The Ravens slaughtered the Dolphins last Sunday by a score of 59 to 10. On the contrary, the Cardinals played to a 27-all tie at home against the Lions. The Cardinals were down 18 late in the second half before scoring on three consecutive possessions to tie the game and force overtime in which both teams kicked a field goal and tied.
The Ravens were the most dominant team of Week 1, throttling the Dolphins for 60 minutes and posting the highest point total in half a decade. The Ravens also had one of the greatest offensive performances in NFL history in terms of yards accumulated on offense. The Ravens’ defense forced a pair of interceptions from Earl Thomas and Marlon Humphrey and recorded a trio of sacks.
For the Cardinals, they started sloppily as Kyler Murray was sacked and threw a terrible interception in the first half. However, in the second half, Murray and the Cardinals’ offense came alive as they torched the Lions drive after drive, scoring 18 points in a row to end regulation.
For Baltimore, they struggled in very few aspects of the game against the Dolphins. One thing that the Cardinals could exploit in Week 2 is their four and five wide receiver sets. The Ravens have been banged up at cornerback with slot corner Tavon Young out for the season and star cornerback Jimmy Smith out for this week. The Cardinals could potentially spread the Ravens out and pick them apart with quick passing down the field.
The Cardinals struggled with containing T.J. Hockenson in Week 1. The rookie tight end from Iowa went for over 100 yards and scored a touchdown on his debut, an all-time great performance by a tight end in his first NFL game. The Cardinals will look to solidify their defense and hold Mark Andrews below 100 yards, a potentially tough task. Andrews also went over 100 yards last week as he was a security blanket for Lamar Jackson.
Quarterback:
In the battle of former first-round picks, Lamar Jackson was arguably the best quarterback in football last week. If you restrict the comparison to the second half, Kyler Murray has a fair argument of being one of the best quarterbacks in Week 1. Both quarterbacks were able to flex their arm talent across the field and make dynamic throws into deep coverage. Jackson posted a perfect passer rating and a career-high five touchdowns against the Dolphins. On the other hand, Murray threw the ball 54 times for the Cardinals and finally got into a rhythm in the fourth quarter as he dissected the Lions defense for a pair of late touchdowns. In this battle, the advantage goes to Lamar Jackson.
Running back:
The Ravens and Cardinals run very different concepts at running back. In Baltimore, the approach is generally by committee with the likes of Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill running. For the Cardinals, they rely heavily on David Johnson. A former All-Pro, Johnson is very dynamic out of the backfield as both a runner and receiver. While he was used improperly last season, Johnson flashed immense talent last week with a clutch catch on a seam route. The wild card in terms of the battle of running offenses is Lamar Jackson. While Jackson had a dynamic rookie season as a runner, he only ran three times in the Ravens’ win over the Dolphins last week. In terms of star power, the advantage here goes to the Cardinals. However, the Ravens compensate the advantage with four potentially dynamic runners as opposed to one.
Pass catchers:
The Cardinals may have the single best receiver out of the two groups with Christian Kirk, but the Ravens more than make up for their lack of a true star wide receiver with the likes of Willie Snead, Miles Boykin, and Week 1 standout, Marquise Brown. For other pass catchers, the Ravens have an overwhelming advantage with Mark Andrews, Hayden Hurst, and Nick Boyle at tight end. The Ravens will have the advantage in the passing game just in terms of talent.
Offensive line:
The Ravens have a decent offense of line with the likes of Ronnie Stanley, Marshal Yanda, and Orlando Brown anchoring the line. While the interior line needs improvement throughout the season, the Ravens have a much better unit than the Cardinals do. Not only did the Cardinals just lose their best offensive lineman, but they were also pretty pathetic in the first place. With Marcus Gilbert out, the Cardinals will likely not be able to string together consistently good offensive line play.
Defensive line:
The Ravens have one of the most undervalued defensive lines in football with Michael Pierce and Brandon Williams wreaking havoc on opposing offense of lines. While Arizona’s defensive line isn’t awful, the Ravens have a clear advantage in terms of interior pressure and stopping the run.
Pass rush:
Oddly enough, Terrell Suggs is the difference-maker in this comparison. Since he has moved to Arizona, the Ravens have had to rely even more heavily on a pass rush by committee than in the past. The Cardinals have one of the best pass rushers in the NFL in Chandler Jones alongside Suggs. Similar to running back and wide receiver, the Cardinals have the best talent of the group, but the Ravens make up for that talent gap with a lot of guys who can rush the past. Jones is the most likely player to be a game wrecker, but with Arizona‘s offensive line in shambles, the Ravens will have plenty of success.
Secondary:
The Ravens would have the best secondary in the NFL if injuries were able to be turned off in real life. As it stands now, the Ravens have lost a pair of cornerbacks, diluting their talent in the secondary. While it is still among the best in the league, it is no longer the clear-cut best. On the other side, the Cardinals are also missing a star corner in Patrick Peterson. Without Peterson, the Cardinals don’t have a good secondary. The Cardinals are a step down from the Miami secondary that the Ravens face last week, so expect to see Lamar Jackson flash similar talent to what he had against the Dolphins.
Kicking:
Justin Tucker is the best kicker in the NFL. There is no debate here. Advantage, Ravens.
Verdict:
While the line for this game has been as high as two full touchdowns in favor of the Ravens, that line has been heavily influenced by the Ravens being able to play at home and the Cardinals coming across the country to play the Ravens. It is incredibly tough for a West Coast team to win on the road on the East Coast, as evidenced by Arizona’s shoddy record in East Coast games. The Ravens are the better team in terms of talent, but the Cardinals could keep it interesting enough to cover the 14 point spread. This game should have plenty of fireworks as there are two high-powered quarterbacks with competent running games.
Final thoughts:
Make sure to follow the turnover line in this game. Both quarterbacks are susceptible to making mistakes due to their youth in recognizing NFL defenses. In 2018, Lamar Jackson limited his interceptions, but he was a frequent fumbler. For Kyler Murray, he could toss a pick or two if the Ravens defense surprises in with a new look or makes an NFL level defensive play he is not used to.
Pick: Ravens (-13), over 46.5 points
