Through 6 games, the Ravens are 4-2 and two games ahead of both Pittsburgh and Cleveland in the AFC North, but they are about to enter the toughest stretch of the season starting with a road game against Seattle in arguably the toughest stadium for visiting teams in the NFL.

The Seahawks are 5-1 but because of the hot start by San Francisco, currently sit in 2nd place in their division. In a lot of ways the Seahawks are a very similar team to the Ravens. They are essentially being carried by the defacto MVP candidate through 6 weeks, QB Russell Wilson. The Seahawks also have a very good run game led by Chris Carson, but it is their passing offense that is leading the way.

Seattle does not have a great defense, they are fairly average across the board both in stopping the pass and the run. Their pass-rush has been even less productive than the Ravens if that is possible and their run defense is letting up 4.7 YPC. Where the Seahawks have shined is in forcing TOs as they are tied for 5th in the NFL in creating 12 turnovers through the first 6 games.

If we look at DVOA, we see some more similarity but also some specific differences. Overall, the two teams are rated very similarly, Seattle is 7th in the league and the Ravens are 9th. Both teams have offenses that are doing most of the heavy lifting with the Seahawks ranked 3rd and Baltimore 4th. Defensively, they are rated 18th and 22nd, respectively. The one area that the Ravens may have a big advantage is special teams, but we saw a big mistake last week which the Ravens cannot afford to have happen against a quality team like the Seahawks.

The biggest difference between these two teams is how they succeed offensively. Seattle is the most efficient passing offense in the NFL through 6 weeks, while the Ravens rank 18th according to DVOA. The reverse is true when running the ball; the Ravens are the best rushing offense in the NFL while Seattle ranks 19th.

On defense, Seattle is 15th and Baltimore is 21st when defending the pass, so this could be an area to watch as the Ravens have struggled against opposing QBs. Similarly, Baltimore is 18th against the run and Seattle is 21st, so this is an area where the Ravens may be able to control the game. Overall, these two teams are almost mirror images of each other, with the one big difference being what aspect of the game the dominate on offense.

In the end, it is likely going to depend on how the two teams plan for and execute in a few key match-ups. Here are some important things to watch for that may end up deciding the game.

You can discuss the upcoming match-up on our message board and follow along Sunday in our game thread.

Ravens CBs vs Seahawks WRs

It’s no secret that the Ravens secondary has struggled through the first 6 games of the season. A unit that was once heralded as potentially the best in the NFL has been decimated by injury and issues with communication have repeatedly surfaced. However, the Ravens recently acquired CB Marcus Peters may help tilt the scales in the visiting team’s direction. The former Ram has already played against the Seahawks once this year, and is going to be very familiar with the challenge the Ravens secondary will face.

Seattle may not possess the most talented group of WRs on paper, but they have proven to be extremely effective this season. Tyler Lockett is going to be the biggest challenge to cover as he is an excellent route-runner capable of making exceptionally difficult catches. Lockett often works out of the slot, and he is a threat in the short and intermediate passing game as well as downfield. Across from Lockett, the Ravens will also have to account for rookie WR D.K. Metcalf who made a name for himself in the pre-draft process with his exceptional testing at the NFL Combine. There were some concerns that Metcalf spent too much time in the weight room and lacked the nuances of the WR position, but he has proven to be a viable NFL receiver and an exceptional big play threat. Neither one of these receivers will be an easy cover, but the Ravens combination of Peters and Humphrey should be a good match-up that will be fun to watch come Sunday.

Ravens TEs vs Seahawks LBs

This is another instance where the two team’s strengths are going to go head to head in an important match-up. The Ravens have arguably the best group of TEs in the NFL with Mark Andrews having a break-out year as a receiver while blocking specialist Nick Boyle has helped pave the way for the league’s #1 rushing attack. 2018 first round draft pick Hayden Hurst is not a slouch either and has provided value as both a blocker and pass-catcher. The Ravens are not shy about deploying their talented group of TEs either, as they have at least two TEs on the field for 35% of their offensive snaps, one of the highest rates in the league.

On paper, Seattle will be a tough match-up for the Ravens TEs as LBs Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are two of the best in the league. Wagner in particular is considered by many to be the top player at his position. It may prove difficult for the Ravens to find much room across the middle of the field, but this could be an opportunity for the offense to employ more play action to draw the LBs in and create some space for the TEs to work.

Russell Wilson vs Earl Thomas

A more accurate description may be Russell Wilson vs the Ravens defense, because it is going to take an entire team effort to slow down Wilson who is playing at an incredibly high level right now. But Thomas is going to be the lynchpin for the Ravens defense; not only does he have incredible familiarity with Wilson and the Seahawks offense, but his role in the heart of the Ravens defense will be key to taking away what Wilson does best.

Russel Wilson’s stats through 6 games are ridiculous: 72.5% completion percentage, 14 TDs to 0 INTs, 9.0 YPA, total QBR of 79.4 which only trails Dak Prescott. He’s pushing the ball down field and he’s not making mistakes. This is while playing behind a below average offensive line, and while his WRs have done a good job of making plays for him, overall, they are not an elite unit. His QB rating is 124.7 through 6 games, and what makes his play even scarier, he gets better when you blitz him where he leads the league with a 141.8 rating.

On paper, this is a terrible match-up for the Ravens. They don’t have a 4 man pass-rush to take advantage of Seattle’s poor O-line, and Wink Martindale loves to blitz, which as we have already seen is not working against Wilson. However, Thomas could prove to be the equalizer here. Not only is he one of the elite safeties in the NFL in terms of range, but he knows Wilson’s tendencies and may be able to bait him into some rare mistakes. Wilson is one of the best in the league at extending plays, getting out of the pocket and finding downfield receivers. For the Ravens to win this one, Thomas patrolling the deep middle is going to have to take away these ad-lib plays. Make no mistake, this can’t be an effort that Thomas wins by himself. The entire defense is going to have to be aware of Wilson and what his receivers do when he extends plays, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Earl make a game-changing play in his return to CenturyLink field. 

Gabe Ferguson
Gabe Ferguson

Ravens Analyst

Gabe is an avid fan of the NFL and Ravens football. He grew up in Westminster, MD, and attended college at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Biology. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and now works as a R&D Scientist developing Transplant Diagnostics assays. Gabe has appeared as a guest on 105.7 The Fan.

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