Ravens vs. Broncos: Three Things To Watch

The Baltimore Ravens will look to get back in the win column when they face the Denver Broncos.

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs with the ball as Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) pursues during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Few would have penciled in the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Denver Broncos as one of the more important games of Week 9 at the beginning of the season.

The matchup between the pair of 5-3 teams may have huge implications in the AFC Playoff picture two months for now as teams vie for a spot in the crowded conference. Denver enters the matchup having won five of its last six games, while the Ravens just had their five-game winning streak snapped in a Week 8 upset loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Here are three things to watch when the Ravens and Broncos clash at 1 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium.

Will Baltimore be patient with the running game?

The Ravens started to get their season on track once they decided to lean on their running game. Not coincidentally, the game they stray away from that played a role in their demise against the Browns.

Baltimore's 124 rushing yards against Cleveland were its fewest of the season. Part of that was the Browns' defense being effective for the most part in containing Derrick Henry, but the Ravens' lack of patience in the running game certainly didn't help matters. Henry only got 11 carries and ran for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Running the ball against Denver's stout defense won't be easy. It ranks seventh in fewest rushing yards allowed per game and held the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers to under 100 yards on the ground. The Broncos defense is also third in points allowed per game and fourth in passing yards allowed per game.

Baltimore shouldn't get too deterred if it struggles to find success early in running the ball. Few running backs are better at wearing down an opposing defense than Henry, but that can only happen if he's getting the ball consistently.

It won't be easy to move the ball against Denver, but it'll be even tougher if the Ravens stray from leaning on a rushing attack that leads the league in rushing yards per game.

How much of an impact can Diontae Johnson make?

The Ravens made a splash earlier this week when it acquired receiver Diontae Johnson from the Panthers for a fifth-round pick.

Johnson won't get the full workload in his first outing for Baltimore, as NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported he's only going to play 15 to 20 snaps. Still, he can play a key role for the offense.

Johnson caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns this season for Carolina.

Whether it's getting a few receptions or his presence leading to more opportunities for Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, how the offense operates with the former Pittsburgh Steelers and Panthers receiver on the field will give a glimpse of what potentially lies ahead.

Can the Ravens' pass defense figure it out?

You wouldn't be wrong to pit the Ravens' pass defense vs. the Broncos' passing offense as the movable object vs. the stoppable force.

The Ravens have allowed 291.4 passing yards per game and were torched by Jameis Winston, as he completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Baltimore's 17 passing touchdowns allowed is also tied for the second-most allowed.

Even more damning was the missed opportunities against Winston. There were three instances where Baltimore had a chance at an interception, only for the ball to go right through Eddie Jackson or Kyle Hamilton's hands. Hamilton's dropped interception with around a minute left in the fourth quarter would have put the Ravens in the driver's seat to win their sixth-straight game.

Bo Nix and the Broncos passing offense haven't exactly been lighting the world on fire. They rank sixth in passing yards per game, though, Nix is coming off of his best performance of his rookie season, completing 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win over Carolina in Week 8. For the season, he has thrown for 1,530 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

The return of Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins will undoubtedly help stabilize things, but the Ravens' defense still needs to show signs of righting the ship against a rookie quarterback and a passing offense that has been sub-par through eight games.

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