The Baltimore Ravens got back to their winning ways in Week 15. They dominated the Cincinnati Bengals in all three phases last Sunday, taking home a 24-0 win. Still, they are trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers by one game and are about to enter a tough final stretch.
The Ravens have the third-toughest schedule remaining, according to Tankathon. They somehow have 38% chance to make the playoffs, and if they win out, they are in. However, they are about to be put to the test. In Week 16, they welcome the New England Patriots to Charm City.
One of the biggest areas of concern for Baltimore heading into this matchup is the performance of the offensive line. They have been horrendous nearly all season, and center Tyler Linderbaum knows they will have to step up if they want to compete on Sunday Night Football.
In his press conference at Wednesday’s practice, Linderbaum talked about the challenge the Patriots’ defense poses.
“Overall, [New England’s] defense as a whole is a really hard-nosed group that plays the game the right way,” Linderbaum said. “Tough, physical, everything you’re looking for in a defense to play for…I think it’s gonna be one of the better d-lines and front sevens that we go against all year.”
Ravens’ offensive line must improve in Week 16
Through 15 weeks, Baltimore’s offensive line ranks eighth-worst in sacks allowed with 40 sacks. Sure, there are often some coverage sacks, and quarterback Lamar Jackson has been dealing with injuries for a lot of the year, but the play up front has clearly been subpar.
On Sunday, the offensive line will match up against a Patriots’ defensive line that has some strong contributors leading the way. The stats they have put up are nothing crazy, as their defense is tied for 20th in sacks with 29, but the duo of defensive tackle Christian Barmore and outside linebacker Harold Landry III is formidable.
Landry has totaled 8.5 sacks in his first season in New England. Barmore has not had the same amount of success at bringing down the opposing quarterback, but his 37 pressures are tied for first among defensive tackles. Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson has also done some damage in 2025 with 6.5 sacks.
The Ravens do dodge a bullet, though. New England will still be without star defensive tackle Milton Williams, who remains on injured reserve due to an ankle sprain he suffered on November 13.
While the numbers are nothing flashy, they have the talent to give Baltimore problems. The Ravens’ troubling guard duo of Andrew Vorhees and Daniel needs to come ready to play if they want to keep up with the Patriots’ explosive offense.