Battle of The Beltway

The “Battle of the Beltway” renews when the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) host the Washington Commanders (4-1) – with each team leading their respective division – in a 1 p.m. showdown from M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens are riding a three-game winning streak, while Washington has secured four straight victories entering this contest.

Coming into Week 6, Washington (31.0) and Baltimore (29.4) rank No. 1-2 in the NFL, respectively, in points per game. The Ravens are led by two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson, who’s been superb both passing (1,206 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT, 107.3 rating) and rushing (363 yards & 2 TDs). Baltimore is also bolstered by RB Derrick Henry, who leads the league in rushing yards (572) and total TDs (7, tied). The Commanders are guided by standout rookie QB Jayden Daniels – the first player in league history with 1,000+ passing yards and 250+ rushing yards through his first five NFL games.

Kickoff Forecast (1PM): Very warm with sunshine and a few clouds; 20% chance of rain; winds SSW at 10 MPH with gusts to 24 MPH.

Betting Line: Ravens favored by 6 ½; over/under at 52

Officiating Crew Chief: Land Clark

On The Call: Jim Nantz (PBP); Tony Romo (analyst); Tracy Wolfson (sideline)

Game Notes

• The Ravens have rushed for 100+ yards in 38 consecutive games, marking the NFL’s longest active streak. The 38 games also tie (1935-39 Lions) for the third-longest streak in NFL history

• In 43 consecutive games the Ravens have recorded at least 1 sack, marking the NFL’s longest active streak (KC is second with 42 games). The 43-game stretch also stands as the longest streak in Ravens franchise history.

• The Ravens are 18-10-1 (.638) all time against NFC East opponents, the best record against that division in the NFL.

• Baltimore’s 18.0 points allowed per game, +5.1 avg. points per game margin and 1.8 turnovers forced per game against NFC East opponents all rank No.1 in the NFL.

• The Ravens have allowed just 15.9 points per game in their seven matchups vs. the Commanders, the best mark in the NFL against Washington.

• The Ravens’ 71-42-1 (.627) all-time record against NFC opponents ranks No. 1 in the NFL.

• Lamar Jackson is 5-1 all time against NFC East opponents, totaling 12 TDs (9 passing, 3 rushing) with a 99.9 passer rating in his matchups vs. the division.

• Head-to-head against Washington the Ravens are 4-3. In Baltimore the teams have split two games while in DC the Ravens hold a 3-2 edge.

Bill Belichick on how he would defend Jayden Daniels with ⁦@PatMcAfeeShow⁩. pic.twitter.com/2lLRnifjO0

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 9, 2024

Tony Lombardi

Upon the release of the NFL schedule, many of us will go through the list of games and forecast the Ravens won/loss record. How many of you had this game against the Commanders down as an easy “Dub”? Inevitably, games that you think might be a walk in the park are not. Some games appear tough, yet they never measure up to challenges we initially expected. These are the ebbs and flows of an NFL schedule.

And this game against the Commanders promises to be a doozy!

• The over/under in this game is 52. These teams will surpass that total by 20 points.

• Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels will combine for 750 all-purpose yards.

• The combined offensive totals will surpass 900 net yards.

• Terry McLaurin has 303 yards receiving coming into this game. He’ll bump that seasonal total to 500 yards by the time the clock hits 4:15PM.

• Mark Andrews is one TD short of tying the Ravens all-time team record for touchdown receptions (40, Todd Heap). He’ll finish the game with 42 career TD’s.

• Marcus Williams will answer his critics (including yours truly) with a game-saving interception late in the 4th quarter to preserve the Ravens 4-point lead.

At 7:15PM EST, the Ravens will have sole possession of first place in the AFC North after the Raiders upset the Steelers.

Ravens 38 Commanders 34

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Tanner George

The Battle of the Beltway is back, and this looks like it’ll be the most exciting game this series has seen in a long, long time.

Rookie phenom Jayden Daniels leads his Commanders up I-95 on the heels of an impressive 4-game winning streak, giving Washington the hottest star they’ve had in a while. The quarterback out of LSU has been nothing short of electric to start his pro career, completing 77% of his passes for over 1,100 yards while adding 300 on the ground. He’s been so good that he’s being mentioned in the MVP conversation, which is simply unbelievable. There’s no denying it: the Commanders found themselves a stud in Daniels.

