Home Away From Home

The Baltimore Ravens will make the half-hour trip to the Washington Redskins’ FedEx Field on Sunday morning.

It will be only the second meeting of the teams in the Ravens’ five-year history.

“You think this will be like a home game?” Baltimore Coach Brian Billick asked when someone suggested the concept.

“Come stand next to me at FedEx Field near kickoff and tell me ‘It’s like a home game.’ ”

The Ravens won, 20-17, in 1997 in the only other meeting.

That almost sounds like too many points this time.

Baltimore has won its last two games without scoring a touchdown--more than 126 minutes overall. Nine field goals by Matt Stover helped the Ravens beat Cleveland and Jacksonville.

Defense is the reason, and Redskin running back Stephen Davis is focused on a rushing defense that ranks first in the NFL and is giving up only 50.7 yards a game--about half his average.

“That’s probably the best defense in the league,” Davis said.

Tennessee lineman Bruce Matthews’ streak of 202 consecutive games remains on the line with him listed as questionable going into Monday’s game against Jacksonville. He sprained his right knee Sunday.

Matthews admitted this week that was “the most pain I’ve ever experienced on the field.”

“I’ve never had to just lay on the field like that,” he said. “I’ve been injured before, sure, maybe got up and went down again to give the backup time to get ready to go in there, but I’ve never had to just lay there for that long.”

Titan Coach Jeff Fisher believes Matthews might be able to play.

“If it were you or I with it, we couldn’t drive a car and he’s thinking about playing,” Fisher said.