Gästearea / Bannertausch » Broncos @ Ravens: 5 Key Matchups

The Ravens roller coaster 2018 season will continue when the undefeated Broncos travel to Baltimore in Week 3. It will be Denver’s first road test following comeback wins over Seattle and Oakland. This early season contest could eventually have AFC postseason implications.
The Broncos have won both meetings since the Ravens epic 2012 divisional round marathon victory and lead the all-time series 7-6. Denver is 1-5 as a medium sized underdog and 5-11 on the road since 2016. Over the same span Womens Marlon Humphrey Jersey , Baltimore is 7-3 as a medium sized favorite and 12-5 at home. Both teams have fared well early in the season recently with a combined 13-3 September record.After a letdown in Week 2, and coming off a mini-bye, this is an important home game for the Ravens. Despite being forced to play shorthanded due to several impactful injuries, Baltimore can right the ship by prevailing in these five key matchups:RT James Hurst vs OLB Von Miller The Ravens could possibly reconfigure their line before the game. However, blocking Von Miller would be an arduous task for rookie tackle Orlando Brown. The much maligned Hurst was arguably Baltimore’s best lineman against Cincinnati. After allowing a handful of pressures to Carlos Dunlap, Hurst’s assignment will not be any easier this week. The perennial All-Pro Miller has not shown any signs of slowing down, he has already notched four sacks and a pair of forced fumbles in 2018. With Bradley Chubb and Shaq Barrett rushing off the opposite edge, the Ravens must give both of their tackles plenty of help in order to give Joe Flacco a chance to push the ball downfield.CB Tavon Young vs WR Emmanuel Sanders In his second game back from a torn ACL, Young predictably struggled to cover A.J. Green in the red zone last week. More concerning were his difficulties marking Tyler Boyd. However, with Jimmy Smith still suspended and Maurice Canady injured, Tavon is probably still the best option to man the slot.Sanders could do some damage against the the Ravens defense. The emergence of rookie Courtland Sutton across from Demaryius Thomas has allowed the veteran to find mismatches on the interior. Through the first two weeks of the season, Manny has amassed 231 yards and a score on 14 receptions.RB Alex Collins vs ILB Todd DavisDue mostly to game script http://www.ravensfootballauthentics.com/patrick-onwuasor-jersey-authentic , Collins has received only 16 rushing attempts this season. Fortunately, he has improved as a receiver, averaging over 15-yards per catch in 2018. Alex’s extraordinary tackle breaking ability will challenge Denver at the second level.Late blooming linebacker Todd Davis currently leads Denver in tackles and was recently promoted to defensive captain. Better against the run than the pass, Baltimore can find success in the short passing game by isolating Collins and Buck Allen on Davis. If coordinator Mornhinweg is able to keep the Broncos off-balance with his playcalling, this matchup favors the Ravens.ILB Kenny Young vs RB Phillip LindsayKenny Young finally saw extensive playing time with the starters after C.J. Mosley was sidelined last Thursday. The rookie did not disappoint, racking up seven tackles, one tackle for a loss, a quarterback hit and contested several passes in coverage. With Eric Weddle expected to relay the play calls, coordinator Martindale should use Young as the Ravens three-down ‘backer against Denver.Undrafted rookie Lindsay has stolen the spotlight from fellow rookie Royce Freeman. He has eclipsed 100 all-purpose yards in each of his first two games and is a dynamic playmaker both on the ground and after the catch. Assuming the Ravens can force the Broncos into passing situations, Lindsay will be featured, but Young’s speed gives Baltimore the means to counteract the scatback.WR Willie Snead vs CB Chris Harris Snead followed up his impressive debut by hauling in five of eight targets for 54 yards against Cincinnati’s rugged defense. If the Broncos roll coverage to Baltimore’s