Calais Campbell enters Sunday's game with 99.0 career sacks, and it would be cool to see No. 100 come against Russell Wilson. Where would Baltimore's pass rush be if Campbell and Justin Houston had retired during the offseason? Fortunately for the Ravens, they returned with fury.
Wilson turned 34 years old Tuesday and says he doesn't feel old. But his struggles have been shocking. He has just eight TD throws, and Denver is the league's lowest-scoring team. This is a quarterback who averaged 29.2 touchdown passes for 10 years. Who saw this coming?
The loss to Jacksonville hurt, but the Ravens still have a far easier schedule on paper than the Bengals. Cincinnati plays the Chiefs and Bills at home and the Buccaneers and Patriots on the road. I still like the Ravens' chances to win the AFC North.
The Ravens have struggled in the red zone recently, and the Broncos have the No.1 red zone defense in the league. Sunday will be good test for the Ravens to see if they're on the right track to improving their red zone issues.
Rookie safety Kyle Hamilton participated fully in practice Friday, a positive sign. He was playing his best football when he injured his knee, and the Ravens missed him against Jacksonville. His versatility brings another dimension to the secondary.
DeSean Jackson showed he's still one of the league's fastest players on his 62-yard catch in Jacksonville. The Ravens would be wise to take more deep shots to Jackson. Lamar Jackson's got the arm strength and DeSean's got the speed to make big plays.
I think Gus Edwards might have a breakout game. He had a costly fumble in Jacksonville, but he led the running backs with 52 yards and was far away the busiest running back with 16 carries. "The Bus" looks ready to roll.
Seeing Marshal Yanda join the Ravens Ring of Honor presented by Meritage Jewelers will be a much-deserved tribute. All my dealings with him were always first class. Great player, great to talk to. I believe Yanda will have a Hall of Fame bust in Canton one day.
The Ravens have outscored opponents by 86 points over the first three quarters, but have been outscored by 38 points in the fourth quarter. I don't have an explanation for that, but the Ravens need to find one.
Marcus Williams (wrist) and J.K. Dobbins (knee) won't play Sunday, but they're trending in the right direction. If the Ravens get healthier in December, it's going to improve their chances to make a playoff run in January.
