Ravens, Chargers Features Battle of Top Young Quarterbacks
BALTIMORE — The Chargers visit the Ravens on Sunday in a matchup of two teams that overcame second-half deficits of at least 14 points to win in Week 5.
The Chargers (4-1), down 27-13 in the third quarter, scored 26 fourth-quarter points to defeat Cleveland, 47-42. Baltimore (4-1) trailed by 16 points early in the fourth quarter last week and scored three consecutive touchdowns to defeat Indianapolis, 31-25, in overtime.
This marks the first meeting between two teams that are both coming off wins in which they overcame a 14-point deficit since Week 5 of the 2018 season when the Raiders visited the Chargers.
"It’s a stressful league. It’s a tough league. It’s hard to win," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Everybody in this league throws everything that they have into finding a way to win the game. Every team is super talented. Every team is extremely well-coached. This team we’re going to play is extremely well-coached with great talent.
"Just every one of these is like playing for the National Championship, it really is. It’s like the College Football National Championship every week – that’s how you feel in the game. So, to your point, I think you’re right.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (315.2 passing yards per game) and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (303.8) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in passing yards per game this season.
"[He has] incredible arm strength," Harbaugh said about Herbert. "Then you look at the analytics, and according to the analytics, he throws the second-fastest football in the National Football League based on what I saw in the data. So, he has tremendous arm strength. I’ve never seen him throw in person yet; this will be a first for me, personally. I’m looking forward to it, kind of, sort of, I guess. But he’s a very talented guy.”
Their matchup on Sunday will be the first game to feature opposing starting quarterbacks who each average at least 300 passing yards per game that season (entering the game) in Week 6 or later since Week 11, 2018 when Jared Goff faced off with Patrick Mahomes.
“I really haven’t watched those guys like that, but I do see him on Instagram and stuff like that, flashing around, doing his thing," Jackson said about Herbert. "He’s a very talented quarterback, and he’s been doing his thing. Hopefully, it slows down a little bit when we’re playing against him; we don’t want to hype him up too bad this week. But he’s definitely been balling out – balling out of control.”
Jackson, who turns 25 years old in January, earned his 34th-career win as a starting quarterback last week and can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (34 wins) for the most wins by a quarterback prior to his 25th birthday in NFL history.
Jackson leads all players with 1,860 total yards (passing and rushing combined) through the first five weeks and can become the third player with at least 2,200 total yards in his team’s first six games of a season in NFL history.
— NFL
