Lamar Jackson, Ravens brace for challenge from upstart Broncos

The Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos are in position to reach the postseason with a strong finish to the second half of the season.

The Ravens and Broncos are both 5-3 and in second place in the AFC North and AFC West, respectively. The teams will test their mettle against each other on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.

The Ravens are led by two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is playing at the highest level of his career.

“He’s playing great and we’ve got a lot of football in front of us here,” Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said of Jackson, who was at practice before halftime on Wednesday. “We have a game, a quick game, and a big game coming up. So it was justified.”

Rookie Bo Nix has given the Broncos hope for the future and led them to back-to-back wins. Nix has thrown for 1,530 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He could find success against the Ravens’ pass defense, which ranks last in the NFL in allowing 291.4 yards per game.

“For a rookie quarterback, I think these are all steps,” Denver coach Sean Payton said of Nix. “Confidence is increasing. We’ve seen it. The key is – and I’ve said it – the key is around him. Are we good enough in these other positions around him? That’s what we’re constantly looking at (at) need to paint the picture, and if we do that, we will be successful.”

The Ravens secondary isn’t doing itself any favors either.

Last week, safety Kyle Hamilton chatted up an easy interception that could have sealed the win against Cleveland. On the next play, Jameis Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Tillman to help the Browns to a 29–24 victory. Safety Eddie Jackson, who also dropped two would-be interceptions in the game, was badly beaten on the touchdown.

Courtland Sutton leads Denver with 29 receptions for 377 yards with two touchdowns.

“We’re going to make those plays, we’re going to work hard at it, and we’re going to continue to work harder at it because it’s something we want our guys to be confident in,” Harbaugh said. “We have guys with good hands; they can catch the ball. I’m confident we’ll do it in the future, but I’d like to see it happen very soon.”

The Ravens allow just 69.9 yards rushing per game, a high in the NFL. However, they are dealing with several significant injuries.

Defensive end Brent Urban had to leave the game against the Browns with a concussion. Defensive tackle Travis Jones was able to play despite an ankle injury, but he was limited to 15 snaps and did not practice Wednesday. Nose tackle Michael Pierce was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury and will miss at least the next four games.

The Broncos’ rushing game could pose a challenge. Denver is averaging 121.4 yards rushing per game, led by the duo of Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin.

“Stopping the run of this game is going to be really important — it’s going to be huge,” Harbaugh said. “(The Broncos are) a running team, and they run it very well, and they run it a lot, so it will be a big part of the game plan.”

Much of the Ravens’ success revolved around Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. Baltimore leads the league in total offense (452.1 yards per game) and rushing offense (200 ypg). The Ravens also rank second in average points per game (30.3).

Jackson is having another MVP-caliber season, throwing for 2,099 yards with 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He is also second on the team with 501 yards rushing.

Henry leads the NFL with 946 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He also has two scoring receptions. The Broncos defense has been stout, ranking third in yards (282.6 yards per game) and points (15 points per game).

“This is by far our toughest challenge,” Payton said of the Ravens.

Broncos safety P.J. Locke (thumb) and offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) did not practice Wednesday.