The Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos are in position to close out the postseason with a strong finish to the second half of the season.
The Ravens and Broncos are 5-3 and in second place in the AFC North and AFC West, respectively. The two teams are scheduled to test their mettle against each other Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.
The Ravens are led by two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is playing at the highest level of his career.
“He played great and we have a lot of football ahead of us here,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said of Jackson, who missed practice on Wednesday to rest. “We have a quick game and another big game coming up. So it was justified.”
Rookie Bo Nix gave the Broncos hope for the future and led them to two straight victories. Nix threw for 1,530 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He could find success against the Ravens’ pass defense, which ranks last in the NFL by allowing 291.4 yards per game.
“For a rookie quarterback, I think these are all steps,” Denver coach Sean Payton said of the Knicks. “Steps of confidence. We’ve seen that. The key is – and I said it – the key is around him. Are we good enough in these other situations around him? That’s what we’re constantly looking at.” We have to paint the picture, and when we do, we will be successful.”
The Ravens’ secondary is also not doing itself any favors.
Last week, safety Kyle Hamilton made an easy interception that could have sealed the win over Cleveland. On the next play, Jameis Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Tillman to help seal the Browns’ 29-24 win. Safety Eddie Jackson, who also dropped two potential interceptions in the game, was beaten badly on a touchdown.
Courtland Sutton leads Denver with 29 receptions for 377 yards with two touchdowns.
“We’re going to make those plays, we’re going to work hard at them, and we’re going to continue to work harder at them, because it’s something we want our guys to have confidence in,” Harbaugh said. “We have guys with good hands who can catch the ball. I’m pretty confident we’ll do that offensively, but I’d like to see it happen soon.”
The Ravens are allowing just 69.9 yards rushing per game, the highest in the NFL. However, they are dealing with several major infections.
Defensive end Brent Urban had to leave the game against the Browns due to a concussion. Defensive tackle Travis Jones was able to play despite an ankle injury, but was limited to 15 snaps and did not practice Wednesday. Nose tackle Michael Pierce was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury and will miss at least the next four games.
The Broncos’ rushing game could be a challenge. Denver is averaging 121.4 rushing yards per game, led by the duo of Javonte Williams and Jalil McLaughlin.
“Stopping this game would be really important — it would be huge,” Harbaugh said. “(The Broncos) are a running team, they run it really well, they run it a lot, so he’s going to be a big part of the game plan.”
Much of the Ravens’ success has revolved around Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. Baltimore leads the league in total offense (452.1 yards per game) and rushing offense (200 ypg). The Ravens also rank second in average points per game (30.3).
Jackson is having another MVP-caliber season, throwing for 2,099 yards with 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also ranks second on the team with 501 rushing yards.
Henry leads the NFL with 946 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He also had two receptions. The Broncos’ defense has been stout and ranks third in yards (282.6 yards per game) and points (15 points per game).
“This is our toughest challenge yet,” Payton said of the Ravens.
Broncos safety PJ Lock (thumb) and offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) did not practice Wednesday.
– Media at the field level