Packers Periscope: Week 11 vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Green Bay Packers will host the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on Sunday and look to notch a second-straight win.
By jasonperone
The Green Bay Packers will host the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on Sunday and look to notch a second-straight win. The history between these two teams is very brief and the Ravens are as unfamiliar of an opponent as it gets as far as the Packers are concerned.
The Past
These two teams are meeting for just the sixth time, spanning back to 1998. The Packers hold a 4-1 record in the series and have won the last two, both against Joe Flacco as the Ravens starting quarterback. Good news: Flacco is also starting in this week's game.
The last meeting was in early 2013 in Baltimore. The Ravens were the defending NFL champions at the time.
Nick Perry, not yet a regular contributor on defense, had a key strip-sack near halftime. Randall Cobb suffered a broken leg after a questionable low hit by then Ravens safety Matt Elam. Aaron Rodgers would be lost just two weeks later and both he and Cobb would return together in week 17.
The 2009 game was a Monday Night Football win for the Packers in Green Bay. In 2005, Rodgers got some of his first NFL snaps in relief of an injured Brett Favre on another Monday night game. Let's just say that was well before Aaron Rodgers was what he is now. He lost two fumbles and threw an interception en route to a 48-3 beat down by the Ravens.
The Present
The Ravens are 4-5 and just 2-3 on the road. They have the league's worst passing offense by total yardage, despite carrying veteran receivers Mike Wallace and Jeremy Maclin. They're averaging just over 120 yards per game rushing.
On defense, the Ravens are giving up over 125 yards per game on the ground. This would have been an ideal time for Green Bay to have its full arsenal of running backs, but they'll at least be without Aaron Jones. Ty Montgomery is questionable and hasn't practiced yet this week with a rib injury.
The Ravens' passing defense is one of the better units in the league, giving up just 185 passing yards per game, however starting cornerback Jimmy Smith has yet to practice this week with an Achilles injury. Baltimore leads the NFL with 13 interceptions by their defense. Too bad they've also thrown 10 this year, one of the higher totals in the league.
Baltimore is currently a two-point favorite this Sunday.
The Future
This game can easily go either way. If Brett Hundley is anything like he was last week in Chicago and at home, the Packers will be tough to beat. If Baltimore's defense can force a few mistakes and take advantage of Hundley's lack of mobility due to a hamstring, it could quickly become problematic for the Green Bay offense.
The Packers defense has a big opportunity to seize the day and make life miserable for Flacco. Wallace and Maclin may not be having a great season but they're speedy and will be facing a Packers secondary that features rookies Kevin King and Josh Jones. King has been limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury. Safety Morgan Burnett has not practiced due to a groin injury.
The Ravens may be favored in Vegas, but the Packers are at home and they know they can win a game with Hundley running the offense. Rodgers took part in some drills this week, which would at least suggest that there is a possibility that he might return this season. A win on Sunday would push those odds a bit further from a "hope" standpoint.
That's what I foresee happening. The Packers keep the NFC North interesting with a win to get to six on the season.
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Jason is a freelance writer on staff since 2012 and also co-hosts Cheesehead TV Live, Pulse of the Pack and Pack A Day podcasts. You can follow him on Twitter here
Comments (7)
NickPerry
November 17, 2017 at 06:38 am
I would hope the Packers can beat the Ravens. What i'm concerned about is suddenly the Ravens passing game will have a 300 yard day against the Packers. Trubisky was averaging 122 YPG before throwing for 297 against GB. What might a veteran QB do who actually has some WR's to throw to do? Granted Wallace and Maclin's best days are probably behind them but they're better than anyone Chicago lined up.
Hundley is going to have to hit on his throws early and often. If Hundley struggles the Packers will probably never get a running game going. McCarthy will bail on the running game early, just like he does most weeks especially if Baltimore was to jump out to any kind of lead.
The Ravens aren't a good football team right now but IF the Packers can beat the Ravens then I'll have some hope restored in this team, even if it's just a little. A win Sunday then 2 more after the Steelers game the Packers would be 8-5 heading into Carolina with the possibility of Rodgers playing in that game.
