Week two is coming up. It has the Raiders in Baltimore to face the Ravens. So we caught up with Glenn Erby from USA Today Ravens Wire to get the inside scoop on the Raiders next opponent.
Q: How vulnerable is the Ravens secondary? Or do you think their performance in the opener was just a product of facing Patrick Mahomes?
Glenn Erby: The Ravens have a really solid and deep secondary, and we can chalk the Week 1 troubles up to Mahomes, Andy Reid’s playcalling, and the lack of playing time as a unit during the preseason. Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens are really talented cornerbacks, while they’ll be some dropoff with Nate Wiggins ruled out. Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton and Eddie Jackson are a dynamic trio that offers versatility and playmaking.
Q: Give me one player on each side of the ball who may be flying under the radar but who we should know about.
GE: On offense that one player is Justice Hill. Derrick Henry will get all the attention as a star running back, but it’ll be Hill who’ll flourish as a dual-threat, pass blocker, and talented running back. On defense, Travis Jones is developing as a gamewrecker, and with opposing offenses focused on Nnamdi Madubuike, the defensive tackle could be a player to watch.
Q: The Ravens are heavily favored in this game. If there is anything about this matchup that concerns you, what would that be?
GE: Davante Adams is a top five wide receiver and a player that can could cause matchup problems for both Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens. He’s the one player that can dominate, and could free up Brock Bowers to have a huge impact in the middle of the field.
Q: With a somewhat uncharacteristically low 13 carries last week for Derrick Henry, do you think the Ravens make a concerted effort to feed him the rock in this game?
GE: Derrick Henry is one of the top running backs in NFL history, and he was signed to get Baltimore over the hump during the postseason. The Ravens aren’t going to give Henry 25-30 carries per game during the regular season, just for the future Hall of Famer to run out of gas during the playoffs. Henry will have his moment, and he’ll get his touches, but Baltimore is going to manage his carries and maintain his health.
Q: What area of the Ravens do you see as stepping up this week, whether it be a down performance last week or a favorable matchup this week?
GE: Baltimore has found success with their two tight end system of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely and offensive coordinator Todd Monken will work to create matchups that favor the Ravens in the red zone and key passing situations.
Thanks for Glenn Erby of Ravens Wire for answering these questions and cluing us in on what to expect on Sunday.
