The Los Angeles Rams will continue to make their way through the AFC North this week when they face their fourth opponent from the division: the Baltimore Ravens, who are 9-3 and tied for the best record in the conference.
The Ravens are going to be a tough opponent for the Rams to beat, but Los Angeles is fresh off a win over the Browns and has now won three in a row, building some momentum.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup in Baltimore, here are five key stats to know for Rams-Ravens this weekend.
As if it wasn’t challenging enough for the Rams to face the Browns’ top-ranked defense last week, they’ll now face the team that’s allowed the second-fewest yards in the NFL. The Ravens are giving up the fewest points per game (15.6) and the second-fewest yards (274), putting them right up there with their division rivals as one of the top defenses in football.
The Rams moved the ball well against the Browns and put up 36 points, but facing a well-rested and healthy Ravens defense might be even tougher.
This is the third time the Rams are facing a team coming off a bye this season, having done so already against the Steelers and Cowboys – both of which were losses for Los Angeles. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens have been dominant following a bye week. Since 2008, they’re 12-3 after a bye, scoring at least 24 points 10 times. They’ve also given up 14 or fewer points seven times in those 15 games.
The Ravens are one of the best teams in football right now and it’ll only make it tougher for the Rams that they’ve coming off a bye and will be well-rested.
The Rams are just an average defense when it comes to stopping the run, but they’ll be facing one of the most effective rushing offenses in the league on Sunday. The Ravens average 4.9 yards per carry, which is second-best in football. Their 1,903 rushing yards are the most in the league, and their 22 touchdowns on the ground also lead the NFL.
It helps that they have Lamar Jackson, who’s the team’s second-leading rusher with 574 yards and five touchdowns, but Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell have all been effective, too.
If this game comes down to scoring touchdowns in the red zone and limiting the Ravens offense to field goals, it could be a tough afternoon for the Rams. Baltimore scores touchdowns on 64.6% of its red zone trips, which is the third-best rate in the league. Defensively, the Ravens allow touchdowns only 37.5% of the time, also third-best.
The Rams are pretty good in their own regard, ranking sixth and 14th offensively and defensively, respectively, but the Ravens are going to make life difficult for the Rams on both sides of the ball when they get inside the 20.
The Ravens are a relatively new franchise and play in the AFC, so they haven’t faced the Rams very often. All time, the Rams are just 3-5 against the Ravens, which dates back to 1996. It’s not a great record, but Los Angeles did beat Baltimore in the most recent meeting.
That came at the end of the 2021 season, a 20-19 victory by the Rams to snap their four-game losing streak to Baltimore. Odell Beckham Jr. scored the game-winner in the fourth quarter of that game, which Lamar Jackson wasn’t available for.
The Rams will try to make it back-to-back victories against the Ravens for the first time since they beat Baltimore in 1999 and 2003.