ESPN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Stephania Bell |
 |
|
| Matt Bowen |
|
|
| Mike Clay |
|
|
| Jeremy Fowler |
|
|
| Dan Graziano |
 |
|
| Kalyn Kahler |
|
|
| Kimberly A. Martin |
|
|
| Eric Moody |
|
|
| Jason Reid |
|
|
| Lindsey Thiry |
|
|
| Seth Wickersham |
|
BALTIMORE SUN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Childs Walker |
|
Ravens 34, Commanders 24 “The Commanders, with one of the league’s weaker defenses, might have to pick their poison between Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry running and Jackson looking over the top as he did in Cincinnati. Washington’s potent offense won’t be silenced, but it won’t keep up with Jackson and Henry. This is a significant step up for the Commanders, and it will show in the end.” |
| Brian Wacker |
|
Ravens 27, Commanders 23 “Baltimore’s defense is also perhaps the most talented that Washington has seen so far, and safety Kyle Hamilton, inside linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive tackles Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones will make enough plays to force Washington into some mistakes.” |
| C.J. Doon |
|
Commanders 31, Ravens 28 “Baltimore felt vulnerable enough on defense to bring in longtime assistant Dean Pees this week, and it could take a little more time to sort out the problems in the secondary. Jayden Daniels frustrates the Ravens’ pass rush and makes enough big plays to keep Washington within striking distance before leading a late drive for the game-winning field goal.” |
| Tim Schwartz |
|
Commanders 34, Ravens 30 “Roquan Smith is right: Daniels hasn’t seen a defense like the Ravens’, but Smith hasn’t seen a quarterback like Daniels either. And the only quarterback playing better than the rookie is … Lamar Jackson. Expect some superb quarterback play Sunday, so sit back and enjoy the shootout.” |
| Bennett Conlin |
|
Ravens 33, Commanders 27 “Baltimore is the more complete team, with the Commanders having issues defending the pass. Baker Mayfield and Joe Burrow combined to throw for more than 600 yards and seven touchdowns in their respective matchups with Washington. The Commanders are a legitimate threat to win the NFC East, but the Ravens are a Super Bowl contender. There’s still a gap between these franchises, but it’s shrinking.” |
USA TODAY
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Bell |
|
Ravens 31, Commanders 24 |
| Chris Bumbaca |
|
Ravens 42, Commanders 34 |
| Nate Davis |
|
Ravens 35, Commanders 30 |
| Tyler Dragon |
|
Ravens 28, Commanders 23 |
| Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz |
|
Ravens 38, Commanders 35 |
| Lorenzo Reyes |
|
Ravens 33, Commanders 30 |
NFL.com
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Bhanpuri |
|
Ravens 28, Commanders 24 |
| Brooke Cerosimo |
|
Ravens 33, Commanders 28 |
| Dan Parr |
|
Ravens 30, Commanders 24 |
| Gennaro Filice |
|
Ravens 27, Commanders 19 “The Ravens lead the NFL in rushing offense (211.2 ypg) and rushing defense (60.4 ypg). The Commanders have proven quite capable of pounding the rock, ranking second at 178.4 ground yards per game, but can they stop a pounding? The early returns aren't promising, with Head Coach Dan Quinn's defense yielding 5.1 yards per carry, the second-worst mark in the league. To be fair, some advanced statistics are more favorable to Washington's run D, but I still don't trust this unit to slow down the prolific pairing of Lamar and Derrick Henry.” |
| Tom Blair |
|
Ravens 27, Commanders 25 |
NFL NETWORK
| Pundit | Projected Winner | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Rank |
|
Ravens 33, Commanders 28 |
| Colleen Wolfe |
|
Ravens 36, Commanders 30, OT |
| Marcas Grant |
|
Ravens 34, Commanders 28 |
| Maurice Jones-Drew |
|
Ravens 27, Commanders 24 |
| Daniel Jeremiah |
|
Ravens 28, Commanders 24 |
| Nick Shook |
|
Ravens 27, Commanders 24 |
| Kevin Patra |
|
Ravens 33, Commanders 30 |
| Grant Gordon |
|
Commanders 29, Ravens 28 |
| Eric Edholm |
|
Ravens 30, Commanders 23 |
SPORTING NEWS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Vinnie Iyer |
|
Ravens 31, Commanders 27 “This is the best Battle of the Beltway ever with Heisman-winning, dual-threat MVP candidate Jayden Daniels facing off with Heisman-winning dual-threat two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. The defenses have started to show plenty of holes, meaning the offensive fireworks of chunk runs and big pass plays will not disappoint. Jackson's experience and help from Derrick Henry give him a slight edge over Daniels, who is still on the road despite a short local trip.” |
CBS SPORTS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Prisco |
|
Ravens 31, Commanders 29 “This is the big game of the week, featuring a surprise Commanders team against a Ravens team that is one of the best in the league. This is a proving game for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders. Baltimore has issues on defense that show up each week. Daniels will play well and keep his team in it, but he won't be able to outplay Lamar Jackson. Ravens will win a close one.” |
| Will Brinson |
|
|
| Jared Dubin |
|
|
| Ryan Wilson |
|
|
| John Breech |
|
Ravens 34, Commanders 31 “If the Ravens are able to run the ball, that will allow them to control the clock, which will keep Daniels off the field, which would be another good thing for Baltimore, because when Daniels is on the field, no one can stop him. Through five weeks, Daniels has been one of the most explosive rookies in NFL history. With 1,135 passing yards and 300 rushing yards, he's the first player in NFL history to have at least 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards through his first five career games. That being said, I can't pick against the Ravens and that's mostly because Lamar Jackson never loses to NFC teams. Over the course of his career, he's 21-1 against the NFC, a record that includes nine straight wins.” |
| Tyler Sullivan |
|
|
| Dave Richard |
|
|
| Jamey Eisenberg |
|
PRO FOOTBALL TALK
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Florio |
|
Ravens 34, Commanders 31 “It's the game of the day. Can the Ravens avoid their fourth-quarter foibles?" |
| Chris Simms |
|
Ravens 34, Commanders 23 “I think this game is fun and goes back and forth for a while, but the Ravens show that clearly they’re the cream of the crop in this one.” |
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Albert Breer |
|
|
| Mitch Goldich |
|
|
| Gilberto Manzano |
|
|
| Connor Orr |
|
|
| John Pluym |
|
|
| Matt Verderame |
|
