So who are you a fan of?

Amen Preston - Ravens gonna get beat down like the punks they are. Not real clear to me why Ravens fans would be talking trash about this

1) great defense but the Titans beat a better defense in Pittsburgh - soundly
2) The Titans already beat the Ravens once in Baltimore. Bad call? sure there were a lot of bad calls in that game.
3) The titans beat 3 of the 4 teams that the ravens lost to and did not play the fourth.
4) Game is in Nashville
5) The Titans are well-rested
6) Ravens played their dream game last week - few mistakes - due for a loss.

Not a fan of the Ravens? Really???

MP, it is okay to be an objective sportswriter and at the same time, admit you're a fan of the Ravens! C'mon, how many years have you lived in B'more?

You're not making a whole lot of sense with that acknowledgment.

Not a fan of the Ravens?!? OK, so you just permanently lost me as a reader Big Mike. No way I ever bother reading your stuff now that I know that bro.

As for Kevin in Iraq, come back Saturday evening, will you please? ;)

These teams WERE evenly matched before Mawae went down. He's their field general. Leroy Harris, the back-up, is physically capable, but the Ravens scheme confuses even those teams who meet us twice a year.

Titans won't be able to run any better than Wk 5.

Kerry Collins will be under more duress than he's seen all year (sacked only 8 times) thanks to Mawae's absence.

If the Ravens don't turn the ball over, it's all a matter of piecing together some drives to win. Who would be surprised if the Titans were held to 3 field goals under these circumstances? Not me.

Anybody that thinks the Titans will easily beat the Ravens Saturday has not been paying attention to what has been going on with both of the teams recently. This includes Mike Preston's typically weak analysis of the Baltimore Ravens. Pay attention Mike!

Let me first state that i am not a MP hater like the majority of BaltimoreSun readers, i respect your ability to detach from the city and report your obviously unbiased point of view. That being said i dont know how you havent developed into a ravens fan having covered them since they got here. However, while "logic" says the Ravens will lose sat., i feel like "logic" overlooks things like ferocity, determination, destiny, and intimidation. "Logic" didnt expect Pennington to throw 4 picks last weekend. "Logic" had the Ravens winning 4 games this year. "Logic" expected Ray to be a washed up, slow MLB. Seems like "Logic" is having a bad year when it comes to this Ravens team.

It's ok for Mike not to be a fan of either team, but I bet he likes it when the Ravens are a good team much more. It makes his job better.

the titans beat a steeler team that was ready to be beaten. before the game ben even said the game wasnt a must win. they were coming off two slugfests against the cowboys and us

I love it when Mike makes statements like that. When are you all going to learn that Mike likes pulling you alls chains.LOL.

It's MP's job to be an impartial journalist, not a fan. Most sports people can not do decent analysis if they are a fan. Think Troy Aikman talking about an NFC East team that isn't Dallas. Also, how does this surprise anyone who has read MP's articles and blogs before???

You should hear Mark Viviano's take on this as well. It's his job to cover the team, but he is not a fan.

I appreciate MP's honesty and objectiveness. But, you'll look stupid come Sunday. And you're little disclaimer at the end won't be enough.

Can you blame Preston here with his pick and unbiased approach? He's clearly trying to gain recognition from a national publication or media outlet by curbing the "homerism" and sticking to the tale of the tape. You have to commend him for objectivity regardless of whether or not you agree. The bottom line is there is no reporter that is going to sway the advantage to one team by what they write. The game will be decided on the field the way it is each and every week. Go Ravens.

As an outsider who loves to visit Baltimore but HATES the Ravens, I agree with MP that being an impartial journalist is the way to go even if he ticks off the readers. Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. Personally, I hope that the Ravens win and travel to Pittsburgh for a rematch. I think the Ravens can beat the Titans, but it will be very close. Of course, they will probably lose to Pittsburgh, but that is for next week.

Don't be hatin' MP for his views. He has his right just like you got your right.

Kevin of Iraq, when did the Titians beat the Giants? I assume the Titians didn't beat themselves? So how did they beat 3 of the 4 teams that we lost to? The Ravens beat 1 of the 2 teams that you lost to. So what!

Come home safe. Go Ravens!

I think MP's comments may have come out differently than their intended meaning.

I think the purpose of the comment was to show his passion for the overall game of football. I took it like this: MP likes the Ravens, but he would still watch football if Baltimore didn't have a team. As a football fan, this is great matchup.

Further, the guy went to Towson. He has been in the Baltimore area for an eternity, so it is hard to believe MP isn't a fan of Baltimore football regardless of his comments (unless, yikes, he is a closet Skin fan-boooo). I bet he used to cheer for the Stallions.

If we could detach ourselves from our regional influence, it would be logical to pick the Titans. However, the Ravens have a lot of intangibles that will put logic to the test on Saturday.

If we didn't have a chance to win, there wouldn't be a need to step on the field: any given Sunday (Saturday in this case) any team can be beaten.

Go Ravens!!!!!!

