Tag: Chargers vs. Ravens

Flashback Friday: Chargers survive Ravens in AFC wild-card game

Relive the last time the Chargers and Ravens met.

The last time the Chargers and Ravens met was in a 2018 AFC Wild Card bout.

Los Angeles faced Lamar Jackson, who was in his rookie season. At 21, Jackson was the youngest quarterback in the NFL to start a playoff game.

The Bolts took advantage of his youth, sacking Jackson six times and forcing him to fumble twice, heading into the fourth quarter with a significant lead, 23-3.

That was before Jackson threw two touchdown passes to claw the Ravens back in and give the Chargers a bit of a scare.

As Jackson got the ball with less than a minute to go down six points, Los Angeles could only wonder if this would conclude their season.

The Bolts did what had been working for them all season by coming up huge with a defensive takeaway, thanks to linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who had the game-clinching strip-sack.

Jackson finished the game 14 of 29 passing for 194 passing yards, 54 rushing yards, two scores, and an interception.

QB Philip Rivers went 22 for 32 for 160 yards.

Kicker Michael Badgley set the Chargers franchise record for field goals in a playoff game (5). Badgley made his attempts from 21, 53, 40, 34, and 47 yards.

The 23-17 victory sent the Bolts to the AFC Divisional Round to take on the Patriots, where the team’s season came to an end after suffering defeat.

5 Ravens who pose biggest threat to Chargers

Highlighting a few players on the Baltimore Ravens that could make it difficult for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Los Angeles Chargers take on the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Here are a few players on the Ravens that the Bolts must hone in on to come out victorious.

QB Lamar Jackson

The Chargers have faced some of the league’s top signal-callers early on, with Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Derek Carr and now Jackson, who has imprinted himself in the MVP conversation. After being given the label of a running back who can pass by many early on in his career, Jackson has shown that he is the real deal at the position. A threat with both his arm and legs, Jackson has been one of the most challenging players in the league to effectively prepare for. He will look to build off a big performance in the Ravens’ Week 5 overtime win over the Colts, in which he completed 37 of 43 passes for 442 passing yards, 62 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

WR Marquise Brown

Baltimore possesses the league’s most explosive offense, and a good chunk of the credit goes to Brown. The third-year wideout has given opposing secondaries fits with his track speed and improved route-running. His 451 receiving yards rank eighth and his five touchdowns are tied for second-most in the league. In addition, his nine receptions of 20-plus yards are also tied for second-most. Head coach Brandon Staley’s defense, which prioritizes eliminating deep passes, will need to be at its best.

TE Mark Andrews

Andrews was given a contract extension earlier this season and since then, he has shown that he was worth every penny. He is coming off his biggest performance of the year, in which he caught 11 of 13 targets for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Through five games, Andrews has amassed 400 yards, which is most among tight ends. The Chargers have struggled against players at the position, they have also allowed 4 touchdowns to tight ends, which is tied for the highest mark in the league.

DL Calais Campbell

Arguably the Ravens’ best defensive player lies in the trenches. Campbell, the 14-year veteran, has been a terror to opposing offensive lines. Playing from four different alignments and wreaking havoc as a pass-rusher and run defender, Campbell has posted 18 quarterback pressures, 12 hurries and 10 stops. For a Chargers front that’s thin on the right side, given the absences of Oday Aboushi and Bryan Bulaga, Michael Schofield and Storm Norton must be on their A-game.

EDGE Odafe Oweh

Baltimore struck gold in the first round with Oweh. The former Penn State product has three sacks and two forced fumbles, and he leads all NFL rookies in quarterback pressures with 18. His explosive first step and freakish length and agility have made it difficult to counter. Rashawn Slater, who has the lowest pressure rate allowed among rookie tackles (4.5%), will have another tough test.

Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Ravens?

Find out who national pundits are favoring in the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.

The Los Angeles Chargers are considered 2.5-point underdogs to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 of the 2021 season. The over/under is set to 50.5 points, per Tipico Sportsbook.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 50.5 points.

My score prediction for the game is a 27-21 win for the Chargers, with a combined total of 48 points. So if I was putting money behind my prediction, I’d bet the under.

As for game predictions, the majority of analysts are favoring Los Angeles.

Expert Pick
Nate Davis (USA Today) Chargers
Mike Jones (USA Today) Ravens
Mike Clay (ESPN) Chargers
Matt Bowen (ESPN) Chargers
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Chargers
Jared Dubin (CBS Sports) Chargers
Gregg Rosenthal (NFL Media) Chargers
Bleacher Report Chargers

Sunday’s game will begin at 10:00 a.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Chargers Week 6 injury report: Drue Tranquill ruled out, 2 questionable

The Chargers had their final practice ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the Ravens.

The Chargers had their final practice on Friday ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the Ravens.

Linebacker Drue Tranquill has been ruled out with a chest injury.

In his absence, rookie Nick Niemann will likely start alongside Kyzir White. Niemann, a summer standout, has yet to log a defensive snap in the regular season.

Safety Nasir Adderley (hip) and wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) are both questionable. They did not practice on Friday.

Not having Adderley and/or Williams on the field would be a tough blow. Both players have had great seasons thus far.

If Adderley can’t go Alohi Gilman and rookie Mark Webb would fill in if he’s out.

If Williams is not able to play, Joshua Palmer and Jalen Guyton would receive a higher volume of snaps.

Chargers injury report: 3 key players missing at Thursday’s practice

The Chargers could be without three key players this Sunday against the Ravens.

