OTL: Everyone Forgetting HarBowl I?

Happy Monday Baltimore. It’s not a normal Monday, so don’t grimace or think of the long haul ahead of you. It’s Thanksgiving week and the Ravens play tonight on Monday Night Football. If John Harbaugh can best his younger brother on ESPN, all will be right with the world going into the holiday.

The injury report is always one of the most important things to be mindful of. Jeff Zrebiec points out that Roquan Smith’s lack of practice is concerning. If the Ravens star linebacker can’t go it would be less than ideal.

Ravens have enough trust in Roquan Smith for him to play without practicing all week, but him not being on field for a walk through might be telling. https://t.co/V5Ng1o48QB

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 23, 2024

This is a game that could go either way if we’re looking at it objectively. It’s a battle between two teams with seven wins on their resumes. The pundits of Sporting News were evenly split between the Ravens and the Chargers.

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: Ravens 24, Chargers 20

Iyer: “The Second HarBowl is finally upon us 12 seasons after the first one, and let’s hope the sequel can live up to the Ravens-49ers thriller from Super Bowl 47. John Harbaugh’s Ravens hope that Lamar Jackson can rebound vs. the Chargers, the team that thwarted him in his first playoff game. They also need the defense to stay on point vs. Justin Herbert, as Jim Harbaugh’s offense can toggle between run-heavy and pass-happy, making both work. In the end, Jackson will help his team make a few more big plays than Herbert to steal another lower-scoring classic.”

Bill Bender, The Sporting News: Chargers 23, Ravens 22

Bender: “The long-awaited sequel to the Harbaugh Bowl is here. Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was an assistant with the Ravens from 2017-20, has the task of slowing down the tandem of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Justin Herbert has been efficient at home. He averages 212.6 passing yards per game with seven TDs and no interceptions. This will be the best game of the week, and Jim Harbaugh gets the win against John this time.

[Note: We’ll forgive them for seemingly forgetting all about Thanksgiving 2011, the ACTUAL HarBowl I, another John win.]

One thing to note here is the respect the defenses are getting in this game. I could easily see this being a shootout kind of game. Iyer and Bender see a more controlled game, casually in the 20’s on the scoreboard. The number one thing I’m looking for in this game is whether the defense has figured things out or not. Will the Ravens defense look as stout as it did forcing the Steelers to settle for only field goals, or will it be the loose resistance that the Bengals saw? This is the most interesting question.

Meanwhile all of the analysts for the Baltimore Sun believe that the Ravens will end up the victors of this game. This is Childs Walker’s prediction:

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.

This is a very fair and balanced explanation. It highlights the benefits the Ravens would get by starting strong. I think Derrick Henry will have a big game here and the Chargers are going to have to pick their poison. If you think about the best moments of the season, the offense turned on the jets and separated from their opponents with incredible efficiency. Think about the Tampa Bay game. Once Lamar Jackson got going it was an avalanche that Tampa Bay wasn’t ready for. Think of the Bills game. Derrick Henry had an 87-yard run to start the game and the Ravens cut through them like a buzzsaw. The Ravens need to get back to the LJ and King Henry show.

One of Clifton Brown’s biggest questions in his game preview for the Ravens official website was if the Ravens can get going against a good defense.

Jackson is coming off his worst game of the year, when the Ravens scored a season-low 16 points in Pittsburgh. The Chargers have given up the fewest points in the league (14.5 per game) and have the second-best red zone defense, and their strong pass rush will become more imposing if Khalil Mack (groin) returns to action. Was Baltimore’s offensive slump just a one-game blip, or cause for concern? Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken and the players will need a sharp performance to move the ball consistently against the Chargers.

I think the good news for the Ravens is that it is likely they got one of their bad games out of the way. The Steelers game will probably be Lamar Jackson’s worst game when the season is over. It seems unlikely that the offense will struggle that much again. The Chargers make things hard inside the 20s which is why the Ravens have to find a way to have big plays that hit paydirt.

While the Ravens had to wait an extra day, the NFL was busy without them.

Commanders fans: “just make the extra point”

Commanders kicker : pic.twitter.com/FD4u9c4s1B

— ð˜«ð˜¶ð˜´ð˜µð˜ªð˜¯ (@xJahstin) November 24, 2024

The Washington Commanders almost gave their home crowd a second miracle. With little time left Jayden Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin for an improbable touchdown. Dan Quinn chose to go for the extra point to tie the game, rather than doing the fashionable two-point conversion to win the game right there. The Commanders missed the extra point. The onside kick from the Commanders ended up being taken all the way for a Cowboys score and Daniels had one more chance to sling another desperate shot down the field. It was an awful way to lose, if you’re the Commanders.

Commanders get the touchdown but miss the extra point pic.twitter.com/IRp4Nmp1Gh

— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) November 24, 2024

In a shocking turn of events the Chiefs almost fell in Carolina. Bryce Young had a strong showing and tied the game up with a dramatic touchdown and two point conversion late in the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes was left with too much time and he did what everyone expected him to: he drove down the field and got the Chiefs in a spot the make an easy field goal.

Who had the Panthers standing up to the Chiefs on their Bingo cards?

Only three teams have put up 25+ points on the Kansas City Chiefs defense this season.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals
Josh Allen and the Bills
Bryce Young and the Panthers pic.twitter.com/bQfh3VHwky

— Natalie Miller (@Nat_NFLDraft) November 24, 2024

The Bengals were on their bye and the Steelers and Browns played on Thursday Night Football. This kept the AFC North out the fold on Sunday. The Ravens have a chance to close out the week with a win for. We know you’re ready for some football. Bring on the game tonight!

The post OTL: Everyone Forgetting HarBowl I? appeared first on Russell Street Report.