (0.88-yard average; NFL Defense Rank-2). The only place where they allow more than four yards a carry is at right guard (8 plays, 4.25-yard avg., NFL Defense Rank-21).

RAVENS RUN DEFENSE: Last week, the Ravens run defense was shredded by unheralded Cleveland RB Peyton Hillis. So, where are the opponents’ run games testing the line? Baltimore opponents seem to favor running at right guard (19 plays, NFL Rank-3; 4.68-yard avg., NFL Defense Rank-25).

Otherwise, the preferred direction is left. Left tackle has been run at 16 times (NFL Rank-5; 6.5-yard avg., NFL Defense Rank-30), left guard 12 times (NFL Rank-6; 4.75-yard avg., NFL Defense Rank-21) and left end 10 times (NFL Rank-10; 7.9-yard avg., NFL Defense Rank-29).

Where do the opponents not want to go? Into Ray Lewis territory, by any means. A total of 7 opponent run plays have gone up the middle (NFL Rank-32) with an average gain of minus-0.43 yards (NFL Defense Rank-1).

STEELERS RUSHING: When Pittsburgh runs, the Steelers have mostly gone up the middle (24 plays. 4.21-yard average), and Pittsburgh is first in the league in average gain on plays run at right tackle (14 plays, 9.71-yard average).

The far right side isn’t in opponent play selection much with 9 runs to right tackle (NFL Rank-20; 4.44-yard avg., NFL Defense Rank-23) and just 4 plays to right end (NFL Rank-26). But those four plays have averaged 8.75 yards (NFL Defense Rank-30).

RAVENS PASSING: Looking at these numbers, keep in mind, short is 14 yards or less (including behind the line of scrimmage) and deep is 15 yards or more.

When the Ravens throw short, it’s mainly to the right (40 plays, NFL Rank-9) with an average gain of 4.25 yards (NFL Rank-30). Short left has seen 27 plays (NFL Rank-16) with a 4.78-yard average (NFL Rank-26). Short middle has accounted for 13 plays (NFL Rank-25), with a 5.62-yard average (NFL Rank-21).

When QB Joe Flacco goes deep, it’s equal opportunity left and right. Deep left has 13 plays (NFL Rank-2) with a 10.92-yard average (NFL Rank-14), while deep right has 12 plays (NFL Rank-1) with a 9.33-yard average (NFL Rank-16). Just four plays have gone deep middle (NFL Rank-23) with a 6.75-yard average (NFL Rank-28).

STEELERS PASS DEFENSE: If Flacco can avoid the Pittsburgh pressure, he might want to look down the middle. Steelers opponents have averaged 12.83 yards on 6 plays deep middle. Pittsburgh also allows 8.57 yards deep right and 6.71 yards deep left. Short middle is also a soft spot (6.22 yards), with 4.86 short left, and 5.68 yards short right allowed.

RAVENS PASS DEFENSE: Baltimore’s opponents also tend to go short right with 32 plays (NFL Rank-20) and an average gain of 4.81 yards (NFL Defense Rank-10). Short middle pass plays have been tried 19 times (NFL Rank-13) with a 5.74-yard average (NFL Defense Rank-12). Where the Ravens have slowed teams are on short left passes (17 plays, NFL Rank-30; 4.0-yard avg., NFL Defense Rank-4).

A total of 12 plays have been thrown deep in three games. Seven times, the opponents have gone deep right (NFL Rank-12) with a 2.86-yard average (NFL Defense Rank-4). Deep middle has been the target four times (NFL Rank-22) with a 5.0-yard average (NFL Defense Rank-2). But the surprise is that there has been just one play thrown deep left (NFL Rank-32) with a 0 average gain (NFL Defense Rank-1).

STEELERS PASSING: As you might expect with the quarterback issues Pittsburgh has had, the Steelers are in the bottom half of the league in throws to all six measured areas, including 31st to short left (2.57-yard avg.), and short right (5.55-yard avg.) and exactly 0 throws deep left. Because defenses have been cheating up to stop Pittsburgh’s running, when the Steelers go deep, they have gone for big yards. Five plays each have been run to deep middle and deep right, with average gains of 22.40 yards deep left and 27 yards deep right.

