It takes a lot to win on the road in the NFL, but there are four teams that possess the ingredients necessary to pull off the difficult feat in Week 9. These four are in a unique position to get a road win based on trends, past history and surrounding circumstances entering this weekend's action.
The Ravens, Dolphins, Panthers and Steelers all appear to be in position to claim road victories. The Ravens travel to Cincinnati to square off against the rival Bengals, the Dolphins take on the hated Patriots, the Panthers face the undefeated Saints and the Steelers will battle the Broncos.
Venue: Paul Brown Stadium
Last time at site: Ravens WR Mark Clayton did it all, catching five passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, in addition to throwing a 32-yard TD pass to Derrick Mason in Baltimore's 34-3 rout of Cincinnati in Week 13 last season.
Reason for road optimism: Baltimore may have only a 1-2 record on the road this season, but that mark is deceiving. The Ravens lost 33-31 against the 7-1 Vikings because of a missed Steven Hauschka field goal as time expired. Their other loss came in New England, 27-21, largely because Mark Clayton dropped a fourth-down pass in the red zone that hit him in the chest and would have given the Ravens a first down. At some point, the Ravens will make one of those crucial plays on the road -- and what better time than this week in a huge game against a division rival.
Cincinnati has been one of the league's biggest surprises this season at 5-2. Despite that promising record, however, there are causes for concern. A statement victory over the Bears in Week 7 aside, the Bengals have not exactly been dominant this season. Their four other wins have come by a combined 16 points. Also, both of their losses have come at home. If they let down in the slightest following their bye, they could be vulnerable against a hungry Ravens team eager toget payback for their Week 5 loss to the Bengals.
Venue: Gillette Stadium
Last time at site: The Dolphins unveiled the Wildcat for the first time and it completely flummoxed the Patriots as Ronnie Brown rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another in a 38-13 victory on Sept. 21, 2008.
Reason for road optimism: If there is any team that has confidence going into New England, it is Miami. The Dolphins handed the Patriots one of their worst losses of all time in last year's meeting and have dominated the AFC East on the road since coach Tony Sparano took over in 2008. They are 4-0 when traveling to face divisional opponents under Sparano and are a perfect 3-0 this season within the AFC East.
The Patriots have dominated their division since Bill Belichick became the coach in 2000, but they have struggled some against the Dolphins. Belichick has won at a 71 percent clip in his Patriots career and boasts a 30-9 record against the Bills and Jets. His mark vs. the Dolphins, however, is a much less impressive 10-8. New England does not possess the aura of invincibility over Miami that it has against most other foes.
Venue: Superdome
Last time at site: John Kasay hit a 42-yard field goal with one second to play, giving Carolina a 33-31 victory over New Orleans in last year's season finale.
Reason for road optimism: Quite simply, the Panthers have owned the Saints over recent seasons. They have won six of the past seven matchups and John Fox is 10-4 against New Orleans since becoming Carolina's coach in 2002. Fox knows Saints coach Sean Payton well from their time together as assistants with the Giants and he has had Payton's number. Even when taking the significant past trends out of the equation, the Panthers have the one strength that may cause the Saints problems -- a highly effective power running game.
Sure, the Saints might be 7-0 and almost all of NFL.com's analysts may think they are the best team in the league, but that does not mean they are unbeatable. In their past two games they have had to grind out tough victories and the injury bug is starting to hit with stalwarts DT Sedrick Ellis, LB Scott Fujita and WR Lance Moore in danger of missing this game. This could be the week New Orleans' perfect start comes to an end.
Venue: Invesco Field
Last time at site: Jason Elam nailed a 49-yard field goal as time expired to give the Broncos a 31-28 victory over the Steelers on Oct. 21, 2007.
Reason for road optimism: One of the main reasons for Pittsburgh's dominance over the past few seasons has been its ability to win on the road. The Steelers have a solid 22-16 road mark since 2005, including the playoffs, and despite having gone just 1-2 away from Heinz field this season, both losses were by a combined six points. The Ravens exposed the Broncos last week and the Steelers play a very similar style to the Ravens, so they will be ready for whatever Denver throws at them.
The Broncos shocked many observers by starting the season 6-0, but a closer examination reveals that they are far from a juggernaut. They needed dramatic finishes to beat the Patriots and Cowboys at home and needed a miracle touchdown to beat the Bengals. Their other wins came against the struggling Browns and Raiders and vs. an inconsistent San Diego team. Counting on another desperate scramble at the end may not work against Pittsburgh -- the king of pulling out such games in recent years.
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