Indianapolis Colts take the field for the AFC Playoff Game Against Baltimore

The Indianapolis Colts take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. This is the AFC Playoff Game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, January 16th, 2010.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers! Who Do You Think Will Win? - NFL - JRSportBrief

Tonight for Sunday Night Football we get a good one as the Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers! With both teams currently at 8-3, who do you think will take control of the AFC North heading to the playoffs?JRSportBrief covers the latest sports news, game highlights, and athletes of professional sports. JR gives his opinions on all sports: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Boxing, MMA and all the major leagues. Whether it's the NBA Finals, the MLB World Series, or the NFL Superbowl, JRʼs got his own opinions and he wants to hear yours! New Episodes all week long. Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com Email: JRSportBrief@gmail.com

Four Different Baltimore Pro Football Teams Have Won Championships

Winning the championship is the primary goal of any football team, or any sports team at all really. There is only one reason to go out and play and that is to win the championship. A championship season is not only rewarding to the players that duke it out on the field, but also to the fans that root them on. Cities and regions should be very proud of their championship winning teams.

Baltimore is a great football town and professional football has been present there in one form or another for more than 60 years. Many people don't know this, but four different professional football teams have won championships while representing the city of Baltimore.

The Baltimore Ravens - 2000
The last Baltimore team to win a league title in pro football was the team that currently represents the city in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens began as a franchise in 1996, having been active as the Cleveland Browns the previous year. They had a few tough years, but in 2000 everything came together behind a strong running game and an out of this world defense. They ended up defeating the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV.

The Baltimore Colts - 1958, 1959, and 1970
The Baltimore Colts won championships three times. In 1958, they defeated the New York Giants for the NFL title in what many would refer to as the greatest game ever played. After trailing most of the 1959 title game, the Colts would eventually score 24 unanswered points and defeat the Giants in a rematch of the previous year's championship game by the score of 31-16. The Colts won their third league title in 1970 when they beat the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl V by the score of 27-17. Technically, the Colts have a fourth title as they were champions of the NFL in 1968, but went on to lose Super Bowl III to the New York Jets of the American Football League before the two leagues merged.

The Baltimore Stars - 1985
The Stars franchise had played the first two seasons of their time in the USFL in the city of Philadelphia. The team was moved to Baltimore for 1985 and though they weren't as successful as they had been in the past, they were able to make it into the playoffs. The magic was still there though and they marched through the post season and would win the last championship game in USFL history by defeating the Oakland Invaders.

The Baltimore Stallions - 1995
The Canadian Football League expanded into the United States in the mid 1990's, and one of the cities that got a team was Baltimore. In 1995, their second season, the Baltimore Stallions not only won their division, but they became the first team based in America to win the Grey Cup as champions of the Canadian Football League. The team was gone the next year as they were moved to Montreal and renamed the Allouettes.

The fact that they are a great team is not Baltimore Ravens trivia, it's a fact. Finding out little known information about them can be fun. You can use it to impress your friends, win bets, or just for your own personal enjoyment.

There are some very good sources out there for quality football trivia, and they are easy to use too. As a fan of a team or player, you yourself know how fun it can be to learn about some of the lesser known things in the world of football. Football trivia and little known facts are often the best part about the game.

Baltimore Ravens 2010 Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions

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The Baltimore Ravens entered the regular-season finale in 2008 needing a victory to reach the playoffs and last season was no different as an 8-7 Ravens team went to Oakland knowing a loss would keep them at home. Baltimore had little trouble in a 21-13 victory that got it a Wild-Card round matchup with New England.

And the Ravens then laid a 33-14 beat down on a Pats team that had been unbeaten at home in the regular season. Baltimore also snapped the Patriots' home playoff win streak at 11 games, handing New England its first home playoff loss since 1978. The Ravens did this despite Joe Flacco going 4-for-10 for 34 yards and a pick.

While Flacco was lousy in that game and then the following week in a loss to the Colts, he was very good during the season with 3,613 yards passing on 63.1 percent completions with 21 touchdowns and 12 picks. Pretty much all his numbers were up from his rookie year despite the lack of a true No. 1 receiver. The real star of Baltimore's offense last year and one of the NFL's breakout players was running back Ray Rice. The former Rutgers star joined Jamal Lewis as the only Ravens player in team history to have more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Rice rushed for 1,339 yards and caught 78 passes for 702 yards. But other than Flacco, Rice and to some degree Derrick Mason (73 catches, 1,028 yards, seven TDs) the Baltimore offense lacked playmakers.

Baltimore thinks it solved that problem with the offseason trade for Arizona WR Anquan Boldin and the signing of Donte Stallworth, who sat last season out due to suspension. Boldin should give the team the No. 1 threat it has lacked for years, but this still will be a running team.

The Ravens remain among the league's best defensive teams, ranking third overall last year and fifth against the rush. They have one of the best players in the league on the defensive line (Haloti Ngata), at linebacker (the ageless Ray Lewis), and in the secondary (Ed Reed). The only concern for this unit is whether Reed will miss the first six weeks, as he has hinted he may go on the PUP list as he recovers from offseason hip surgery. Certainly that would hurt this unit.

The experts list Baltimore's 2010 wins total at 9.5 and the Ravens as the AFC North favorites at -160.