The burgundy and gold have taken care of business thus far in 2024, but the Ravens look to be their first real test of the season. The Commanders have a pretty weak defense, and that’s far from ideal when you consider how Lamar Jackson has been playing as of late. Derrick Henry and the Baltimore offense should have their way against a Washington front that’s allowing 5.1 yards per carry, third-highest in the league. The King should top 100 yards in this one while adding yet another rushing score, and Justice Hill will again be involved with 50+ all-purpose yards. Lamar Jackson will add 225 yards through the air, including three touchdowns, on 23/30 passing. He’ll also contribute in the ground game, picking up 50 rushing yards. Mark Andrews finally gets back on track after a promising performance in Cincinnati and is on the receiving end of one of those Jackson passing TDs.

Defensively, Zach Orr will look to throw off Daniels’s timing with a lot of simulated pressure and exotic blitz packages. After some early struggles, the Washington offense will respond by attacking the middle of the field, an area that’s been an issue for Baltimore all season. The corners will have a solid bounce-back game against a weaker Commanders receiving corps, leading to multiple PBUs from Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens, but they can’t force any picks. Kyle Van Noy adds another sack to his impressive 2024 campaign, while Roquan Smith forces a fumble after laying a massive hit on Daniels during one of his signature scrambles.

This game is shaping up to be a fun one, and I see the Ravens escaping with a win. Washington will hang around, forcing Baltimore to play four-quarter football, but their holes will prove to be too big to overcome.

Ravens 31 Commanders 27

Kevin McNelis

For the first time in a long time, the Ravens are facing a Washington team that has a serious spark in their game. Jayden Daniels has overshot expectations thus far in his rookie campaign, making a serious case for ROY as the Commanders have rattled off four straight wins. Can the Ravens spoil the party?

-Earlier in the season, Roquan Smith talked about eliminating the run to make opposing offenses one-dimensional. With the added run threat that Daniels represents, it’ll be particularly important, but Brian Robinson has been banged up a couple weeks in a row. It didn’t slow him down much last Sunday as he put up two touchdowns, but this Ravens front has been able to put the clamps to most healthy RBs they’ve seen this season, and I think Robinson has an uphill battle all day. Austin Ekeler makes a few catches out of the backfield, and Daniels leads the Commanders in rushing with a few scrambles, but no Washington rusher logs over 50 yards on the day.

— On the other side, as much as the Ravens would love to continue steamrolling opponents with Derrick Henry, but Baltimore would be wise to take advantage of the Commanders secondary. Washington has surrendered 11 passing touchdowns this season, tied for the most in the league with Carolina. With that in mind, once the Ravens get within the shadow of the goalposts, expect that they’ll go for paydirt. Lamar throws two touchdowns of 25+ yards, one of which goes to Isaiah Likely.

— Unfortunately, Baltimore’s injury report is getting back to looking fairly long, and one concerning addition to the list was Marlon Humphrey. Humphrey was seen in a walking boot as the Ravens left Cincy, and did not practice on Wednesday. Barring a miraculous turnaround, Nate Wiggins may end up being slotted as CB1 to shadow Terry McLaurin, which is going to be a true test. Daniels may try that side of the field early, but I get the sense that they’ll shift away to Olamide Zaccheaus, who’ll lead them in yardage by the end of the day and haul in a touchdown on a busted coverage.

This has the capacity to be a shootout, but between Baltimore’s tendency to best NFC opponents and their recent track record of frustrating rookie QBs that have never faced them before, I still think Baltimore gets the better of the upstart team from down 95.

Ravens 31 Commanders 20

John Hughey

Following an 0-2 start, the Ravens seem to have turned things around picking up wins in their last three games. Sunday’s matchup with the Commanders has all the makings for another electric finish. The Battle of the Beltway will be must watch TV this Sunday. The top two rushing and scoring teams in the league led by two game-changers at QB. Jayden Daniels has Washington sitting atop the NFC East with a shocking 4-1 record. The reigning Hesiman winner has looked the part of a franchise quarterback through five weeks. On the other side, Lamar Jackson looks more dialed in than ever before following his second MVP in 2024. Jackson’s stellar play so far has him Top 10 in passing yards, passing TDs, rushing yards, and passer rating. Two of the best dual-threat QBs we’ve seen in years set for a battle at The Bank.

— Daniels will make his plays Sunday delivering 2 TDs and 200+ all purpose yards

— Ravens take more of a run heavy approach into Sunday as Jackson and Henry combine for over 170 yards on the ground and a TD each

— Kyle Van Noy reappears on the stat sheet with his 7th sack of the season

— Ravens defense forces two turnovers: an INT and a fumble

Ravens 31 Commanders 17

Brennan Stewart

Some analysts are predicting this Ravens-Commanders matchup to be a preview of the Super Bowl, and I definitely think it could be. We’re in for a showdown between two teams with highly touted offenses and below-par secondaries, as the Commanders defense leads the league in receiving touchdowns allowed (11) and Baltimore’s defense leads the league for most receiving yards allowed (1520). Like last week, Lamar Jackson and his opposing quarterback will each exceed 300 yards, with Jayden Daniels ultimately throwing for more yards when it’s all said and done.

