- LT Michael Oher vs. OLB Tamba Hali
Oher might be dealing with knee and ankle injuries, but he can’t afford any missteps when facing Hali. Perhaps the AFC’s top pass rusher, Hali racked up 14 ½ sacks this season. Hali is a major reason the Chiefs improved from 22 to 39 sacks from 2009 to 2010.
Even though Hali primarily lines up over the left tackle, thee 6-foot-3, 275-pounder still moves all over the defense. The Ravens have allowed 21 sacks of quarterback Joe Flacco in the last six games.
"He’s going to be a challenge the entire game," Oher said. "The guy goes after the ball non-stop. He has all the tools. He’s a great player." - DTs Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata vs. Gs Ryan Lilja and Brian Waters
Gregg and Ngata form a formidable interior run-stopping duo that make it difficult for any team to gain the tough yardage, but if anyone can move them, it might be Lilja and Waters. The Chiefs have the NFL’s top rushing attack, and there is no doubt that the inside of their line, along with center Casey Weigmann, do a lot of the pushing around. Lilja and Waters are both versatile enough to pull around a corner or win at the point of attack. - CB Chris Carr vs. WR Dwayne Bowe
Bowe is a big body, standing at 6-foot-2, 221 pounds, and his 15 touchdowns show that he is quite productive. Carr’s biggest strengths are his speed and smarts. Carr even has said that he likes playing bigger receivers because he can use his speed as an asset, as long as he doesn’t get boxed out. - OLB Terrell Suggs vs. LT Branden Albert
Suggs is back to the Pro Bowl-caliber player that is a yearly double-digit sacker. Suggs posted 11 this year while still being a major factor in run support. He has what looks to be a favorable matchup in Albert, who has given up eight sacks in 15 starts this year. - CB Lardarius Webb vs. P Dustin Colquitt
Webb won’t be squaring off specifically with Colquitt, but he will have a challenge with this punter. Colquitt is fourth in the NFL with 33 punts inside the 20 and ranked sixth in the AFC with a 37.6-yard gross average. Webb finished the regular season averaging 9 ½ yards on 21 punt return attempts.
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5 Matchups to Watch
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