Broncos scouting report: How Denver matches up against Ravens and predictions

Ravens (2-1) astatine Broncos (3-0)

When: 2:25 p.m., Sunday.

Where: Empower Field astatine Mile High.

Radio/TV: 850 AM, 94.1 FM/KCNC-4.

Weather: Mix of sunshine and clouds, with precocious of 68 degrees and 23% accidental of rain.

Broncos-Ravens series: Broncos are 6-6 successful 12 games; Ravens won 27-14 successful past meeting, connected Sept. 23, 2018, successful Baltimore.

Key matchup

ILB Justin Strnad versus TE Mark Andrews

In his 2nd NFL commencement successful spot of the injured Josey Jewell, Justin Strnad has a gangly task successful containing All-Pro choky extremity Mark Andrews.

While the Broncos volition surely play tons of portion sum to assistance support dual-threat backmost Lamar Jackson successful check, erstwhile successful man, the diversion and lanky 6-foot-3 Strnad volition beryllium tasked with covering Andrews.

Andrews has 13 catches for 186 yards this twelvemonth for a 14.3-yard average, but nary touchdowns yet. Over his four-year career, Andrews has racked up 2,291 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns.

“He’s a truly bully receiver arsenic choky ends go,” Broncos manager Vic Fangio said. “He tin truly tally for a feline his size (at 6-5, 256) and he’s got bully hands and a bully drawback radius. I deliberation Jackson’s got bully (chemistry) with him, too. He likes throwing to him. He’s a large portion of their discourtesy and they told you that with the declaration (extension) they gave him recently.”

Fangio believes Strnad volition beryllium up to the task, noting he’s “just going to get amended and better” contempt determination being evident country for betterment pursuing Denver’s Week 3 thrashing of the Jets.

“Every rep a young subordinate gets is similar a deposit successful the bank, and helium continued to gully connected it,” Fangio said. “He’s fundamentally a rookie due to the fact that helium didn’t bash thing past twelvemonth for america (due to a wrist injury)… He’s missed immoderate tackles that we person to cleanable up and not miss those — those are adjacent and beloved to our heart. I’m assured he’ll support improving.”

Andrews volition contiguous Strnad with a litmus trial to spot wherever the young linebacker is astatine successful his game. But Broncos choky extremity Noah Fant, who attended the “Tight End U” positional acme with Andrews this summer, is assured Strand and the remainder of the Broncos defence volition beryllium up to the task.

“I’m excited to spot what helium does against our defense,” Fant said. “I’ve said this aggregate times — I deliberation our defence is 1 of the champion successful the league, truthful it’s going to beryllium chill to spot what helium does and spot however our defence guards him, reacts to him.”

Who has the edge?

Quarterback

Teddy Bridgewater has been accordant with completion complaint of 76.8% and 77.8 QBR. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, is among the league’s astir dynamic playmakers. He’s dealing with a backmost flare-up, but containing him volition inactive beryllium tough. Edge: Even

Running back

Melvin Gordon “isn’t satisfied” with the mode he, Javonte Williams and the Broncos tally crippled person performed. Denver whitethorn beryllium without its 2 starting guards. And with Jackson and tailback Ty’Son Williams starring the way, the Ravens boast the NFL’s apical tally game. Edge: Ravens

Receiver/tight end

The Broncos are down 2 starting WRs successful Jerry Jeudy (high ankle sprain) and KJ Hamler (torn ACL, retired for the year). Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick indispensable transportation the load. The Ravens diagnostic Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins and choky extremity Mark Andrews. Edge: Even

Offensive line

With close defender Graham Glasgow (knee) and near defender Dalton Risner (foot) banged up, Netani Muti and Quinn Meinerz whitethorn some person to measurement up. Baltimore is anchored by tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who hasn’t missed a crippled successful his full seven-year career. Edge: Ravens

Defensive line

Baltimore’s antiaircraft enactment is anchored by Denver South postgraduate (and aboriginal Pro Football Hall of Famer?) Calais Campbell. Ex-Bronco Derek Wolfe has yet to play successful 2021 owed to injury. And the Broncos’ front, featuring run-stuffing chemoreceptor Mike Purcell, is stout. Edge: Even

Linebacker

Justin Strnad has been impactful successful Josey Jewell’s spot astatine ILB. And adjacent without Bradley Chubb (ankle), Von Miller (four sacks) has been the Vonster of old. The Ravens get seasoned Justin Houston backmost aft missing past week connected the COVID/reserve list. Edge: Even

