| | | | | | | | Friday, October 18, 2002
MNF Breakdown: Broncos-Ravens
By Mike Diegnan
ABC Sports Online
Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, just 10 teams have scored fewer than 200 points in a season (or a measly 12.5 points per game). Heading into this Monday night's game against with Denver (ABC, 9 p.m. ET), Baltimore is an early candidate to join that list.
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NFL's Lowest Scoring Teams
|
| Pts |
Team |
Record |
| 140 |
'92 Seahawks |
2-14 |
| 143 |
'91 Colts |
1-15 |
| 161 |
'98 Eagles |
3-13 |
| 161 |
'00 Browns |
3-13 |
| 181 |
'90 Patriots |
1-15 |
| 185 |
'00 Bengals |
4-12 |
| 187 |
'93 Bengals |
3-13 |
| 189 |
'93 Colts |
4-12 |
| 196 |
'91 Cardinals |
4-12 |
| 199 |
'91 Buccaneers |
3-13 |
| *Since 1978; not including strike years |
The 1990 Patriots were the first team in the 16-game era to be held to under 200 when they scored just 181 points en route to a 1-15 season. The following season, the Indianapolis Colts upped the ante by scoring just 143 points. But it is the 1992 Seahawks who set the standard for offensive futility by scoring just 140 points (or 8.75 points per game).
In the first season following Chuck Knox's departure after nine seasons in Seattle, Tom Flores inherited a team that finished 7-9 in 1991 and scored 276 points. But led by quarterbacks Stan Gelbaugh, Kelly Stouffer and Dan McGwire, the Seahawks had little chance in his first season. They threw 23 interceptions to nine TD passes, were shutout twice and never scored more than 17 points in a game. Chris Warren did provide Seattle with the franchise's second-ever 1,000-yard rusher, but he reached the end zone just three times. Running back John Williams was the team's leading receiver with 74 catches, yet the top wide receiver was Tommy Kane with all of 27 receptions and three scores.
|  | | Chris Redman is completing just 50 percent of his passes. |
This takes us to Baltimore, where the Ravens enter Monday night's game last in the league in scoring (3.5 points per game), 30th in rushing (66.0 yards), 23rd in passing (179.5), 29th in total (231.0) and 26th in third-down efficiency (31.0 %). Relying on a running back, who missed all of last season, and a third-year quarterback, who threw just three passes prior to this season, the Ravens have given up more points than the defense. In their 25-0 loss to Tampa Bay, the Bucs couldn't reach the end zone on the Ravens defense, but did take an interception 97 yards for a touchdown and got a safety when Chris Redman and Jamal Lewis mishandled a pitch.
And it won't get any easier this week. Denver enters the game No. 1 in the NFL against the run (47.3 yards per game), and is coming off a win over Buffalo when the Broncos allowed just 39 rushing yards on 14 attempts (2.8 yards per carry). Through three games, the Broncos have not allowed any first quarter points against three formidable offenses -- St. Louis, San Francisco and Buffalo. How they will do against an offense that hasn't scored in seven quarters is only mind-boggling.
The only good news for the Ravens is that, just like Tampa Bay two weeks ago, the Broncos are not generating on offense like they have in the past. Although Brian Griese has thrown two TD passes in each victory, the Broncos rank just 30th in passing and 27th on third downs.
That could play into the strength of this Ravens team. For all of Baltimore's problems offensively, the Ravens still have Ray Lewis. That means that Baltimore will still stay in games because of its defense. The Ravens rank fourth in the NFL in total defense and sixth against the pass (162.5). The defense ranks second in the AFC in fewest yards allowed on first downs (4.04).
MNF record
Denver: 21-25-1 (1-1 last season)
Baltimore: 2-1 (2-1 last season)
Season record
Denver: 3-0 (1st, AFC West)
Baltimore: 0-3 (3rd, AFC North)
Head-to-head
The all-time regular-season series is tied 1-1 (Baltimore has won the only postseason meeting).
Baltimore won in Denver last season 20-13.
Notes
Denver QB Brian Griese is tied for second in the AFC with six TD passes. He owns the NFL's second-best fourth quarter passer rating (142.4) on 16-of-19 (84.2 pct.) for 165 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs.
Griese has thrown a TD pass in 18 consecutive games, the longest active streak in NFL.
Denver TE Shannon Sharpe's three Super Bowl rings is tied for most among active players (Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith).
Baltimore is tied with Arizona for the league's youngest squad (25.2 years).
| Denver vs. Baltimore |
| |
 |
 |
| OFFENSE |
| Points/G (rank) |
25.0 (13) |
3.5 (32) |
| Rushing/G (rank) |
156.0 (5) |
66.0 (30) |
| Passing/G (rank) |
154.7 (30) |
165.0 (23)
|
| Total Offense/G (rank) |
310.7 (19) |
231.0 (29) |
| 1st downs/G (rank) |
20.3 (12) |
13.5 (30) |
| 3rd down eff. (rank) |
10-33, 30.3% (27) |
9-29, 31.0% (26) |
| 4th down eff. (rank) |
2-3, 66.7% (10) |
1-2, 50% (13) |
| DEFENSE |
| Points/G (rank) |
17.7 (11) |
17.5 (10) |
| Rushing/G (rank) |
47.3 (1) |
109.5 (18) |
| Passing/G (rank) |
245.7 (26) |
162.5 (4) |
| Total Defense/G (rank) |
293.0 (11) |
272.0 (6) |
| Sacks (rank) |
9 (9) |
3 (29) |
| MISC. |
| Takeaways (rank) |
5 (13) |
0 (31) |
| Giveaways (rank) |
3 (7) |
2 (2) |
| Turnover ratio (rank) |
+2 (9) |
-2 (21) |
| Penalties (rank) |
15 (6) |
9 (1) |
| Penalty yards (rank) |
125 (7) |
70 (1) |
Individual leaders
| Passing |
|
NAME |
CMP |
ATT |
YDS |
CMP% |
LNG |
TD |
INT |
SACK |
RAT |
|
Brian Griese |
51 |
77 |
532 |
66.2 |
27 |
6 |
2 |
11 |
101.2 |
|
Chris Redman |
36 |
72 |
359 |
50.0 |
36 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
57.6 |
| Kicking |
| NAME |
1-20 |
20-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50+ |
TOT |
PCT |
AVG |
LNG |
XPM/A |
PTS |
|
Jason Elam |
0/0 |
1/1 |
2/2 |
2/3 |
0/0 |
4/5 |
80.0 |
33.0 |
41 |
9/9 |
21 |
|
Matt Stover |
0/0 |
0/0 |
0/0 |
0/1 |
0/1 |
0/2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
1/1 |
1 |
| Punting |
| NAME |
PUNTS |
YDS |
AVG |
LNG |
TB |
IN20 |
NET |
|
Tom Rouen |
13 |
561 |
43.2 |
63 |
2 |
3 |
41.7 |
|
Dave Zastudil |
13 |
503 |
38.7 |
53 |
0 |
6 |
31.5 |
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