Baltimore's Burning Questions - Week 16: @ Cowboys

With playoff implications galore, the Baltimore Ravens (9-5) go on the road to face the Dallas Cowboys (9-5) in the final game ever at Texas Stadium, on a special broadcast of Saturday Night Football on the NFL Network.

This matchup is much more exciting than I first pegged it; the Ravens actually have a chance, after I thought they would get crushed when the schedule was announced, while the Cowboys may not be falling apart anymore as the soap opera continues in Big D.

The burning questions that remain:

1) Will the Ravens get Good Dallas or Bad Dallas? When the Cowboys are clicking, they're one of the league's elite. However, when they're in shambles, they melt down faster than an ice cube in the hot Texas sun. Though some of the dissenssion in recent weeks smacks of a well-orchestrated media blitz to lull opponents in a false sense of security, there's always some hint of truth when it involves Terrell Owens. So, regardless of which Cowboys squad shows up to play on Saturday, the key for the Ravens is to never relent. After all, Baltimore's big weakness has been finishing games; can the Ravens play the role of heartbreaker this week and finish their business, in the last game ever to be played in Texas Stadium?

2) Can the Ravens overcome the ghosts of Cowboys past? The scene will likely be reminiscent of Pittsburgh's homecoming game on Monday Night Football against the Ravens last season, when Hall of Fame receiver John Stallworth quipped that Baltimore did not look like a professional football team out there. Hopefully, the Ravens will be able to avoid similar remarks from former Dallas greats when they take part in the spectacle that is sure to surround the closing of the historic stadium.

3) Will Joe Flacco bounce back? As last Sunday's game showed, ugly defensive battles often hinge on clutch QB play. Although Flacco is a rookie, this is the point in the season where rookie labels are thrown out the window and 1st-year players begin to show what they've learn...as well as what they have yet to learn. Previous games have shown that Flacco has a tendency to recover quickly from rough performances; can he do the same Saturday night?

4) Will the running back corps survive? The aftereffects of the Steelers game still lingering, the Ravens are likely to head into Dallas with a banged-up backfield that could easily be without the services of Le'Ron McClain and Ray Rice. Though Rice had already missed the Steelers game, he could miss another week of action with a leg contusion that will likely bother him, should he play. As for McClain, his bruising style was bound to take its toll, and it's no wonder the Ravens coaching staff has opted to utilize the three-back system all season, to keep each back as fresh as possible. Even if the two young studs are able to go, question marks still surround Willis McGahee and his health, as he appears to still be feeling the ill effects of nagging, season-long injuries, evident in his poor play in recent weeks. Should the running game be on crutches, the offense will again hinge on the continued development of QB Joe Flacco.

With a win against Dallas, Baltimore would hold onto the sixth seed in the AFC Wild Card, heading into the season finale at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, with a loss to the Cowboys, the Ravens would need losses by the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots to maintain their playoff positioning.