The Vikings meanwhile are GOING to start losing. They play 3 of the next 4 on the road. They play at home this week against the Rams..GO RAMS. Then they play AT Detroit, Atlanta, and Carolina. The Vikings will go 2-2 AT BEST in those games but it wouldn't shock me to see them go 1-3 or even 0-4. They do this every season. Get the fans hopes up only to choke it all away.
NOW..If all this happened how COOL would it be to have the Vikings at Lambeau with #12 behind center and the NFC North up for grabs. If I didn't hate the color purple so much and anyone who wears it, I'd ALMOST feel sorry for the ass whipping Anthony Barr will be getting at the hands Rodgers. If nothing else we KNOW Rodgers is hoping for a chance at Minnesota to do just that.
Karma is a MF!!
RCPackerFan
November 17, 2017 at 08:09 am
I have to admit. My hope is that Rodgers can come back for that game!
I'd love to get some sweet justice on them!
If Rodgers could come back for that game, there would be so much energy surrounding the team. There wouldn't be a better environment to be in during a regular season game.
Tundraboy
November 17, 2017 at 09:44 am
Love it. That's the way to rouse up the troops. Looking forward to Vikings game, no matter what else happens.
RCPackerFan
November 17, 2017 at 07:01 am
The rest of the season starts with this game. There are 7 games left. If they lose they will be 5-5. They win they will be 6-4. While I don't think its a must win, its damn close because it leaves little wiggle room to lose any more the rest of the year.
This will be the 2nd week in a row that the Packers will have played the Bears, Ravens who came off the bye week the week before. Next week they play the Steelers who just played last night and have a mini bye.
If the packers can turn over Flacco a time or 2 I think that will help them out a ton.
But truthfully the team will do whatever Hundley allows them to do. If he can keep improving and play more like he did late in the Bears game they will win IMO.
Hundley's 4th quarter was very good. He had a perfect QBR. I'm not saying he has to match that but if he can make plays downfield and be more consistent, they will be tough to beat.
To help Hundley they have to run the ball. Ravens haven't been great at stopping the run this year, but the Packers likely will be without their top 2 RB's. Now we get to see what the other 2 rookies can do. I think we will see Williams used mostly on passing downs, and they will use Mays a bit more on earlier downs. Neither RB is easy to bring down so if they can stay with the run throughout the game they could be inline for a big 4th Quarter.
Another area of the game that could really help the team out is in the return game. Davis has been getting close to breaking one. I have a feeling he is going to break a long one sometime soon. It would be a great week to do it this week.
The Packers should have some extra confidence going into this game now knowing they can win with Hundley. This would be a great game to gain even more confidence with Hundley.
Razer
November 17, 2017 at 08:11 am
Too close to call. I'll say this:
1. If our defense let's Flacco play like a Super Bowl Champ - we are toast and rightfully so.
2. If our O-line plays well, we can win this game.
3. Considering the confidence boost from Hundley and the defense beating the Bears - this the perfect time to build momentum.
4. Considering our schedule - this is a must win.
Go Packers
RCPackerFan
November 17, 2017 at 08:26 am
"3. Considering the confidence boost from Hundley and the defense beating the Bears - this the perfect time to build momentum."
Listening to some of Daniels comments this week, it feels like the team's confidence level is a lot higher now. He was talking about Hundley taking command of the team. If the team believes this would be a perfect time to build momentum.
Thegreatreynoldo
November 18, 2017 at 02:16 pm
Baltimore has a long injury list, even by Packer standards. CB Smith is important, but there are other guys who didn't participate in practice.
[Edit: It now appears that many of those who did not participate in practice will play. Still, Stanley is doubtful with a concussion - no way to know when and if he'll pass the protocol though, and Smith is doubtful. Whether Smith plays is big (well, Stanley too). It now appears like Baltimore will have 5 healthy inactive players this week.]