Packers vs. Ravens: 5 things to watch and a prediction
The Green Bay Packers (10-3) can clinch the NFC North title and a playoff spot for the third straight season when they travel to Baltimore to play the AFC North-leading Ravens (8-5) on Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium.
The magic number for clinching the division title is just one. With a Packers win on Sunday or a Vikings loss on Monday night, Matt LaFleur’s team will be NFC North champions again.
Of course, the ideal outcome is celebrating the accomplishment after a hard-earned road win on Sunday.
Here are five things to watch and a prediction for the Week 15 showdown in Baltimore:
Right time to rebound
Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton.
The Packers’ special teams are coming off one of the worst all-around performances in recent team history, and up next is a matchup against one of the best special teams groups in the NFL. You can bet John Harbaugh, a former special teams coordinator, and Chris Horton, Baltimore’s current coordinator, will be putting in extra work to make sure the Ravens find a winning edge on special teams this week. Can the Packers bounce back in the third phase? Matt LaFleur said some starters will have to play more on special teams moving forward. It will be interesting to track the personnel changes, and if any of the decisions actually improve the product. The Packers can’t expect to play as poorly as they did on special teams as Sunday night and beat a playoff-caliber team. This week may tell us a lot about Drayton, and if the Packers have a fatal flaw that will be exposed in the postseason.
Safety homecoming
Don’t be surprised if Packers safeties Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos make a few standout plays on Sunday. Both players are coming home. Amos is from Baltimore, while Savage played his college football at Maryland. The Packers need both to play well, especially against the big-play ability of tight end Mark Andrews and deep threats such as Marquise Brown and Rashod Bateman. And they both will be involved with stopping the run against a unique and creative scheme run by the Ravens. Amos and Savage limiting deep shots down the field and tackling well in space will be keys for the Packers in Baltimore.
Passing game attack
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The Ravens are once again a strong run-stopping defense (first in rushing yards allowed, fourth in yards per rush), but the Packers should have opportunities to attack in the passing game. Baltimore is without three starters in the secondary (including both starting cornerbacks) because of season-ending injuries, and now starting safety Chuck Clark is on the COVID-19 reserve list. Will defensive coordinator Wink Martindale counter his issues in the secondary with more blitzes? The Packers have to be ready for anything, but if the offensive line holds up, Aaron Rodgers and the passing game could have a big day. Keep a close eye on the pre-snap battle between Rodgers and the Ravens, who will attempt to disguise blitzes in an attempt to overwhelm the protection, especially on third down.
Limited Lamar?
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
We’re writing this on Friday morning without knowledge of Lamar Jackson’s playing status. He didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday after spraining his ankle and leaving the game last Sunday. Even if Jackson can play, he will likely be limited as a scrambler and runner, two key parts of his game. If Jackson can’t go, backup Tyler Huntley would start. Either way, the Ravens will be more dependent on passing from the pocket. This is a good thing for the Packers, although not having Kenny Clark (COVID-19 reserve list) will make it more difficult for the defensive front to collapse the pocket. Edge rushers Rashan Gary and Preston Smith need to be a combination of disciplined and disruptive. The Ravens haven’t scored more than 22 points in a game since early November, so this is a chance for the Packers to pounce on defense.
Road takeaway
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Packers have lost two straight games on the road (vs. Kansas City, Minnesota). One common denominator in the two losses? Zero takeaways. The team’s last road takeaway was Rasul Douglas’ game-sealing pick in Arizona. Overall, the Packers are 10-0 when they get at least one turnover and 0-3 when they don’t. A chance to get to 11-0 with a takeaway exists on Sunday, especially after tallying six takeaways in the last two games. The Ravens have turned the ball over 20 times this season, including 13 interceptions thrown by Jackson.
Prediction: Packers 27, Ravens 20 (7-6)
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
This is a battle between two of the toughest and most resilient teams in football. The Packers just aren’t dealing with a mitigating injury to their MVP quarterback, so they have to be considered the clear favorite here. Even if Lamar Jackson plays, he’s not going to be 100 percent. Aaron Rodgers, while managing pain in his toe, is playing a terrific brand of football. The guess here is that the Packers win on the road by being productive and efficient in the passing game and aggressive on defense. By around 8:00 p.m CT, the Packers will be passing around NFC North champion hats and t-shirts in the visiting locker room at M&T Bank Stadium.
1
1
