Last Sunday, the Ravens’ disastrous season started to reach a new level as they were beaten by the Houston Texans by 34 points. The Ravens scored just 10 points and allowed 44, tying the record for home points under John Harbaugh. Baltimore’s injured roster was no match for the Texans, and they were outmatched from the start on both sides.
The Ravens’ chances of winning this week are not much better, even though they may be able to return some players who were injured. Los Angeles Rams will be in town. While they are fresh off of a disappointing loss last week, Rams boast an elite offensive group and one of the best coaches in the league.
Matthew Stafford, the Rams quarterback, is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. Puka Nucua was the leading wide receiver in the NFL after five weeks. The Ravens won’t be able to stop the Rams offensive machine with Davante Williams and Kyra Williams in the mix. Baltimore has allowed more than 38 points in every game but one so far.
The Ravens also want to find some rhythm and consistency offensively without Lamar Jackson at the helm. Cooper Rush was unable to perform against the Texans, and the Ravens may opt to use Tyler Huntley in the event Jackson is again sidelined due his hamstring injury. The Ravens’ chances of pulling off an upset in Week Six rest on their ability to win the run game and force turnovers. Their defense hasn’t done this since last year.
The Steelers have the best form of any team within the division after their bye-week. The Steelers, while not particularly convincing, are still two games above.500 following back-to-back wins before Week 5. The Steelers’ defense has improved in the last two games and is now forcing more turnovers.
Pittsburgh will try to play more complementary football against the Browns on Sunday. This is their first divisional match of the season. The Browns have enjoyed some success in recent years against the Steelers. They won five out of 10 matches, including one postseason matchup.
The Steelers will have a tough task to accomplish, even though the Browns only have one win this year. Their strong defense and defensive front in general, as well as their overall stoutness on defense will make it difficult for them. Pittsburgh’s defense, which is improving in its own right, should be able hold up against a rookie QB in his second career game.
The Steelers should benefit from the return of Jaylen Warren, their starting running back. The Steelers struggled with running the ball, despite Warren being the leading workload for the past four weeks. Last week, however, the backup Kenneth Gainwell ran for 99 yards with two touchdowns on 13 carries.
Browns, the team mentioned above, will be on the opposite side of this weekend’s divisional matchup. They are looking for their second win of the season. Last week, the Browns fell just four points short of the Minnesota Vikings in London. They had a lead in the fourth quarter but failed to score.
Gabriel was the focus of attention in his debut career. Gabriel looked competent in a difficult matchup, completing 19 of 33 passes with no turnovers. Quinshon Judkins’s performance (128 yards in 24 touches) and Gabriel’s efforts did not help the Browns surpass the 17-point barrier. Through five games, they have yet to score over 17 points.
Gabriel and his team will try to end this streak in their matchup with the Steelers. Judkins will be given more carries by the Browns to relieve pressure on their rookie QB in his first start away from home. They will have a good chance of being within striking distance in the final minutes of the game if they can rely on Browns defense. Gabriel must play a mistake-free game of football and the Browns need to be able run the ball.
Last week, the Bengals continued their slide with a loss of 13 points at home to the Detroit Lions. Cincinnati’s comeback attempt was in vain. The gap was larger before a few late scores narrowed it. The Bengals are now 3 games down and have been outscored 113-37 since their Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jake Browning, the backup quarterback, struggled once again in Week 5, with a performance that included three interceptions. Browning had been with the Bengals for three weeks, but this performance was clearly the last straw. They made a deal with the Browns earlier this week to get veteran Joe Flacco, a rare interdivisional trade for a QB. Flacco was named as the starter of this week’s game.
Flacco’s own performance this season has been less than stellar, but he could give the Bengals offense more juice. The former Super Bowl MVP, who is 40 years old, still has a powerful arm, but he has a new group of weapons to help him, including Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Bengals’ first game will be against the Green Bay Packers. He beat them in an upset a few weeks back by a score of 13-10.
After a bye-week, the Packers are ready to win at home. They have lost and tied in consecutive games. The Packers’ defense gave up 40 points to the Dallas Cowboys in their last game, revealing cracks which an elite group Bengals pass-catchers could exploit if Joe Flacco is able limit turnovers. Cincinnati is also looking to improve its running game. They hope that the quarterback shakeup will help.