A hot topic leading up to Monday's game is the back-and-forth exchange between Ravens safety Matt Elam and Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. In the middle of praising Johnson for being one of the game's best receivers, Elam also referred to the 28-year-old target as old, which created a stir in the media. Johnson responded by saying he would "show him what that old man strength is about." Keep an eye on the interactions between the Ravens' first-round pick and Detroit's talented receiver.

While the Elam-Johnson story dominated the discussion this week, cornerback Jimmy Smith is actually going to be the one tasked with guarding the NFL's second leading receiver. Smith has come on strong in his third season and arguably been the Ravens' best defensive back. He has been on a roll lately, and has shut down other big play receiving threats like Brandon Marshall and Andre Johnson. This week will be the biggest test of the season for Smith, who has a chance to prove to a national audience that he's one of the game's budding young cornerbacks.

The Ravens have played in just about every weather condition imaginable this year. They played through a heat wave in Miami, heavy rains and a mud pit in Chicago, a wind storm at home against the Jets and then a snow storm against the Vikings. Now they finally know what to expect from the weather, as they will head indoors for the first time this season. Playing at Ford Field could lead to some opportunities for the Ravens offense, which said it is close to a breakout performance.

Safety James Ihedigbo made a direct assessment of the Ravens defense this week. He said if they are going to be great they have to finish games. The unit has struggled with allowing late scores this season, and they blew two fourth-quarter leads last week against Minnesota. Improving in that area has been emphasized by players and coaches this week.

The Lions have one of the best defensive fronts in the game, headlined by defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. They are the third-rated run defense in the NFL, and they can control the line of scrimmage against most offensive lines. Center Gino Gradkowski and left guard A.Q. Shipley are significantly undersized compared to Suh and Fairley, so the Ravens will have to be creative in order to move the ball on the ground.

After notching at least one sack through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Ravens have gone sack-less in back-to-back weeks. Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs hasn't registered a sack since Week 9 and Elvis Dumervil missed last week's game because of an ankle injury. Dumervil, who leads the Ravens with 9.5 this season, hopes to return this week and could make up for the lack of pressure.

The Ravens have won just one game away from M&T Bank Stadium this year, and that came in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens play two of their final three games away from Baltimore, and they have to win Sunday's matchup to control their own playoff destiny. The problem on the road this year has been the inability to win close games, and the Ravens will likely have to reverse that trend to return from Detroit with a victory.

Quarterback Joe Flacco finally has the group of targets he expected to have coming into this season. Tight end Dennis Pitta returned last week and showed he can provide an immediate boost to the offense. Wide receiver Jacoby Jones is healthy after a knee injury earlier this year, and he's a big play waiting to happen. The Ravens are a different offense with Pitta in the lineup and Jones stretching the field, and Flacco has a chance to capitalize on their abilities.

The Lions have one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, and they rank second in the league with an average of 409.4 yards per game. Completely shutting them down in unlikely, but the Ravens can play to their strengths with a bend-but-don't-break defense. The Ravens defense is the best in the league near the goal line, allowing touchdowns on just 39.4 percent of the trips inside the red zone. Forcing the Lions to settle for field-goal attempts could be critical for the Ravens to come away with the win.

The Ravens will take the Monday Night Football stage for their first and only time this season. The Lions have said they are treating the primetime matchup like a playoff game, and raucous crowd is expected at Ford Field. Both teams need the win for the playoff standings, and sometimes a primetime matchup can bring the best out of players.