Ravens at Seahawks
THE STORY: The Baltimore Ravens will try to guard against a letdown Sunday when they travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks. Baltimore is coming off its fifth win in six games, a 23-20 comeback victory on the road last Sunday night over AFC North rival Pittsburgh in which Joe Flacco threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Torrey Smith with eight seconds remaining. The Seahawks are hoping to avoid a fourth straight loss after dropping a 23-13 decision to the Cowboys in Dallas last Sunday. Seattle and Baltimore are meeting for the first time since the Seahawks posted a 27-6 victory at home on Dec. 23, 2007.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Ravens -6.5, O/U: 41.
ABOUT THE RAVENS (6-2): Smith atoned for his earlier miscues by hauling in the game-winning touchdown. The youngster committed a holding penalty on the game's first play from scrimmage, negating a 76-yard scoring run by Ray Rice, then dropped a potential TD earlier in the decisive drive. Baltimore leads the AFC with 26 sacks. Receiver Anquan Boldin needs 16 yards to reach 9,000 for his career. Linebacker Ray Lewis was fined a reported $20,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Pittsburgh's Hines Ward in the second quarter on Sunday. Ward left the game with concussion-like symptoms and did not return.
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (2-6): Seattle has committed 70 penalties this season, second in the league to Oakland's 84. Marshawn Lynch gained 135 yards on the ground in last week's loss, becoming the first Seahawk to reach the century mark in a regular-season game since Justin Forsett gained 130 on Nov. 29, 2009, against the St. Louis Rams. Lynch has scored both of Seattle's touchdowns over its last three contests. Receiver Deon Butler was activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list Tuesday. Butler has been sidelined since breaking his right leg against San Francisco in December. Seattle made room on the roster by placing fellow receiver Kris Durham on injured reserve with a labrum injury.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Seattle has scored a total of 28 points during its losing streak after posting 36 in a road victory over the New York Giants.
2. The Ravens have allowed 47 points over their last two contests after yielding a total of 50 over the previous four games.
3. The home team has won five straight meetings in the all-time series.