Ravens vs Rams listed as one of the most under-the-radar matchups

The Baltimore Ravens schedule for the 2021 season is jam-packed with great games and, as a result, the league rewarded Baltimore with five primetime games this year. One game that wasn’t included in that bunch that fans would have loved to watch is the Week 17 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

This game made Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports’ list of most under-the-radar matchups for the 2021 season. DeArdo had this to say as to why he included Ravens/Rams on this list:

"Sean McVay has not suffered many lopsided losses during his time on the Rams’ sideline. McVay’s most lopsided defeat, however, came at the hands of Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in front of a “Monday Night Football” audience in Week 12 of the 2019 season. McVay’s Rams — the defending NFC champions — had no shot against the visiting Ravens and Jackson, who streaked out to a 28-6 halftime lead en route to a 45-6 victory."

This will be a game that the Rams will most definitely have circled on their calendars because of how badly the Ravens embarrassed them two seasons ago. That game was over before it ever really began, as Lamar Jackson and company couldn’t be stopped in the Monday Night Football showdown, eventually winning 45-6. It was ugly for the Rams.

The Ravens’ Week 17 matchup against the Rams is a must-watch game.

Both teams are not only playoff contenders but Super Bowl contenders as well, which adds to the intrigue here. The Rams will have a new look for this rematch having traded for Matthew Stafford this offseason while sending Jared Goff to the Lions. The Ravens, meanwhile, kept most of their team together from that explosive 2019 season and will hope for a repeat performance when Week 17 rolls around.

Normally, the Ravens wouldn’t see the Rams again until 2023 but the addition of the 17th game put the Rams on their 2021 schedule due to the AFC North facing the NFC West and both of these teams finishing second in their respective divisions. These teams play in stacked divisions where every win matters, especially in the second to last game of the season.

While not in primetime, Ravens vs Rams will have a late afternoon kickoff on Jan. 2 so it’ll still get plenty of attention and for good reason. While the Ravens curb-stomped the Rams two seasons ago, don’t expect that same result to occur this time around. Both of these teams have Super Bowl aspirations and this is a critical game on both sides.

A late-season matchup between two Super Bowl contenders in the second to last game of the season is an absolute must-watch. The only bummer is that this game wasn’t under the lights.