Offenses Will Look Good On Sunday Night

Ravens vs. Chargers, 8:20 ET

Sunday Night Football is here and we have a matchup that I find quite intriguing. I've talked at length the past two seasons about how terrible I think a lot of these primetime games are, but this one should be good. In this matchup, we get the Ravens, an 8-3 powerhouse in the AFC, and the Chargers, a 4-6 underperforming team.

The Ravens are headed on the road after having four of the past five games at home. Not only is this a road game, but they have to travel completely across the country in order to get to the game. That can be a big disruption for most teams. The Ravens, however, are not like most teams. They are as talented as any team in the league. Led by Lamar Jackson, the offense finds ways to be efficient enough on the ground and through the air. I don't really look at them as overly dominant on offense. The passing game doesn't have many highlights, but the rushing attack is varied enough that even when the defense knows it is coming, they don't necessarily know who is taking the handoff or where the ball is going. Perhaps the biggest issue here is that Mark Andrews won't be available and that means that Jackson will need to find a new primary target. Andrews has been great in the receiving game for the Ravens for years as a dump-off option or even a red zone partner. The Chargers defense isn't exactly one that I can believe in and I think Jackson should have the upper hand in the game.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 16: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers reacts on the bench in the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium on October 16, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

While Baltimore has taken care of business the Chargers have gone the other way. They essentially can't stop anyone. Last week they lost a game to the Packers that they should've won. The defense couldn't get a stop when they needed to, and that has been a consistent theme for the team all year long. Two weeks ago against the Lions, they gave up 41 points. This is the second time they've allowed 35+ points to an opponent at home this season. If they give Jackson space he will carve them up. On offense, the Chargers are still effective. Justin Herbert reminds me a bit of Josh Allen. He makes a lot of throws, pretty much all of them, but he also can make some stupid mistakes and turn the ball over. This year, he has done a better job of preventing that with just five interceptions on the season. Austin Eckler missed some time but is doing very little for the team this season. He hasn't had a 100-yard rushing game since the first week of the season and is barely getting over 100 total yards in any game. He's only gone over the total in three of his seven games this season and has just five total touchdowns. They will need him to be elusive in this game if they want a chance to win.

Going on the road can be difficult in the NFL but there really isn't any home-field advantage for the Chargers. I think the Ravens can win this game by at least a field goal, and the line right now is -3.5. Are they getting into a shootout though, or will this be a defensive battle? I think it will probably be closer to a shootout. If the Chargers get rolling, the Ravens will play faster and have the ability to put points on the board. I like the over 47 in this game and lean toward the Ravens covering a -3 if you want to buy the point. Take the over.

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