Secondary

The Broncos’ secondary has looked been unflappable truthful far, and has 2 picks successful each of the past 2 games. Rookie Pat Surtain II is coming into his own. Meanwhile, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and the Baltimore secondary has been getting torched. Edge: Broncos

Special teams

Brandon McManus has been money, but Sam Martin ranks 25th astatine 42.2 yards/punt. And the Broncos kickoff sum has been atrocious (41.4 yards/return, ranks last). Justin Tucker, coming disconnected a record 66-yarder to triumph past week, is by acold the league’s champion kicker. Edge: Ravens

Tale of the tape

* Through Week 3

By the numbers

+50 — The constituent differential successful Denver’s 3-0 start, the fifth-highest full successful squad past done the archetypal 3 games of a season.

23rd — Von Miller’s ranking connected the NFL’s all-time sack database aft starting with 4 sacks this year. Miller leads each progressive players with 110 vocation sacks.

14.5 — Tim Patrick’s mean yards per drawback connected a twelve receptions truthful far, starring the Broncos and ranking 23rd successful the league.

9-for-9 — Brandon McManus has yet to miss a tract extremity this season, and that pushed him backmost into archetypal spot arsenic the Broncos’ all-time astir close kicker. McManus’ vocation complaint of 83.2% is simply a hairsbreadth amended than Matt Prater (82.9%).

0 — The fig of interceptions Teddy Bridgewater has thrown, a marked betterment implicit the aforesaid play successful 2020 erstwhile Denver quarterbacks had 3 picks.

Betting/fantasy

Line: Broncos -1

This is simply a coin-flip crippled successful the eyes of the bookies, and rightfully so. The Ravens person a swell of momentum coming successful acknowledgment to melodramatic wins implicit the Chiefs and Lions, portion the Broncos yet person a September to consciousness bully astir for the archetypal clip successful respective years. Sunday’s result volition apt travel down to the last mates of possessions, and if the Broncos instrumentality attraction of the shot connected discourtesy and bounds Lamar Jackson connected defense, they should beryllium successful presumption to screen the choky dispersed successful beforehand of the raucous location assemblage to amended to 4-0.

Prop bet: 44 full points (minus-110)

Bet the under. In a packed, noisy stadium featuring 2 above-grade defenses — adjacent contempt the deficiencies of the Ravens’ secondary — this isn’t going to beryllium a shootout. There volition beryllium touchdowns scored, and determination volition beryllium momentum swings, but the extremity of the crippled volition cinch up and turnovers volition apt play a relation successful keeping the crippled nether 44 full points.

Fantasy play: Broncos backmost Teddy Bridgewater

The Broncos’ archetypal 3 opponents each stacked the container against the Denver moving game, hence conscionable 1 100-yard rushing show from the operation of Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams (via Gordon successful Week 1 against the Giants). Expect Baltimore to bash the same, particularly considering the injuries to the Broncos’ O-line. That’s going to again unfastened the passing crippled up for Bridgewater against a anemic Baltimore secondary, and Bridgewater has mismatches astatine wideout and choky extremity (Noah Fant, Albert Okwuegbunam).

Post predictions

Mark Kiszla, columnist: Broncos 24, Ravens 23

I’d similar to archer you I person a hint which squad volition triumph this game. But the 4th I tossed landed “tails,” truthful Denver is my pick. Can the Broncos marque Lamar Jackson 1 dimensional? Eliminate his chunk plays? I dunno. Neither bash the Broncos.

Kyle Newman, bushed writer: Broncos 24, Ravens 17

Will the existent Denver Broncos delight basal up? After cruising done their archetypal 3 cupcakes, that’s what the Broncos bash Sunday with a connection triumph implicit Baltimore. Justin Simmons’ precocious INT seals it.

Ryan O’Halloran, bushed writer: Broncos 20, Ravens 14

Trailing with 5 minutes remaining, Teddy Bridgewater leads a 65-yard thrust capped by his 4-yard touchdown walk to Courtland Sutton, starring the Broncos to a 4-0 commencement for the archetypal clip since 2016.

Sean Keeler, columnist: Broncos 23, Ravens 21

Vic Fangio hasn’t faced Lamar Jackson, head-to-head, but the antheral was 2-0 beingness arsenic an NFL antiaircraft coordinator against Michael Vick. Thanks to Mile High Magic and a Brandon McManus tract extremity (or two), the Broncos walk 2021’s archetypal existent test.