The Baltimore Ravens routinely put defenses in a bind. Running back Derrick Henry leads the league in rushing yards and rushing scores. He is second in yards per carry. The only man he trails in that category is… his teammate, Lamar Jackson.
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Jackson and Henry have Baltimore scoring the NFL’s second-most points per game (30.4). They’ll represent the toughest challenge the Los Angeles Chargers have faced this season when they meet on Monday Night Football in Week 12.
When speaking with reporters ahead of the matchup, safety Derwin James highlighted that opposing teams need the entire defense operating in unison to successfully stop the Ravens’ dynamic duo.
“You need every man. It’s no 10-on-11, it’s you need all 11-on-11 at all times. [Lamar] can create plays, extend plays. We just gotta be there to take that away from them.”
Quarterback Lamar Jackson is second in the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He is first in touchdown percentage and passer rating.
Los Angeles defense has been the NFL’s stingiest in points per game allowed (14.5) in 2024. The Cincinnati Bengals are the only team to post more than 20 points against the Chargers this year.
The scheme battle between Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will be one of the most intense on the NFL’s entire calendar.
James gushes about Jackson’s run game
The Chargers have matched up against their fair share of quarterbacks with scrambling prowess. The dual-threat abilities of Kyler Murray, Justin Fields, and others presented unique challenges for Los Angeles.
However, according to James, none of the signal-callers his defense has played compare to Jackson in that respect.
“Come on man, that’s Lamar Jackson. Unanimous MVP… they don’t run like him, they’re not able to evade like him. So we’ve gotta be able to know where [his] receivers are at at all times, and get him down when he does want to take off.”
James said he “learned a lot” on how to defend Jackson when the Ravens and Chargers met in primetime last season. Oddly enough, that contest came on the same day – Nov. 26 – this year’s battle occurs.
Baltimore won that road affair 20-10, giving them a four-game regular-season winning streak over San Diego/Los Angeles that dates back to 2015.
This Ravens-Chargers primetime showdown has enhanced stakes. Baltimore and Los Angeles are currently the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds in the AFC playoff picture.
Whoever wins will hold the potential tiebreaker for seeding or making the playoffs altogether come Week 18. Bragging rights for sibling head coaches John and Jim Harbaugh are also on the line, adding another layer of intensity.
Baltimore is a 2.5-point road favorite over Los Angeles, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
