5 bold predictions for Broncos against Ravens
By Scott Rogust
3. Broncos keep Ravens running backs out of the end zone
The Raven rushing attack was hit hard due to the injuries suffered on the depth chart. Before the season even started, the Ravens lost Justice Hill to a torn Achilles and J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to torn ACL’s. That caused the Ravens to bring in the likes of Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell prior to the start of the 2021 campaign.
Baltimore’s rushing attack does rank above their 31 counterparts by averaging 185.3 yards per game. That is due to the team posting 189 rushing yards in their season-opener against the Las Vegas Raiders and 251 yards on the porous defense of the Kansas City Chiefs. But they truly face a tough test on Sunday when they face Denver’s run defense.
Thus far, the Broncos have averaged just 59.3 yards of rushing per game, which ranks as the second-fewest in the NFL, per ESPN. This is how Denver’s opponents fared running on the Broncos:
- Giants: 20 carries, 60 yards
- Jaguars: 16 carries, 75 yards
- Jets: 13 carries, 43 yards
Yes, those opponents are a combined 0-9 on the season, but they managed to make the likes of Saquon Barkley and James Robinson non-factors in their respective games. What is even more interesting is that the Broncos have yet to surrender a rushing touchdown to a running back this season. The only rushing touchdown they allowed was to Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
It is going to be hard for Denver to keep Baltimore under 100 rushing yards, especially with quarterback Lamar Jackson’s ability to scramble out of the pocket quickly. But, the Broncos will continue to keep running backs out of the end zone this Sunday.