Pundits Are Unanimous in Ravens vs. Washington Picks
Since Lamar Jackson became the starting quarterback midway through the 2018 season, the Ravens (2-1) have lost back-to-back games just once. The pundits agree that will remain the case after Sunday’s game against Washington (1-2) at FedExField.
All 47 pundits we looked at forecasted a victory for Baltimore, which is coming off a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Monday night that ended its 14-game regular-season winning streak.
Of the 26 who predicted the score for Sunday’s game, all have the Ravens winning by double digits, and 10 believe they will prevail by at least 20 points.
Here’s a sample of what pundits are saying about the game:
The Ravens have a great opportunity to bounce back on both sides of the ball.
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: “Lamar Jackson and the running game can get back on track, and the defense can take advantage of inexperienced quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr., who has three interceptions and four fumbles in three games.”
Injuries on its defensive line are a major concern for Washington.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal: “The Washington defensive line was the team’s identity. After losing underrated defensive tackle Matthew Ioannidis for the season and Chase Young possibly for this week, what’s left?”
CBS Sports’ John Breech: “Washington is banged up on defense and if there’s one game where you can’t afford to be banged up on defense, it’s when you play the Ravens. If you want a taste of what Lamar Jackson is going to do to this defense, just go hunt down some highlights from Washington’s Week 2 loss to the Cardinals. In that 30-15 win for Arizona, Washington had no idea how to stop Kyler Murray. Lamar Jackson is like Kyler Murray, except better and with more experience. Those are both bad things for Washington.”
The Ravens will lean on the running game, which will open things up for Jackson.
Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer: “The Ravens won’t get complicated here after they saw the Browns run all over Washington. Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards can be effective flanking Lamar Jackson, who won’t be thwarted in hitting big pass plays downfield, either.”
It could be a big day for the Ravens’ opportunistic defense.
Penn Live’s Aaron Kasinitz: “The Ravens’ six takeaways this season rank third in the NFL, but they have the best per-possession rate of snatching the ball away from opponents. … Sunday’s game offers a prime opportunity for forcing turnovers, too. Washington coughed the ball up five times in a loss to Cleveland in Week 2, with quarterback Dwayne Haskins tossing three interceptions and losing a fumble.”
Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms: “I think this is a game the Ravens probably score a touchdown on defense. If not, get a short field a few times.”
Expect the Ravens to turn up the heat on Haskins.
NFL Next Gen Stats: “The Ravens are itching to rebound from their Week 3 loss, and that could be really bad news for the QB who has to face that defense this week, a defense that’s in love with sending the house after QBs. … Do not expect them to back off this week. When Dwayne Haskins has been under pressure this season, he’s 3-for-18 for just 30 yards, 0 TD passes, two interceptions and a 0.0 passer rating. So Baltimore may actually be more aggressive than normal, the Ravens playing their best football when they turn up the heat.”
Could veteran quarterback Alex Smith be active for the game?
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio: “Given the possibility that things go sideways for Washington early and Alex Smith gets put in, that’s the one thing that has me a little nervous about whether or not the Ravens can turn this into a rout. But then again, we don’t know what Alex Smith is gonna do two years after he last played.”
