Ravens Fans to Outsmart Peyton Manning?

I'm getting excited again for the game on Saturday. I just read an interesting article in the Baltimore Sun about how Ravens Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan is asking the fans to give his defense five seconds of silence before screaming their heads off at Peyton.

It's worth reading, so I'm just going to copy it here for you. I hope Peyton's ready for this one. It's going to be a tough game. And if Baltimore fans can actually do this, I would be very impressed. And scared. Here's the article:

"Ryan: Team's defense needs a few seconds of fans' time each play
By Edward Lee
sun reporter
Originally published January 10, 2007


Five seconds.

That's all defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is asking of Ravens fans who intend to create as much noise as possible to disrupt the rhythm of the Indianapolis Colts offense, which visits M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday in an AFC divisional playoff contest.

While acknowledging the need for as much crowd noise as possible to make it difficult for Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning to call an audible or make other changes at the line of scrimmage, Ryan implored Ravens fans to turn down the volume for just several seconds while the defense makes its calls to counter the Colts' formation.

"We have to have our system in place, and if the crowd can just hold on for about five seconds when they get to the line -- just kind of hang in there for five seconds, that way we can communicate with ourselves on defense -- and then pick the tone up the rest of the time, it would be great," Ryan said. "If we can do that, that would be great. If you forget, we'll live with it."

Ryan later seemed to suggest that the delay was necessary to prevent using too many hand signals, which, Ryan said, tend to get picked up and deciphered by the Indianapolis players and coaching staff.

"We're going to have to communicate because they're really good at figuring out your signals and things," he said. "But that would be great. If we could just pause for about five seconds, that's all we need, and then let them have it."

Linebacker Bart Scott endorsed his coach's request, adding, "We want Peyton Manning not to be able to hear a drop, not even hear himself think. So at 15 seconds [on the play clock], we want the fans to get it up so that we can do what we do and give them what they all want and get where we want to go as an organization and as a city."

Ryan's appeal is not surprising considering Saturday's matchup features the NFL's top-ranked defense in the Ravens against the league's No. 3 offense in the Colts.

"We know our fans are going to be jacked up, and that's going to be our 12th man out there, and it ought to be a heck of a game," Ryan said. "You've got probably the best offense in the league against the best defense. So they know they're the best offense, and we know we're the best defense, and we're going to be prepared. They're going to get our best shot, and we expect to get their best shot. So, we'll see what happens."

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