Get to know Panthers’ Week 11 opponent: Stopping Ravens’ Lamar Jackson a top priority
With a few extra days of rest, the Carolina Panthers (3-7) will look to upset the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) in Week 11 on the road on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Panthers are coming off a 25-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football in Week 10. The Ravens are coming off their bye week.
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5) pulling away a bit in the NFC South division race, the Panthers will try to catch up with an improbable victory under the guidance of interim head coach Steve Wilks.
Here are five things to know about the Panthers’ Week 11 opponents — the Ravens — entering their matchup:
It all starts and ends with Lamar Jackson
There are dual-threat quarterbacks, and then there’s Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens QB is one of the most dynamic players to ever play the position and his passing ability is drastically underrated by those who have dismissed him as a run-first signal caller. Jackson, despite coming off a bye, ranks seventh in the league with 16 passing touchdowns. He ranks second among quarterbacks — behind only Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields — with 635 rushing yards and five runs of 20 or more yards.
Jackson isn’t just a big-play threat. He ranks eighth among all players with 37 first downs on the run. He also protects the ball well on the run, as he has just one fumble on the season.
Jackson, a former MVP, can hurt the Panthers in several ways, so the defense will need to play disciplined football. The Panthers will need to set the edge and keep Jackson in the pocket.
Playing man coverage could hurt the Panthers, as Jackson could take advantage of defenders having their backs turned to him. Wilks will need to find a way to keep Jackson in front of his defenders on Sunday.
Mark Andrews is a pass-catching monster
Jackson’s top weapon on offense is tight end Mark Andrews. The pair has connected for 42 completions for 488 yards and 5 touchdowns this season.
Andrews is behind only Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in touchdowns at the position. Andrews ranks fourth among all tight ends in yardage and receptions.
The Panthers will need to decide how they want to mitigate Andrews’ effectiveness on Sunday. Wilks and defensive coordinator Al Holcomb could put a safety like Xavier Woods on him. Or, the Panthers could choose to play more zone to share the task or double team the tight end.
Andrews has been targeted 64 times in eight games. So, Andrews is being thrown to around eight times to per game and hauling in four or five catches per game. The Panthers need to focus on taking Andrews away from Jackson, even if that means giving up some plays outside of the numbers.
D’Onta Foreman might have a bad time
The Ravens have the third-best run defense in the league. They’ve given up just 828 rushing yards this season, which averages out to just 92 rushing yards per game. For a frame of reference, Panthers breakout running back D’Onta Foreman has averaged 97.3 rushing yards per game by himself over the past four weeks.
The Ravens have a particularly effective front seven, especially after acquiring linebacker Roquan Smith from the Bears ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Defensive end Calais Campbell uses his huge frame (6-8, 307 lbs.) to set the edge, and runners have a tough time escaping his grasp.
The Panthers have been a run-first squad with PJ Walker at quarterback, but a high ankle sprain has shelved him for this week. Baker Mayfield, making his first start since Week 5, will need to air it out against the Baltimore defense.
Ravens are very good at forcing turnovers
The Ravens defense ranks third in the league with a turnover ratio of plus-7.
The Ravens have averaged an interception per game this season, and they’ve also recovered seven fumbles during the first nine games of the year. With Jackson protecting the ball on offense, the Ravens have repeatedly stolen possessions from their opponents, ranking sixth in the league with 16 takeaways.
Mayfield, who produced four interceptions in the first five games of the year, will need to protect the ball in the air. He will also need to be aware of potential strip-sack pitfalls as well.
Special teams will be a major factor
The Ravens lead the league with a kickoff return average of 29.3 yards per attempt. They also ranked second in the league with 15.1 yards per punt return.
Wideout Devin Duvernay is a weapon in the return game, and the Panthers will need to cover well on kickoffs and punt returns. In Week 2, Duvernay returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.
Along with Duvernay’s prowess as a returner, the Ravens have the best kicker in the league. Justin Tucker, an All-Pro in every sense of the term, has made 18-of-20 field goal attempts this season. His only two misses have come from beyond 50 yards, where he is 5-of-7 on the season.
The Panthers really need to control the field position battle, as Tucker’s kicking range is legendary.
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
