By Timothy An

Sunday, Nov. 15 at 8:20 P.M. EST NBC

Spread: Baltimore, -7.0

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 10 with a record of 6-2, trailing the 8-0 Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North division race. This team came into the season with high expectations and have been able to successfully beat bad teams, but have struggled against both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The defensive unit has been spectacular nine weeks into the season, but Lamar Jackson has shown a large regression since his MVP performance last season and must step up his game if the Ravens want to go on a deep playoff run.

Ravens Offense

The Ravens offensive unit has struggled thus far into the season. They rank 23rd in the NFL in yards per game with only 347, and this can be attributed to the team’s poor passing attack. The Ravens rushing attack has been excellent this year, averaging 170.1 rushing yards per game to lead the league. This is a three-headed rushing attack led by running backs Gus Edwards, Mark Ingram, and J.K. Dobbins. Combining these three running backs with Lamar Jackson, who leads the team in rushing yards and attempts, creates one of the most dynamic rushing attacks in all of football. However, this rushing attack has not led to things opening up in the passing game. The Ravens rank 31st in passing yards per game with 176.9, only ahead of the New York Jets. Lamar Jackson has looked absolutely dreadful in the passing game this season, regressing from the spectacular play he gave Ravens fans last season. It seems as if teams are starting to force Lamar Jackson to become a pocket passer, which is slowing down his ability to move the ball downfield. We will see if the Patriots can find a way to contain Lamar Jackson and slow down this Ravens rushing attack on Sunday night.

Ravens Defense

The Ravens defensive unit is what makes this team thrive. They rank number one in points allowed, giving up only 17.8 points per game. This team excels in every aspect of their defensive unit. Their front seven features All-Pro DE Calais Campbell, veteran DT Brandon Williams, veteran DE Derek Wolfe, and two young stars in LB Jaylon Ferguson and LB Patrick Queen creating one of the deadliest pass-rushing and run-stuffing defenses in the league. One issue the Ravens will face in this game is the absence of their best interior defender Calais Campbell who is out with a calf injury. However, this defense has the depth and the talent to make up for this loss. The secondary features two of the top corners in the league in Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey. These two cornerbacks are game-changers for this defensive unit, excelling at forcing turnovers from opposing offenses. Marlon Humphrey has one interception along with four forced fumbles. Marcus Peters has three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Between the two of them, they have 11 forced turnovers and make them the best cornerback duo in the NFL.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are coming off of a disappointing performance against the New York Jets, barely coming out with a victory of 30-27. The Cam Newton experiment has not been as successful as some expected, placing the Patriots at a record of 3-5 and 3rd in the AFC East. It is an unusual sight to see the Patriots below .500 and we will see if they can finish the season strong for a final playoff push.

Patriots Offense

The Patriots offense has been struggling to produce all season with the absence of Tom Brady. They rank 28th in the league in points per game, only scoring 20.8 a game. Many people expect a Josh McDaniels-led offense to be efficient and high-scoring, but we can’t put much blame on him as the Patriots lack any weapons to create an effective offensive unit. Their leading rusher this year is Damien Harris and their leading receiver is Damiere Byrd. These aren’t ideal weapons to create a high-scoring offense around. The struggle for the Patriots offense this season has come in the passing game. While their rushing attack ranks 4th in the league in yards per game, their passing attack ranks 28th in the league and is what is holding back this offense. There were high expectations for Cam Newton coming into the season, but he has struggled, putting up only 1,417 yards, for just TWO touchdowns and 7 interceptions. The only chance this Patriots team has of making a playoff push is for Cam Newton to step up his game and return to his MVP days. 

Patriots Defense 

The Patriots defense has been extremely average this season. While they have the talent to be a dominant pass defense, they lack the talent to be a great run defense. They currently rank 25th in the league in rushing yards allowed, and with the loss of their best interior defensive lineman, we can expect them to be even worse this Sunday. Where the Patriots defensive unit excels is in the passing game where they allow only 221.9 yards per game ranking 9th in the league. This secondary features a plethora of great veteran players in CB Stephon Gilmore, CB Jason McCourty, CB J.C. Jackson, CB Jonathan Jones, and S Devin McCourty. There is no question that this secondary will be able to stop offensive passing games if they had a reliable run defense. However, this run defense has been so awful, the Patriots defense has been forced to stack the box, allowing the secondary to be picked apart. This Sunday will be a real test on the Patriots run defense, and hopefully, they are able to show up and make this a game worth watching. 

Prediction

I think this game purely comes down to the Ravens rushing attack versus the Patriots run defense. This is a mismatch that heavily favors the Ravens, and if they can continue their dominance in the running game there is no way for the Patriots to win. However, if the Patriots defense is able to step up and force Lamar Jackson to pass, the Patriots will have a shot at winning this game. Ultimately, I think the Ravens run defense will be too dominant for the Patriots defense to stop, leading to a Ravens victory in a close game. 

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Ravens 28 - 17

AJ’S PREDICTION: Patriots 20 - 17

TIM’S PREDICTION: Ravens 24 - 17

CADE’S PREDICTION: Ravens 35 - 10

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