Baltimore Ravens: 3 Players that must shine vs. Seahawks in Week 7

The Baltimore Ravens have a chance to make a statement as they go on the road to face the Seahawks in Week 7 but these players must rise to the occasion.

Entering Week 7 with a 4-2 record, the Baltimore Ravens are currently in control of the AFC North in an emphatic way. While that bodes well for their chances to make the playoffs, the Ravens have yet to convince everyone that they’re legitimate in 2019. Lamar Jackson and company have that opportunity on Sunday, though, as they hit the road to face the Seattle Seahawks.

The Ravens are coming off of an eventful week that saw them trade for cornerback Marcus Peters, who no doubt is expected to help a secondary that has been banged-up and struggling at times. He’ll play on Sunday against Seattle, who is 5-1 on the season behind an MVP-caliber effort from Russell Wilson, but it remains to be seen just how much Peters will be on the field.

Either way, this is a prime opportunity for Baltimore to go on the road and make a statement by beating an NFC contender. For that to happen, though, these three Ravens need to be at their best at CenturyLink Field in Week 7.

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3. Mark Andrews, TE

Though he’s been banged up for the past couple of weeks, tight end Mark Andrews has been the leading pass-catcher for the Baltimore Ravens on the 2019 season. He leads the team with 34 receptions, 47 targets and 410 yards receiving along with being tied for the team-lead with three touchdown grabs. And he’ll need to add to those totals in a big way.

Outside of Andrews and Marquise Brown, the pass-catchers for Baltimore have been a bit hit-or-miss this season. Thus, with Brown not slated to suit up against the Seahawks, Andrews will be called upon as both a big-play threat and security blanket. More importantly, he’s also in a matchup against a Seattle defense that has struggled to defend tight ends this year. He must exploit that on Sunday for the offense to succeed.

2. Earl Thomas, S

It’s a revenge game for Earl Thomas as he faces his former team (who he also gave the middle finger to in his final game with last season). However, that’s not why he’s an X-factor for Sunday’s Week 7 matchup.

Baltimore has relied heavily on their defensive backs to save them in pass defense this season, though the results have been mixed. That could be problematic as they match up against two dangerous deep threats in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. That’s where Thomas will be critical. He must play smart and provide elite protection over the top in coverage to help limit the big plays that the Seahawks are able to manufacture.

1. Lamar Jackson, QB

When the Baltimore Ravens have struggled this season, a substantial reason as to why has been Lamar Jackson struggling. The second-year quarterback has made an undeniable leap in his performance from year one to two. However, he’s also shown that he’s still a young player, particularly when he’s faced with heavy blitzing as he’s tended to make poor decisions in those situations.

You can expect the Seahawks to have that factored into their gameplan on Sunday, especially in front of the 12th Man. Subsequently, the key for the Ravens is to keep Jackson from playing hero-ball. Everyone knows what he’s capable of with his arm and legs but what Baltimore cannot afford is him to make ill-timed mistakes when trying to match potential MVP Russell Wilson.