New England Patriots
The Ravens need to sustain with the Steelers within the AFC North, sitting at 7-7.
Every week after a troublesome loss to the Payments, the Patriots have one other powerful opponent lined up for Week 16.
The Patriots tackle the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, a recreation that was flexed into primetime as New England has surprisingly emerged as one of many NFL’s finest groups. The Ravens enter the matchup at 7-7 and stay within the hunt for AFC North. They’re really three-point favorites to win Sunday’s recreation.
So, let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the Ravens, as listed below are 5 issues to learn about them forward of Sunday night time’s recreation.
Lamar Jackson isn’t taking part in at an MVP stage this season.
After successful MVP in 2023 and ending as a detailed runner-up in 2024, the 2025 season hasn’t been nearly as good for Lamar Jackson. He really had begin to the yr, main the league in passer score via the primary 4 weeks of the season.
However Jackson missed three contests as a result of a hamstring damage in the midst of the season and his play hasn’t recovered but. He’s accomplished simply 59.2 p.c of his passes for 1,341 yards, eight touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with an 85.9 passer score in seven video games since coming back from the damage, including 167 dashing yards and a dashing landing. When you checked out Jackson’s final six video games, he has extra interceptions (5) than landing passes (4) as he has a 74.7 passer score over that stretch. Jackson’s additionally thrown an interception in every of the Ravens’ final three video games.
Over the course of the season, Jackson has been one of many league’s finest deep passers. His 124.3 passer score on deep throws (passes the place the ball travels no less than 20 yards down the sector) is the fourth-best mark within the league, per Professional Soccer Focus. So, the Patriots should be cognizant there.
Nevertheless, Jackson’s struggles as of late is welcomed information for a Patriots protection that may be depleted come Sunday. We already know that defensive deal with Milton Williams will probably be out as he’s nonetheless on injured reserve, whereas defensive deal with Christian Barmore and edge rusher Harold Landry are each questionable. Cornerbacks Marcus Jones and Carlton Davis are questionable, too.
Derrick Henry has rebounded after a sluggish and tough begin.
Keep in mind when folks had been questioning if Derrick Henry’s days as one of many recreation’s finest working backs had been behind him in September? Effectively, that speak has been placed on maintain for one more season.
Henry is as soon as once more among the many league’s prime rushers. His 1,125 dashing yards are the fifth-most within the league, whereas his 4.8 yards per carry ranks 14th. That’s additionally a fairly robust quantity for the variety of carries he’s had this yr (233, seventh-most within the NFL). Henry can be tied for fifth in dashing touchdowns with 10.
Henry hasn’t fumbled since his three-game streak of misplaced fumbles to open the yr. Since Week 6, Henry has rushed for 808 yards on 4.8 yards per carry as he’s averaged practically 100 yards per recreation within the Ravens’ final 9 contests (89.8).
Going up in opposition to Henry will definitely be an issue for the Patriots, particularly with linebacker Robert Spillane sidelined for Saturday’s recreation. James Prepare dinner turned the primary participant to hurry for over 100 yards in opposition to the Patriots within the Payments’ win over them final week, with Spillane having to look at that recreation from the sideline.
The Ravens’ offensive line is without doubt one of the finest within the league.
If the Patriots’ accidents up entrance on protection weren’t regarding sufficient as is, the Ravens’ play within the trenches ought to give them an edge, no less than when Baltimore has the ball.
Proper deal with Roger Rosenstein has the most effective cross block win fee amongst all offensive tackles within the league (96 p.c), whereas left deal with Ronnie Stanley ranks sixth in the identical stat (95 p.c). Middle Tyler Linderbaum ranks third amongst inside offensive linemen in cross block win fee (97 p.c). The three of them have given up simply three sacks between them this yr, per Professional Soccer Focus.
If there are any considerations throughout the Ravens’ offensive line, it’s with their guards, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele. Each guards grade out within the 40s out of 78 gamers at their place within the league, in keeping with PFF.
Nonetheless, the Ravens’ offensive line is strongest on the positions that matter probably the most. And with the Patriots’ line of defense nursing some accidents, the Ravens are able to use that on Sunday.
Their run protection is comparatively robust, because of having one of many league’s finest linebackers and safeties.
Flipping issues round, we would not see TreVeyon Henderson get away a pair of lengthy runs once more on Sunday. As a substitute of going through one of many league’s worst rush defenses this week, the Patriots tackle a rush protection that’s allowed simply 93.6 yards per recreation and three.9 yards per carry of their final eight video games.
For reference, Baltimore’s rush yards per recreation allowed in that eight-game stretch can be the fourth-best mark within the league. That opposing yards per try mark can be tied for fifth.
The Ravens can thank linebacker Roquan Smith and security Kyle Hamilton for that. Smith is tied for seventh in solo tackles this season (66), and his 46 run stops rank eighth amongst linebackers regardless of lacking two video games. Hamilton’s 27 run stops rank seventh amongst safeties.
Travis Jones has additionally contributed to the Ravens’ robust rush protection, rating within the prime 10 amongst defensive linemen in run stops and run cease share.
However their cross protection leaves so much to be desired.
The Ravens’ cross protection isn’t as robust as their run protection. Sure, Baltimore has seemed higher at stopping the cross in current weeks, with opposing quarterbacks holding a 70.2 passer score within the Ravens’ final eight video games. However the quarterbacks they’ve confronted throughout that stretch had been Caleb Williams, Tua Tagovailoa, J.J. McCarthy, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Tyrod Taylor, Joe Burrow, and Aaron Rodgers. Not precisely a homicide row of quarterbacks.
They did have a greater efficiency in opposition to Burrow final week of their shutout win over the Bengals, however Rodgers threw for 284 yards with a 103.1 passer score within the recreation prior.
The Ravens have additionally struggled in opposition to a number of the recreation’s different prime quarterbacks this yr. Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, and C.J. Stroud every posted a passer score over 100 of their matchups in opposition to the Ravens this yr, with two of them throwing for 4 touchdowns (Mahomes, Stroud).
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