Ravens Reacts: Ravens vs. Panthers Week 11 Preview!
Can the Ravens extend their winning streak to four?
The Baltimore Ravens come off of the bye week to face an also energized Carolina Panthers team at M&T Bank Stadium! While these 6-3 to 3-7 comparisons fly around, anything could happen in football. And the quarterback on the other side, is very familiar with Baltimore. But has he succeeded? Will he succeed? Or is Baltimore going to repeat history again? Let’s, get into this!
Ravens (-13) vs. Panthers
O/U: 41.5
Notable Injuries:
Lamar Jackson (Probable)
Gus Edwards (Questionable)
Mark Andrews (Questionable)
Jaycee Horn (Questionable)
Stat to know:
The Ravens are 12-0 under Lamar Jackson when being double digit point favorites according to ESPN. This is the best record for a team since 2018, which was Jackson’s rookie campaign. In these games, Jackson has throw for 27 touchdowns (2.25 per game), and the offense has averaged 27 points per game in these games. Jackson also has an average of 81 yards gained on the ground in these games, which would be 7th in the NFL overall.
However, there have been four teams that have been a double digit point favorite so far this season, and the only time that the favorite lost was when Carolina upset Tampa Bay in Week 7. Can they do it again? Or will Jackson and the Ravens take care of business, as they have 12 other times in the same situation already?
How have they played this season?
There has been a distinct difference between the Ravens and the Panthers this season. The Ravens have been a very good team, in fact Super Bowl caliber this season. Lamar Jackson has played at a Pro Bowl level, the running game has met expectations as they usually do, and they’ve done it when Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins haven’t played one game together yet. Wait until they come back! That’ll be scary! The defense is also exceeding expectations, as Roquan Smith and Justin Houston, two all-pro type guys at their position this year have elevated this Ravens defense significantly. Overall, the Ravens are 4th in points per game (26.1), allowing just 21.8 points per game (16th), despite playing offenses like Miami’s, Buffalo’s, Tampa Bay’s and more.
The Ravens also have the 3rd best turnover ratio in the NFL, forcing seven more turnovers than they’ve given away! Pretty crazy!
Carolina has been fluctuating between up and down like Roku’s stock over the last five years, and also like Roku, have mostly been lower. The Panthers made everyone re-think their tanking strategy after they beat the Buccaneers 21-3 the week after trading Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco. Then they had a chance to take the lead in the division, but a missed extra point and game winning field goal attempt sent them home.
They ended up doing absolutely nothing to contain Joe Mixon the next week, losing by 21 and then they beat the Falcons at home by 10. I don’t know with them. Sam Darnold will not make his first starting appearance though in this game for an injured P.J. Walker, as Baker Mayfield will take his place after losing the job to him in Week 6, but since he came in a threw for two touchdowns against Cincinnati, will play over Darnold. Overall, they’re 3-7 with basically no promising things to look forward to.
Who won these teams last matchup?
The last time these two teams faced off was back on October 28th, 2018 in Carolina, where the Panthers took down the Ravens 36-21. The Ravens held a 7-0 lead to begin the game, but 24 unanswered for Carolina, including two Christian McCaffrey touchdowns in the process, put the game basically out of reach by halftime. Ravens starter at the time, Joe Flacco, threw for under 200 yards and two interceptions, in what ended up being the Ravens 2nd loss of a three game losing streak before the bye week, which ended up being Flacco’s final three games a starter.
Lamar Jackson came in towards the later stages of the game, and orchestrated a great seven play, 64 yard drive just minutes before the clock hit zero to throw his first ever passing touchdown, which was to current Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst. Cam Newton played incredible for Carolina, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for one on the ground, as his team improved to 5-2, while Baltimore fell to 4-4. However, the season ending result for both teams ended up being polar opposites, as Carolina missed the playoffs at 7-9 and Baltimore won the AFC North at 10-6, after naming Jackson the starter in Week 11.
Fun fact: In 2018, the Ravens also played the entire NFC South division, and played Carolina the game after playing New Orleans, where the Ravens lost 24-23, and then ended up losing this game. Maybe now that they beat the Saints, they’ll do the exact opposite in this game!
Quarterback Comparison and History:
These two quarterbacks have been around the block a few teams, as these two have faced off against each other seven times, Jackson being with the Ravens and Mayfield being with the Browns. Jackson leads the career series 5-2, that second loss being a game where he went down injured in the second quarter, and Tyler Huntley needed to step in.
Jackson is 113-167 for 1,284 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions starting against Baker Mayfield in his career. That also doesn’t include his 501 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as well. Overall, he has a 97.5 passer rating against Mayfield. Mayfield on the other hand, is just 130-228 for 1,689 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions against Jackson in his career, just an 82.3 passer rating.
These two have had many memorable moments that I want to mention, but I’ll just mention two. An honorable mention is their epic clash to end the 2018 season in both fo their rookie seasons, where an eliminated Cleveland was trying to eliminate Baltimore from the playoffs. But if the Ravens won, they would not only make the playoffs but win the AFC North! The Ravens ended up winning 26-24.
But the most memorable was Monday Night Football of the 2020 season, where there was a combined 89 points between the two teams! The Ravens led 34-20, but when leading 34-28, Jackson went out due to cramping. The Browns ended up taking a 35-34 lead, and with two minutes to go in the game, the Ravens had a 4th and 5 from the 44 yard line, and Lamar Jackson came back into the game, and threw a 44 yard touchdown to pass Marquise Brown, before completing the two point conversion as well to give them a 42-35 lead. Mayfield and the Browns then ended up scoring to make it 42-42. But then Lamar and the Ravens got in field goal range and Tucker hit a game winning field goal with three seconds. A last second safety put Baltimore at 47 points, as this game will always be known as Steve Levy’s well known “Here comes Lamar Jackson” line, as Jackson ended up winning player of the week for the performance.
But these two teams next matchup may have been the exact opposite of a game. The Ravens also ended up taking it, 16-10. Jackson however, struggled, throwing four interceptions, three of which coming over a five minute time span in the first half. But a great defensive performance from Baltimore won the game. In fact, that was the last win the Ravens had in the 2021 season, as they lost to Pittsburgh the next week, and Jackson went down the week after that in Cleveland, putting Tyler Huntley in to end the season.
Nothing has really changed since comparing them years ago. Mayfield had a good year in 2020, but besides that, has been a complete disappointment in the NFL. Mayfield is an okay player, but the Ravens know what to do to contain him, and I see him being very contained the entire game. As for Jackson, there hasn’t seemed to be a solution for him, even if Brian Burns thinks so. I say Mayfield turns the ball over, and I think Jackson has a very good game.
Predictions:
Lamar Jackson has 3+ touchdowns
Baker Mayfield is intercepted at least once
The Ravens rushing offense has over 170 yards
Mark Andrews has over 70 receiving yards
DeSean Jackson has his first career Ravens touchdown
Ravens win 35-13
Chase Coburn
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