ExtremeRavens Posted October 10 Posted October 10 The Ravens are 1-4, having been thumped by the Texans last week in one of the most lopsided losses of the John Harbaugh era, and now face a much tougher test in hosting the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) before a needed bye week. Who will have the advantage Sunday afternoon? Ravens passing game vs. Rams pass defense Baltimore’s quarterback, which has long been a pillar of consistency and high-level play, is now one big, fat question mark. With Lamar Jackson sidelined by a hamstring injury for a second consecutive week, can Cooper Rush course-correct after throwing three interceptions without a touchdown? Is there a chance Rush struggles early against Los Angeles’ middle-of-the-pack secondary and third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley checks in? Coach John Harbaugh didn’t rule out the possibility. “We’ll consider everything,” he said, earlier this week. Either way, Los Angeles’ secondary may be susceptible to a Baltimore backup putting points on the board. Just ask Mac Jones, San Francisco’s backup who threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns. Not to mention the 49ers were without their top-three receivers and All-Pro tight end. A cornerback or a safety will be Los Angeles’ biggest need before the trade deadline. A team that leans more into zone coverage and allows completions underneath benefits a quarterback like Rush who gets rid of the ball quick. That’s not to say this game is trending toward a shootout, but it’s a softer pass defense than Houston’s and Rush wouldn’t be the first backup to take advantage. EDGE: Ravens Rams passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Five first-round picks. That was the selling point for Baltimore’s secondary a month ago. Last week, two of them were replaced by undrafted rookies in a battered secondary that made Houston’s offense look like a juggernaut. Los Angeles has a better quarterback, better offensive line and better pass catchers, accounting for the league’s second most potent air raid (289.6 yards per game) and passing touchdowns (11). Baltimore should be getting reinforcements back on defense. They also brought in safeties Alohi Gilman and CJ Gardner-Johnson. Expect Gilman to debut on Sunday, Gardner-Johnson maybe not. Even at full strength, that group hasn’t proven they can contain elite offenses. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, coming off a 389-yard, three-touchdown showing, could have a field day. As could Puka Nacua, who leads the NFL in receiving yards (588), receptions (52) and receiving first downs (31). EDGE: Rams Ravens running game vs. Rams run defense Three quarters into the season, Derrick Henry appeared poised for another monster season. That small sample size made it feel like we would all be diligently tracking his pacing toward a 2,000-yard season. Henry fumbled in that fourth quarter, coughed the ball up twice more in the next two games and has been a non factor the past four weeks. Opposing defenses have shushed Henry to 50 or fewer yards in four straight games. That happened once all last year. Even in Jackson’s absence, the offensive line struggled to open lanes for Henry. Fullback Pat Ricard’s longer-than-expected absence because of injury has exacerbated the issue. Los Angeles isn’t the team to run amok on. The Rams rank top 10 in bottling up opposing ground games, allowing 93.6 yards per game and 3.5 per attempt, which is the third best mark in football. After beefing up their interior defensive line this offseason, signing run-stuffer Poona Ford, they’re No. 1 in fewest explosive plays allowed. The Rams are the only team through five weeks to have not allowed a run of at least 20 yards, according to TruMedia. EDGE: Rams Rams running game vs. Ravens run defense “I thought we would just play our run defense better than we did,” Harbaugh said, Sunday afternoon after a twist-the-knife loss to the Texans. “It was not up to standard.” That’s been a troubling theme among a whole host of defensive issues this season. At least last year, when Baltimore’s defense struggled, the issues were singular to the secondary. This group’s problems start up front, tied for the second most rushing touchdowns allowed (8) while letting up the NFL’s fourth most yards per game (146.4). Recency bias diminishes the value of Kyren Williams out of Los Angeles’ backfield. Like Henry did in Buffalo earlier this season, three quarters of an elite outing were washed away with a fumble in a crucial spot. Williams’ came inside the 5-yard line, feet from a game-winning touchdown when the ball was jarred loose against the 49ers. “I put this all on me, honestly,” he said, afterward. And yet, Williams sixth among NFL running backs in rushing success and first-down rate, according to TruMedia. After a mini bye week (that game was played last Thursday night), expect an even hungrier Williams. EDGE: Rams Ravens special teams vs. Rams special teams Consider this stat: The Ravens’ expected points added on special teams through five weeks is 3.5. That ranks 12th in the NFL, among 18 teams in the green. The Rams, on the other hand, sit third to last (-16.9). It gets worse. Los Angeles is 22nd in net yards, 21st in punt return yards allowed, 19th in kickoff return yards, 25th in field goal percentage and 29th in extra-point kick percentage. In two Los Angeles losses, special teams have been significant crutches, accounting for a minus-17 point differential between missed kicks and a blocked field goal for a touchdown. The Ravens have had their issues – a penalty on punt team that negated a 60-plus yard kick and a missed extra point in a 1-point loss Week 1. But nothing worthy of sounding the alarm bells when the team has far bigger fish to fry. EDGE: Ravens Ravens intangibles vs. Rams intangibles The Ravens arrived at Week 1 with enough talent to convince outsiders perhaps they could be 5-0 by this point. Instead, they’ve free fallen to 1-4 with omniscient questions about the state of affairs. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is a blocked field goal and questionable fourth-down play call from being 5-0. Both teams have fallen short of where they could and should be – one evidently more worse for the wear. As has been the case with the Ravens the past two weeks, expect injuries to play a prominent role. Baltimore got some good news with Hamilton, Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten back to full practice participants. But they’ll still be without their two-time Most Valuable Player at quarterback and an All-Pro cornerback, linebacker, fullback and defensive tackle. The Ravens look like a shell of themselves right now. EDGE: Rams Prediction Offensive coordinator Todd Monken had the right idea. The Ravens, which topped the league in nearly every statistical category last season, are “in a rut,” he said. But a rut is “usually small.” At 1-4, history argues it’s more than that. Only 16 teams have ever made the playoffs after such an unruly start. If it gets worse, Monken said, “then maybe it’s a ditch. And then maybe it’s a canyon. But right now, we consider that a rut.” Houston hung 44 on Baltimore while a Jackson-less offense looked anemic. Perhaps Los Angeles’ defense allows for a few more points piloted by the backup quarterback but this team is hurdling toward canyon status. Rams 35, Ravens 23. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn View the full article Quote
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