Game Overview ::
By Hilow >>
- Brian Robinson did not practice Wednesday or Thursday due to a knee injury after failing to practice until a limited showing last Friday, ultimately suiting up in Week 5.
- Robinson clearly got banged up early in the third quarter on his longest run of the game, ultimately playing a season-low 34% snap rate after hitting 56% or more in each of the first four games.
- Even with Robinson banged up against the Browns, the Commanders did not increase the opportunities of Austin Ekeler, instead bringing Jeremy McNichols in as the primary early-down grinder.
- The Baltimore defense is going to be the stiffest test to date for Jayden Daniels and the Washington offense.
- Derrick Henry is the KING of the yardage-and-touchdown backs. He brings an immense ceiling, albeit with a scary-low floor if those yards and touchdowns aren’t humming.
How washington Will Try To Win ::
We spoke to the insane efficiency from this Washington offense leading into a Week 5 showdown with the Browns. Yes, they were highly unlikely to score on 90.1% of their possessions for the rest of the season (as they had over the previous three games), but they still managed to hang 34 on a good Cleveland defense. After scoring 10 touchdowns, kicking 10 field goals, committing one turnover, and punting just once during the previous three games, Washington came out and scored three first-half touchdowns, kicked one field goal, punted twice, and had one interception on seven first-half possessions. They added another touchdown and another field goal to go with a lost fumble on their first three possessions of the second half, all against a defense that is one of the most aggressive units in the league. They accomplished that feat while rushing 34 times to just 28 team pass attempts, which has been a consistent theme with this team through the season’s first five weeks. But now they face a Ravens defense that serves as the most pass-funnel unit in the league, allowing just 60.4 rush yards on 19.8 carries and 3.1 yards per carry per game this season, with only the rush attempts per game faced falling out of first in the league (second, behind the Vikings). So, how then does Kliff Kingsbury alter his offensive game plan based on the opponent? That is the question, friends.
Robinson clearly got banged up early in the third quarter on his longest run of the game in Week 5, ultimately playing a season-low 34% snap rate after hitting 56% or more in each of the first four games. Even with Robinson banged up against the Browns, the Commanders did not increase the opportunities of Ekeler, instead bringing McNichols in as the primary early-down grinder. That gives us a good idea of what to expect should Robinson miss Week 6, with McNichols likely stepping into the 1A role while Ekeler continues to operate as the primary change-of-pace and clear passing down back. As mentioned above, the matchup is absolutely brutal against the top run defense in the league. The Ravens also lead the league in adjusted yards allowed before contact at just 1.21, but the dual-threat abilities of quarterback Daniels has contributed to some gaudy rushing numbers from Washington backs this season. McNichols averages 7.1 yards per tote, Ekeler averages 7.9, and Robinson a solid 4.4 as the grinder in the offense. The three have combined to score nine touchdowns on the ground through five games, or 1.8 per game.
The Washington pass game has devolved into a seven-person conglomerate this season, with four wide receivers and three tight ends seeing meaningful snaps on a weekly basis. Terry McLaurin started the season in a near every-down role but has been relegated to 71% and 67% snap rates the previous two games, although both of those games were blowout wins over the Browns and Cardinals. In this game environment, I would expect McLaurin back in the 85-95% snap rate range with a near 100% route-participation rate. There has been no clear breakout for the WR3 positions, while Noah Brown appeared to have cemented his status as the preferred WR2 before missing Week 5 with a groin injury. McLaurin now leads the league with 11 deep targets, tied with Rashid Shaheed in New Orleans, and the Ravens rank 27th in the league in yards allowed per pass attempt at 7.5. This could be a spot where volume finally ticks up to a range where he has a legitimate path to floor and ceiling. Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr worked under then-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald in 2022 and 2023 and has utilized similar tendencies to his former boss, playing primarily from Cover-1, Cover-3, Cover-4, and Cover-6. The Ravens are generating pressure at a 19th-ranked 29.3% while blitzing only 22.7% of the time, instead settling into zone at a 70.2% clip and allowing organic pressure to win up front. That’s a poor setup for Daniels and his known tendencies through the college and professional ranks.
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