Week 8: Ravens Vs. Buccaneers Preview, Where to Watch, Prediction

Baltimore Ravens favored by 1.5 over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 8: Ravens (4-3) at Buccaneers (3-4)

Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, 8:15 PM EST at Raymond James Stadium

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Ravens are favored by 1.5 (SI Sportsbook)

How to Watch/Listen

Television: Amazon NFL on Prime Video / WMAR Ch. 2 (Baltimore)

Stream: Ravens Mobile app for iOS and Android; Ravens website

Local Radio: WBAL (1090 AM) & 98Rock (97.9 FM)

National Radio: Westwood One Sports

Spanish Radio: La Mera Mera 1050 AM & WTTZ 93.5 FM

Mobile: Ravens website, Ravens Mobile app

Series History

The Ravens are 4-2 vs. the Buccaneers, including 2-1 on the road. Baltimore last played at Tampa Bay in 2014 and won 48-17. Under Coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens are 3-0 against Tampa Bay, last winning a 20-12 battle at M&T Bank Stadium during the 2018 season. 

By the Numbers

8-4 – The Ravens' record when playing on Thursday Night Football during the John Harbaugh era (since 2008).

Notable

Quarterback Lamar Jackson ranks sixth all-time in rushing yards (4,183) by a quarterback and needs 57 more to pass Hall of Famer Steve Young for fifth place. Jackson's 64.4 career rushing yards per game rank No. 1 by a QB in NFL history.

2022 Rankings

Ravens: Total Offense: 15; Total Defense: 23

Buccaneers: Total Offense: 22; Total Defense: 7

@Ravens RB Gus Edwards had a triumphant return to the lineup against the Browns.
It's also a good sign for Baltimore, which could lean heavily on this ground attack for the stretch run to the playoffs.#RavensFlock https://t.co/91DvbgWNnO via @toddkarpovich

— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) October 24, 2022

Ravens Game Plan

Offense

The Ravens are the sixth highest-scoring team in the NFL, averaging 25.9 points per game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has thrown for 1,397 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also leads the team with 510 yards rushing.

Baltimore will look to establish the run against the Buccaneers, who are allowing 118.3 yards per game. Ravens running back Gus Edwards had a triumphant return to the lineup in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns. It's also a good sign for Baltimore, which could lean heavily on this ground attack for the stretch run to the playoffs. Playing in his first regular season game since 2020 because of a knee injury, Edwards ran the ball 16 times for 66 yards with two touchdowns. It was his second-career multi-touchdown outing and he did not appear to be hampered by the previous injury.

The Buccaneers have a stout pass defense that is ranked sixth in the league, allowing 190 yards per game. Tampa Bay loves to blitz and defensive tackle Vita Vea leads the team with 3.5 sacks. Devin White and Antoine Winfield Jr. also have three sacks apiece. Overall, the Buccaneers are tied for third in the NFL with 22 sacks. The pressure up front has led to turnovers and cornerback Jamel Dean has two interceptions. Overall, Tampa Bay has a plus-6 turnover ratio. 

Jackson did a good job managing the game last week against the Browns and completed just 9 of 16 pass attempts for 120 yards. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman was back in the lineup after missing the last two games with a left foot injury. He was a spark and had a 26-yard catch and run. Devin Duvernay had a 31-yard reception. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was able to play after missing practice time with a knee injury but did not have a catch on two targets. The Ravens need to get Andrews more involved this week.

Defense

Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady has been mostly solid. He has thrown for 1,942 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. His receivers have let him down with some drops. Brady has gone 6-2 against the Ravens over his career. Brady is not mobile but he does a good job getting rid of the football, so the Ravens will have to be careful with their blitzing and not leave the backend of the defense exposed. 

The Ravens' pass rush struggled without Justin Houston in the lineup. The outside linebacker was back on the field in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns after missing the previous three games with a groin injury.  Houston made an immediate impact with two sacks on consecutive plays in the second quarter, including a strip sack that stalled a late Cleveland drive. Overall, the Ravens finished with five sacks. They will be challenged to repeat that performance against Brady, who has only been sacked 10 times — ranked 24th in the NFL. 

Brady's favorite targets are Mike Evans (454 yards receiving) and Chris Godwin (293 yards) but cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters should be able to provide solid coverage. The Buccaneers running attack is led by Leonard Fournette, who has 362 yards rushing. He is a downhill runner that can be tough to tackle. The Ravens have been mostly stout against the run. The key will be not to let Brady take over the game. However, defensive end Calais Campbell has been ruled out for the Week 8 game. 

Prediction

Both teams are coming off a short week. The Ravens had a spirited 23-20 win over the Cleveland Browns. The Buccaneers had a deflating 21-3 loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers and there has been some unrest among the players. This is a huge game for Tampa Bay to decide the direction of their season. The Ravens have some cushion after improving to 2-0 in the AFC North and will play with confidence. 

Ravens 24, Buccaneers 17