NFL
By: Joey MacDonald
Week 3 saw the Baltimore Ravens need only 7 seconds in Rio de Janeiro to beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-31. Tyler Loop got his redemption by kicking a 56-yard field goal as time expired for his 1st career game-winning kick. The Ravens’ defense had a tough time against the juggernaut of the Dallas Cowboys’ offense, giving up 415 offensive yards. With Dallas now in the rearview mirror, the Ravens finished September with a record of 2-1 through the first 3 weeks. Now, will head home for their 2nd home game of the season against the winless Tennessee Titans in Week 4.
The Baltimore Ravens, in Week 3, were in a back-and-forth shootout with the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil, ending up with a win. Head Coach Jesse Minter got his 1st win on a walk-off field goal with 1 second left on the clock. The offense put up 31 points with 378 total yards on offense, with big plays from the Triplets on offense.
Week 3, the Ravens survived Rio with only 1 injury, and going into Week 4, Baltimore will be mostly healthy. But the hardest hit with injuries is the Offensive line, and they will most likely have Ronnie Stanley back.
Rookie Vega Ioane will most likely start at center, as both Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn went down with injuries.
In Week 3, the Ravens defense got rung up for 415 yards by the Dallas Cowboys offense. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 276 yards on 25 completions and threw 1 touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens secondary. Both wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, each had 7 catches on the day for the Cowboys. The run defense on the day gave up a total of 148 yards on the ground, mostly from Javonte Williams.
The Ravens defense this week will be in for a much more favorable matchup against a struggling Tennessee Titans. The Titans have been struggling to put up numbers and points, as they are ranked 31st in total offense. In both the passing and running attacks, the Titans are ranked near the bottom in both of those categories. Against the New York Giants, their own points came in the 4th quarter on a Cam Ward touchdown in a 12-7 loss. What this means is the Ravens defense could be a field for the Ravens defense and their playmakers on D.
X-Factors always play into the game plan for the week, and this week is no exception for the Baltimore Ravens. The biggest X-factor for the Ravens in Week 4 is going to be their 1st-round pick OL Vega Ioane. In Week 3, Vega slid over to Center and didn’t allow a single sack against Dallas. And he is ready for his 1st start at Center for Week 4 against Tennessee.
Another X-Factor will not be from the players on Sunday, but from the skies above at M&T Bank Stadium. Sunday’s game will be impacted by Rain that is being forecasted for Sunday afternoon in Baltimore at 1 pm. And if the Ravens can play the rain to their advantage, they could win this game.
In Brazil, the Baltimore Ravens were in a dogfight with the Dallas Cowboys and won 34-31 on a walk-off FG. This week, I don’t see this game being as close; it will be a balance standpoint on offense and defense. But one phrase says this on “Any Given Sunday”: anything can happen, especially in football, where anyone can win.
Even with the weather going to be bad on Sunday, the Ravens will put up huge numbers on offense. I expect Derrick Henry to go off on his former team, where he spent 8 seasons in Tennessee. And the defense, I see getting to Cam Ward and making his life miserable on Sunday in the confines of Baltimore.
Prediction:
Tennessee Titans 10 Baltimore Ravens 37
