The Rams will face their toughest test of the season on Monday night when they take on the Baltimore Ravens at the Coliseum. Los Angeles needs a win to keep pace in the NFC playoff race, while Baltimore is trying to move closer to securing an AFC North crown.
This is a rare matchup between these two teams, but it’s sure to be an exciting one. There are ties all over the place, with Marcus Peters being traded by the Rams to the Ravens this year, Eric Weddle facing his former team, and Kenny Young playing against the team that traded him last month.
Here are five things to know for Monday’s showdown in Los Angeles.
Both defenses dominating since Ramsey, Peters trades
The Rams sent Marcus Peters to the Ravens before the trade deadline, acquiring Jalen Ramsey later on that day. They were both stunning moves, but the Rams and Ravens have each benefitted from the trades. Since Peters and Ramsey made their debuts in Week 7, the Rams and Ravens have elevated their play on defense significantly.
The Rams are first in points allowed (44) in their last four games, while the Ravens are second (56). The Rams’ point differential in that span is only plus-46, and Baltimore’s is plus-101 – 47 points better than the next-closest team.
The Ravens have allowed a passer rating of just 69.6 in their last four games, second-best in the NFL, and the Rams are seventh at 78.9.
Ravens hold all-time series lead vs. Rams
The Rams and Ravens don’t have much of a history with each other, given how new the Ravens are to the NFL and the fact that they’re in different conferences. However, they have squared off six times. The Ravens hold a slight edge, going 4-2 against the Rams.
They’ve scored 144 points in those six games compared to 114 by the Rams. Their last meeting came in 2015 when the Ravens beat the St. Louis Rams 16-13; Baltimore has won three straight against the Rams.
They’ve been relatively low-scoring games in the past with the most combined points in a game being 37, but Monday night’s matchup should come with more scoring.
Lamar Jackson has more rushing yards than Todd Gurley
Jackson has been outstanding this season, ranking 10th in the league in rushing and fourth with 19 touchdown passes. He’s rushed for 788 yards on just 115 attempts, which works out to 6.9 yards per carry.
Gurley has had a down year in 2019, gaining 525 yards on 129 carries with seven touchdowns. Jackson has more yards on the ground than Gurley has from scrimmage (642), which is hard to fathom considering Gurley led the NFL in total yards from 2017-18.
Baltimore’s second-leading rusher, Mark Ingram, has 667 yards on the ground, too, which is more than Gurley has from scrimmage. So yeah, Baltimore is a powerhouse when it comes to running the ball.
Ravens defense has had trouble vs. WRs
As good as the Ravens defense has been in recent weeks, they’ve struggled against wide receivers this season. According to Inside Edge, Baltimore has allowed 178.6 yards per game to wide receivers, which is the sixth-highest mark in the NFL. Their 13.9 receptions per game allowed to wide receivers is also the sixth-most in the NFL.
After the catch, Baltimore has had trouble wrapping up wideouts. The Ravens give up 4.7 yards after catch per reception this season, tied for seventh-most in the league. That should give way to a strong performance by Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks, as well as Robert Woods, if he returns.
Ravens are on pace for fewest punts in NFL history
The Ravens’ Sam Koch has only punted the ball 21 times this season. They’re on pace for just 33.6 punts, which would be the fewest in the NFL. Right now, the current low for a 16-game season is 34 by the Houston Oilers in 1990. The next-lowest total was 42 by the 49ers in 1993.
Not only are the Ravens efficient and excellent on third down, but they’re also aggressive when they don’t pick up the first. They’ve gone for it on fourth down 14 times, converting 10 of those times. That’s tied for the most fourth-down conversions in the NFL.
JoJo Natson shouldn’t expect much work in this one, given the way Baltimore’s offense has played this season. The Ravens rank first in average drive time, plays per drive and points per possession. They’re second in yards per drive, too.
