The Baltimore Ravens are taking on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night in their first primetime game of the season. The absence of Lamar Jackson looms large over the matchup, as does the Falcons’ dominant performance in their last two games. Here are Baltimore Beatdown’s predictions for Sunday Night Football:
Nikhil Mehta
The Falcons are the wrong opponent at the wrong time for the Ravens. With Lamar Jackson healthy, this game would have the potential to be the most explosive shootout of the year. But Tyler Huntley
could be in for a long night behind Baltimore’s injured, reshuffled offensive line against Atlanta’s disruptive interior rushers. What’s more, neither his nor Derrick Henry’s legs will be able to bail him out against the Falcons’ phenomenal run defense. It’s a similar story on the other side of the ball. The Ravens have struggled to tackle to start the year, so naturally, their next opponent is Bijan Robinson. This could seriously be a rough loss for Baltimore. I believe in Huntley’s ‘gamer’ quality that allows him to take his game to another level when he steps on the field, but everything about this matchup leans in Atlanta’s direction.
X-factor: Tyler Huntley. Obvious? Absolutely. But it’s never been more true. The Ravens leaned on their run game in Snoop’s starts last year, but he made the handful of throws they needed him to. Those moments could come at a much higher volume on Sunday night.
Score prediction: Falcons 28, Ravens 16
Zach Canter
Despite the Ravens coming in shorthanded without Lamar Jackson facing the competition of primetime Bijan Robinson and a red hot Falcons, I don’t think this is going to be a bloodbath. This is a great spot for Jesse Minter kickstart the defense and finally get them right. I think the Ravens focus on trying to limit the run game and Robinson doesn’t bully them all game. Snoop Huntley and the offense will do just enough to put them in a spot to win.
Overall, if the Ravens want to win, it’ll take the offense holding onto the ball and playing a simple calm game while the defenses forces the Atlanta offense to settle for field goals. I think both units are capable of this and will do it for most of the time. But the Ravens fall just short of pulling out the win.
Score prediction: Falcons 22, Ravens 17
Stephen Bopst
The shorthanded Ravens head to Atlanta to face a red-hot Falcons team that’s coming off back-to-back blowout victories. With Lamar Jackson out, it will be Jesse Minters’ first real test as head coach playing without his star quarterback. The Falcons have the best running back in the NFL in Bijan Robinson and an opportunistic defense that’s been effective at getting after opposing quarterbacks. It would’ve been a challenge even if Jackson was healthy and not having him further compounds the importance of the defense having a great game. Tyler Huntley has performed well in these spots over the years and I expect him to play a clean game. Unfortunately, I think the absence of Jackson and Trey Hendrickson will be too much to overcome. The Ravens will play hard but lose a close one.
X-factor: Trenton Simpson. Simpson has been a revelation for the Ravens this year and has the athleticism to chase down perimeter runs. The Falcons love running outside zone concepts and Simpson could be a weapon used to combat it.
Score prediction: Falcons 27, Ravens 23
Dustin Cox
This games revolves around the run game, with the defense needing to somehow slow down Bijan Robinson, and the offense leaning on Derrick Henry without Lamar Jackson. Baltimore’s defense will have a long day if they do not devote resources to stopping the run this week. Playing more defensive backs instead of heavier packages could be a recipe for disaster against the Falcons.
Meanwhile, the Ravens’ offense cannot afford to find themselves in obvious passing situations with Tyler Huntley at quarterback behind a suspect offensive line. Keeping the offense running on schedule and ahead of the sticks will be paramount to avoid falling behind in this one. Pre-snap penalties could be a death penalty as well without Jackson on the field to bail the offense out. Ultimately, I think Baltimore will put up an admirable fight but will not have the juice on offense to get the win.
X-factor: Mike Green. Green flashed his pass-rush potential last week, but he will need to hold up in the run game this week against Atlanta’s zone run scheme.
Score prediction: Falcons 27, Ravens 17
