The Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens had vastly different outcomes in their Week 1 contests. The Cardinals came away with the dreaded tie against the Detroit Lions by the score of 27-27.
Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury made their NFL debuts in Week 1 and it was a tale of two halves for them. In the first half, the Lions seemed to have complete control of the game after being up 17-3 in the first half.
Then, the reigning Heisman trophy winner flipped the switch and led the Cardinals to 18 points in the fourth quarter to force the game into overtime. Unfortunately, neither team could take advantage of the other and both teams begin the season with a tie.
As for the Ravens, there weren't many negatives that came from their 59-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Lamar Jackson showcased to the world that he is more than just a running quarterback.
The second-year quarterback out of Louisville flashed his throwing ability with 324 yards and five touchdowns in Week 1. Along with Jackson, Mark Ingram showed why the team signed him to a three-year deal this offseason by rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
Now, Arizona will attempt to get their first win with Kingsbury as their head coach against John Harbaugh's Ravens. With all of that being said, here are four bold predictions for the Cardinals and Ravens matchup in Week 2.
4. Murray Will Throw for Over 300 Yards
To begin his first career start in the NFL, Murray looked to be in for a long day against the Lions. The offense only managed to score three points in the first half with the rookie passer looking out of sorts.
Then, in the second half, the No. 1 pick showed exactly why Arizona selected him in this year's draft. Murray would toss the ball all over the field to 50-year-old Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson.
Murray ended the game with 308 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception versus the Lions. That came against the Lions but Murray will repeat that with another 300-yard performance against a stingy Ravens secondary.
3. Lamar Jackson Will Throw for Another Five Touchdowns
The Ravens came into Week 1 ready to show the media and the fans that their young quarterback could throw the ball. After running it 146 times in seven starts in 2018, Jackson ran it just three times in Week 1 as he ended the game with five touchdown passes.
Some may try to bring up the fact that it came against the Dolphins but Miami has a talented secondary. The 22-year-old passer showed that is developing into a dangerous dual-threat quarterback.
Do you know what is better than throwing five touchdowns in one game? Throwing for five touchdowns in two consecutive games. That's exactly what Jackson will do in Week 2 as he tears up the Cardinals depleted secondary on Sunday.
2. David Johnson Will Have 100 Yards from Scrimmage, Two Touchdowns
Not many people are going to give the Cardinals much of a chance of winning this game. That shouldn't come as a surprise with a youthful Arizona team traveling to Baltimore in Week 2.
Nevertheless, one of the only ways that the Cardinals have a chance of coming out victorious involves them giving the ball to David Johnson as many times as possible. Kingsbury has to attempt to balance the run and the pass to keep Baltimore's physical defense on their heels.
With this in mind, Johnson will gain over 100 yards from scrimmage and will score two touchdowns. That's an impressive stat line considering the Ravens only allowed 49 yards from scrimmage to Dolphins running backs in Week 1.
1. Ravens Will Score Another 50 Points On Their Way to Another Win
In Week 1, Baltimore set an NFL record for opening weekend by scoring 59 points in their victory over the Dolphins. From the first snap of the game, the Ravens dominated both sides of the ball and were able to put up points with ease.
Albeit, it came against a Dolphins squad that is seemingly going to be in the running for the first overall pick in next year's draft. Nevertheless, it was an impressive performance by the Ravens from start to finish.
Their second game comes against a Cardinals team that showed some upside in Week 1 but ultimately they couldn't do enough to win the game. As Terrell Suggs makes his return to Baltimore, his former team will score another 50 points to improve their winning streak to two games.
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