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Close games and tough losses at home are becoming commonplace for the Baltimore Ravens. Although trailing for a total of only 14 seconds in their two home games to date this season, John Harbaugh‘s club has nonetheless lost both those games. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have now lost five straight at M&T Stadium and in true Ravens’ fashion, lost the five in a row by a total of 12 points.
Offense has not been the problem. Lamar Jackson and co. have averaged just shy of 30 points per game through four games (119 total points). That ranks 3rd best in the NFL behind only Detroit – yes, Detroit (140) – and Kansas City (129). Their issue has been preventing their opponents from scoring. Baltimore’s four opponents have combined for 100 points through four games. Only three teams in the AFC have allowed more points (Chargers, Jets, and Titans).
Sunday Night on NBC, the Baltimore Ravens will take the field hoping to snap the skid when they line up for a key AFC North battle against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The defending AFC champs started the season with less than stellar performances in their first two games losing at home to Pittsburgh and on the road at Dallas. They have rebounded the last two weeks knocking off the Jets and Dolphins. The key to righting the ship has been improved play along the offensive line. The Bengals allowed just one sack to the Dolphins after allowing 13 the first two weeks. Not surprisingly, the more time Burrow has in the pocket the fewer turnovers he commits. Zero turnovers last week against Miami for Burrow and co.
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To help you out, here are some statistics and suggested picks to two of the seven questions from this week’s game.
Question #1: How many passing yards and touchdowns will Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow throw for on Sunday night vs. the Baltimore Ravens?
Yardage Potential Answers:
<200 yards, 200-229 yards, 230-259 yards, 260-279 yards, 280-309 yards, or 310+ yards
Number of Passing Touchdowns:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4+
Joe Burrow and his family launched the Joe Burrow Foundation earlier this week. The non-profit foundation has been created to help underprivileged and under-served families in Ohio and Louisiana overcome food insecurity and childhood mental health issues.
Does that have anything to do with how many yards Burrow will throw for Sunday Night? Absolutely not. However, it is certainly worth a mention when a star athlete is giving back to his community.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals have averaged 275 passing yards per game this season. That ranks 7th in the NFL through four games. The last two weeks – both wins – Burrow has thrown for slightly more yardage (281YPG) while tossing five touchdowns with zero interceptions. The Bengals’ early season offensive woes seem to be in the rearview mirror.
Enter the Ravens’ pass defense or lack thereof. Baltimore ranks dead last in the NFL in passing yardage against having yielded 1261 yards through four games. A deeper dive does show that the Ravens have faced more pass attempts against than any other team in the league. Why? The combination of the line not getting a push against opposing offenses and the lack of speed in the defensive backfield work in tandem to cause problems…for Baltimore.
Suggested Answer: No question Cincinnati wants to establish the run Sunday night and keep Lamar Jackson off the field. That said, Burrow’s production is consistent. By the end of the night, his numbers will fall in line with his average to date in 2022. Expect 260-279 yards passing and a couple TDs from the signal caller.
**If you believe Ja’Marr Chase finally breaks out in this one, Burrows numbers will get a jolt.
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Question #2: Total Yards (rushing and passing) for Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson? And Total Touchdowns?
Yardage Potential Answers:
<250 yards, 250-289 yards, 290-309 yards, 310-329 yards, 330-359 yards, or 360+ yards
Total Touchdowns for Jackson:
0-1, 2, 3, 4+
Lamar Jackson is looking to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Judge. He did not sign a contract extension prior to the season choosing instead to fully bet on himself and his season. Through four games, Jackson is accounting for just over 82% of the Baltimore offense with 893 yards passing and 316 yards rushing. Is that sustainable? It may need to be if the Ravens are to keep pace in a thus far sluggish but competitive AFC North.
Cincinnati’s defense is stout against the run and the pass. The Bengals yield an average of just 6.1 yards per pass attempt and 3.8 yards per carry. Both those marks rank in the Top Ten in the NFL. Lamar Jackson is difficult to contain but the Cincy defensive lineman need to maintain their lanes and not let #8 get outside the pocket.
Note: Lamar Jackson (3,989) is 11 yards shy of becoming the sixth quarterback in NFL history to reach 4,000 rushing yards in a career. With 11 yards more this Sunday night, he’d become the fastest QB to achieve the 4,000-yard milestone, doing so in his 63rd game. Michael Vick (87 games) is currently the fastest to reach the mark.
Suggested Answer: The Bills were the first team this season that was able to limit Jackson holding him to 144 yards passing and just 73 yards rushing. Cincinnati will certainly be studying that film as they look to send the Ravens to their sixth straight loss. No doubt Lamar Jackson will do all he can to snap that skid. A monster performance by Jackson also will vault him to the top of the MVP race. Jackson is averaging 302 yards per game thus far in 2022. Expect a little more yardage and three total TDs for the Ravens’ leader.
Having discussed two of the questions with you, I will leave the rest of the questions for this week’s SN7 to you. Best of luck in securing a share of the $100,000 guaranteed payout. Enjoy the sweat. Click here to get started with the NBC Sports Predictor app.