Ravens And Chargers Meet In Matchup Of Division Leaders

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore manager John Harbaugh was asked precocious to fertile the pulsating finishes these past fewer weeks that person enactment his squad atop the AFC North.

“The adjacent 1 is going to beryllium the champion one,” Harbaugh said with a laugh.

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The Ravens mightiness precise good beryllium headed to different stressful 4th quarter, due to the fact that up adjacent for them Sunday is simply a clash with the Los Angeles Chargers. This matchup pits 2 of the astir breathtaking quarterbacks successful the athletics successful Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert. It’s besides a crippled betwixt teams that person been tested successful adjacent contests–and person travel done often capable to pb their divisions.

Baltimore (4-1) mislaid its archetypal crippled of the play successful overtime, past bushed Kansas City with the assistance of a precocious fumble and edged Detroit connected Justin Tucker’s 66-yard tract goal. The Ravens rallied from a 19-point shortage Monday nighttime to bushed Indianapolis successful overtime.

Los Angeles (4-1) is coming disconnected a 47-42 triumph implicit Cleveland successful which Chargers trailed 3-0, 10-7, 27-13, 35-28 and 42-35. A mates weeks earlier, the Chargers bushed the Chiefs connected a last-minute touchdown.

“It shows america that we person the content to triumph immoderate benignant of game,” Los Angeles cornerback Chris Harris said. “Any benignant of mode that teams privation to play, we consciousness similar we tin play immoderate style. If they privation to lb and ground, we tin play that benignant of crippled and inactive triumph a shootout. If it’s a close, tight-knit antiaircraft game, we consciousness similar we tin triumph those games, too.”

Herbert threw for 398 yards and 4 touchdowns against Cleveland. Jackson’s stat enactment against the Colts was similar: 442 yards passing and 4 TDs. Neither backmost was intercepted.

Jackson is passing much this year, and the Ravens pb the NFL successful full offense. He’s inactive a moving menace arsenic well.

“He’s astir apt the astir dynamic subordinate successful the NFL erstwhile helium gets the shot successful his hands,” Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa said. “At the extremity of the day, that’s what we’re going to request to stop.”

Harbaugh has plentifulness of admiration for Herbert arsenic well.

“He throws the second-fastest shot successful the National Football League based connected what I saw successful the data. So, helium has tremendous limb strength,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve ne'er seen him propulsion successful idiosyncratic yet. This volition beryllium a archetypal for me, personally. I’m looking guardant to it.

“Kind of. Sort of. I guess.”

EKELER’S EMERGENCE

Austin Ekeler is tied for the league pb with 7 touchdowns and helped substance the Chargers’ rally past week against Cleveland with 3 touchdowns successful the 4th quarter.

“What you tin bash is activate him successful the passing crippled and successful the moving crippled to springiness you an vantage depending connected however radical are playing you,” manager Brandon Staley said. “Against a unreserved that’s that good, you person to find your backs for immoderate breathers backmost determination erstwhile the pocket’s chaos.”

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Ekeler, who is 5th successful the AFC with 349 yards rushing, hasn’t been stopped for antagonistic yards oregon nary summation successful his past 37 carries.

TOP TARGETS

The Ravens mislaid receiver Sammy Watkins during the crippled against Indianapolis to a hamstring injury. That meant choky extremity Mark Andrews and receiver Marquise Brown were intelligibly the apical options for Jackson to look for. Those 2 combined for 21 catches, 272 yards and each 4 Baltimore TDs.

STOPPING THE RUN

The Chargers travel into Sunday’s crippled past successful the league successful tally defense, giving up 157.6 yards per game.

“We person a precocious level of missed tackles with the yards aft contact,” Harris said. “That’s thing we request to cleanable up.”

The Ravens, who mislaid moving backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to injuries earlier the season, were held nether 100 yards rushing by the Colts — the archetypal clip successful 44 games Baltimore failed to scope triple digits.

KEEP AN EYE ON …

Chargers kicker Tristan Vizcaino leads the league with 4 missed other points, including 2 past week against Cleveland.

“I consciousness like–we consciousness like–this guy’s a bully player,” Staley said. “We person to support coaching him, enactment diligent with him. Because sometimes it’s what guys similar this need, patience, and a small spot much experience.”

The Ravens benefitted from mistakes by Indianapolis’ kicking crippled Monday. The Colts missed an other point, arsenic good arsenic a tract extremity that would person won the game. Baltimore besides blocked a tract goal.

DAYLIGHT

Baltimore returns to a much mean docket present aft playing 3 of its archetypal 5 games astatine night.

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“We’re truly excited astir it, actually, to get successful that 1 o’clock rhythm,” antiaircraft coordinator Don Martindale said. “I don’t cognize however you each felt connected Tuesday, but I cognize however I felt. And Wednesday.”