CHARGERS (7-3) vs. RAVENS (7-4)
When: Monday, 5:15 p.m.
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/Radio: Ch.7/ESPN; 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)
Line: Ravens by 3
Notable injury designations: CHARGERS: OUT: TE Hayden Hurst (hip), LB Denzel Perryman (groin). QUESTIONABLE: OLB Bud Dupree (foot), S AJ Finley (ankle), CB Cam Hart (concussion/ankle), DB Deane Leonard (hamstring), OLB Khalil Mack (groin), WR Ladd McConkey (shoulder). RAVENS: OUT: S Sanoussi Kane (ankle), CB Arthur Maulet (calf). QUESTIONABLE: DT Travis Jones (ankle), C Tyler Linderbaum (back), LB Roquan Smith (hamstring).
Who’s better: That’s a good question, one we’ll let the teams decide on the field. The Chargers have the better-ranked defense and the Ravens have the better-ranked offense. Their records are similar. Their quarterbacks are a joy to watch. Their defensive fronts are tough to dent. So, let’s just call this game what it is and that’s one of the best games of the season to date. There’s a reason they put this one on “Monday Night Football” way back when the schedule was announced last spring.
Matchup to watch: Jim Harbaugh versus John Harbaugh? Justin Herbert versus Lamar Jackson? The Chargers’ defensive front versus Ravens running back Derrick Henry? The Ravens’ defensive front versus Chargers running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards? There’s a lot to take in when considering what to focus on when the teams take to the SoFi Stadium turf Monday night. The Herbert-Jackson matchup might be the most compelling, although they won’t be on the field at the same time. They might be the only ones capable of overshadowing the hype of Harbaugh Bowl III. John Harbaugh held a 2-0 advantage over Jim Harbaugh when Jim was with the San Francisco 49ers, for what it’s worth.
Chargers win if: The Chargers’ first half in their victory this past Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals was probably their best of the season. Their second half, while not their worst of the season, was a reason for concern. The Chargers must play a more consistent 60 minutes if they are to extend their four-game winning streak. It’s a tall order, but it’s probably the one thing that could hold them back as they chase down a playoff berth before the end of the regular season. Building a 24-6 lead over the Bengals by halftime was remarkable and it was probably too much to ask to duplicate that sort of efficiency in the second half. But they can’t give away leads as they did to the Bengals and expect a miracle finish from Herbert.
Fantasy sleeper: Is this the week that Herbert throws for 350 yards and four touchdowns? He might have to build numbers that high if the Chargers are to dent the Ravens’ defense. Baltimore is really, really good against the run, and the Chargers aren’t hard-headed enough to stick with the run if it’s only producing modest gains of two and three yards per attempt. So, look for the Chargers to open it up with Herbert passing and passing and passing some more.
Prediction: It would be going out on a rather shaky limb to suggest the Chargers finally have built an actual home-field advantage at SoFi Stadium, but did you hear the crowd’s reaction when Dobbins leaped into the end zone for what proved to be the winning touchdown against the Bengals? The Chargers have won three in a row at home after their lone home loss to the Chiefs and each victory has seemed more like a Chargers home crowd than a visitors’ takeover. What does it all mean? Well, it does give a team a boost to hear the cheers of its fans in its home stadium. Chargers 31, Ravens 28.