Ebony Bird
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3 keys to a Baltimore Ravens victory against Oakland

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens leaves the field after the 24-21 Ravens win over the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens leaves the field after the 24-21 Ravens win over the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Ravens
NASHVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 14: Matt Judon #99 of the Baltimore Ravens, Tony Jefferson #23, Za’Darius Smith #90, Willie Henry #69 celebrate beating the Tennessee Titans after the game at Nissan Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

2. Get the pass rush going:

Carr has been sacked 33 times, which is tied for the fifth most sacks taken in the NFL. The Raiders have struggled to protect their quarterback, and this is the golden chance for the Ravens to get back to exciting their fanbase with pass rush. It seems like forever ago since the Ravens defense orchestrated an 11 sack performance against the Tennessee Titans. Like the team itself, the pass rush of the Ravens has been completely on or off. When you consider that 11 of the Ravens 29 sacks came in the same game, it hasn’t been great for the pass rush.

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The Raiders have a good interior of the offensive line. Kelechi Osemele is one of the best guards in the NFL, and Baltimore certainly remembers what he can do. The offensive tackles leave something for the Raiders to desire though. This is a game where pressure off the edge can make a big difference.  Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs have been the most successful sack artists on the defense, but the Ravens need to get pressure with other players too. Matt Judon has been relatively quiet in this area and Don Martindale promised a defense that brought pressure from everywhere. It’s time for the this to come into fruition on a more regular basis.

The Ravens need to force Carr and the Raiders to make mistakes. If the defense makes plays, this game could get out of hand early for the Raiders. Carr has come into Baltimore and lit up the scoreboard before. The Ravens have to know they can’t let him sit back there all day.

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