Rams Are Near Unanimous Pick to Win at Baltimore
In the Ravens' past two games, they faced struggling offenses in the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans that got right – and then some – against them.
Now the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) come to town, and their offense is already rolling. They're No. 2 in scoring, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua, who lead the league in passing yards and receiving yards, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Ravens (1-4) have had issues on both sides of the ball and lost three games in a row, due in part to a wave of injuries.
The good news is that several injured starters returned to practice this week. The bad news is that Lamar Jackson wasn't among them, and he is unlikely to play against the Rams Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Given those circumstances, it's not surprising that the Ravens are 7.5-point underdogs. It's also not surprising that pundits aren't giving Baltimore much chance of pulling off an upset.
Of the 62 pundits we sampled, only two picked the Ravens to win. (We see you, ESPN's Pamela Maldonado and The Baltimore Sun's C.J. Doon.)
Here's what pundits are saying about the game:
The stars will align and the Ravens will win.
Doon: "The Ravens are slowly getting healthier, added a trusted veteran in Alohi Gilman and get another week of first-team reps with backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Plus, Derrick Henry is due for a breakout game, right? (Behind this offensive line, maybe not.) With the forecasted nor'easter perhaps serving as an equalizer and potentially slowing down the Rams' passing attack, I'm calling my shot and predicting a statement performance from [Defensive Coordinator] Zach Orr's unit."
The Ravens will be more competitive than they were last Sunday.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "I'd expect the Ravens to play much better, but the Rams are also a better team than the Texans, and I just don't think Baltimore is healthy or good enough right now to beat a quality [team]."
USA Today’s Jordan Mendoza: "There's no way the Ravens get rolled over at home in back-to-back weeks, keeping it close against a Rams team coming off an emotional loss."
The Rams come to Baltimore rested and motivated.
USA Today’s Jon Hoefling: "Don't overthink this one. The Rams had extra rest and are thirsting for revenge after losing a very winnable game to San Francisco on 'Thursday Night Football.'"
The Rams offense will have its way with the Ravens defense.
NBC Sports’ Chris Simms: "I don't see the Ravens being able to stop this group in any way. They're going to be able to run the ball [and] throw the ball. We saw what the Texans did last week. The Rams are the Texans on steroids … on the offensive side of the ball."
The Baltimore Banner’s Brandon Weigel: "As I walked out of M&T Bank Stadium near the end of Sunday's shellacking at the hands of the Houston Texans, I wondered, 'Is this defense going to have any answers for Puka Nacua?' The Rams receiver could become the first player in NFL history to amass 2,000 receiving yards in a season, and there's nothing to suggest the Ravens will knock him off pace."
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton: "Baltimore's defense is giving up the most points and the second-most yards, and it ranks 27th in pressure rate (15.6 percent). Matthew Stafford will have plenty of time to pick apart the Ravens defense, which may be without several key starters in consecutive weeks."
ESPN’s Seth Walder: "Bold prediction: The Rams will complete multiple 40-plus-yard passes. Through five weeks, the Rams have the highest air yards per attempt in the league at 8.5, and Baltimore's defense is allowing 8.0 air yards per target (fourth most). Although I think the Ravens' defense will eventually figure it out, the best bet for now is that it will continue to struggle in the short term."
The Rams defense presents a stiff challenge for the Ravens' slumping offense.
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "[Offensive Coordinator] Todd Monken acknowledged Thursday that the Ravens' offense is in a 'rut,' and this matchup doesn't look like a slump-buster. The Rams can collapse the pocket with their edge rushers and interior linemen, and their run defense is among the NFL's best."
| Source | Prediction | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 10 of 11 panelists pick Rams | |
| Baltimore Sun | 5 of 6 panelists pick Rams | “If the so-so Texans can hang 44 points on the Ravens in Baltimore, a much better Rams offense shouldn’t have trouble finding the end zone. I do think a second try for Cooper Rush, one against a softer secondary, will yield a more respectable offensive showing from the home team.” – Sam Cohn |
| USA Today | 6 of 6 panelists pick Rams | |
| NFL.com | 5 of 5 panelists pick Rams | “It goes without saying that Baltimore isn't the same without Lamar Jackson, who appears likely to miss a second straight game with a hamstring injury, but the quarterback's health isn't the Ravens' only problem on offense. Derrick Henry ran wild in the season opener at Buffalo, but a late fumble helped cost Baltimore the game – and seemingly sent the 31-year-old back into a tailspin. In the four games since, Henry has carried the ball 46 times for just 148 yards (3.2 ypc) with two touchdowns and two fumbles (one lost). It sure feels like Baltimore needs a superhuman performance from King Henry in order to win this game, but L.A. hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher this season.” — Gennaro Filice |
| NFL Network | 10 of 10 panelists pick Rams | |
| Sporting News | Rams 31, Ravens 20 | “The Rams present an even tougher offensive challenge for the Ravens' overwhelmed and shorthanded defense, which has little chance of slowing down Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams, boosting Matthew Stafford to another big game.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| CBS Sports | 8 of 8 panelists pick Rams | “The Ravens are a mess, while the Rams are coming off a bad loss to the 49ers at home. The Ravens will likely be without Lamar Jackson again, and the banged-up defense can't stop anybody. The Rams defense didn't play well against the 49ers, but will here. Rams take it.” — Pete Prisco |
| Pro Football Talk | 2 of 2 panelists pick Rams | “The Ravens’ vibe has morphed from ‘not our day’ to ‘not our year.’”— Mike Florio |
| Sports Illustrated | 7 of 7 panelists pick Rams | |
| Baltimore Banner | 6 of 6 panelists pick Rams | “Am I saying there’s a chance? Sure. But I don’t believe in it. You can’t trust a beat-up and inexperienced Ravens defense against Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay, who should run circles around the secondary with Puka Nacua. You can’t trust an offense with no sync and probably no Lamar Jackson. Short of somehow winning a mud fight in some ugly weekend weather, it’s tough to see the tide turning for the hard-luck Ravens before they limp into the bye.” – Kyle Goon |
What Ravens Need to Do to Get Back on Track
The Ravens entered the season as Super Bowl favorites, but if the season ended today, they'd have the third-overall pick in the draft.
