Author: Matt Pelc | Article Posted at: December 10, 09 - 6:28 pm

Detroit Lions vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have been consistent only in their inconsistency and that may cost the team a playoff berth that seemed so certain heading into this season and after their 3-0 start. The Ravens will likely follow a similar pattern of lose one-win one when they face the lowly Detroit Lions riding a lengthy road losing streak.

After making it to the AFC Championship game, the Ravens (6-6) believed the only thing that stood between them and a Super Bowl was the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, the Ravens lost six games in both the regular and postseason, but three of those came to the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers.

Most figured the two teams would be battling for the AFC North crown again this season and most Ravens’ fans would be ecstatic to know before the season that Pittsburgh would be riding a four-game losing streak and a below .500 record into the final four games of the season, yet the Ravens are not much better off than their bitter rivals.

Due to their sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore is well behind the eight-ball on a division title. That means they have to look towards the AFC Wild-Card which is very crowded with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars currently holding onto those spots with 8-4 and 7-5 records respectively.

Then the Ravens are in the crowded field of 6-6 teams, along with Miami, the New York Jets and Steelers.

Baltimore is coming off a disappointing 27-14 loss in Green Bay last week to the Packers in a sloppy game in which the Ravens committed a season-high 12 penalties, including five pass interference flags, the most by one team in the league since 2001.

The Ravens were missing Ed Reed. The reliable Reed missed his first game after starting 64 straight games due to an ankle injury and is uncertain for Sunday. Baltimore’s secondary was shaky without him.

They may not need Reed as they figure to face a rusty Daunte Culpepper, who has been on the bench since Week 6 will get the start as starter Matthew Stafford will sit out to nurse his separated non-throwing shoulder suffered in a Week 11 win over the Cleveland Browns.

That injury was thought to have kept Stafford out for the following game, on short rest on Thanksgiving, but coach Jim Schwartz and Stafford worked in secret out of the camera range and surprised everyone—including Culpepper, who had taken all of the reps in practice and had prepared himself to start.

He publically fumed over the perceived slight, but gets his chance to improve on his season numbers of 433 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in two starts and part of another game.

The teams have met just twice since the Ravens moved to Baltimore with each team winning once. This is the first game in Baltimore since a Ravens 19-10 win on December 27, 1998, which is an important milestone in NFL history as it was the last game Barry Sanders ever played.