This game will be just as much of a shootout as the Ravens had last week, but the rookie quarterback will make headlines on Monday morning for outplaying the two-time MVP.

Commanders 42 Ravens 38

Darin McCann

It’s nice to see a little life in this regional rivalry, though I fear that rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels brings more than just “a little life” to the party. The Heisman Trophy-winner appears to have already found his footing in this league, and looks like he’s going to be a handful for a long time.

Still. I’m a “Vets Guy,” and I think some veterans like Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey could trap the young signal-caller into making some decisions he’ll later regret. I also like the Ravens’ interior to be able to push him off his spot early and force him to only play one side of the field while rolling out.

Here are a few bold predictions:

• BOTH Humphrey and Hamilton record interceptions, with Hamilton housing his for a pick-six.
• Nnamdi Madubuike records two sacks.
• Derrick Henry continues his torrid start to the season, and rushes for more than 150 yards, with a touchdown.
• Lamar Jackson is wildly efficient, completing more than 70 percent of his passes for more than 9.5 yards per attempt.
• Daniels does slip away for a long touchdown run — let’s say, 45-plus yards.

Ravens 33 Redskins Football Club Snyder Rats Commanders 20

Nick Polinsky

After a loss to open up the season, the Commanders have found their stride. After a pair of losses to open up the season, the Ravens have too.

This game features two of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks, and two potential MVP candidates if the season ended today. The Commanders have scored 34 or more in each of the last three games heavily in part due to the growing connection between Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels. Mclaurin has been starved of consistent QB play since he broke into the league, but it seems as he’s finally finding a groove with Daniels under center. A week after Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 276 yards on 19 catches with 4 touchdowns, locking down McLaurin and others in the air will be key.

I have little to no concerns whatsoever about the Ravens offense being able to move the ball, so it’ll be up to the defensive vets to make sure this game doesn’t get out of hand.

• Jayden Daniels will be picked off twice with Marcus Williams and Brandon Stephens both forcing turnovers
• Lamar Jackson will add three more touchdowns to his MVP resume, two in the air and one on the ground
• Mark Andrews will score his first touchdown of the season a week after he saw his most involvement so far
• Derrick Henry will break another big touchdown run off, this one going for at least 50
• Washington won’t score a touchdown

John Harbaugh’s Ravens are 18-2 against rookie quarterbacks at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens also held C.J. Stroud to 12 points in eight quarters of football in 2023, nuff said.

Ravens 34 Commanders 6

Rob Shields

After some key guys missed practice yesterday, the key guys came back today and it looks like they should be pretty healthy for this game.

This obviously is a game where the Ravens need the defense to play better. The Commanders, led by rookie Jayden Daniels, have been on fire and he’s off to the best start for a rookie QB ever. His numbers are similar to Lamar and in some cases, better than Lamar. The Ravens pass defense has been an issue largely because of poor coverage by linebackers and Marcus Williams. Might we see more Ar’Darius Washington this week?

Also, the Commanders can run the ball, so we will see if the Ravens’ stout run defense can continue their hot start.

Oddly enough, both of these teams are more likely to stop a running QB than most because they each have a great one and are used to facing them in practice.

That said, the Ravens offense is cooking and the Commanders are a bad defense. I think the Ravens put up a bunch of points and DC struggles to keep them from scoring.

Just have a feeling that this is a big win this week. They force Daniels into some mistakes this week and the Ravens and Henry run all over them and Lamar continues to sprinkle in big plays.

Ravens 34 Commanders 17

Chad Racine

With both teams riding some serious offensive momentum,  this could be another shootout. Historically the Ravens have done very well against rookie quarterbacks. This defense with rookie defense coordinator Zach Orr hopefully will have the same success.

– Rashod Bateman‘s role continues to grow with 5 receptions, 90 yards and a 2 touchdowns.

– Charlie Kolar  has a touchdown for the second week in a row.

– Derrick Henry will again rush for another touchdown and over 100 yards.

– Trenton Simpson will have an interception and sack/forced fumble..

– Travis Jones will have two tackles for loss and two QB hurries.

– Kyle Hamilton will have a sack, tackle for loss and pass defensed.

Ravens 31 Commanders 27

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