Dare we use the words “Super Bowl preview’’ when speaking of the 4-1 Commanders making the 30-mile trek north to play at 3-2 Baltimore on Sunday?
For the Ravens, Super Bowl talk is somewhat familiar, considering they’ve been a winning franchise for the better part of the past decade and have one of the most dynamic players in the game in Lamar Jackson.
For the Commanders, Super Bowl — or even playoffs — talk has been folly for the past decade under the horrible ownership of Daniel Snyder, who made an embarrassing mess of the once-proud franchise.
Since the 2018 season, the Ravens are 66-33 and have been to the playoffs in five of the past six seasons. In that same span, the Commanders are 36-62-1 and don’t have a single winning season.
The winds of perennial losing in Washington appear to be shifting quite dramatically, thanks in direct part to the addition of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the first-round draft pick who appears to be a lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Daniels is completing an absurd 77.1 percent of his passes for 1,135 yards with six touchdowns, two interceptions and a rating of 106.2
Jackson, has thrown for 1,206 yards with nine TDs, one INT and has a rating of 107.2.
The Commanders are the leading scoring team in the league, and the Ravens are second. Both quarterbacks have changed the fortunes of their respective franchises with their arms and legs. Jackson has rushed for 353 yards and two TDs on 53 carries. Daniels has rushed for 300 yards and four TDs on 57 carries.
“I don’t like when people really like try to compare me to Lamar and vice versa,” Daniels told reporters this week. “I want to be known as Jayden Daniels and not the next such and such.”
Jackson told reporters he believes Daniels is “his own player, his own man” and that they two players are “just trying to make a name for ourselves.”
Jackson, a two-time and reigning NFL MVP, already has done that. Daniels is well on his way. This is what makes this matchup delicious.
Jackson and running back Derrick Henry are a dangerous tandem with Henry leading the NFL with 572 rushing yards.
The Commanders enter the game on a four-game winning streak, and the Ravens have won three in a row after an 0-2 start.
“It’s kind of the first time we’ve had one of these matchups where it’s two quarterbacks that are really having a lot of success and kind of similar in a way,” Commanders running back Austin Ekeler told reporters. “These guys are dynamic runners. Jayden obviously is new to the NFL, coming into the scene, but Lamar has had a lot of respect, so I’m excited for this matchup.”
Said Jackson of Daniels: “I’ve been catching glimpses of his play on social media and stuff like that… and he’s going off. He’s doing what we saw in college, what got him the Heisman.”
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An interesting issue to watch for in this game is the Ravens’ defense, which has struggled against the pass, allowing opponents to throw for an average of 280.2 yards a game — second-most in the league. Even in last week’s overtime win over the Bengals, Baltimore allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 392 yards and five TDs.
“Most of our problems are nothing structural,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton told reporters. “It’s just fundamental stuff. We have to tackle, we have to get off blocks, we have to communicate, and we’ve been saying this for five weeks now, so it’s time to start actually doing it.”
In response, though, the Ravens last week brought in veteran defensive assistant Dean Pees to join defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s staff as a senior adviser.
Head coach John Harbaugh is hoping Pees, a former Ravens defensive coordinator, will be able to help stop the bleeding.
Despite the uncharacteristic issues on defense, Harbaugh insisted this week, “I like where we are,’’ adding, “We are in a better place now because we continue to improve. We have a lot of improvement to do and a lot of opportunities to get better. So, I am excited about that opportunity.”
