The Ravens will look to get back on track this week after the "gut-wrenching" loss to Jacksonville last week.
Baltimore will welcome the St. Louis Rams (4-5) to M&T Bank Stadium, and both teams are hungry for a win.
Here are five things to watch during Sunday's game:
How Urschel Handles Donald
John Urschel drew quite the matchup for his first career start at center. Urschel took over the job when Jeremy Zuttah went on season-ending injured reserve this week, and now Urschel will have to face off against reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald. The Rams defensive tackle is one of the best in the league at this position, and he has the ability to overpower interior offensive linemen across the NFL. Urschel has never started an NFL or college game at center, so he will certainly have his hands full trying to slow down the premier defensive lineman.
More Webb At Safety?
The Ravens debuted a new look on defense last week with cornerback Lardarius Webb getting some snaps at safety during clear passing situations. With turnovers hard to come by this season, the Ravens decided to mix things up by putting Webb in that ball-hawking role. Webb is a natural at the position dating back to his days as a college safety, and Head Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens may experiment a little more with Webb roaming the back end of the defense. Webb isn’t ready for a permanent move to safety, but Sunday's game might be an indication of how much more the Ravens want to use him in that role.
Getting Tight Ends Involved
The play of the tight ends was a bright spot in last week's loss to Jacksonville, as the Ravens rolled out the use of three-tight-end sets to get the young pass catchers more involved. Those formations might be limited this week because of rookie tight end Nick Boyle's foot injury, but the Ravens will likely still look for ways to get the ball to both Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams. The Ravens had success last week working the middle of the field to move the football, and the group of tight ends can create mismatches there in Baltimore's favor. With the Rams having a dominating defensive front, the Ravens might try to offset that with quick passes to the tight ends to get the offense into a groove.
Deep Shots To Givens
Wide receiver Chris Givens stepped into a starting job last week with Steve Smith Sr. done for the season. Givens caught his first touchdown in a Ravens uniform, but quarterback Joe Flacco also got picked off trying to hit Givens on a big play down the sidelines. Givens said the timing between he and Flacco is about a seven on a scale of 1-10, and the two of them need to get in sync. Givens is the best deep threat on the roster because of his speed, and Flacco will take some chances his way to keep the defense honest. If Flacco and Givens can connect on some big plays this week, that will make a significant difference for the offense.
Take Advantage Of New QB
The Rams made a change at quarterback this week, putting Case Keenum in the starting lineup in place of Nick Foles. The Ravens know Keenum well, as he beat them last season with the Houston Texans after getting signed to the roster earlier that week. Keenum has yet to throw a pass this season, but the Ravens know better than to sleep on him. They will look to make him uncomfortable early in the game to prevent him from getting in a rhythm. If they can bring pressure on him to force some quick throws, then the defense may have some opportunities to come up with the turnovers that have been so elusive this season.
