The 4-1 managers dare to use the phrase “Super Bowl preview” when talking about making the 30-mile trip north to play 3-2 Baltimore on Sunday. I wonder?
Where's the Super Bowl talk for the Ravens, considering they've been a winning team for the better part of the past decade and have one of the most dynamic players in the game in Lamar Jackson? It's familiar.
For the manager, any talk of a Super Bowl or even the playoffs has been foolish over the past decade under the terrible ownership of Daniel Snyder. Snyder has turned a once-proud franchise into an embarrassing mess.
Since the 2018 season, the Ravens are 66-33 and have made the playoffs in five of the past six seasons. Over the same span, the managers are 36-62-1 without a single winning season.
The winds of perennial defeat in Washington appear to be changing quite dramatically, thanks directly to the addition of rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels, a first-round draft pick who could be the key to Offensive Rookie of the Year. .
Daniels completed 77.1 percent of his passes for 1,135 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 106.2 rating.
Jackson threw for 1,206 yards, nine TDs, and one INT for a 107.2 rating.
The Commanders are the league's leading scoring team and the Ravens are second. Both quarterbacks changed the fortunes of their respective teams with their arms and legs. Jackson gained 353 yards on 53 carries and scored two TDs. Daniels ran for 300 yards and four TDs on 57 carries.
“I don't like when people try to compare me to Lamar and vice versa,” Daniels told reporters this week. “I want to be known as Jaden Daniels, not the next so-and-so.”
Jackson told reporters he believed Daniels was “his own player, his own man” and that both players were “just trying to make a name for themselves.”
Jackson, the two-time NFL MVP, has already done that. Daniels is doing well. This is what makes this matchup so interesting.
Jackson and running back Derrick Henry are a dangerous duo, with Henry leading the NFL with 572 rushing yards.
The Commanders entered the game on a four-game winning streak, while the Ravens had won three in a row after starting 0-2.
“This is the first time we've had two quarterbacks who have been very successful playing against each other,” running back Austin Ekeler told reporters. “They're dynamic runners. Jaden is obviously new to the NFL, but Lamar has a lot of respect, so we're excited about this matchup.”
Daniels Jackson said: He's doing what we saw in college and that's what led him to the Heisman. ”
An interesting issue to note in this game is the Ravens defense. They struggle with passing, forcing opponents to throw for an average of 280.2 yards per game, second-most in the league. In last week's overtime win over the Bengals, Baltimore allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 392 yards and five touchdowns.
“Most of our issues are not structural,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton told reporters. “It's just the basics. We have to tackle, we have to leave blocks, we have to communicate. We've been saying this for five weeks and we've got to do it. It’s time to start.”
But in response, the Ravens last week added veteran defensive assistant Dean Pees to defensive coordinator Zach Orr's staff as a senior advisor.
Head coach John Harbaugh hopes Pease, a former Ravens defensive coordinator, can help stop the bleeding.
Despite some uncharacteristic issues on defense, Harbaugh insisted this week that he “likes where we are right now,” adding, “We're in a better position right now because we're continuing to improve.” Ta. We have a lot to improve on and a lot of opportunities to improve. So I'm excited about that opportunity. ”
