A matchup of two first-place teams is on the horizon when the Seahawks make the 2,000+ mile trip to Baltimore to play the Ravens.
The Ravens (6-2) have won three in a row to take over the top spot in the AFC North.
It’s the Seahawks’ first trip to Baltimore since their 35-6 win in 2015 and only the second trip in the last 20 years.
It’s the first meeting for the teams since the Ravens traveled to Seattle in 2019 and came away with a 30-16 victory on a wet afternoon.
The game offered a signature MVP moment for Lamar Jackson, and Sunday provides another opportunity in a season where he’s among the 2023-2024 MVP favorites.
With Thursday’s practice upcoming, here are five keys to a Baltimore victory.
Take advantage of the early start
The Ravens enter Sunday’s matchup against Seattle with an 18-5 all-time record at home against teams from the West Coast/Pacific time zone (Ari. – 3-1, LV – 6-1, LAC – 4-1, LAR – 0-1, SF – 3-0 & Sea. – 2-1), winning four of their last five such matchups.
Lamar Jackson is 4-0 against West Coast opponent and the Ravens must take advantage of the early start time, with the Seahawks travel a few thousand miles for the contest.
Prevent the deep ball
Seattle has a really solid trio of receivers in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and rookie, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Geno Smith is among the best deep ball quarterbacks in the NFL and he’ll face a Ravens defense that is stacked with talented defenders in the secondary.
There might not be a better deep-ball defense in the NFL than the Ravens’.
Last season, Smith went 24-for-51 (47.1%) for 719 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions on passes of 20+ yards downfield, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Among NFL starters, only the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (54%) had better deep ball accuracy.
This season, Smith’s 13-for-29 (44.8%) for 383 yards and three touchdowns on deep targets.
Air it out
The Seahawks are ranked 16th in total defense, 8th against the rush and 22nd against the pass, putting Baltimore in a tough scenario.
The Ravens were stout in the rushing department against the Cardinals in Week 8, but could benefit from testing a Seattle secondary that can be vulnerable against the pass.
Feed the problem
Andrews is a matchup nightmare, and he’s dominating again this season with 32 catches for 397 yards and six touchdowns — the most among all tight ends.
Whether it be Jamal Adams, or Quandre Diggs, Andrews holds all the cards for Baltimore.
Pressure Geno Smith
Baltimore’s defense leads the NFL with 31 sacks, and the Ravens are allowing 4.2 yards per play, also best in the league.
Baltimore is stacked at cornerback with Marlon Humphrey, Arthur Maulet, and Brandon Stephens, allowing DC Mike MacDonald the opportunity to play tight man coverage.
This season against man coverage, Geno Smith averages a mere 3.6 yards per attempt, ranking him last among the 36 qualifying QBs. Wwhen up against zone defenses, Smith’s average jumps to 8.4 yards per attempt, per NESN.com
