Tag: Chargers vs. Ravens

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.

Chargers out to establish AFC superiority vs. Ravens

Chargers fever is running red hot.

Before the season, I listed a few reasons why I felt the Chargers would win the AFC West title.

It is still early, but it could come to fruition based on what we have seen; defining wins over the Chiefs in the hostile environment of Arrowhead Stadium, Raiders, and Browns.

Not only do they sit comfortably atop the AFC West with a 2-0 division record, but the Bolts are first in the conference after owning the tiebreaker over the Ravens and Bills, who are also 4-1.

The victory over Cleveland put the league on notice that this isn’t the same Chargers team everyone is used to from years prior.

After blowing leads and struggling to close out games, three of Los Angeles’ four victories have resulted from fourth-quarter comebacks this season.

You can give the credit to quarterback Justin Herbert, who is making a strong case for MVP a year after winning Rookie of the Year.

You can also point to head coach Brandon Staley, whose aggressive and fearless in-game mentality has allowed the team to overcome the previous season’s woes.

Nonetheless, the Bolts are firing on all cylinders, with a star signal-caller, a great supporting cast behind him, a dynamic defense, and a coaching staff that has put these players in spots to succeed each week.

Before going into their bye week, Los Angeles will have the most challenging test on the rest of their schedule with a road trip to take on the Ravens this Sunday.

If the Chargers can take out quarterback Lamar Jackson, who’s also performing at an MVP caliber, the team will be in great shape before embarking on the rest of their schedule, which is the fourth-easiest.

Following a whole week of rest, Los Angeles is equipped to not only close out the season as divisional champs but the top dog in the entire conference if they continue to play at this level.

Point spread, over/under for Chargers vs. Ravens in Week 6

The Los Angeles Chargers open as underdogs to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-1) are currently 3.5-point underdogs to the Baltimore Ravens (4-1) heading into Week 6 of the regular season. The over/under is set at 51.5, per Tipico Sportsbook.

The Chargers most recently knocked off the Browns in a thrilling battle by the score of 47-42.

Quarterback Justin Herbert threw four touchdowns and ran in another, and running game Austin Ekeler added three scores in a game that saw 1,025 total yards, 683 passing yards, 52 first downs, and 68 plays each.

Meanwhile, the Ravens had a wild win of their own, as the team rallied from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win the contest in overtime. QB Lamar Jackson had 442 passing yards — 355 of which came after halftime and four touchdowns.

The last time these two teams met was back in 2019 in an AFC Wild Card matchup, where the Chargers defeated the Ravens 23-17 on the road.

Sunday’s contest between Los Angeles and Baltimore will begin at 10:00 a.m. PT and be televised on CBS.

Chargers’ Brandon Staley shares philosophy behind aggressiveness on fourth down

The method behind the madness.

Aggressive, effective, and efficient is the best way to describe Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.

The reason for that is because Staley has built a reputation for going for it on fourth down situations on a consistent basis.

However, he’s been successful at doing so.

Los Angeles has converted 7 of 8 fourth downs this season for a rate of 87.5% – third-best in the NFL behind the Cardinals (3 for 3) and Broncos (8 for 9).

Most recently in Bolts’ victory over the Browns, Staley went for it on fourth down three times, including once from their own 24-yard line, and he was successful on all attempts.

Staley recently said his philosophy attributes to quarterback Justin Herbert, and an analytics team that prepares with detailed risk assessment of various fourth-down opportunities.

In addition, the coordinators, the weather, field zone, where the ball is, and how far they have to go are all factored into the decision-making.

“In all those fourth-down situations, they all had a life of their own,” Staley said. “That needs to be expressed. Just because you make one, doesn’t mean you are playing with house money and are more likely to go with it. You treat each as its own, but we’ve done a good job of assessing risk.”

Herbert’s dominance coupled with Staley’s ability to keep him on the field for long durations has led to an average of 411 yards per game (7th), 28.4 points per game (tied-7th), and 24.8 first downs per game (5th).

The Chargers are set to take on the Ravens this weekend. Facing the No. 1 offense, Los Angeles will need to control the time of possession to keep the ball out of the hands of QB Lamar Jackson, which could mean more fourth-down attempts.