The Baltimore Ravens are set to play their first ever international game against the Jaguars in London. The staff here at Ebony Bird gives our game picks.
No need to wait until 1 p.m. tomorrow we’ve got Baltimore Ravens football on in the early morning. The Ravens (2-0) are across the pond at Wembley Stadium to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1).
The staff here at Ebony Bird gives our score predictions for Sunday’s game. Let’s hope we can check in on Monday talking about a 3-0 Baltimore Ravens football team.
Joe Schiller’s pick: Ravens 17, Jaguars 10
It’s hard not to get excited about the Ravens 2-0 start, but we’ve got to keep things in check. They came up against two inferior divisional opponents and get things done. Against the Jaguars, the Ravens need to do the same.
The Ravens defense is for real, I don’t think any is questioning that. Ten turnovers through the first two games is incredible to matter what team you’re playing. With Blake Bortles under center, the Ravens have the chance to get damn near close to five turnovers again this game. Bortles is extremely inconsistent and prone to making dangerous throws. The Ravens secondary is ready to bite at any second and pick off a pass.
The strength of the Jaguars offense is the run game. The Ravens will be tested against rookie Leonard Fournette, especially with the loss of defensive tackle Brandon Williams this week. But this is why the Ravens took eight defensive lineman on the 53-man roster in the first place. They are one of the deepest groups in the league and Michael Pierce will need to step up and take over Williams’ role.
Losing Marshal Yanda on the offensive side of the ball is a killer. An offensive line that actually looked decent through the first two games is now down their best player and it doesn’t get any easier coming up against the Jaguars. Their offense may not be something to be scared about, but the defense has talent. Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue up front can get to the quarterback. The Ravens offense is going to have their hands full.
This game is going to be very much like last year. I can’t picture either team scoring very many points considering the offenses both have their issues. It’ll be a defensive battle that the Ravens squeak out by a touchdown.