The Baltimore Ravens held off a late surge from the Cardinals last Sunday to move to 6-2 on the season. The 31-24 victory not only helped them maintain their top spot in the AFC North but also improved their road record to 4-1. The conventional wisdom has always been, if you can win your homes games and split your away matchups you can almost definitely book a spot in the post-season. So far as we reach the midpoint the purple and black appear to be more than on schedule.
The score of this game really wasn’t indicative of how the Ravens controlled this one. They led 24-7 with about 6 ½ minutes remaining on the strength of a solid running game in the second half and Gus Edwards finding the endzone. Then, as has been the case in the team’s few losses this season, strange things happen. Penalties and a muffed onside kick at least lead to a notorious “backside cover” against the spread and not a frustrating loss and another blown double digit lead.
Fans always want to see dominating performances every week from their team, however that’s not how pro football works. Just look around the AFC in particular and you’ll see Kansas City, Jacksonville, and Miami all with the same record as Baltimore with Pittsburgh and Buffalo just a game off the pace. The Ravens are right where they need to be at this stage of the season with a long homestand on the horizon.
And they are finally, finally, finally getting healthy.
1) No Trade Deadline- Eric DeCosta has shown a willingness to add pieces midseason to help with the post-season push in the past. His aggressiveness has lead to hits and misses but once you become known for doing this then fans feel letdown when you end up “standing pat”. I mentioned earlier that the Ravens are finally getting healthy and while many were clamoring for Derrick Henry, which may or may not have been nixed by Titans ownership, I don’t think they needed to make a move. As Buck Showalter used to say, “I like our guys!”
That doesn’t mean I would have been upset if they’d have made an addition either. Adding Henry seems almost unfair to opposing defenses or I would have liked to have seen Baltimore deal a third round pick to Washington to get the rights to edge rusher Chase Young as San Francisco did. Either way the Ravens are currently a playoff contender and a division leader and that in and of itself should make fans happy.
2) Seahawk Surprise – Seattle is 5-2 and the division leader in the NFC West. They are off to an excellent start and have exceeded expectations with Geno Smith under center. If this story sounds slightly familiar, only a few weeks ago the Ravens welcomed the Detroit Lions to M & T Bank with a similar backstory. It feels like a “prove it” game for the Seahawks for sure.
Every team needs an identity and while many fans will recognize the freak athleticism of wide receiver DK Metcalf, these Seahawks are all about defense. After winning a hard fought game against Cleveland to take the division lead, Seattle acquired stud Defensive Tackle Leonard Williams from the Giants. If the Seahawks come out of Charm City with a win this Sunday, the pundits will start to lump Seattle into the possible Super Bowl contender conversation. The defense has an exceptional secondary and a now elite defensive line with the play of Geno Smith as the X Factor that could help or hinder a deep run to the championship.
This should be an excellent game and one that I hope to witness in person.
3) Who to Watch? – The Ravens offense has been chugging along nicely and their red zone woes of a few weeks ago were simply a blip on the radar. They are 3rd in the league in conversion rate (67%). Points may be at a premium this week and the Ravens will need to take advantage of any opportunity they get to punch the ball into the endzone. I’m looking for a big game from top target Mark Andrews here as the linebackers are the weakest spot in the Seattle defense.
In the past, the Ravens have traditionally been one of the more aggressive defenses in the NFL. But so far in 2023, they have found great success getting after quarterbacks without relying too much on blitzes. DC Mike MacDonald has been creative, and his group currently leads the league in sacks while sending additional pressure just 24.9 percent of the time. When they have blitzed, they have been incredibly efficient, so I expect Patrick Queen and Kyle Hamilton to potentially have huge games making like miserable for Geno Smith and forcing him into mistakes.
Happy Football everyone! Enjoy Week Nine and Go Ravens!
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.