Let's see how the 2010 Baltimore Ravens schedule breaks down:

Week 1: Monday, Sep. 13, at NY Jets, 7:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 19, at Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 26, Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 3, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 10, Denver, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 17, at New England, 1:00 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 24, Buffalo, 1:00 PM
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 7, Miami, 1:00 PM
Week 10: Thursday, Nov. 11, at Atlanta, 8:20 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 21, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 28, Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 5, Pittsburgh, 8:20 PM
Week 14: Monday, Dec. 13, at Houston, 8:30 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 19, New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 26, at Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 2, Cincinnati, 1:00 PM

This schedule is ranked as the 12th toughest in the NFL, with an opponents' 2009 winning percentage of.508 (130-126). The Ravens don't have to worry much about travel, with 15 of their 16 regular-season games in the Eastern Time Zone for only the second time in team history so watch those NFL point spreads. And there are no West Coast trips, which is always a benefit.

If Baltimore can get to the bye week above.500 that would be a major accomplishment and set this team up nicely for an easier schedule post-bye. Four of the Ravens' first six games are on the road, including the first Monday night game (against the Jets) at the new Giants Stadium. That's the first time the Ravens will face former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, New York's head coach. That game should be a bruising, low-scoring affair. The Jets have opened as three-point favorites. Then Baltimore gets a chance for revenge against a Bengals team that swept the Ravens last year, allowing Baltimore a total of just 21 points. Of course a former Ravens defensive coordinator also coaches Cincy: Marvin Lewis. It's the first time in franchise history that Baltimore opens with two road games - a split would be a great result.

The Ravens should handle Cleveland and then catch a huge break that they play Pittsburgh in Week 4 and not Week 5 because Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will be not allowed back until after four games. Thus a road win there could give Baltimore the early upper hand for the division. The Ravens will be solid favorites in home games against Denver and the Bills but a likely dog at a New England team that will be out for vengeance - if Pats WR Wes Welker goes on the PUP list, Baltimore would avoid him as it did in last year's playoff game.

Baltimore should beat Miami with a week off prior before facing three straight NFC South teams. That quick turnaround against the Falcons likely favors Atlanta because at least it's at home on the short week. And that tremendous Carolina ground game will challenge the Ravens. That game at Houston looks like a loss as Baltimore traditionally has not been a good team on Monday nights (5-8). The matchup against the Saints marks the fifth year in a row the Ravens face the reigning Super Bowl champions. That it's in the elements is a huge advantage for Baltimore. And really there's no reason the Ravens shouldn't win their final two games rather easily.

As an NFL handicapper, it looks like an 11-5 team to me and the AFC North champion. I hate to project much further, but the Ravens seem like excellent value to win the AFC at +600 as well as +1100 to win the Super Bowl. If everything breaks right and there are no major injuries (especially to Flacco, Boldin and if Reed gets 100 percent), there is no reason this team can't win it all.

Doc Moseman is one of the pioneers of college football and the NFL handicapping industry. Check out his Web site for up-to-the-minute NFL odds and his famous winning college football and NFL picks.

NFL Predictions - 2010 Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens finished 9-7 on NFL Picks in 2009 and made the playoffs where they lost in the 2nd round to the Indianapolis Colts. The Ravens went 8-7-1 against the spread on football odds, going over the total 6 times, under 9 times and had one push. The Ravens signature defense was again the nucleus of the team, which ranked 3rd overall in total yards giving up a little over 300 per game, #8 overall in passing yards giving up an average of 207 per game, the team was 5th against the run giving up only 93.2 yards per game and opponents scored 16.3 points per game which was good enough for 3rd in the National Football League. The Ravens usually boast on e of the teams best defense but analyst everywhere continue to rated quarterback Joe Flacco among the best in the NFL but I'm not so sure of that, Flaccco has all of the physical skills but lacks something and this sports handicapper thinks his backup, former Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith is a better fit for the team. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has done an excellent job since taking over for Brian Billick a few years ago and expectations are high again this year at Ravens camp.

The 2010-11 Ravens will again be led by the defense, some think this unit is getting old but with the statistics they have been posting it just looks like they are getting better. Ray Lewis is the man in the middle and both the emotional and physical leader but fellow linebacker Terrell Suggs is vastly becoming of the best the in the National football League also. The defensive line is also solid with long time veteran Trevor Pryce, who led the team with 6' sacks last year. Haloti Ngata is also becoming one of the best defensive lineman in football and should dominate at his position again this year. The defensive backfield lost Samari Rolle to retirement and the leader of the group Ed Reed has had a nagging injury, Reid also thinks he is underpaid and so do I, this guy has been a playmaker ever since he came into the league out of the University of Miami and the Ravens can ill afford to loose him.

The Ravens offense made great stride with running back Ray Rice gained 1,339 yards in 2009 and should be one of the elite backs in the league this year. His back up Willis McGahee would be a starter on any team but he knows his role with Baltimore and is quite happy with it, he gets his touches and like Rice he can also take it the distance at anytime, fullback Le'Ron McClain is also a pro bowl caliber back. The tandem is one of the best in football, that is why Baltimore ranked 5th overall in rushing yards averaging 137.5 per game. The offensive line hasn't been the same sine lone time offensive Tackle Jonathan Ogden retired, this unit will have to gel this year, especially in their pass blocking. The wide receivers are good and now add Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin into the mix. THe real question mark is still Joe Flacco, he will struggle this year and that is why the Ravens finish 2nd in the AFC North behind the Cincinnati Bengals and will struggle with the Pittsburgh Steelers but this division could have 3 teams in the playoffs in 2010-11.

http://www.Charliessports.com provides Football Picks.

Greg C Nelson