Washington (4-1) at Baltimore (3-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 6 1/2
Against the spread: Commanders 4-1; Ravens 3-2
Series record: Ravens lead 4-3.
Last meeting: Baltimore beat Washington 31-17 on Oct. 4, 2020, at Washington.
Last week: Ravens beat Bengals 41-38 in overtime; Commanders beat Browns 34-13.
Commanders offense: overall (4t), rush (2), pass (14), scoring (1)
Commanders defense: overall (14), rush (22), pass (23), scoring (21t)
Ravens offense: overall (1), rush (1), pass (9), scoring (2)
Ravens defense: overall (19), rush (1), pass (31), scoring (26)
Turnover differential: Commanders even; Ravens plus-1.
Ravens player to watch
Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 572 yards rushing, and his seven total touchdowns — six on the ground and one receiving — are tied for the most among running backs. He has scored at least once in each of his first five games with Baltimore, giving QB Lamar Jackson a perfect complement to balance the offense. He should get the ball early and often, which has turned out to be a winning recipe.
Commanders player to watch
WR Terry McLaurin is coming off catching four passes for a season-high 112 yards, and his rapport with rookie QB Jayden Daniels is growing by the game. The Ravens' struggles defending the pass open up a real opportunity for Daniels to find McLaurin on everything from short- and mid-range throws to the deep shot. McLaurin caught a 66-yard pass from Daniels against Cleveland.
Key matchup
Baltimore's offensive line against Washington's pass rush. Jackson has only been sacked five times this season, even with injuries up front. The Commanders sacked Deshaun Watson seven times last week while taking advantage of the Browns' banged up line. If Jackson has all the time he wants to throw and run, he could expose some real flaws in the Commanders' defense.
Key injuries
Commanders DE Clelin Ferrell has not played since Week 2 because of a knee injury. ... WR Noah Brown is trending toward playing after missing the previous game with a groin injury. ... The team is managing RB Brian Robinson Jr.'s knee injury. ... WR Rashod Bateman (groin), CB Marlon Humphrey (ankle), LB Malik Harrison (groin), CB Arthur Maulet (knee and hamstring), T Ronnie Stanley (toe) and DE Broderick Washington (knee) all missed practice early in the week.
Series notes
The home team has won three of their past four meetings. ... They've split four games since John Harbaugh began coaching Baltimore in 2008. ... The teams' stadiums, each in Maryland, are separated by less than 30 miles (48 kilometers).
Stats and stuff
The Ravens and Commanders are the only two teams to rank in the top five in the league in points, total yards, rushing yards and third down conversions. ... Jackson and Daniels are the only two players in NFL history to average 200-plus yards passing and 50-plus yards rushing over their careers. ... Jackson, the two-time and reigning MVP, has thrown for 1,206 yards, nine TDs and an interception and run for 363 yards. ... Henry had 92 yards rushing at Cincinnati. ... WR Zay Flowers led the team with seven catches and had a career-high 111 yards receiving in the Bengals game. ... TE Isaiah Likely made two TD catches last week and has three season. ... LB Kyle Van Noy has a team-high six sacks. ... LB Roquan Smith leads Baltimore with 50 tackles, including 15 last week. ... Washington has 13 rushing TDs, tied with the 1975 Miami Dolphins for the most through the first five games of a season since 1970. ... Daniels is the third rookie QB to start and win four of his first five career games. ... Daniels' 300 yards rushing are the most by a QB through his first five games in the Super Bowl era. ... Robinson ran for two TDs against Cleveland despite not getting a carry in the second half. ... RB Austin Ekeler had a season-high 97 scrimmage yards last week. ... McLaurin has 15 catches for 264 yards over the past three games after starting the season with eight for 39. ... McLaurin had 10 for 118 yards in his previous game against Baltimore. ... LB Frankie Luvu had a career-high 2 1/2 sacks and his fifth career fumble recovery in the Browns game. ... Six-time All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner leads the Commanders with 44 tackles.
Fantasy tip
Baltimore's defensive struggles make a lot of Washington's pass catchers attractive, but avoid TE Zach Ertz and be careful with the receiver roulette beyond McLaurin. Brown's potential return makes it unclear whether he, Olamide Zaccheaus or rookie Luke McCaffrey will get more looks. Ekeler is a safer choice out of the backfield.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Associated Press
