The Week 6 headliner between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers was supposed to be one of Sunday's best. In a clash between two 4-1 teams no one could have predicted what ended up happening.
The Ravens dominated The Chargers throughout the entire game. Baltimore's offense was electric and managed to put up 34. Their defense was strong and held Los Angeles to 6. A 34-6 victory for Baltimore was definitely one of Sunday's surprises.
Baltimore looked like possibly the best team in the NFL after Sunday's win. The Ravens may have had some earlier struggles this season, but if the Raven's that played this Sunday is the team that we'll see for the rest of the year then the NFL should be afraid. With that said, here are three takeaways from Baltimore's dominant win over the Chargers.
3. Ravens Running Back Committee is Working
There is no clear lead running back in Baltimore. When Gus Edwards got injured prior to the season there were questions about how the Baltimore backfield would cope. They did so by immediately adding Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman and Le'Veon Bell to the roster. While Latavius Murray has technically emerged as the lead back, the Ravens have been using a committee approach.
The three Baltimore backs combined with the running threat of Lamar Jackson makes for a very tough ground game to defend against. Lamar alone can do as much as any running back. With a committee that is actually working, the Ravens become possibly the best rushing team in the league.
In Week 6 the committee was on full display. Murray, Freeman, and Bell combined for 26 carries, 115 yards, and 3 touchdowns. While maybe not ideal for fantasy players, this committee approach is working very well for Baltimore. Add in Lamar Jackson who's averaging 65 rushing yards per game, and the Ravens dominate opponents on the ground. Things are looking good for Baltimore and their rushing offense is a huge reason why.
2. Mark Andrews Remains Crucial To Baltimore's Success
Mark Andrews led all receivers in Week 6 in receptions and yards, and he notched the only receiving touchdown for Baltimore. As touched on above, the Ravens are a dominant running team, but every team needs to find some sort of balance. Andrews is the source of this balance.
The Ravens tight end is quite possibly Lamar Jackson's favorite target. This season he has nearly 500 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. What the statistics won't show you is how clutch he is. Andrews makes big plays at crucial moments. He is the man when Lamar needs to convert a third down. While Week 6 may have only appeared average for the tight end, who caught 5 balls for 68 yards and a touchdown, he had some big catches at very important moments.
It's easy to forget that Andrews is a tight end. Travis Kelce has helped pave the way for tight ends that break the traditional mold and Mark Andrews is certainly one of those guys. He is a beast and has been playing a crucial role in this Baltimore offense.
1. Baltimore Defense Looked Impressive
Coming into this Week 6 matchup against Los Angeles the main questions surrounding Baltimore were about the defense. This matchup looked to be an offensive showdown with two teams who have powerful offenses and not so great defenses. The Ravens quickly corrected that script by having their best defensive game of the season.
Prior to this game, Baltimore ranked 24th in the league in total yards allowed. The Ravens allowed opponents nearly 400 yards of offense per game. Their passing defense was abysmal. Baltimore ranked 29th in passing yards allowed with opposing teams throwing for nearly 300 yards every game. That all changed this week and Ravens fans should be feeling very good about the future.
The Ravens rushing defense has been very solid throughout this season, but their performance on Sunday was next level. The Los Angeles backfield had been averaging over 100 rushing yards per game. Baltimore absolutely stymied the LA backs and held the Chargers to 26 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Baltimore's pass defense also stepped up in a big way. Justin Herbert was hot coming into this game. Coming off an offensive heavy win against Cleveland most people expected to see fireworks in this matchup. Baltimore had other plans. The Ravens held Herbert to less than 200 passing yards and the only touchdown of the game for LA. They also notched an interception off the quarterback. The Ravens defense was looking like one of the best in the league on Sunday. Opposing teams should be afraid and Ravens fans should be very optimistic about the future for this team.