The Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of their toughest stretch of the year. This week, they find themselves heading on the road to face the Carolina Panthers. After an incredibly disheartening loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Ravens look to get back on track against another NFC South team. The Panthers are no slouch, as they actually have a better record currently than the Ravens. Baltimore will look to change that this week. Let’s dive in and look at some of the important factors in this week’s game.
Important Areas in the Baltimore Ravens Week Eight Matchup
Ravens Need to Contain the Dinosaur
In case you missed it earlier this week, Cam Newton is a dinosaur. Well, at least according to Ravens safety Eric Weddle. In an article by Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley on ESPN, He quoted Eric Weddle as saying “He’s a fast dinosaur, muscular and big and runs people over…. He’s a very unique quarterback in this league. He’s the only one really like him.”
What Weddle said is true. Newton is unlike almost any other quarterback, well ever, to play in the NFL. When you mix the size, strength, and speed of Cam, it’s not something that is seen that often. In order to contain the Panthers this week, the Ravens need to contain the dinosaur. The biggest difference in Cam’s game this year has been his passing accuracy.
For the first time in his career, Newton has put up six straight games at or above 60 percent. His previous record was four games, which he has done three times. This is also the first time in Cam’s career that he has had five straight games with at least two passing touchdowns. For the Ravens to win this game, they are going to need to stop one, if not both of these streaks. With the way the defense has been playing all year, this is easily the match-up to watch for this week.
Take Some Pressure Off Flacco
The Ravens desperately need to get their running game going this week. It’s going to be very difficult against a Panthers team that is ninth in yards per game given up to running backs. The Ravens actually have the ninth fewest yards per game on the ground. For the Ravens to succeed, they are going to need to obtain some level of success on the ground.
If they are unable to, it is going to make things very difficult for Joe Flacco. The Panthers could look to take advantage of what the Titans did not a couple weeks ago and blitz Flacco on third down. Joe is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league statistically when blitzed on third down. If the ground game can get going just a little bit, it should open up windows for Flacco and the rest of the offense through the air.
Let’s Get Exotic
Newton can be prone to making mistakes and has six turnovers through six games. Don “Wink” Martindale will be dialing up all sorts of exotic looks and blitzes to try and keep him on his toes. This isn’t to say that this week will turn into a repeat of the Tennessee Titans game, as Newton is too good for that to happen. What the Ravens can do is bring a bunch of different looks, making it hard for Newton to get a feel for the game.
A lot of quarterbacks look for their running backs as a safety valve when they get pressured. Fortunately for the Ravens, they are one of the better teams in the NFL at defending running backs on passes. They rank in the top five at stopping them. If they can stay exotic and get Cam to check down to Christian McCaffrey, things should turn out well for the Ravens.
The Last Word
Most of the match-up for this week centers around Newton. The Ravens run defense has been strong all season, and should be able to keep McCaffrey in check. Keep an eye on how the team manages Cam all game. The Ravens need to contain the dinosaur, and if they do, they will find themselves sitting at 5-3.
