With Lamar Jackson's Status Uncertain, Pundits Heavily Favor Atlanta
We all do it.
As soon as the NFL schedule is released, fans and pundits go through teams' games and put a "W" or "L" next to them.
There were probably a lot of "W's" for the Ravens in their Week 5 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. After all, the Ravens are perennial Super Bowl contenders, and the Falcons have had eight consecutive losing seasons.
While predicting the outcome of games in May is fun, it's also folly.
Case in point: The Ravens (3-1) are 3-point underdogs for Sunday night's game in Atlanta, the first time they haven't been favored this season.
The line is due in large part to the uncertainty surrounding the availability of Lamar Jackson, who suffered an ankle sprain in last Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans and has not practiced yet this week.
The spread is also a reflection of how well the Falcons (2-2) are playing. Led by All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, who has rushed for 339 yards over the past two games, the Falcons have won two in a row by a combined score of 80-38. Both games – at Green Bay in Week 3 and at New Orleans last week – took place in prime time.
Given those circumstances, a large majority of the pundits we sampled (39 of 47) picked the Falcons to beat the Ravens on "Sunday Night Football."
That said, it certainly won't be a shock if the Ravens come away with the "W" even if Jackson doesn't play.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley has proved he is more than capable of getting the job done. In his two starts last season, "Snoop" led the Ravens to victories over the playoff-bound Bears and Packers.
Here's a look at what pundits are saying about the game:
Robinson and the Falcons will shine again in prime time.
NFL.com’s Brooke Cersosimo: "Is anyone better in prime time than Bijan Robinson? Not in my book, though Derrick Henry might have something to say about that. But God bless the schedule-makers for giving us Bijan thrice in night games over the first five weeks. It feels like there's no stopping Bijan at this juncture. I expect a heavy dose of the run game from two of the league's top rushing attacks, especially if Lamar Jackson doesn't suit up. If he can't go, Tyler Huntley would make his first start of the season. He's proven to be a capable backup (winning both of his starts for the Ravens in 2025), but will he do enough in the pass game to keep Atlanta's defense from solely keying on Henry? Stepping in for Jackson in the second half last week, Huntley attempted only one pass of 10 or more air yards, while three were short throws (0-9 yards) and five occurred behind the line of scrimmage. Not sure that'll get the job done against a Falcons' offense that's scored with ease with Michael Penix Jr. under center. If Jackson is healthy and plays, this becomes much harder to predict. Yet it's hard to go against these Falcons right now."
CBS Sports’ John Breech: "No one can tackle Bijan Robinson. No one can cover Drake London. And Michael Penix actually looks like he knows what he's doing. He's making the right reads, he's getting the ball out quickly and he's throwing accurately. Penix only has four starts in his career where he's completed at least 70% of his passes, and two of them came in his two games this year."
This is a bad matchup for the Ravens.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "I don't like the Ravens' chances in Atlanta. The Ravens have struggled at times to stop the run and hold up on the offensive and defensive fronts. The Falcons have been extremely strong in both areas. A healthy Jackson or not, it just feels like a bad matchup for the Ravens."
The Falcons prevail in a battle of the running backs.
USA Today’s Blake Schuster: "I'm assuming both teams will try to run each other into the ground, and I'm here for it. Derrick Henry vs. [Bijan and Brian] Robinson on 'Sunday Night Football' is some good ol' fashioned smash-mouth football. If only John Madden were in the booth. The Falcons squeak this one out in overtime."
The Ravens represent a step up in competition for the Falcons.
The Ringer’s Anthony Dabbundo: "Atlanta has gone from buried to anointed in two weeks. Two excellent prime-time performances against poor run defenses have turned the Falcons into fashionable NFC contenders and the clear favorite in the NFC South. There's substance behind the optimism: This offense has been efficient with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback dating back to 2024. But Baltimore's defense represents a considerable step up from what Atlanta has faced the past two weeks. The same is true on the other side of the ball. Atlanta's defense deserves credit for its improvement, but consecutive games against the injured and ineffective Saints and Packers offensive lines haven't offered much evidence of how it will handle a functioning running game. Even without Jackson, Baltimore's rushing attack on a fast indoor track should provide a much sturdier test. For at least one week, I'm backing the Ravens and Huntley."
