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Ravens Insider: Ravens vs. Raiders scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge?


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The Ravens missed a potential game-winning touchdown by the tip of tight end Isaiah Likely’s toe in their season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Las Vegas Raiders gave up 175 rushing yards and turned the ball over three times in a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Which 0-1 team will have the advantage at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon?

Ravens passing game vs. Raiders pass defense

Lamar Jackson kept the Ravens in the game against the Chiefs, completing 26 of 41 for 273 yards and a touchdown, but missed on three straight attempts at a tying or winning touchdown, badly overshooting Likely on the first and looking past a wide-open Zay Flowers on the second. Jackson’s gifts for buying time and turning broken plays into big ones were on full display, but he wasn’t precise with the game hanging in the balance.

With the Chiefs regularly double teaming Jackson’s favorite target, Mark Andrews, Likely stepped up to catch nine passes on 12 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown. His 49-yard catch-and-run touchdown was the play of the game for the Ravens. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman made a leaping 38-yard grab to set up Jackson’s red-zone shots on the final drive, reminding everyone why he deserves a larger role in the offense.

The Ravens’ inexperienced offensive line, with Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele starting at guard and Patrick Mekari rotating with rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle, didn’t give Jackson enough time to work in the first half but performed better late in the game. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones had his way in limited engagements with Rosengarten. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2023, played well.

The Ravens will face a Raiders defense that ranked eighth in DVOA against the pass last year despite blitzing infrequently and ranking 24th in pressures per dropback. They held Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to 144 passing yards on 26 attempts in Week 1. Maxx Crosby is an elite edge rusher who led the Raiders with 14 1/2 sacks and 31 quarterback hits in 2023 and picked up where he left off with four pressures against the Chargers. He’ll be a problem for Stanley and Mekari as he cherry picks the best matchups.

Las Vegas is thin on the edge behind Crosby, with 2023 standout Malcolm Koonce on injured reserve. The Raiders don’t have stars in the secondary, but their cornerbacks, led by Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs, played well against the Chargers, and safety Tre’Von Moehrig is a playmaker.

EDGE: Ravens

Raiders passing game vs. Ravens pass defense

Quarterback Gardner Minshew completed 25 of 33 for 257 yards against the Chargers but led the Raiders to just three points after the first quarter. Minshew has always straddled the line between starter and backup. He did lead the Indianapolis Colts to a 22-19 win over the Ravens last September. He’s working with real weapons in former All-Pro Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers (807 yards, 8 touchdowns last season) and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who caught six passes for 58 yards against the Chargers. Raiders tackles Kolton Miller and Thayer Munford Jr. graded decently, per Pro Football Focus, but Minshew was sacked three times and hit six.

He’ll face a Ravens unit that defended the pass better than any other in 2023 but struggled to lock down the middle of the field against the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes and wide receiver Rashee Rice took advantage of subpar games from All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. Rookie Xavier Worthy exploited blown coverage for the decisive touchdown. The Ravens did muster decent pressure, led by outside linebacker Odafe Oweh and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, though they could be without edge rusher Kyle Van Noy (eye) against the Raiders. Their cornerbacks played better than their linebackers and safeties.

EDGE: Ravens

Ravens running game vs. Raiders run defense

The Ravens ran for 185 yards on 32 attempts against the Chiefs, with Jackson, looking fast and fearless, accounting for 122 of those. The team’s major offseason addition, Derrick Henry, played a lesser role with 46 yards on 13 carries. That might not have been the case had the Ravens not played from behind for most of the game. The Jackson-Henry partnership worked best on the first drive of the game as Jackson faked handoffs to set up a pair of outside gains, then gave the ball to Henry from under center for the running back’s first Ravens touchdown. Henry actually played fewer snaps than Justice Hill, who thrived as a receiver out of the backfield. Henry will need more help from the Ravens’ offensive line to increase his efficiency. Coach John Harbaugh has said he won’t carry the ball 30 times a game as he did during his busiest stretches with the Tennessee Titans.

The Raiders, meanwhile, will look to avoid the run fit mistakes that left former Raven J.K. Dobbins room to break loose for gains of 46 and 61 yards on Sunday. Las Vegas allowed just 69 yards on the Chargers’ other 25 carries, but those two chunk plays led to 10 points that blew open a close game. The Raiders have a very good middle linebacker in Robert Spillane (10 tackles, one for loss against the Chargers) and one of the league’s best defensive tackles in Christian Wilkins.

EDGE: Ravens

Raiders running game vs. Ravens run defense

The Raiders said goodbye to Josh Jacobs in the offseason, handing their No. 1 running back spot to Zamir White, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry last season. The Chargers held White to 44 yards on 13 attempts Sunday. Minshew doesn’t get many designed carries but is a threat to scramble if left unattended.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) runs with the ball as Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith (0) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith, left, didn’t perform up to his potential in a season-opening loss to the Chiefs. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

The Ravens held the Chiefs to 72 yards on 20 carries, with 21 of those coming on an early end-around score by the speedy Worthy. Smith and Hamilton missed five tackles combined and will need to clean that up. On the interior, Travis Jones played 33 snaps to 20 for Michael Pierce, but Pierce remains the more dependable run defender.

EDGE: Ravens

Ravens special teams vs. Raider special teams

Justin Tucker missed from 53 yards in Kansas City and has now made just one of six attempts from 50 yards or beyond over the last two seasons. He’s made 33 of 34 from inside 50 over that span. The NFL’s new kickoff rules played little part in the Chiefs game. The Ravens did not return a single one, and the Chiefs returned just two, achieving minimal field position advantage.

Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made more than 90% of his field-goal attempts every year from 2020 to 2022 but went 1-of-3 from 50 yards or beyond last season and missed from 49 in the loss to the Chargers. Ameer Abdullah is one of the most experienced kickoff returners in the league, and A.J. Cole III is a two-time All-Pro punter. Las Vegas ranked 13th in special teams DVOA last season, 10 spots behind the Ravens.

EDGE: Even

Ravens intangibles vs. Raiders intangibles

The Ravens never lost two games in a row last season and will be motivated to put their agonizing opening defeat behind them. They’ll have a rest advantage over an opponent crossing two time zones to play them at 1 p.m. Harbaugh’s teams have traditionally won at a high rate when playing with such advantages, and Jackson, with a 58-20 career regular season record, will be the best player on the field.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce went 5-4 last season after Josh McDaniels was fired, and the former NFL linebacker has promised to restore the franchise’s intimidating aura. Former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis offers a voice of experience as the assistant head coach. Pierce took widespread criticism Sunday for punting on fourth-and-1 in Chargers territory with his team down six in the fourth quarter, but he portrayed the decision as an act of faith in his defense. The Raiders went just 2-6 on the road last year; they did win in Kansas City on Christmas.

EDGE: Ravens

Prediction

The Raiders held their own in an opening loss to the Chargers. They have skilled playmakers and an elite pass rusher in Crosby. In other words, enough talent to make the Ravens uncomfortable. But the Ravens have an MVP quarterback, a far more more accomplished coach and more star power on defense. Look for Henry to break out in his Baltimore debut as the Ravens play from ahead all afternoon. Ravens 30, Raiders 17

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