–The Ravens have gotten away from the running game over the last few weeks.
That could change against the Denver Broncos.
Head coach John Harbaugh said the team is committed to getting the rushing attack revved up. Right now, the Ravens are ranked 30th in the NFL, averaging 3.3 yards per carry.
“We just have to get the running game going,” Harbaugh said. “We need to pop some runs. That’s the biggest issue. When you hit some long runs, that average goes to where you want it to be. We’ve had some steadiness with it. I don’t think we’ve been hit in the backfield too many times, but we’ve had a few pretty solid runs.”
Starter Alex Collins had a breakout season in 2017, but has been held to 48 yards on 16 carries. Denver is ranked sixth against the run and will be a formidable challenge.
–Kickers around the NFL have struggled over the last two weeks.
This makes the Ravens appreciate Justin Tucker, who is one of the most accurate kickers in the history of the league.
“You know, you never take it for granted that the kick is going to get made, because I know how hard it is,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “It reminds you of how hard it is to make field goals, right? In Baltimore, we don’t ever take those three guys for granted. They’re a team. They’ll be the first to tell you that they have to make the next kick. So, they work really hard to do that. But, ‘yes’ is the answer to your question.”
Tucker has made all three of his field-goal attempts, with his longest coming from 55 yards.
–The Ravens will be relying heavily on rookie linebacker Kenny Young to help fill the void while C.J. Mosley is out with a bruised knee. Young battled Patrick Onwuasor for the starting role next to Mosley and eventually outplayed him.
“Kenny continues to get better. He’s doing a great job,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We’re really happy with him. I wouldn’t say he’s a finished project — nobody is ever a finished project — but he has a lot to learn.”
Young is second on the team with 12 tackles and a sack.
BY THE NUMBERS: 9 – The number of times the Ravens have scored a touchdown when inside the red zone in as many attempts this season, which ranks first in the NFL. The Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs (6-of-6) are the only NFL teams to remain perfect scoring touchdowns when inside the 20. “What I’m seeing is good players,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “I think we have guys making plays, and we ran the ball in a few times, and that’s big to our running backs and our offensive line. But man, you don’t want to start patting yourself on the back.”
