Under John Harbaugh, the Ravens are 11-3 after a bye. The Panthers are going with Baker Mayfield at quarterback this Sunday. The Ravens enter Week 11 with a 6-3 record, while the Panthers come in with a record of 3-7.
On the surface, it doesn’t seem like an equitable matchup, but we’ve all been witness to how nothing is a given in the NFL.
A win this week would put the Ravens on track to have a 12-5 record in 2022. They know what’s at stake. This part of schedule is designed for them to roll, but they still have to execute.
Here are three ways the Ravens can win on Sunday, jumpstart the second half of their season, and virtually guarantee themselves to surpass their 2021 win total.
Blitz Baker
Carolina ranks 18th in sacks allowed this season (22). Middle of the pack. It would behoove the Ravens to force the issue and get after Baker Mayfield, who’s shown time and again he will be generous with the football when playing against the purple and black.
The prospect of getting David Ojabo on the field for his NFL debut will only incentivize Mike Macdonald even more to be bold in his play calling. Tyus Bowser was back in action against the Saints, Justin Houston is absolutely rolling, and it’s just a matter of time before Odafe Oweh really gets going. Baltimore is this close to boasting the pass rush unit they envisioned at the beginning of the year. This could be the game to get their collective confidence to a place it needs to be for the rest of the season.
Pound the rock
Don’t give an inferior opponent a reason to be hopeful. Do what you do best, set the tone early. Dominate. How do you avoid exposing one of your weaknesses (for the Ravens, their receiving core)? Accentuate your strength (for the Ravens, their run game).
The caveat to this is the health of Gus Edwards. Given how long he’s waited to come back to full strength, and the fact that J.K. Dobbins is so close to returning himself, it’s worth it to wait a little bit longer. This is a perfect game for Justice Hill and Mike Davis to get 10-12 carries apiece, give the other players a break, and boost their own status.
Given how this season started, I wouldn’t be opposed to letting Kenyan Drake take a backseat for a game, just to completely ensure this unit is as healthy and dynamic as possible for the home stretch. After all, the Panthers have allowed the 6th-most rushing yards and the 4th-most rushing touchdowns of any defense this season. There’s no reason to take it easy on them now.
Fourth scores
By quarter, the Ravens are ranked 7th, 9th, 2nd, and 21st in the NFL. Even after halftime, they’re about as potent an offense as there is…until the 4th quarter begins.
Flat out, the Ravens need to be better on offense in the 4th quarter. To rank so highly for quarters 1-3, they clearly have talent and have identified mismatches on the other team. They need to shut the door in the 4th.
How do you prevent teams from eating away at your late-game lead and mounting a comeback? Score yourselves. This game presents an excellent opportunity for Baltimore’s offense to end the game on a high note.
Vegas
I’m always hesitant when analyzing double-digit spreads. The favorite is overwhelmingly favored for a reason, but even a game like this gives me pause when thinking about giving more than 10 points.
The Ravens are favored by 12 1/2 points, and the point total is set at 43.5. Throughout its nine games this year, Baltimore has played in games that have averaged 46.7 points each. I have no hesitation in predicting the Ravens to score, but I wonder if the Panthers can hold up their end of the bargain.
Assuming Baltimore has a 4th-quarter lead, it’s hard to see Carolina coming back in the face of what’s sure to be constant pressure. I’ll give the points and take the over (barely).
Believe me, I understand mild hesitation Ravens fans have as the team has played games closer than they probably should have. That said, the Panthers are on their second head coach and third quarterback of the year. Prevailing wisdom suggests the Ravens should get through this game relatively unscathed.
Prediction: Ravens 35, Panthers 9
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
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