Sunday's Baltimore Ravens Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams already feels like a tilted affair. The NFL season is a grind, but certain scheduling quirks can come in handy as the year wears on, and it feels like the Ravens hit the jackpot in this one.
Tied for the second-best winning percentage in the entire NFL, the Ravens are coming off a bye, theoretically rested and refreshed. And not only do they draw a home game, but they also get an opponent in a rough little blip of its slate.
For the second straight week, the Rams face off against an AFC North team with an outstanding defense. Then again, if things went as they did in Week 13, Sean McVay won't have any complaints. His team comfortably handled the Cleveland Browns, prevailing 36-19 in a game in which Joe Flacco was pressed into action for the Dawg Pound.
L.A. won't be drawing another backup (third-string?) QB this week. Instead, they'll have their hands full with MVP contender Lamar Jackson orchestrating a balanced Ravens attack.
So, did a week off do Baltimore some good, or will the Rams conquer cross-country travel and leave the east coast with a victory? Here are your Ravens Week 14 predictions.
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Keaton Mitchell, RB#1
Running back Keaton Mitchell announced himself to the NFL in his second career game. In that contest against the Seattle Seahawks, Mitchell gained 138 rushing yards on just nine carries. He totaled just 67 yards across his next two games before facing the Los Angeles Chargers and racking up 89 yards from scrimmage.
Since breaking into John Harbaugh's running backs rotation, Mitchell has consistently exhibited his big-play ability, one that fellow running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill simply don't possess. But it's also true that since and including his breakout game, Mitchell has been out-carried by at least one teammate in every contest.
Perhaps Sunday is a good time to ride Mitchell a bit more?
The bye week afforded OC Todd Monken the chance to work on more fully integrating Mitchell into Baltimore's plans. And with his home run ability, Mitchell deserves a shot at upping his work rate in this offense. Expect the undrafted rookie to lead the way on Sunday in terms of carries.
The timeshare Harbaugh loves isn't ending. But Mitchell should be at the front of the line for carries moving forward.
Baltimore's D gets to Stafford
Let's get this out of the way right up front: yes, the Ravens lead the NFL in sacks. So predicting a multi-sack day might not seem bold. But let's look just a bit deeper on that front.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford hasn't been sacked more than once in a game since Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He hasn't been sacked at all in the team's last two games. With L.A.'s improved offensive line play (due in large part to the group getting healthy) and a quick release, Stafford has been tough to take down recently.
But much like their AFC North compatriots from Steel City did, we expect Mike Macdonald's unit to apply pressure and finish the job. Stafford will be faced with too many exotic blitz packages. The heat will come from any player at any time from any angle. Stafford will go down on Sunday, and more than once.
Ravens fly past Rams
Mentioned above is that the Ravens are coming off their bye week. While it may sound cliche, do not underestimate what being given a week to recharge can accomplish.
In fact, know this: Harbaugh's teams are an eye-popping 13-4 against the spread when coming off their bye week, second-best in the NFL over that time span.
The challenge of facing two AFC North opponents in two weeks was also mentioned. And on that front, it's again to Baltimore's advantage. In his career, Lamar Jackson is 18-1 as a starter against teams from the NFC. Sounds like seeing the dual-threat QB so infrequently doesn't help preparing for him.
Three straight victories have gotten the Rams back into the NFC's playoff picture. But it will be an uphill battle on Sunday to keep that streak alive. It doesn't feel wise to fade an upper-echelon Ravens team playing at home after a week of rest.
L.A. will keep it competitive, but Baltimore will prevail in this one.
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