I think the game will either be a close slugfest like the first matchup or total domination by the Ravens. Here is how I will back it up: 1. I don't believe the Titans will be able to run the on the Ravens as while Chris Johnson has the speed to get to the edge, Lendale White doesn't. If they can't effectively run the ball, that puts a lot of pressure on Collins to make plays down the field. That's a tough task in itself because Reed is going bananas right now and was very hesitant early in the season. 2. Kerry Collins made a few mistakes the first game against the Ravens and is prone to make mistakes as he have throughout his entire career. He is an aging QB who can and has been rattled and I expect the Ravens to get some pressure on him. 3. Joe Flacco will be the determining factor I believe on whether the Ravens win or lose. He, like Collins, made a few mistakes the first matchup against the Titans trying to gun the ball through defenders. The problem is that he hasn't made those mistakes since. I believe that spells a bit of trouble for Tennessee. If Tennessee brings that extra man in the box, expect Cameron to dial up a playaction. With that being said, it should be a great game as I think it will be close. I truly the believe the winner of this game has a great to make it to Tampa. We will see how it turns out.

Mike, it wasn't "logical" for the 10-6 Giants to beat the 18-0 Patriots last year either.

Here are some reasons why the Ravens could win:

1) The Titans are 3-3 in their last six games after a 10-0 start. They sort of remind me of the '03 Chiefs, who went 9-0 before going 4-3 in their last seven games. They lost at home in the divisional round to the Colts.

2) Playoff Flacco is better than week five Flacco.

3) Tennessee will not be able to run on the Ravens, just as they weren't in week five.

4) The game being on the road means very little as they Ravens have proven all year.

5) The Titans have not played a meaningful game in three weeks.

6) Having a bye can be a double-edged sword. Often teams come out flat. Does anyone remember the '06 bye-rested Ravens vs. the Colts in the divisional round?

ATTENTION ALL SLOBBERING RAVENS FANS: Big Mike is talking to you through a newspaper column or his blog. As such, he is obligated to speak through his mind and not his ah, er, well, never mind. And if none of you are also worried about fatigue setting in you've never worn pads---no bye--short week--physical opponent--travel---are you getting this PEOPLE??!! Now, i happen to disagree with Mikey on the outcome; i think the Ravens will win for several reasons which i'll detail in my next entry but for now---take off the rose-colored glasses cuz if you underestimate the problem you'll get your ah, er. well, you'll get somethin' handed to you

For those of you hating on Kevin from Iraq, you should be saying that to Harvey. Kevin asked MP who he is a fan of.

As a raven fan i appreciate the unbiased view MP. I just wish we saw more of it on a national level (FOX, MSN, etc) But i have to say that logic should play a very little part in picking a winner of a football game. Remember when the Browns beat the Giants earlier this year? Did anyone see that coming? Upsets happen, even in the playoffs. I also believe the Ravens are hot now and will come out of Tennessee with a win and one step closer to the Super Bowl.

I think knowing that Mawae is not going to be playing kind of makes the Ravens more logical. Titans will not run the ball any better than they did week 5, no matter how much trash-talking White and Johnson both do. Collins did not get sacked in the last meeting, I bet he'll be sacked two or three times in this game and throw a couple of picks. Flacco is far better than he was in week 5 and as long as he plays a steady game, they'll win this for sure. Oh and remember, the Ravens ran the ball pretty well on the Titans the last time (132 rushing yds, McClain TD), and that was with Haynesworth in the game so it's not like they can't run against the Titans either.

I see a tough, low-scoring battle with a final score of 14-12, Ravens.

I look at it differently...

The Ravens are 'battle-honed' having been in playoff mode since the Dallas game while Tennessee hasn't played a meaningful game since beating Pittsburgh 3 weeks ago.

I don't thank they can just turn on enough intensity to match the Ravens.

Of course the Titans are going to be tough to beat. Even though I give them a slim advantage, it's going to be a tough game. And I do see a lot of ways that the Ravens could win.

No issue with Mike going with there favorite here. 13-10 is as close to a toss up as you can get. I'm pretty sure the Titans fan up above is going to be surprised at the game, no matter what happens.

All you say is true. The Ravens have been going up hill since the Houston hurricane. The short week this week is hugh. Why we got screwed with only 6 days between games while the Chargers got 8 and everyone else got 7, who knows. It's all for us to talk about because the Ravens don't seem to care, and they are right. Their attitude is "we want to play football anywhere, anytime. GREAT! That's one of the reasons we love this team so much. They have brought back that ole Baltimore Colt feeling of quality, intergerity laced, hard nosed football. Way to go Ravens, go get 'em. Your reward is that with a win this week we will get a extra day to perpare for our next opponent. GO RAVENS!!!

Sounds like the comments we heard in 2000 doesn't it Mike ?

Mike I usually like your reasoning and find you to be the best of the Sun's reporters. But let me tell you why I think you are not only wrong, but why I think the Ravens are the 'logical' choice.

1) First, anyone who saw the 1st matchup (or saw it again today on NFL ntwk) knows that the Ravens not only played well, they dominated both lines of scrimmage. They had 3 times the rushing yards of the Titans at a time when we still hadn't developed our identity. In fact I submitted a question to your weekly column back then asking why we didn't use the McClain-Neal "heavy package" more often as it was clearly effective.
We will dominate the lines even more today with Mawae out and Haynesworth and VB not at 100%

2) The Ravens secondary is better since Washington and Leonard have come into their own

3) Momentum favors us....the Titans are 3-3 in the last 6 while the Ravens are a whisker away from 6-0.

4) Last, and not to be discounted is the huge "nothing to lose, let's wing it factor" favoring the Ravens. How would you like to be the Titans, Kerry Collins, or the scrub center for the last week. Collins knows it is judgement day. If he was the man to answer the bell he would have shown it in 2001.

Picking the Titans is NOT logical except on the surface.