top playmaker John Brown, Snead will be heavily relied upon. His ability to create quick separation and maximize yards after the catch will be crucial against Denver’s top-5 pass rush.Harris has earned a reputation as perhaps the best slot corner in the game today. The multi-time Pro Bowler brings the skills to limit most slot receivers. Most of Amari Cooper’s 10 catches for 116 yards last week came against Adam Jones and Tramaine Brock Womens Mark Andrews Jersey , but Harris did allow a 20-yard touchdown reception to Seth Roberts. The battle in the slot will loom large on third down.Baltimore Beatdown Picks: Week 2 [Ravens fans: Sign up for FanPulse, 3 poll questions every week]Every week, the Baltimore Beatdown staff will make selections for each game, competing to see who can correctly predict that most match ups. Have opinion on what teams will find success in Week 2? Vote in the polls at the bottom of the page. Current standings: Kyle B.: 11-4Frank: 10-5Jake and Sage: 9-6Dustin, Kyle A., Logan, Vasilis and Baltimore Beatdown readers: 8-7Zach: 5-10An analysis of the Baltimore Beatdown staff picksConsensus winnersChargers over the Bills (LAC -7.5)Saints defeat the Browns (NO -8.5)Rams beat the Cardinals (LAR -13.0)In a league characterized by parity, it is no surprise that few teams are favored across the board. With Buffalo embarrassed in Week 1 by Baltimore, the Chargers are heavy favorites, despite the difficulty west coast teams often experience with 1:00 pm EST kick off times. While the Browns did not lose in their season opener, they also did not secure a victory. Baltimore Beatdown anticipates that Drew Brees and company will rebound from the shocking offensive display put on by the Buccaneers, leaving Cleveland still searching for their first W since the 2016 season. Even with the return of star running back David Johnson C.J. Mosley Jersey , Arizona was abysmal in Sam Bradford’s debut as a Cardinal, which is reflected in line for the Rams.‘Lone wolf’ picksFrank is the only contributor to pick the Lions to beat the 49ers. (SF -6.0)Just Dustin believes the Raiders will win against the Broncos. (DEN -6.0)The Beatdown staff is not sounding any alarms on Jimmy Garoppolo just yet, with only Frank choosing against San Francisco to beat a Lions team that was booed by their home crowd in a Monday Night Football loss to the Jets in Week 1. The Raiders, who also dropped their Monday night contest, are predicted to still have issues generating pressure against quarterback Case Keenum without the services of Khalil Mack. Who remains undefeated?Six out of 9 writers think the Ravens will improve to 2-0, knocking off the Bengals to take an early lead in the AFC North. (CIN -1.0)The majority of the Beatdown staff thinks the Redskins will defeat the Colts, even though Andrew Luck completed 73.6 percent of his passes in a Week 1 loss to Cincinnati. (WSH -6.0)Seven out of 9 staffers favor the Super Bowl champion Eagles to take down Tampa Bay, despite the fact that a struggling Nick Foles will be starting since Carson Wentz is still not cleared for contact. (PHI -3.5)The Vikings have the edge over the Packers, given Aaron Rodgers knee injury and Minnesota’s strong defense headlined by Xavier Rhodes. (GB -1.0)Over 77 percent of the staff thinks Sam Darnold will win his second start as Jet and that Ryan Tannehill will fall to 1-1 in his comeback campaign from an ACL injury. (NYJ -3.0)100 percent of Baltimore Beatdown believes the Rams defeat the Cardinals in Week 2. (LAR -13.0)Five of 9 writers think New England wins in Jacksonville. This match up is more of a toss up with the uncertainty at the wide receiver position for the Patriots and the elite play of the Jaguars defense. (NE -1.0)Over 88 percent of the staff feels Denver will leave Jon Gruden at 0-2 in his return to coaching. (DEN -6.0)All writers’ picks can be found in the table below.NFL Week 2 PicksGamesDustinFrankJakeKyle A.Kyle B. LoganSageVasilisZachBB ReadersGamesDustinFrankJakeKyle A.Kyle B. LoganSageVasilisZachBB ReadersCast your votes for every game below!