Week 4 is the first week that byes take place in the NFL, so this is a great time to take short stock of each of the clubs through three weeks. And by short, I mean one line on each team — some stats, some observations and some conjecture.

First up, the AFC teams by division. Records are through Week 3:

AFC East

New York Jets (2-1): Despite crippled Revis Island on defense, brash Jets are only team in AFC East with perfect division record (2-0).

New England Patriots (2-1): QB Tom Brady (8 TD, 109.1 passer rating) is back to form as Patriots have AFC’s highest point total (90) and highest TD total (12) so far.

Miami Dolphins (2-1): Even with deep threat WR Brandon Marshall and RB Ronnie Brown, Dolphins have same amount of TDs (5) as Buffalo, Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Buffalo Bills (0-3): Another lost year for Bills, which have scored fourth-least points (47) in AFC and have given up most points (87) on defense in the conference.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): The question for head coach Mike Tomlin is if the Steelers are 4-0 after a win over Baltimore in Week 4, why change QBs to Ben Roethlisberger?

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1): Bengals, despite record, have struggled on offense as QB Carson Palmer (12th rated AFC passer at 71.3) hasn’t found rhythm with T.O.cho Show.

Baltimore Ravens (2-1): Defense, led by MLB Ray Lewis, continues to carry a team expected to score much more in 2010 (44 points; 2nd-lowest in AFC), despite breakout game by WR Anquan Boldin (3 TDs) last week.

Cleveland Browns (0-3): Browns are led by Peyton … not Manning, but RB Hillis (220 yards, 3 TDs) as Browns gave popular AFC Super Bowl pick Ravens much trouble in Week 3.

AFC South

Houston Texans (2-1): Texans got over the hump of beating the Colts, but Houston is not the best team in state of Texas after bad loss to Cowboys.

Tennessee Titans (2-1): Titans defense has allowed fourth-fewest points in the AFC (42), and the Tennessee offense has RB Chris Johnson (4 TDs), but continuing issues at quarterback.

Indianapolis Colts (2-1): Despite loss to Houston, Colts still have potent passing attack with QB Peyton Manning and are arguably still best club in the AFC.

Jacksonville Jagaurs (1-2): Jaguars have worst scoring differential in AFC (-43), and Jack Del Rio could be the AFC’s first fired coach.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (3-0): Most surprising number for unbeaten Chiefs is that defense has allowed least points in the AFC (38), and in weak AFC West, KC might have enough to win the division.

San Diego Chargers (1-2): Special teams burned for two scores at Seattle, and Chargers QB Philip Rivers (AFC-high 4 INTs) is missing a suddenly resurgent RB LaDainian Tomlinson, now with the Jets.

Denver Broncos (1-2): Broncos getting decent offensive production from QB Kyle Orton, but overall have a minus point differential (-4; 61 PF, 65 PA).

Oakland Raiders (1-2): High-priced K Sebastian Janikowski could have made Raiders a 2-1 team with made kicks at Arizona, but Raiders need more than 3s (4 TDs, tied for lowest in AFC with JAX) to be competitive in up-for-grabs division.

Now for the NFC:

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): The Eagles have gone from a transitional season with QB Kevin Kolb to division title hopes with QB Michael Vick, who might be a legit NFL MVP candidate down the road.

Washington Redskins (1-2): Opening victory over Dallas doesn’t look as good after defense was shredded in last two weeks and Cowboys’ struggles.

New York Giants (1-2): A minus-30 scoring differential (55 PF, 85 PA) is third-worst in NFC, and head coach Tom Coughlin is starting to feel the heat.

Dallas Cowboys (1-2): Cowboys avoided 0-3 start in Week 3 with big win over Houston, and Dallas has the personnel to rebound in a wide-open NFC East race.

NFC North

Chicago Bears (3-0): Most unlikely last remaining 3-0 team in NFC gives head coach Lovie Smith some breathing room as O-line tries to keep QB Jay Cutler upright in Mike Martz offensive system.

