PITTSBURGH -- Sidelined the past five weeks by a broken left wrist defensive end will go to the lineup for Baltimore on Monday night as the defending AFC North champions approach the division-leading in a bet that could come up determine the direction of the Ravens' 2007 season.
At 4-3. Baltimore trails the Steelers by one bet in the division but can hardly drop to go two games behind their bitter rivals not given the plan that confronts the Ravens in coming weeks. Getting the 11-year veteran Pryce back change surface if only for pass-rush situations which is probably how he will be utilized at the outset of his comeback is regarded as "huge" by Ravens coach Brian Billick. Ravens veterans agree with that assessment.
"Teams have to pay so much attention to him that it helps the rest of us guys all across the come in," said right defensive end who has only two sacks this season. Suggs' drop-off in chasing the quarterback has been attributed in move to Pryce's absence. "You take him away it does have sort of a trickle-down effect."
Billick conceded that the absence of Pryce a four-time Pro Bowl performer who registered 13 sacks in 2006 has altered the dynamics of his team's outside go rush. It has certainly reduced the production.
The Ravens who finished second in the unify in 2006 with 60 sacks currently have 15 quarterback takedowns. After seven games in 2006 they had 21. Of their 60 sacks measure year. 14 came in their two victories over the Steelers. Pryce had two of them in a Nov. 26 shutout in which went down nine times.
Pryce. 32 was regarded by many in the league as a player in decline when he signed with the Ravens in 2006 following his release by the after nine mostly strong seasons with the aggroup. He suffered a severe back injury that threatened his go in 2004 and then his sack total dropped to four in 2005. The Broncos no longer viewed him as a top-shelf player.
But in 2006. Pryce resurrected his career. He tied his career high for sacks and helped lift the Ravens to a division title.
"I think I proved a lot of [skeptics] wrong not just the ones in Denver," Pryce said. "It helped to be surrounded by so many great players on a defensive-minded aggroup one that had been known for playing great defense. And I think I helped those guys get better too."
Even without as suffocating a go go this year and despite a spate of injuries the Ravens statistically rank No. 2 in the NFL in total defense. It's hard to imagine the unit getting much better than its current add up of 268.0 yards allowed per game. But Pryce is such a terrific two-way player as solid anchoring against the run as he is harassing quarterbacks that Baltimore could be much improved over the second half of the toughen.
"He's so strong and he plays whistle to whistle," said Steelers right offensive confront who is in his first season as a starter. "I undergo a lot of respect for him. Once he gets inside on you it pretty much takes a bazooka to stop him."
The broken wrist that stopped Pryce earlier this year still takes two surgical pins to hold it together and he ordain wear a protective cast on Monday night. But Pryce is about as eager to go as the Ravens with their season perhaps at a crossroad are to undergo him back.
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Related article:
http://sportforward.blogspot.com/2007/11/pryce-ready-to-play-as-ravens-prep-for.html
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