It’s not Justin Tucker’s fault. I mean … it is because he missed the PAT that would have tied the game. However, there are two things to consider. The Ravens should not have been trailing in the first place, and even if he had made that extra point, that would not have secured the win; just put the Ravens into overtime.
But not all is lost. The battle for the AFC North is wide open. The Steelers are sitting in the driver’s seat at the moment, but the second their win percentage evens up with the Ravens, that head-to-head win will come into play. The next few weeks will shape the face of the AFC North because the Birds face the Steelers and then have a chance to take one back from the Bengals. First, the Carolina Panthers stand in the way in a non-conference affair. Top sportsbooks such as Heritage have the odds all across the board, from a pick ’em to the Baltimore Ravens listed as two-point favorites.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are 4-2 after their win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Cam Newton poured it on, going 25 of 39 for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On the other side, Carson Wentz threw for over 300 yards and was even more accurate, going 30 of 37. However, it wasn’t enough. The Eagles defense completely collapsed in the 4th quarter. This was less of a win on the part of the Panthers and more of a loss on the part of the Eagles.
“We were up 17-0 at some point,” Cox said, “and they came back and kicked our a–es. The worst loss of my career.” – Fletcher Cox
“I’ve lost 200 f—in games … we blew it on defense.” – Chris Long
If there is anything the Ravens should learn from this game is the not to count Cam and company out late in the game, even if there is a sizable lead. This holds even more true at Bank of America Stadium where the Panthers are averaging just over 26 points per game and only allowing 20 points per game. These two teams have met five times in recent history, and Carolina holds a slight 3-2 advantage.
Ravens Must End The Road Woes
The Ravens have gone a miserable 6-12 on the road over their last 18 games and since 2017 are just 2-3 (40%) in non-conference games. These trends don’t bode well for the Ravens next Sunday; they will have to break out of the mold and score more than the 19.8 points they are averaging during away games. A couple of things that are in favor of Baltimore in Week 8 are the fact that they have only allowed 15 points in road games, which is No. 1 in the league, and since 2017, are 6-2 (75%) when coming off a loss.
The Panthers have been ultra-effective on the ground while playing in Carolina. They average 165 rushing yards per game, which is second best in the league. To counter that, the Ravens are also second best in the league in stopping the run while on the road. The elite Ravens front needs to hold to that standard and keep the Panthers under 100 yards on the ground. The Panthers not only have a head-to-head advantage over the Ravens, but they also have a knack for winning non-conference matchups. Since 2017 they are 5-0 against the AFC, and going back to 2015, they are still a whopping 10-4, which is over 71%.
Sunday Conclusion
All of the signs point to a hard-fought game, and this is definitely one that we as fans, cannot miss. If I were placing any action on this game, I would take UNDER 43 points as Baltimore is allowing just 15 and the Panthers just 20 while at home. I
t’s going to be too close to try and predict an outcome against the spread. So, just sit back and enjoy the game.
