ESPN AFC North Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

It's easy for casual fans to enjoy the pure athleticism when watching the NFL. But it's the mental side of football that separates the good players and the great players.

Lewis	Manning

Hardcore football enthusiasts should get a kick out of watching the mental chess match Sunday when Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens' defense squares off against Peyton Manning and the offense of the Indianapolis Colts.

Both players are the leaders of their respective units and widely regarded as two of the smartest, most savvy football players in NFL history.

"He comes up to the line; he's trying to put his players in the right position," Lewis told reporters Wednesday. "I'm trying to make sure mine are in the right position, you know, trying to get through all the dummy stuff, whatever's not real and things like that.

"I just think it's great because he studies the game very well. I study the game very well. You just kind of get two brains going. It's really just having fun -- that's all it is."

Peyton Manning vs. Ravens D Peyton Manning is one of the few NFL quarterbacks who's had a lot of success against Baltimore's defense. Here are his regular-season numbers against the Ravens. Games W-L Comp. % Yds/G TD INT 6 4-2 63.9 283.8 13 3

Lewis added that there are times when he will try to "out-Manning" Peyton Manning on Sunday. He says he will occasionally go to the line and make "dummy" calls that has no bearing on the play to try to get Manning to check into something favorable for the defense.

Manning will be doing the same. He's arguably the best in the NFL at making and faking pre-snap adjustments to give his offense the advantage.

Manning's had a lot of success against Baltimore, averaging 283.8 yards per game and throwing 13 touchdowns in six regular-season meetings. Including playoffs, the Colts are 5-2 against Baltimore with Manning under center.

"It's always classic rivals anytime we play these guys," Lewis said. "They know what they get, we know what we get ...You've got to appreciate playing these kinds of games when you have the type of defense we have and the type of offense they have. We're always looking forward to it."