Baltimore Ravens vs Atlanta Falcons: Scouting the Enemy

Dec 23, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) carries the ball against Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Paul Worrilow (55) during the fourth quarter of the final regular season game at Candlestick Park. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Run Defense (Key Players: Paul Worrilow, Kroy Biermann, Tyson Jackson, Paul Soliai, Jonathan Babineaux)

Paul Worrilow is the headliner here, an active second-year linebacker who makes tackles all over the field. He isn’t yet a top-tier linebacker, but he is a sound tackler with good instincts.

The Falcons have a fairly stout group of linebackers in terms of stopping the run, but the defensive line struggles a bit. They are mostly a smaller group, so the Ravens’ massive line has a good chance to push the Falcons around.

All in all, the Falcons 29th ranked run defense is better than their ranking. Opponents have run the ball close to 200 times against the Falcons, largely as a result of having a significant lead. They’ve only surrendered 4.3 yards per carry, which is only a little worse than average.

The Ravens should do a good job of creating running lanes, which Justin Forsett has shown the ability to exploit. He could have a big game.