Offensive coordinator Greg Roman called it “a straight-to-DVD performance” with the Ravens having well over a week to stew over their 22-10 loss to Miami in Week 10.
Despite maintaining a top-10 profile overall, the Baltimore offense continues to be hurt up by slow starts, struggles on third down, and — most recently — difficulty against the blitz as the Dolphins befuddled the Ravens with cover 0 blitzes and simulated pressures. No quarterback was blitzed more than Lamar Jackson through the first 10 weeks of the season, and the Chicago Bears and remaining 2021 opponents were sure to take notice of what the Dolphins did. It’ll be up to the Ravens to adjust, protect their quarterback, and make teams pay for trying to be that aggressive.
Head coach John Harbaugh, Roman, and Jackson all expressed confidence in doing exactly that ahead of Sunday’s meeting with the Bears.
“We have great ideas against it. Schematically, there is nobody who has better ideas against anything than we do,” Harbaugh said. “Certainly, Cover 0, we have some great answers for it that are going to give people a lot of problems. We just have to welcome the next time [opponents] run it. We have to do everything in our power to be prepared for it in terms of being ready to execute against it, communicate against it, and make big plays against it.
“Live by the sword, die by the sword.”
It’s time to go on the record as these teams meet for just the seventh time and the Ravens seek their first win in four trips to Soldier Field. The Bears lead the all-time series by a 4-2 margin and have won three of the last four meetings dating back to 2005.
Below are five predictions for Sunday:
1. Nick Boyle will catch a touchdown in his first game in over a year. Monday marked exactly one year since the veteran tight end sustained a serious left knee injury in New England that required multiple surgeries, but Boyle has now been practicing for a month and was a full participant this week, signs that he’s primed to make his season debut against the Bears. His blocking ability would offer a major boost to a running game trying to be more consistent and less reliant on Jackson’s legs down the stretch. Boyle probably isn’t ready for a full workload, but the Ravens will still look to get the highly respected 28-year-old a target in the end zone.
2. Justin Fields will throw for two touchdowns of 15-plus yards. The Jekyll and Hyde routine continued for the Ravens last week with an underwhelming Dolphins offense connecting on three passes of 35 or more yards that led to 13 points, spoiling an otherwise strong defensive performance. Chicago ranks dead last in passing yards per game and 29th in passing efficiency, but the rookie Fields is showing growth and completed six passes of 20 or more yards at Pittsburgh two weeks ago, reflecting an average depth of target that’s right behind Jackson’s league-leading mark. There’s also the health of starting cornerback Anthony Averett, who is questionable after missing Friday’s practice with a thigh injury. Veteran defensive backs Tavon Young (foot) and Jimmy Smith (hip/neck) are also questionable.
3. The Baltimore defense will match season highs with five sacks and two takeaways. While health and inconsistency in the secondary are obvious concerns, Fields has had his own challenges against the blitz and the Bears have been sacked more than any team in the NFL. That should be an easy invitation for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale to throw the kitchen sink against a rookie quarterback who also has the ability to beat you with his legs. The Ravens must be disciplined with their pressures for that reason, but Fields has been sacked three or more times and thrown at least one interception in four straight games. If the Ravens can’t consistently get to the quarterback and force turnovers this week, when will they?
4. Lamar Jackson will throw for a touchdown and run for another — against Cover 0 blitzes. According to Pro Football Reference, the Bears have blitzed just 16.2% of the time this season, which is the second lowest rate in the NFL. However, Chicago placed superstar edge rusher Khalil Mack on season-ending injured reserve and ruled out defensive tackle Akiem Hicks on Friday. The key to slowing Jackson and the Ravens offense is to be aggressive and break tendencies to offer some looks they’re not anticipating, something the Bears will likely try to do. However, the Ravens will be better prepared for such aggressive blitzing this time around, knowing they cannot allow the Dolphins’ strategy to become the consistent recipe to beat them.
5. The Ravens will overcome another sluggish start to win 24-17. Jackson and Marquise Brown — the latter was downgraded to out on Saturday afternoon — missing multiple practices this week is a real concern, especially for an offense coming off its worst performance of the year and averaging just 3.0 points in the opening quarter this season. The loss in Miami makes it even more difficult to know what to expect from a team that’s now produced clunkers in two of its last three games, but I still have a difficult time believing a Harbaugh-coached team will again show up looking as toothless as it did in Week 10. Thirteen players being listed on Friday’s injury report is problematic facing a team coming off its bye week, but the Bears are also missing some key players for Sunday’s game. There’s also the reality of Chicago facing Jackson for the first time with the star quarterback owning a 25-2 record when starting against a team for the first time. That’ll prove to be the difference in a game the Ravens need to win more for their psyche than their current position in the standings. Fields will flash the potential that should have Bears fans excited after so many years of subpar quarterback play, but the Ravens have too much of an advantage at quarterback and in the coaching department for this one.