Fortunately, the season doesn't end today, and the Ravens still have time and the talent to turn their season around.
That doesn't mean they won't have an uphill battle. The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han looked at where the Ravens expected to be heading into next week's bye and where they are.
"How it was supposed to go: This is a much earlier bye than the last two years. If things had gone according to plan, the Ravens would have been resting up and letting minor injuries heal. Maybe they would have fine-tuned schemes while also taking some time away. It's unlikely, even in a perfect world, the Ravens would have been perfectly healthy, but with it being so early, the team wouldn't be as banged up as it was during last season's Week 14 bye.
"The reality: The Ravens are scratching their way to the bye. The week away is the team's saving grace. Maybe the time to recover and reset will give them a chance to stop the tailspin before it's too late. The chances the Ravens make the playoffs are low, but they're not yet zero. The coaching staff will be desperately searching for answers. The players need to get right mentally and physically. And everyone needs to return ready to go to turn the season around."
Zrebiec was asked what the one thing is that has to go right for the Ravens to reach their ceiling.
"One thing? There are about 10 things that need to go right for the Ravens to get hot and become capable of mounting a legitimate Super Bowl run," Zrebiec wrote. "A month ago, I would have told you that the Ravens' ceiling was a Super Bowl. But I clearly underestimated how thin they were along the offensive and defensive lines and how disastrous an injury to a key performer (like Nnamdi Madubuike) would be.
"Maybe General Manager Eric DeCosta makes a trade or two and acquires trench or pass-rush help. Otherwise, it's hard to see this team doing anything beyond possibly rattling off some wins in a frantic playoff push, and then being sent home early by one of the AFC heavyweights. But to even do that, the Ravens better fix that defense and find a way to get to the quarterback … or stop the run … or get off the field on third down … or force a turnover."
Two Defensive Players Who Could Be Trade Targets for Ravens
The Ravens have already made two moves in an effort to improve their defense, acquiring safety Alohi Gilman in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers and signing safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad this week.
By trading outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to acquire Gilman, the Ravens gained a reported $8 million of cap space, which sparked speculation that DeCosta is preparing to make more moves to bolster the defense before the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker identified potential players the Ravens could target. Here's a look at two:
Dolphins EDGE Bradley Chubb
"Chubb, 29, has a significant injury history. He also is an attractive option given a cheap price tag after his contract was reworked this offseason, paying him just $1.255 million in salary with much of his compensation converted to a signing bonus. His price tag in 2026 would likely make him a salary cap casualty for Miami this offseason, so jettisoning him ahead of the deadline makes sense.
"Chubb has four sacks this year and was a game-wrecker before suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Ravens in Week 17 of 2023 that also sidelined him all of last season. For his career, he has 43 1/2 sacks across six-plus seasons in Denver and Miami, though this season he also has just 10 pressures in 103 pass rush snaps."
Cardinals DE Calais Campbell
"The former Raven nearly returned to Baltimore at the trade deadline last year until Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stepped in at the 11th hour to prevent the trade. Now, Campbell is with the Arizona Cardinals after signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the team that drafted him and also tried to trade for him last season. With the Cardinals at 2-3 and in last place in the NFC West, could they look to deal the 18-year veteran?
"Despite turning 39 in September, Campbell is still producing with three sacks along with 11 pressures, per PFF, and an overall grade of 76.1, which ranks 17th among defensive linemen. Last year's potential deal for Campbell involved a fifth-round pick, which the Ravens are slated to have four of in 2026."
Tom Brady Recalls Legendary Battles With Ravens, Ray Lewis
With Tom Brady calling the Ravens-Rams game for FOX, the former quarterback reflected on the legendary battles he had with the Ravens when he was with the New England Patriots.
"A lot of meaningful games there against the Ravens," Brady said on “Story Time With Tom” on YouTube. "That's one of the toughest organizations our Patriots organization ever faced. We always went to Baltimore and they were a tough, hard-nosed football team, and they still are. That defense built around Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, they had so many talented players at all levels of the defense."
Brady elaborated on his rivalry with Lewis.
"Ray was the ultimate competitor," Brady said. "He was the quarterback of the defense at linebacker and everything ran through him. So, you just knew that there was a chess match between what he was trying to get his defense to do and what we were trying to get our offense to do. He was such a cerebral player; he read route combinations better than anybody."
Brady also talked about trash talking Lewis but not wanting any part of a physical confrontation with the Hall of Famer.
"Once in a while, I'd get out in the open field and he'd come tracking me down," Brady said. "Of course, if he hit me, he'd probably break me in two. So, I would try to slide pretty early, but then me, knowing I was protected by my own offensive linemen, I was ready to talk a little of my own s—. But it didn't last too long. There was a lot of mutual respect between the two of us. We had a great rivalry over the years.
"I was definitely never going to get anywhere close to Ray. He was a tough man. I wasn't going to pick any fights with anybody out there, but I was going to maybe instigate something and get the hell out of the way before I got my [butt] kicked."
