Game Overview ::
By Mike Johnson >>
- These teams were among the favorites in their respective conferences entering the season but now enter Sunday with many questions surrounding their 2024 outlook.
- Dallas has yet to play a competitive game, which makes it hard for us to see who/what they will be on both sides of the ball.
- Baltimore has had two games come down to the last play/possession.
- The Ravens blew their home opener against the Raiders in Week 2 and will likely have to lean on Lamar Jackson more going forward.
- The Cowboys offense clearly missed the presence of Jake Ferguson as they struggled to sustain drives against the Saints.
How baltimore Will Try To Win ::
Baltimore lost three games total (that mattered) during the 2023 regular season but has now lost two in the first 10 days of the 2024 season. Life comes at you fast. After a tough opening night loss to the Chiefs where they were an inch away from forcing overtime or potentially winning the game, Baltimore squandered their home opener against the Raiders. That game was marred by inefficiency in sustaining drives and self-inflicted penalties. The Ravens converted only 3 of 11 third downs and had eight more penalties than the Raiders which cost them 109 total yards. This was a game that Baltimore led by 10 points with 12 minutes remaining and lost in regulation. True to their word, Baltimore did not have Lamar Jackson run the ball as often in this game as they tried to keep their MVP quarterback in one piece. The early returns on that strategy are that they may struggle offensively without the threat of Jackson’s legs. Lamar had only 20 yards on three carries through three quarters of this game (he added 25 cheap yards on a desperation run to end regulation), after running for 122 yards against the Chiefs.
Baltimore has passed at a rate well below expectations through two weeks. They have also had different leading receivers in each of the first two weeks with Isaiah Likely having a huge Week 1, and Zay Flowers operating as the primary target in Week 2. Looking at things from a broader perspective and simplifying them a bit, the Ravens have the reigning MVP at quarterback but they have thrown the ball well below an expected rate and have actively deterred him from using perhaps his greatest weapon – his legs. It feels like this would be a good time to remember who they are. This offense must use Lamar’s legs, and the threat of those legs, in order to maximize its effectiveness. Baltimore got cute with things in Week 2, but that lesson has likely been learned. We should expect the Ravens to unleash Lamar and open up the offense in Week 3 as they look to get their season back on track.
From a player usage perspective beyond Lamar, many people will likely look at the running game since Dallas gave up four touchdowns and 180 yards from scrimmage to Alvin Kamara. However, Kamara did a lot of that damage in the receiving game and he is a different type of back than Baltimore has on their roster. The Ravens have used Derrick Henry in a clear early down and short yardage role, while Justice Hill is more of the passing down back. Both will be utilized, and there should be some open running lanes especially if the Ravens are leveraging the threat of Lamar’s legs to hold linebackers and create running lanes. Still, it would be a stretch to expect the backfield to do something similar to what Kamara did to Dallas. In the passing game, Mark Andrews bounced back with a solid game in Week 2. Andrews, Flowers, and Likely should be the obvious top options in the passing game and it is a bit of a coin flip which will be the top option in a given week. Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor will get some run and Justice Hill will see his targets vary depending on game flow, but the “Big 3” of Andrews, Flowers, and Likely is where things will need to be created from.
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