By DaVince “Dino” Wright
The AFC North and West at a Glance
The story of the game is all about the Harbaugh brothers. John is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens while his older brother Jim is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. The brothers met in the Super Bowl a few years ago. This week’s brotherly match up will be huge for both organizations. Both teams sit in second place in their respected divisions. Baltimore in the AFC North is right behind the Pittsburgh Steelers while the Chargers sit behind the division AFC West leader Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams should make the playoffs this season.
Injury Report
The Injury Report will play a huge part in this game. From week-to-week key players get hurt with minor injuries like sprained knees and ankles. Some players are out for weeks, and some are listed as doubtful, questionable or out for the season. The Ravens have 4 listed as questionable for this game: CB Arthur Maulet, LB Roquan Smith, S Eddie Jackson and S Sanoussi Kane. The Chargers have 3 players listed: LB Khalil Mack, LB Denzel Parryman and CB Cam Hart.
Game Info
Baltimore Ravens vs Los Angeles Chargers
Monday – November 25 – 7:15 p.m.
TV: ESPN/ABC
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA
Baltimore Ravens (7-4, 3-3 Away)
The Ravens are pretty much hit and miss right now. In their last 5 games the Ravens are 3-2 with losses to Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Both were very winnable games. Quarterback Lamar Jackson will need to get back to the basics of balancing his pass/run ratio to keep defenses off balance. Running back Derrick Henry will be the x-factor for the Ravens offense. He will need to carry the ball at least 15 times to eat the clock up. Keep an eye on the Ravens defense! Players to watch: WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey, TE Mark Andrew and PK Justin Tucker.
Los Angeles Chargers (7-3, 4-1 Home)
The Chargers have been beating teams lacking in serious talent this season. Right now, the Chargers are on a 4-game winning streak with wins over New Orleans, Cleveland, Tennessee and Cincinnati. Quarterback Justin Herbert has 2186 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and 1 interception. He will be the key for the Chargers at home this week. The defense will need to control the line of scrimmage and stop the running game of the Ravens in order to get a win. Players to watch: RB J.K. Dobbins, WR Ladd McConkey, LB Daiyan Henly and CB Elijah Molden.
Prediction
ESPN has the Ravens with 60.4% chance of winning on the road. This will be a competitive game from start to finish. The over/under is 50.5, so take the over. I’m taking the Ravens by 7!
Final Score
Ravens – 31
Chargers – 24
