PLAYER NOTES
–TE Nick Boyle (concussion) was back at practice Wednesday after missing the previous day. Boyle suffered the injury in the fourth quarter in Week 15 against the Falcons and he did not return. It’s unclear if Boyle will be cleared from concussion protocol in time for Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
–LB Matthew Judon (knee) was able to practice Wednesday after being held out the previous day. He suffered the injury in his left knee in Week 15 against the Falcons. His status for Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers is uncertain.
–LB/DB Anthony Levine (toe/ankle) was able to play in Week 15 against the Falcons. However, he was held out of practice Tuesday and restricted to running on the side the following day. Levine has been dealing with the injury for three weeks but has not missed a game.
–LG Alex Lewis (shoulder) was limited in practice this week. He missed his second straight game in Week 15 against the Falcons. As a result, Bradley Bozeman, a rookie sixth-round pick from Alabama, got the start at left guard. Lewis has struggled with injury over his three-year career.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: TE Maxx Williams. The former second-round pick in 2015 was an afterthought earlier in the season. However, he has performed much better as a blocker and has seen his playing time increase. Williams caught a touchdown pass Dec. 9 against the Chiefs. He could have a bigger role this week if fellow tight end Nick Boyle (concussion) cannot play.
GAME PLAN: Lamar Jackson has successfully executed the run-pass option and the Ravens have 1,183 yards rushing over the past five games. The rookie quarterback has run for 431 of those yards. The Ravens showed their grinding, ball-control offense can work against high-powered offensive teams, such as Kansas City and Tampa Bay. Baltimore will look to set the tone by running the ball once again against the Chargers to keep their sixth-ranked offense off the field. Baltimore will face a potentially explosive offense for the third straight game. The Chargers average 392 yards and 28.2 points per game. Los Angeles also is balanced in its ability to run and throw the ball, in addition to being adept at protecting the ball (plus-3 turnover ratio). The Ravens overtook Buffalo as the league’s No. 1 overall defense with a 20-12 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. However, this matchup in Los Angeles will be another challenge.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Ravens secondary vs. Chargers QB Philip Rivers. Baltimore did an effective job shutting down Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston in Week 15, but Patrick Mahomes was able to deliver big plays for Kansas City the prior week. Rivers is ranked seventh in the NFL with 3,951 passing yards with 31 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey is having one of his finest seasons, but the secondary has struggled to force turnovers this season. Baltimore cannot afford to fall too far behind early in the game. Chargers WR Keenan Allen (hip) did not practice Tuesday.
–Ravens QB Lamar Jackson vs. Chargers DE Melvin Ingram. Jackson has revitalized the Ravens running attack, which is ranked second behind the Seahawks. The Ravens also lean heavily on fellow rookie RB Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon to wear down opposing defenses. Ingram leads the Chargers pass rush, which has managed 34 sacks. Los Angeles will need to contain Jackson or the Ravens will dominate time of possession and put themselves in position for the upset.
