ExtremeRavens Posted October 10 Posted October 10 Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 6 game between the Ravens and Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Rams 24, Ravens 13: The Ravens’ defense has already produced three AFC Offensive Players of the Week this season. Now it welcomes quarterback Matt Stafford and star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams along with standout running back Kyren Williams, who is capable of being an effective pass catcher as well. Baltimore will benefit from having some of its defensive players back and not starting five rookies like it did in last week’s blowout loss to the Houston Texans, but there haven’t been any signs that the defense is about to turn things around from being the worst in the league. Add quarterback Lamar Jackson still being out and the Rams boasting a tough, physical defensive front and this has all the makings of being another tough week for the Ravens before a much-needed bye. Sam Cohn, reporter Rams 35, Ravens 17: The Ravens should be healthier than they were last week, but not by a lot. Assuming Kyle Hamilton is a go, that at least puts the green dot back on the helmet of an experienced defensive leader. Baltimore will still rely on rookies all over the field against one of the league’s best offenses, but there should be far fewer communication issues Sunday. If the so-so Texans can hang 44 points on the Ravens in Baltimore, a much better Rams offense shouldn’t have trouble finding the end zone. I do think a second try for Cooper Rush, one against a softer secondary, will yield a more respectable offensive showing from the home team. Either way, the “urgency is high” line won’t be enough to win this game. Any shot at Baltimore turning its season around will have to wait until after the bye week. Mike Preston, columnist Rams 30, Ravens 20: A lot of West Coast teams play poorly when they travel to the East Coast, but the Rams last played on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 4 and have had a long time to rest. In addition, the Ravens are still a banged-up team with injuries potentially keeping starters such as quarterback Lamar Jackson and middle linebacker Roquan Smith out for another week. Also, the team’s best defensive lineman, Nnamdi Madubuike, is out for the season with a neck injury. If the Ravens win, it would be a major upset. Anything can happen in the NFL, but not Sunday, not after last week’s disaster in a humiliating loss to Houston. Josh Tolentino, columnist Rams 27, Ravens 21: Baltimore’s offensive ceiling looks capped without star Lamar Jackson, and coordinator Todd Monken’s play-calling has felt short on creativity. Tailback Derrick Henry is riding four straight games under 50 rushing yards for the first time in his career, and Monken’s recent sequencing doesn’t suggest that Henry will suddenly break loose. Coming off his three-interception outing, Cooper Rush is now going to be asked to trade scores with Matthew Stafford and early MVP favorite Puka Nacua going up against the NFL’s worst-ranked defense? Whew. The one wild card could be the weather. With steady rain in the forecast, a possession-heavy game could tilt in Baltimore’s favor if it can finally lean on Henry and control tempo. Even then, the Ravens’ takeaway drought and soft zone defense that lacks consistent pass rush spells trouble without Jackson to save the day. This feels like another setback that could force some tough internal conversations heading into the bye. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 23, Rams 20: Let’s lean into the unpredictably of this week-to-week league. Nobody thought that the Browns would beat the Packers or that the Giants would upset the Eagles. Any given Sunday, right? There’s really nothing for the Ravens to hang their hat on right now, and the Rams boast clear advantages across the board. Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams against this Baltimore defense is a recipe for disaster. But the Ravens are slowly getting healthier, added a trusted veteran in Alohi Gilman and get another week of first-team reps with backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Plus, Derrick Henry is due for a breakout game, right? (Behind this offensive line, maybe not.) With the forecasted nor’easter perhaps serving as an equalizer and potentially slowing down the Rams’ passing attack, I’m calling my shot and predicting a statement performance from Zach Orr’s unit. Bennett Conlin, editor Rams 27, Ravens 14: Do the Ravens even think they can win this game? Without Lamar Jackson, this feels like a “hope-for-the-best” game for Baltimore. If the Ravens pull the home upset, great. If they don’t, heal up during the bye week and try to make a postseason push against a weak schedule in Weeks 8 through 18. Winning this game could be the spark for Baltimore’s turnaround. Realistically, however, the Ravens will be outclassed Sunday before regrouping during their much-needed week off. Given the Ravens’ defensive woes, they might be rooting for the forecast to include as much rain as possible. Tim Schwartz, editor Rams 28, Ravens 14: Rock bottom is still a few days away. The Ravens head into this one still battered and without quarterback Lamar Jackson, and based on how the offense looked last week without him, I don’t have much hope for a drastic improvement over a much better Rams team. Even if Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey return, Los Angeles’ playmakers have the edge. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams make one of the NFL’s best wide receiver tandems, and who is going to slow down running back Kyren Williams? I don’t see the tide turning yet for Baltimore. Maybe after the bye week and Superman returns under center. Patrice Sanders, FOX45 Morning News anchor Ravens 24, Rams 21: This is unprecedented territory for the Ravens. Betting money would go with the Rams, but I’m going to keep the faith. People are already talking about playoff implications. At this point, the Ravens’ best opportunity to get to the playoffs is to win the division … which is no small task. The Ravens need to take it one step at a time and hope that builds up to playoff possibilities. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article Quote
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