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi: "The Falcons' defense has been dominant against the run, allowing a league-low 48.3 yards on the ground per game -- nearly 30 yards per game fewer than the next lowest team. But they also have not been completely tested yet, at least not from a running back like Derrick Henry. The Ravens star is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (374), and Atlanta will need to contain him to fully prove its defense as a truly formidable one against the run, which is a team goal."
Henry is the key to a Ravens victory.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox: "The Ravens will likely struggle to keep pace if they don't have Jackson at 100 percent. That said, Baltimore does have a path to victory without Jackson. His name is Derrick Henry, and he could be more than enough if the Ravens force the still-inexperienced Michael Penix Jr. (14 starts) into costly mistakes."
Huntley has been there, done that, and will do it again.
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson: "I feel like I've seen Tyler Huntley play the super sub role a time or 50 before, and I think he'll be just fine."
Declan Doyle Is No. 1 in First-Time OC Rankings
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen ranked this season's six first-time offensive coordinators, and he put Declan Doyle at No. 1.
"The youngest play caller in the league has been one of the best this season," Nguyen wrote. "At first glance, Doyle appears to have an embarrassment of riches to work with compared to the other first-year play callers — having a two-time MVP at quarterback helps. The Ravens do have offensive issues, though. There is a serious lack of receiving weapons after Zay Flowers and the offensive line has had injury issues. Their first- and second-string centers went down with injuries, and they were forced to move standout rookie guard Vega Ioane to center. Despite all that, we will not shed a tear for Doyle, who still has a loaded deck. The Ravens have the league's second-most explosive offense, and a big reason is the schematic stamp Doyle has imprinted.
"Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator Dwayne Ledford also deserves his flowers. He's brought over some of the interesting tight end motion usage on outside zone that he used in Atlanta, and the Ravens have built an entire package out of it, where they can run multiple actions. Lamar Jackson has responded well to Doyle cranking up under-center play actions. He's second in the league in EPA per drop back on play action."
Nguyen praised Doyle for his usage of Flowers, who is off to the best start of his career.
"Doyle passes the 'find ways to get your best player the ball' test with flying colors," Nguyen wrote. "Flowers leads the league in target rate (39 percent) and has blossomed into a true No. 1 receiver.
"Doyle looks well on his way to becoming a sought-after head coach candidate, but if Jackson signs a long-term extension in part because he's happy in this offense, Doyle could follow the Ben Johnson path and wait a few years before seriously considering another job."
'Good Morning Football' Looks at State of the Ravens Four Weeks Into Season
“Good Morning Football” took stock of the Ravens at the first quarter mark of the season. Jahleel Addae and Kyle Brandt both believe Baltimore is in good shape.
"I'm a believer in Baltimore," Addae said. "I think when you look at Jesse Minter and the Baltimore defense, they haven't played up to the true standard of Jesse Minter's defense yet. They struggled a little bit early on in Week 2 on third down and getting off the field, but since then they've gotten off the field. And when you can get off the field on third down, it's just as important as having stifling red-zone defense.
"So if they can continue to do what they're doing on offense, give Lamar Jackson time to get back and be healthy, and that defense continues to improve each and every week, this is one of the best teams in the league."
Brandt expects the Ravens to again be in the Super Bowl conversation at the end of the season.
"I don't know if they're going to get to the Super Bowl … but I know that they will not be a non-factor at the end of the year," Brandt said. "The first month? It's OK. A little up and down, and now [Jackson] is hurt. They're one of those teams that has earned the right to respect. I don't care if they have a new head coach. Their players and their roster are too good. They'll have a say in this thing at the end."
