Late for Work: What Pundits Expect in Ravens-Broncos Game
The consensus is that the game will be closer than the nine-point spread suggests.
Note: The pundits made their predictions based on the assumption that Lamar Jackson (back/knee), who has not practiced yet this week, will play.
Here’s what the pundits are saying about the game:
The Ravens will prevail in a close game.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: “This is quietly a huge game for the Ravens. Coming off a loss and with a desperate and dangerous Bengals team in town four days later on Thursday night, the Ravens really need to take care of business against the Broncos. I think they will, but it will be a close game.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio: “This game doesn’t feel like it will be lopsided. There’s a chance the Broncos win the game. I’m not willing to pick the Broncos in the upset, but I do think the Broncos will cover the spread.”
The Ravens pass defense will play well enough this week for Baltimore to win.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox: “Denver will have to rely on Nix and its passing game to put points on the board. While Baltimore’s secondary is vulnerable, I don’t expect the Ravens to drop every interception that lands in their hands, as they did against Cleveland. I also expect Baltimore to recognize that 11 carries for Derrick Henry isn’t nearly enough.”
USA Today’s Tyler Dragon: “The Ravens are coming off a frustrating loss to the Browns that snapped a five-game win streak. Baltimore’s pass defense remains an issue. But Denver won’t be able to exploit Baltimore through the air. The Ravens get back on track this week.”
CBS Sports’ John Breech: “I think we might see Nix take about five steps back this week and that’s because he’s going to face a Ravens defense that’s built to beat him. Right now, the Ravens have the most bizarre defense in the NFL: They’re the best in the entire NFL at stopping the run (They’re surrendering just 69.9 yards per game), but they rank dead last at stopping the pass (They’re giving up 291.4 yards per game). If you have a quarterback who can just remotely throw the ball, you’ll have a chance to beat the Ravens, but I’m not sure the Broncos have that.”
Bold prediction: Nix will record his first 300-yard passing game … in a loss.
ESPN’s Seth Walder: “Denver will try to throw on the Ravens, whose defense is much weaker against the pass. The yardage will be there, but I fear it will mostly be in catch-up mode.”
History points to Jackson and the Ravens bouncing back after last week’s loss.
NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri: “Sure, Baltimore will have its head-scratching blips, like last weekend’s gut-wrencher in Cleveland or Week 2’s collapse to the Raiders at home. But that early loss to Vegas marked just the fourth time Lamar Jackson has dropped back-to-back games in his NFL career — his .800 win percentage in starts following a loss (16-4) ranks second only to Patrick Mahomes (18-4, .818) in the Super Bowl era (min. 15 such starts) — and he’s never done it twice in the same season. Something else he’s never done: Lose to a rookie quarterback. He’s a pristine 7-0 against first-year passers.”
The Ravens will win in a blowout.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur: “The Broncos defense has overachieved, and I don’t see it working out well against an angry Ravens team that will lean on the running of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, and I think the acquisition of WR Diontae Johnson is being slept on. He is always open near the first-down marker. Blowout city.”