Green Bay Packers (2-1): Despite mental miscues in Week 3 loss at Chicago, popular Super Bowl XLV NFC pick has plenty of offensive weapons for QB Aaron Rodgers, but need run game to be re-established after Ryan Grant injury.

Minnesota Vikings (1-2): QB Brett Favre looks very old right now, and Vikings best chance to win is to get away from pass-first mindset to get the ball into Adrian Peterson’s hopefully sure hands more often.

Detroit Lions (0-3): Injury to QB Matthew Stafford put dent into head coach Jim Schwartz’s immediate rebuilding plans, and Lions don’t get a break in Week 4 against Packers.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Falcons posted most-impressive win of Week 3 as they marched out of New Orleans with a OT win, and Atlanta has NFC best-tying +31 point differential.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1): AFter 2-0 start, Bucs ran into Steelers’ buzzsaw in Week 3, and Tampa Bay is staring at possible 2-3 record with games vs. Cincinnati and New Orleans after bye week.

New Orleans Saints (2-1): Saints run defense was exposed in loss to Falcons, and defending Super Bowl champs need fast starts in order to avoid same fate against strong run teams going forward.

Carolina Panthers (0-3): Winless Panthers have least TDs in NFC (3), and head coach John Fox may be running out of rope with owner Jerry Richardson.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks (2-1): Head coach Pete Carroll sidestepped Southern California mess and he has put Seattle in early position to make headway in weak NFC West.

Arizona Cardinals (2-1): Despite record, Cards have minus-29 point differential (48 PF, 77 PA) and would be 1-2 if Oakland made a field goal or two in Week 3.

St. Louis Rams (1-2): Rookie QB Sam Bradford will have to grow up in a hurry, but the shame is that the Rams can’t play Washington every week.

San Francisco 49ers (0-3): Head coach Mike Singletary used the next-to-last bullet in his gun after firing offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, and the last one might be used by 49ers ownership at end of the season if disappointments continue.

For up-to-date Tweets on the NFL and the Ravens, please follow me on Twitter (@BlogAndTackle). For more national NFL stories, please visit my personal site at BlogAndTackle.net.

Well, this opportunity usually happens just twice, per year …..

With the Cleveland Browns firmly in the rear view mirror, it’s time to begin focusing on the next opponent. And, this week, that opponent just happens to be our AFC North – Hillbilly Brethren, in Pittsburgh …..
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While the Steelers have most certainly been the primary nemesis of anything related to Baltimore football, their fans and following have provided us with some memorable fodder over the course of this rivalry.

They’re spread throughout this entire nation; in many ways like a cruddy virus. Yet, no matter where they might now live, their backwoods, hucklebuck devotion to anything colored black and gold is undeniable.

We know they’ve infiltrated Maryland, especially in the North Harford region of the state.

They’re found in and around the New York City.

I saw a few of them during my recent trip to Southern California.

Heck, they’ve even penetrated the White House …..
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Aside from everything else, we can always count on the Steelers and their fans to provide us with much needed laughter. From their ridiculous worship of the ugliest color combination, to embracing a dish towel, Pittsburgh’s followers are a priceless bunch.

I’ll assume they still drink that pewtrid Iron City beer.

And, I’m also guessing they love chili dogs and lardcakes. Then again, something is fueling all those bellies, huh?

I’ve often wondered about the water, in Pittsburgh. Specifically, is there something in the water?

How else would we explain the strange characteristics of Steelers fans?
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They’re a special bunch, huh?

Well, Sunday is still four days away (that’s all the fingers, minus your thumb, on one hand ….. Steelers fans) …..

During today’s AFTERNOON DRIVE, we’ll certainly keep up with the latest from Owings Mills, along with chatting about the upcoming game, itself.

But, we’ll honor our friends from Western Pennsylvanaia, too.

Lets make it a fun four hours (that means from when the little hand is on the TWO until it reaches the SIX …. Steelers fans) …..

Yes, we’ll take it easy on those who worship the Black & Gold …..

After all, when the upcoming game is over, they’ll be getting their STAR back …..
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