The Ravens are 4-1 with Lamar Jackson at quarterback. They’re an interesting team, playing unlike any other in the league right now. But they’ve also been affected by an unusual schedule.
Since Jackson took over, Baltimore’s five games have been against the five teams that have allowed more points than anyone else in the league
| RAVENS, LAST FIVE GAMES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Score | Defense |
| Cincinnati | W 24-21 | 31st |
| Oakland | W 34-17 | 32nd |
| at Atlanta | W 26-16 | 29th |
| at Kansas City | L 24-27 | 28th |
| Tampa Bay | W 20-12 | 30th |
In these last five weeks, the Ravens have averaged a league-high 231 rushing yards per game, with at least 198 in every game. At the same time, they’ve averaged only 155 passing yards, with fewer than 180 in every game.
But considering the defenses they’ve played against, it’s surprising the offense hasn’t been more effective. Baltimore has scored only 10 touchdowns in five games with Jackson starting. That’s setting aside 2 TDs on defense and 1 on special teams. The offense scored 3 TDs at Kansas City, 1 at Atlanta, and 2 TDs in each of the other three games.
With the Ravens this week playing on the road against a Chargers defense that is significantly better than anything they’ve seen recently (only 8 have allowed fewer points) hard to have much confidence Baltimore will score more than 2 TDs.
—Ian Allan