Baltimore Ravens vs Carolina Panthers: 3 Bold Predictions

Sep 11, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil (58) reacts after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens pass rush will awaken

The Ravens pass rush hasn’t been impressive to this point, but a secondary that allows open receivers within milliseconds of the snap has a role to play in that.

Further, the Ravens have played two very good offensive lines, those of the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. Against a lesser line in the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens rush played well.

Carolina’s line is significantly worse than even the Steelers’. The Panthers’ line is so bad the Panthers are averaging just 72.3 yards per game on the ground, which is even worse than the Ravens’ abysmal 2013 campaign. And they aren’t much better in pass protection. Left tackle Byron Bell has been sub-par in pass protection, as has right tackle Nate Chandler.

Terrell Suggs, Pernell McPhee and Elvis Dumervil should be licking their chops to get a chance at the Panthers’ young tackles. A speed rush would be especially effective against the 340-pound Bell, so expect Suggs to turn back the clock and showcase some speed in getting around Bell.

Cam Newton is tough to bring down and has great speed for the quarterback position, but he can also run himself into trouble at times. He’ll escape pressure a couple of times, but expect him to go down a few times as well.