[Baltimore Sun] Ravens vs. Chargers staff picks: Who will win Monday’s game in Los Angeles?
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Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Monday’s Week 12 game between the Ravens (7-4) and Chargers (7-3) at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles:
Brian Wacker, reporter
Ravens 30, Chargers 20: As bad as Lamar Jackson was last week in an ugly 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s unlikely he’ll struggle the same way against the Chargers. Jackson is 19-5 as a starter in prime-time games, which includes an 11-1 mark in his past 12, and L.A.’s defense has benefitted from a fairly easy schedule. I also suspect Derrick Henry will get more than the 13 carries he had last week. The biggest concern for Baltimore, of course, is its defense, particularly if Roquan Smith (hamstring) is out. That could spark a big day for former Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins and tight end Will Dissly, who had four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, Baltimore’s offense hasn’t had two bad games in a row and I don’t expect that to change here as coach John Harbaugh improves his record to 3-0 against younger brother Jim.
Childs Walker, reporter
Ravens 31, Chargers 23: The Chargers are a balanced team capable of winning ugly. The Steelers just used that formula to beat the Ravens. Unlike Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert will attack in the middle of the field, where the Baltimore defense is weakest. That said, Los Angeles has built its winning record and impressive defensive statistics against opponents that can’t touch the Ravens’ firepower. Cincinnati scored in bunches against the Chargers and that was without a notable running attack. If the Ravens get ahead early, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will control this one.
Mike Preston, columnist
Ravens 30, Chargers 23: The Ravens lost a tough one to Pittsburgh last week, but they earned it by losing two fumbles and throwing an interception. Quarterback Lamar Jackson played his worst game of the season and consistently missed open receivers, especially in the first half. The Chargers’ defense has gotten better every game, but the Ravens will rebound with a stellar offensive effort. On defense, the Ravens will be challenged because Los Angeles has a good quarterback in Justin Herbert, but the Chargers lack a quality receiver who can challenge the Ravens downfield even though Baltimore still has one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.
C.J. Doon, editor
Ravens 27, Chargers 20: If you were building a team to defeat the Ravens, it would closely resemble the Chargers. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack can rush the passer and set hard edges. Poona Ford can hold up in the middle. Kristian Fulton, Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still can play sticky coverage. Daiyan Henley, Derwin James Jr. and Elijah Molden can tackle in space. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will not have an easy time against Jesse Minter’s defense. On the other side of the ball, L.A. has one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Justin Herbert who has taken a big step forward this season by playing much more aggressively. He’s capable of torching the Ravens’ secondary … if he had a better group of receivers. Even if rookie Ladd McConkey does play, the Ravens’ have the clear edge in offensive talent. It should be enough to win, but Baltimore needs to play a clean game to keep its offense on schedule and avoid giving the Chargers extra possessions.
Tim Schwartz, editor
Ravens 35, Chargers 24: The NFL’s second-highest scoring team meets the league’s stingiest defense in terms of points allowed. But before we go too much further, it’s worth noting that the Chargers have feasted on terrible teams for much of this season. Their four-game winning streak features victories over the Saints, Browns, Titans and Bengals. In their three losses, they’ve scored 10 points in two and 15 in the other. For all the talk about the Chargers’ offense, Justin Herbert and coordinator Greg Roman, they average just 22 points per game, fewer than the Steelers and middle of the pack in the NFL, and have scored more than 30 points just once — last weekend against the Bengals. It will take more than 30 points to beat the Ravens on Monday night, and nobody is more familiar with the Chargers’ scheme and personnel than John Harbaugh. They don’t call ’em the L.A. Ravens for nothing.
Bennett Conlin, editor
Ravens 31, Chargers 24: The Ravens have stumbled twice this season against awful teams, losing to the Browns and Raiders. The Chargers have done the opposite in their march to a 7-3 record, going 6-0 against opponents with losing records. While Los Angeles thrives on beating up bad teams, the Ravens dominated the Bills and Broncos and controlled their win over the Commanders. Even in close losses to the Chiefs and Steelers, John Harbaugh’s team showed it’s more capable of beating playoff-caliber opponents than Jim Harbaugh’s group. It’s hard to pick against Lamar Jackson in prime time.
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.
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