Prime-time audiences will get a wholesome dose of star quarterback Lamar Jackson down the stretch of this yr’s NFL season.
The Ravens will play 4 nationally televised night time video games in a six-week span between Weeks 11 and 16, together with a Christmas night time blockbuster towards the 49ers in San Francisco. Last season, the 49ers have been 13-4 within the common season and reached the NFC championship earlier than dropping to the Philadelphia Eagles. They’re anticipated to contend for the NFC title once more.
Other night time video games for the Ravens embrace a Thursday showdown towards the division rival Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on Nov. 16 and two Sunday night time video games — towards the Chargers in Los Angeles on Nov. 26 and on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 17.
The Ravens may also play in London for simply the second time in franchise historical past once they tackle the host Tennessee Titans on Oct. 15 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Ravens final performed abroad in 2017, getting blown out by the Jaguars, 44-7, at Wembley Stadium.
Last season, the Ravens performed three prime-time video games (Week 5 vs. Cincinnati; Week 8 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Week 9 on the New Orleans Saints), their fewest since 2019.
But with the Ravens having re-signed Jackson — the NFL Most Valuable Player in 2019 — and added two-time All-Pro vast receiver Odell Beckham Jr., amongst different strikes, they’ve emerged as a possible Super Bowl contender after going 10-7 final season and dropping to the Bengals within the AFC wild-card spherical.
This marks simply the third time the Ravens will play on Christmas and first since 2016, when Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger linked with vast receiver Antonio Brown for a 4-yard landing cross with 9 seconds remaining to rally Pittsburgh to a 31-27 dwelling victory that clinched the AFC North title. The different Christmas recreation the Ravens performed was in 2005 towards the Vikings in Baltimore when Kyle Boller went 24-for-34 for 289 yards and three touchdowns to guide the Ravens to a 30-23 win that eradicated Minnesota from the playoff hunt.
It may also be the primary time the Ravens have performed the 49ers since 2019, when Jackson transformed a pair of keepers on fourth-and-1 and third-and-1 late within the recreation to arrange a 49-yard game-winning subject aim by Justin Tucker as time expired to offer the Ravens a 20-17 victory. Jimmy Garoppolo was the 49ers’ quarterback then however has since moved on to the Las Vegas Raiders. Brock Purdy, one of many league’s most stunning gamers final season, is now below heart for San Francisco, although the final choose within the 2022 NFL draft is recovering from elbow surgical procedure.
As taxing because the Ravens’ again half of the schedule is, the primary 10 weeks are largely favorable.
The Ravens will open the season at dwelling on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. towards the Texans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was chosen second total by Houston in final month’s draft. With Baltimore once more that includes one of many league’s greatest defenses and the Texans coming off a 3-13-1 season, the Ravens will likely be heavy favorites.
From there, they’ll journey to Cincinnati to tackle the Bengals, who reached final yr’s AFC championship. The final time the Ravens noticed them at Paycor Stadium was in final yr’s wild-card recreation when Bengals defensive finish Sam Hubbard returned a fumble by backup quarterback Tyler Huntley 98 yards for a landing early within the fourth quarter for the tie-breaking rating.
Jackson didn’t play within the recreation. Over the previous two years, he has missed 11 video games due to harm, together with the ultimate six final season.
In Week 3, the Ravens might face one other rookie quarterback in Anthony Richardson, whom Indianapolis drafted fourth total, when the Colts journey to M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 24. The Ravens then journey to Cleveland to tackle the Browns, adopted by a visit to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers. Collectively, these three groups have been 20-31-1 final season, with the Colts going simply 4-12-1.
While groups usually have the choice to take a bye week after a global recreation, the Ravens is not going to accomplish that after enjoying in London and can as an alternative play the Detroit Lions in Baltimore on Oct. 22. The following week, the Ravens will embark on the primary of what’s going to be three West Coast journeys with a go to to Arizona to tackle the Cardinals earlier than returning dwelling to play the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 5 after which internet hosting the Browns the week after that.
After touring the third-fewest air miles (9,500) within the NFL and simply two time zones final season, the Ravens this yr can have the sixth-most air miles at 25,442 and journey 28 time zones in all.
Following their Sunday night time recreation on the Chargers on Nov. 26, the Ravens can have a bye in Week 13 earlier than the Los Angeles Rams come to Baltimore on Dec. 10. The Ravens will wrap up their common season with a pair of dwelling video games, on Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. towards the Miami Dolphins and towards the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the date and time nonetheless to be decided.
For the Dolphins, will probably be their second of three straight journeys to M&T Bank Stadium. Last yr, they rallied to an inconceivable 42-38 victory after trailing 35-14 getting into the fourth quarter.
In all, the Ravens will face six groups that made the playoffs final season — the Bengals, Seahawks, Chargers, Jaguars, 49ers and Dolphins. But additionally they have one of many league’s extra modest schedules by way of issue. Among all 32 groups, the Ravens have the Twelfth-easiest schedule, with their opponents having gained 48.4% of video games final season.
Ravens 2023 schedule
* – Flexible scheduling video games
Week 1 (Sept. 10): vs. Houston Texans, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 2 (Sept. 17): at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 3 (Sept. 24): vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 4 (Oct. 1): at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 5 (Oct. 8)*: at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 6 (Oct. 15): at Tennessee Titans (in London), 9:30 a.m., NFL Network
Week 7 (Oct. 22)*: vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., Fox
Week 8 (Oct. 29)*: at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Week 9 (Nov. 5)*: vs. Seattle Seahawks, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 10 (Nov. 12)*: vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., Fox
Week 11 (Thursday, Nov. 16): vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime
Week 12 (Nov. 26)*: at Los Angeles Chargers, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 13: Bye
Week 14 (Dec. 10)*: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 1 p.m., Fox
Week 15 (Dec. 17)*: at Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 16 (Monday, Dec. 25): at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m., ABC
Week 17 (Dec. 31)*: vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 18: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, TBD
PRESEASON
Week 1 (Friday, Aug. 11): vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7 p.m.
Week 2 (Monday, Aug. 21): at Washington Commanders, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Week 3 (Saturday, Aug. 26): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, TBD
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Source: www.bostonherald.com