The Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens utilized their bye weeks to get back to doing what they do best.
When the teams meet at the Georgia Dome on Thursday night, it will be strength vs. strength as the Ravens' vaunted defense prepares for the Falcons' bruising running game.
Baltimore (6-2) remained tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North following last weekend's methodical 26-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
The Ravens held the ball for over 38 minutes, got a combined 180 yards from running back Ray Rice and watched their defense return to its stingy ways by limiting Miami to a field goal over the final three quarters.
Quarterback Joe Flacco, relying on the rushing and pass-catching skills of Rice, had one of his best games of the season. The third-year quarterback was 20 of 27 for 266 yards and two touchdowns, giving him seven scoring passes and no interceptions in his last three games.
Rice carried 22 times for 83 yards and added nine receptions for a season-high 97 yards as the Ravens outgained Miami 402-289.
The defensive effort was a sharp contrast to the prior two games before the bye, when Baltimore's defense was singed for 57 points, including 34 to winless Buffalo in an overtime victory.
The Ravens intercepted Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne three times and have forced nine turnovers in the past three games.
Safety Ed Reed, a former NFL Defensive Player of the year who spent the first six weeks on the physically unable to perform list, has three interceptions in his first two games back.
Atlanta (6-2) will likely attack Baltimore’s defense with a steady dose of running back Michael Turner, who rushed for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 24 carries in a 27-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that gave the Falcons sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
It was the second consecutive 100-yard game and fourth in the last six for Turner, who ranks third in the conference with 694 yards and has rushed for five touchdowns.
Quarterback Matt Ryan, who was selected 15 spots before Flacco in the 2008 draft, was 24 of 36 for 235 yards and a touchdown despite seeing star wide receiver Roddy White miss part of the game with a knee injury.
It was a much more efficient performance by the Falcons, who had given up 22 unanswered points before prevailing in a wild 39-32 shootout against Cincinnati before their bye week.
White, who played the second half with a knee brace, said he plans to play Thursday. He is second in the NFL in both receptions (58) and yards (796) and has five touchdown grabs.
Atlanta’s defense also came up big, stopping Tampa Bay on fourth-and-one inside the 5-yard line in the waning minutes to improve to 4-0 at home for the season.
The great success at home has coincided with the arrival of Ryan, who has won his last 13 starts and is 17-1 for his career at the Georgia Dome.