The Chargers had their second practice ahead of the Week 6 contest against the Ravens on Thursday.

For the second straight day, linebacker Drue Tranquill and wide receiver Mike Williams did not practice. Added into the mix of non-participants was safety Nasir Adderley, who was previously listed as limited.

Tranquill, who is dealing with a chest injury, is unlikely to play this weekend. If he’s out, rookie Nick Niemann would be next in line to get extended snaps.

Williams (knee) not practicing this week is a bit concerning for the positional group. If the most productive receiver is not able to play, Joshua Palmer and Jalen Guyton would receive more playing time.

Adderley is dealing with a hip injury. It would be tough to not have him on the field, as he’s been a key piece in the back end of the defense this season. Alohi Gilman and Mark Webb would fill in if he’s out.

Los Angeles will have its final practice on Friday before traveling to Baltimore.

Chargers’ reasons for optimism vs. Ravens in Week 6

A look at some causes for optimism as the Los Angeles Chargers look to improve to 5-1.

The Los Angeles Chargers are on the road, attempting to take down the red-hot Baltimore Ravens and seize full control of the AFC conference before their bye week.

Here are three reasons why the Bolts should be feeling optimistic heading into the Week 6 bout:

Chargers sign 2 players to practice squad

The Chargers added offensive and defensive line depth.

The Chargers signed offensive tackle Foster Sarell and defensive lineman Andrew Brown to the practice squad. In correspondence, Los Angeles released linebacker Nate Hall, a day after he was added.

Sarell, who was once considered the nation’s top offensive tackle prospect, went undrafted out of Stanford. He signed with the Ravens and spent the summer there before being released. Sarell also spent some time on the Giants’ practice squad.

Brown, on the other hand, was recently released by L.A. before being picked up again.

Brown, a fifth-round pick by the Bengals in 2018, played in 21 games over his first three seasons, 18 with Cincinnati and three with the Texans. He was on the Colts prior to being released ahead of the 2021 season.

In that time period, he posted 17 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and three quarterback hits.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler due for monstrous performance vs. Ravens

The Ravens have struggled against opposing running backs.

If you own running back Austin Ekeler on one of your fantasy teams, congratulations. There is a strong possibility that he will yet again rack up some points for you this weekend.

Los Angeles is set to square off against a Ravens pass defense that ranks 28th in the league, allowing 296.4 yards per game. Furthermore, Baltimore has specifically been susceptible to opposing running backs.

Most recently, Colts RB Jonathan Taylor took a screen in the flat on 3rd-and-15 and went 76 yards untouched for a touchdown. In addition, Indianapolis ran wild, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.

A combination of poor coverage and missed tackles in the open field has led to the Ravens allowing big plays nearly every week, with linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison being the primary culprits.

The two have allowed a combined 30 receptions for 347 yards.

Queen and Harrison were expected to take leaps from their rookie seasons, especially while Baltimore has been without veteran L.J. Fort, who is dealing with a knee injury. However, that has not been the case.

Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said the issues are a reflection of the two players giving their best effort, but perhaps trying to do too much.

After a slow start in Week 1, the multi-dimensional Ekeler has averaged close to 19 touches, 121.5 total yards over the last four games.

On top of that, Ekeler has seven total touchdowns, which is tied for the most in the NFL with Titans RB Derrick Henry.

4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 6 opponent: Ravens

Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of Week 6.

Following a victory over the Browns, the Chargers are set to take on the Ravens in hopes of picking up their fourth-straight win and sitting atop the AFC conference on Sunday, Oct. 17 at 10:00 am PT.

Here are four key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the Week 6 bout:

Lamar is legit

Justin Herbert is among the front-runners for MVP, but Lamar Jackson is right up there with him. Without his left tackle, first-round pick wide receiver, and top three running backs, Jackson leads the NFL in yards per completion (13.6). In addition, he’s averaging a career-best 303.3 passing yards per game and is gaining over six yards per carry. Jackson’s skill set and talent are remarkable, as he has a great arm, is a naturally gifted thrower, can run, can extend plays, and sees the field well, which makes him challenging to plan for properly.

Meet the pass-catching triplet

Jackson has flourished as a passing threat, thanks to wide receivers Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, and tight end Mark Andrews. Brown leads the Ravens with 451 yards and has scored five touchdowns. Andrews has amassed 400 yards (most among TEs) on 29 catches. Watkins, who is questionable for this weekend’s game, has totaled 292 yards on 18 receptions.

Susceptible against the pass

The Ravens have proven to be threats when airing it out. Defending the pass, on the other hand, is one of the team’s weaknesses. Baltimore allows 315 passing yards per game (29th) and 8.3 yards per pass (26th). In addition, the team has been without starting cornerback Marcus Peters and free safety DeShon Elliott. Missed tackles have also been attributed to their woes, which is why running backs have found success in the passing game.

Rising rookie

The Chargers have a contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year in cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., and the Ravens happen to have one of their own. Edge defender Odafe Oweh has arguably been the team’s top defensive playmaker this. He has three sacks and two forced fumbles in five games so far, and he leads all NFL rookies in quarterback pressures with 18.

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Ravens in Week 6

A look at some causes for concern as the Los Angeles Chargers gear up to face the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chargers are on the road for arguably the toughest matchup on the remainder of the schedule, as Los Angeles is set to take on the Ravens.

Like the Bolts, Baltimore currently sits with a 4-1 record, looking to establish superiority in the conference.

With that being said, here are a few reasons why the Chargers might be concerned ahead of the Week 6 bout with the Ravens.