FanHouse Preview: Ravens at Titans

The Ravens enter the game as the chic pick for most, as the Titans are the most maligned 13-3 team I've seen since the 2001 Bears.

For the Ravens, the love is well-deserved. Since losing three in a row early in the season, they have won 10 of their last 12 games. The only losses were to the Giants -- when the Giants were firing on all cylinders -- and to the Steelers in the Walt Coleman game. They have dismantled opposing offenses along the way, and Ed Reed is playing the best football of anyone in the NFL right now. Seriously, when he intercepted that ball last weekend, I would have been surprised if he didn't score.

For Tennessee, they just aren't flashy. People love to hate the good teams, and when you can find flaws -- such as the lack of an explosive passing attack -- you are gonna hear dissent. They do have an incredibly dominant defensive line, a special defensive back in Courtland Finnegan, and a stellar inside-outside running duo in LenDale White and Chris Johnson. There continue to be questions about whether or not Kerry Collins can win a playoff game if the running game is completely shut down, but he's been to the Super Bowl before.

When people were writing them off as the team who peaked too early, they stomped the Steelers in Nashville, 31-14.

Three Key Questions

1) How will the Titans deal with the loss of center Kevin Mawae*?

2) How will Joe Flacco handle the pressure of the Titans' defensive line?

3) Can Kerry Collins keep the ball away from Ed Reed?

Player in the Spotlight: Of course it's Reed. No one is playing better football right now. If he continues this run all the way through the Super Bowl he will start being mentioned in the conversation for best safety of all-time. Of course, there are still three obstacles in the way ...

Baltimore's path to victory: As long as they run the football with success, they can mitigate any damage that can be done by their rookie quarterback. Don't get me wrong, I like Joe Flacco, but this is the playoffs. You saw what happened to Matt Ryan last week when he was pressured in a playoff game. Flacco didn't have to deal with much pressure in Miami, but he will in Tennessee. The less he has to throw, the better.

On defense, all the Ravens have to do is stifle the run. The Titans will not be able to pass on them.

Tennessee's path to victory: They need to find a way to run the football. The Ravens have one of the best run defenses in the NFL, but they also have a stellar pass defense. The Titans must play to their own strength, which also minimizes the damage that can be done by all-of-a-sudden-Superman, Ed Reed.

Defensively, the Titans need to pressure the rookie quarterback into some forced throws in passing situations. They'll also need to load up against the run on first down. Forcing the Ravens into passing situations will be key, because they are a running team.

The Titans will benefit from having a very strong-legged kicker in Rob Bironas, and he will play a large role is what promises to be a low-scoring game.

Prediction: Ravens 16, Titans 13

*Mawae has not been officially ruled out, but it doesn't look good.