The Ravens are 4-2, coming off a dominant victory over the Bengals. Seattle is 5-1, coming off three consecutive wins over the Cardinals, Rams, and Browns.
Historically speaking, the Ravens and Seahawks have rarely played. Seattle is 3-2 against Baltimore, winning the last three matchups. Pete Carroll is undefeated against the Ravens, and John Harbaugh is 0-2 against the Seahawks.
The Ravens need to commit to the ground game against the Seahawks as they have not had a 100-yard rusher in the last three matchups. Lamar Jackson or Mark Ingram could get over the 100-yard mark. For Russell Wilson, he will attempt to replicate his five-touchdown performance from the 2015 matchup in which the Seahawks won 35-6 in Baltimore.
As a side note, Lamar Jackson will be the sixth different Raven to start against the Seahawks. Of the previous five quarterbacks to start for the Ravens against the Seahawks, no quarterback has been able to make multiple starts. In 2015, the Ravens trotted out Jimmy Clausen, resulting in zero touchdowns on the day.
Quarterback:
Despite the evident talent of Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson is the class of the NFL at the moment. Wilson is currently the MVP favorite, and he has been dominant each week. Wilson leads the NFL in passer rating and touchdown percentage. He has also yet to throw an interception while adding three extra rushing touchdowns. For Jackson, he has been electric. He is the only player in the history of the NFL to win both the FedEx Air Player of the Week (Week 1) and FedEx Ground Player of the Week (Week 6). Jackson’s unique skillset should pose problems for the Seattle defense, but Russell Wilson will likely bamboozle the Ravens’ struggling defense. Both quarterbacks should play clean games, but Wilson will likely have a more efficient day.
Running back:
Chris Carson and Mark Ingram are fairly similar backs. They have had relatively equal seasons on the statistical front, but Carson has had the benefit of a few extra touches per game. Both backs can fulfill the traditional bell-cow role, but players such as Rashaad Penny and Gus Edwards can sub in to give Carson and Ingram a breather from time to time. On a per-carry basis, Ingram has been more efficient in converting carries into yards and touchdowns, but Carson has a stronger volume. In terms of running the football, the Ravens have the NFL’s most attempts, and the Seahawks have the NFL’s third-most attempts.
Wide receiver:
Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf lead the line for the Seahawks while the Ravens are bolstered with Marquise Brown (questionable to play), Willie Snead, and Miles Boykin. Lockett is the most talented of the group, but he has been held in check, besides a 154-yard outburst against the Saints. Metcalf has been solid as a No. 2 wide receiver, but he receives an inconsistent target share. For Baltimore, a healthy Marquise Brown would likely garner 10 targets, but if he is unable to go, the Ravens will likely use a committee approach to spread around targets. Snead and Boykin have yet to combine for more than eight targets in a game, a testament to how much Lamar Jackson utilizes Brown (when healthy) and his tight ends. The Seahawks win this position.
Tight end:
Sadly, the Seahawks will be without Will Dissly as the breakout tight end tore his Achilles against the Browns. With or without Dissly playing, the star tight end of the matchup is Mark Andrews. Despite being partially injured, Andrews has been targeted a resounding 47 times in six weeks, and he will likely receive up to 10 targets on Sunday. Andrews has been a premier tight end in the NFL, rivaling the production of established stars such as Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, and George Kittle. Beyond Andrews, the Ravens also utilize Nick Boyle and Hayden Hurst. Both will garner a couple of targets, but neither will play a major role. The Ravens have a superior set of tight ends.
In the trenches:
Neither offensive line has been extraordinary this season, but the Ravens hold a slight advantage. Ronnie Stanley and Marshal Yanda have played at a high level, helping the running game to an NFL-best in terms of yards per carry. To counteract a weaker offensive line, the Seahawks boast a stronger defensive line. With the return of sack artist Jarran Reed, the Seahawks will likely generate pressure through the center of the Baltimore offensive line. Jadeveon Clowney will have his fair share of attempts to tackle Ravens runners for losses, but the battle between Baltimore’s offensive line and Seattle’s defensive line will tell the story of the game.
Back seven:
At the linebacking level, the trio of Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, and Mychal Kendricks is simply better than any set of linebackers that the Ravens could create. When you look at the secondaries, the Ravens should have a large advantage with the presence of Marlon Humphrey, Earl Thomas, Brandon Carr, and the newly-acquired Marcus Peters. However, the secondary (besides Humphrey) has yet to play at an elite level. Peters has been with the Ravens for just a couple of days, so he may not feature in much of the contest. The key player of the Ravens secondary is Earl Thomas who is making a return to Seattle after suiting up for them 125 times over nine seasons.
Verdict:
I have fully embraced the Russell Wilson MVP candidacy. He has been the best player in football on almost every snap, and he has been magical to watch. Despite the best efforts of Lamar Jackson, I think the Ravens will just fall short on Sunday. The game should be the best of the weekend with electric plays from both quarterbacks, but I anticipate that Wilson will make a couple of extra plays to push the Seahawks to 6-1.
Prediction
Winner: Seahawks
Spread: Seahawks (-3.5)
Score: Seahawks 34, Ravens 29
Over/Under: OVER 50.5
