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NFL Intriguing Game of the Week

Baltimore Ravens 8-3-0 @ LA Chargers 4-6-0

Bias+ Score 7 favors Baltimore Ravens

By Barry Sterling Mitchell

Once I declared on the Ben and Barry on Football™ show that the Ravens were my odds-on favorite to take the AFC, this game became very intriguing. This will be a statement game for the team that wins. I’ll explain later. First let’s look at the numbers.

The Ravens in top 5 in Average Net Points (ANP) ranked 3rd averaging +11.9 Net Points. This is their average win margin despite having lost 3 games. By comparison, the top ranked team by wins and losses are the Eagles at 9 &1. It’s illustrative of their season to see that they rank 7th in ANP at +6.1. I remind everyone that this ranking is part of a study on the correlations of these stats to the Super Bowl Champion. Generally, it’s not the first-place team in Net Points but it’s usually one of the top 8.

Offensively, the Ravens are under the microscope due to the new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Monken is a 35-year coaching vet who was the University of Georgia's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and helped guide the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022). He has been tasked with improving the Raven’s passing attack and thus the offensive production. The Ravens rank 4th in scoring at 27.6 Points Per Game (PPG). That puts them behind Miami, Dallas and San Francisco but ahead of Philadelphia Detroit and Buffalo.

Defensively, Baltimore ranks 2nd allowing just 16.1 PPG behind only the 49ers who allow 15.7 PPG. They break even on Turnovers at 0.1 Average Turnovers Per Game (ATOD).

Part of the ‘Intrigue’ of this game is the drama surrounding the LA Chargers. We’re talking coach on the hot seat drama.

The LA Chargers rank 12th in Average Net Points at +2.1. Although they have positive Net points, they have a losing record at 4 and 6. Offensively, they rank 8th scoring 25.9 PPG. The challenge with the scoring is that these numbers are bolstered by big wins over the Bears and the Jets scoring a total of 57 and allowing only 20.

The main wrinkle is the defense. This is supposedly the strong suit of Head Coach Brandon Staley. The defense ranks 24th allowing 23.8 PPG. On our show, Ben points out that they have talent on defense. In addition, coaches have already been fired this season. (See Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders) The Chargers rank 4th in ATOD at +0.7

I mentioned that this will be a statement game for whoever wins this game. For the favored Ravens, a win, especially one where the offense shines, will corroborate my thesis that the Ravens are the team to beat in the AFC. For the Chargers, especially if their defense can corral this Ravens offense, Head Coach Brandon Staley and Defensive Coordinator Derrick Ansley have a leg to stand on going forward and should finish out the season.

Bottom line, as a prime-time match, we all have the opportunity to watch these two teams make their statements. With about a third of the season left, the Chargers are ‘On the Bubble’. These are teams would be on the outside looking in if the season ended today. The Ravens are a strong 2nd in Playoff standings.

So, the Chargers approach desperation while the Ravens look to cement their status as a leading contender. This makes for a very ‘Intriguing’ game. Enjoy.




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