Baltimore, Maryland. The M & T Bank Stadium will host the game between the home team Baltimore Ravens and the visiting Atlanta Falcons. The 5-4 Falcons lost a heart breaker at home last week against one of the worst in the league, the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens are 7-2 for the first time after falling behind 19 points – the biggest comeback in team history. And McNair had a lot to do with it.
That’s exactly why the Baltimore Ravens wanted Steve McNair. The veteran threw his third touchdown of the game against his former team with little left on the clock Sunday, helping the Ravens rally from a big deficit to beat the Tennessee Titans 27-26 for their best start.
Bet on Pro Football at BetRoyal and receive 50% in sign-up bonuses!!
He found Clayton wide open on his second pass of the game, connected with Ovie Mughelli for a 30-yarder to start the comeback set up a pair of field goals by Matt Stover.
Then he put the Ravens ahead to stay by tossing a 12-yarder to another ex-Tennessee teammate, Derrick Mason. Stover's extra point put Baltimore up 27-26.
Click for Live NFL Point Spreads
The 2-7 Titans had a last chance to send McNair back a loser. But Trevor Pryce blocked a 43-yard field-goal attempt by Rob Bironas with 33 seconds left, allowing McNair to celebrate on the field where he had won so many games before.
Meanwhile the 5-4 Falcons suffered their second consecutive loss Sunday, falling to the Browns 17-13; the overriding concern for the team — besides an escalating list of injuries — involves a growing trend of having to play from behind.
This marked the fourth game in a row that the Falcons were forced to play comeback football. They were able to overcome such problems in consecutive victories over the Steelers and Bengals, but not against the Lions a week ago or Cleveland on Sunday. Inexplicably, the 5-2 Falcons then faced 10-0 and 17-7 deficits against a 1-6 Detroit team that ended up beating them handily 30-14. As opposed to his heroic play in the previous pair of comeback wins, a pair of early Vick turnovers proved to be costly.
Unfortunately for Vick and the Falcons, a follow-up was played out in the loss to the Browns. Atlanta got off to another atrocious start, Vick committed several big turnovers, and the Falcons were again losers.
Bet on Football at BetRoyal.com!
Vick completed only 16 of 40 passes for 197 yards, but had the Falcons in position to pull off a comeback with a 55-yard pass to Roddy White, who made a tumbling catch at the Cleveland 17. The next to plays spelled out doom. Vick got called back due to a penalty by Eric Beverly. That play determined the outcome of the game. Vick tried forced heroics on the next play and fumbled, costing his team the game.
Baltimore at home got a -4½ point spread with a total of 40. This is a powerhouse defense against an unstable but possibly lethal Falcons offensive. They have injuries crimping them so I must stay with the home favorite. Total over. Good Luck!!
