Green Bay @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 7, 2009 ) Baltimore 14, Green Bay 27

Joe Flacco is off to a bit of a slow start but could turn things around quickly against a poor pass defense missing its best outside rusher. Flacco will attempt to do just that when the Baltimore Ravens host the banged-up Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Packers will be without top pass rusher Clay Matthews, who suffered a broken thumb last week and could miss a month.

The Ravens are 3-2 but Flacco owns more interceptions (eight) than touchdown passes (five) after signing a giant contract following a Super Bowl win last season. Aaron Rodgers is on the opposite end of the quarterback spectrum with nine touchdowns and three picks but does not have his team in any better position. Green Bay is winless on the road, where it served up 34 points in each of its losses to San Francisco and Cincinnati.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Packers -3. O/U: 48.5

ABOUT THE PACKERS (2-2): Matthews’ absence means Green Bay will turn to a combination of Mike Neal and Nick Perry rushing the passer. Those two combined for three sacks in a win over the Detroit Lions last week and will start on the outside, while the inside linebacker spots are thin after injuries to Brad Jones (hamstring) and Robert Francois (Achilles). Rodgers is coming off an efficient 274-yard, one-touchdown performance in a 22-9 win over the Detroit Lions but will again be without one of his weapons in leading rusher James Starks (knee), leaving the bulk of the carries to rookie Eddie Lacy.

ABOUT THE RAVENS (3-2): Flacco’s last two weeks were the worst of the bunch, with the Super Bowl MVP completing only 53.7 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and six interceptions. Flacco was picked up in last week’s 26-23 victory at Miami by his defense, which surrendered just 22 rushing yards and sacked Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill six times. After getting shredded by the Denver Broncos in the season opener, Baltimore’s defense is working its way back into form by stopping the run and playing tight in the red zone.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Rodgers has 29 TD passes in his last 11 games against AFC teams.

2. Ravens WR Torrey Smith leads the AFC with 556 receiving yards and is averaging 20.6 yards per catch.

3. Baltimore is 13-0 in its last 13 home games against NFC opponents.

PREDICTION: Ravens 28, Packers 24