Pass Offense

Ravens run offense vs. Steelers run defense: For the first time in months, Jamal Lewis ran like the punishing back he was a year ago, gaining 130 yards last Sunday in Indianapolis. Lewis, though, is still hampered by a sore right ankle. Unlike the Colts, the Steelers have a physical defense that usually has handled Lewis, limiting him to 76.3 yards in six starts. Pittsburgh, which is ranked No. 1 in the NFL in run defense, has given up 100 yards to just one running back this season and none in the past 10 games.

SCOUTING REPORT Ravens run offense vs. Jets run defense: The Jets rank 11th against the run, but they have shown vulnerability recently. The Bills' Willis McGahee and the Patriots' Corey Dillon both cracked 100 yards against New York in the past three weeks. And New York, which is led in the middle by rookie linebacker Jonathan Vilma, has yet to really be tested by the better running attacks, going against one top-10 rushing team. The Ravens, however, haven't established their once-feared ground game this season.

TALENT IS a very seductive thing. None more so than Terrell Owens. So what were the Ravens supposed to do when faced with the chance of getting the most talented wide receiver in the NFL? Stop and say, "Nah, we don't want that guy; he's a major pain in the tackling dummy"? Even when all signs point to as much potential for disaster as success? Even when the loud, imposing and impossible-to-ignore presence of Owens could very possibly wreak havoc on the development of Kyle Boller, for whom the Ravens gave away this year's first-round pick?

Each day this week, The Sun will preview matchups for tomorrow's Ravens-Titans playoff game. The prevailing thought is that if the Tennessee Titans shut down Ravens record-setting running back Jamal Lewis, they will likely advance. But Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher cautioned against that theory this week, saying his team is wary of Ravens quarterback Anthony Wright and his ability to throw the ball downfield. However, after throwing for 319 yards and four touchdowns against Seattle in Week 12 and for 177 yards and two scores a week later against San Francisco, Wright has regressed in the past couple weeks.

In last weekend's Class 2A regional semifinal, Aberdeen's much-heralded offense needed most of the first half to finally score a touchdown. The Eagles had no such problems last night. Host and ninth-ranked Aberdeen (10-1) scored on all seven of its first-half possessions - and on all but two for the game - and built a 42-point halftime lead en route to a 57-27 victory over Berlin's Stephen Decatur (10-2) in the Class 2A East championship game. Maryland-bound quarterback Erin Henderson led the Aberdeen attack, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for another as Aberdeen earned its first regional football championship.