Season of Boom

[Baze]

*Note current team rankings may not be truly reflected due to bye week

// Week 9 Preview: Baltimore Ravens
// BY JEANIE ROTH

BALTIMORE, Mary. - The Seahawks are looking to remain undefeated against AFC North teams this season when they square up against Baltimore and the 2nd-best scoring defense in the NFL.

Ravens Statistical Leaders

• QB Lamar Jackson: 1,628 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, 4 interceptions // 430 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
• HB Gus Edwards: 292 yards, 7 touchdowns
• TE Mark Andrews: 397 yards, 3 touchdowns
• LB Roquan Smith: 66 tackles (9th in NFL), 3 tackles for loss

Baltimore started the season on a 5-game winning streak before losing their first game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Ravens haven't seen Lamar Jackson take the next step quite yet as a pocket passer under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, it's been the defense that's shouldered most of the load this season. The Ravens' bend-but-don't-break defense is ranked 17th when it comes to offensive yards allowed, but as a unit Baltimore is also allowing the 2nd-fewest points per game. Roquan Smith leds the team with 66 tackles.

Recent injuries, however, to key starters Ronnie Stanley and Odell Beckham Jr. leave an already-thin Ravens offense even thinner. The receiving corps is led by tight end Mark Andrews and rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers.

Things to Watch For

• Will Lamar Jackson come alive for the Ravens offense?
  Baltimore's just an average team when it comes to offense - 13th in yards per game and 17th in points scored per game, but with Jackson under center the electrifying quarterback can explode for a big game at any point, and there is perhaps no better time than against the Seahawks defense. Seattle is allowing their opponents to score the 8th-most amount of points in the NFL this season, although some improvements from the defense was seen in last week's win against the Cleveland Browns when the team sacked Deshaun Watson 6 times. Slowing down the dual-threat Jackson will be an important factor.

• What will Seattle's gameplan be like without Kenneth Walker III?
  Seattle just lost one of the league's best rushers this season last week when Walker III left the team's contest against Cleveland and didn't return. It was revealed this week that he sustained several broken ribs that will keep him sidelined for at least one month, leaving the Seahawks to operate their running game with Zach Charbonnet, Deejay Dallas, and Kenny McIntosh. All offer a different skill set, and it will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Shane Waldren utilizes his running backs on Sunday...or if he even will with a scorching hot Geno Smith, who's thrown for over 800 yards in the past two games combined.

[Captain Canada]

Going to be tough without your workhorse running back. Lamar feels like playing against a cheatcode sometimes.

[supahotfire]

will the real birds plz stand up... should be a good one

[Baze]

Going to be tough without your workhorse running back. Lamar feels like playing against a cheatcode sometimes.

Yeah I had a gameplan for Lamar coming into this one...not letting him run the ball like crazy

will the real birds plz stand up... should be a good one

[Baze]

WEEK 9: BALTIMORE RAVENS vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
M&T Bank Stadium // Baltimore, MD
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Team | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | OT || FINAL
SEA (6-2) | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | - || 19
BAL (7-2) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | - || 17
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Devon Witherspoon's first career interception comes in the end zone against fellow rookie Zay Flowers.

// Losing Geno, Seattle defense rises up, intercepts Jackson twice in tight victory
BALTIMORE, Maryland - The Seahawks achieved what is arguably their best win of the season against the Baltimore Ravens, doing so without starting quarterback Geno Smith for the final 3 drives and behind a rejuvenated defense that forced 2 turnovers and sacked Lamar Jackson three times.

It was only the second time this season the Seahawks held their opponents to less than 20 points, with the first time coming way back in Week 2 when Seattle held the Detroit Lions to 10 points.

"No doubt, our best defensive performance this year," said head coach Pete Carroll. "We're mixing things up a bit and I think it got the better of them [Baltimore] today." The Seahawks limited Jackson to 236 yards passing and 20 yards rushing, and the Ravens were able to convert on just 4 of 13 third down opportunities. Running back J.K. Dobbins took the spotlight for the Ravens offense, scoring twice while running for 72 yards on 14 carries. Mark Andrews recorded 8 catches for 133 yards, and Zay Flowers ended with 68 yards in the absence of Odell Beckham Jr..

Defensive backs Devon Witherspoon and Mike Jackson Sr. both recorded their first interceptions of the season at pivotal moments. Witherspoon put an end to what appeared to be a scoring drive for the Ravens in the 2nd quarter when he picked off Jackson in the end zone. Jackson Sr. gave the Seahawks offense another opportunity to score in the 4th quarter after Geno Smith was picked off by linebacker Patrick Queen. The Seahawks immediately forced the turnover on the next play when Jackson's errant pass to Nelson Agholor landed right into Jackson's hands. Seattle would go on and turn the takeaway into the go-ahead touchdown, but did so without their starting quarterback.

Smith exited the game after being hit near the sidelines by Jadaveon Clowney, forcing Drew Lock to finish the contest. He was able to lead the Seahawks down the field and hit D.K. Metcalf for a 3-yard score with less than 3 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter.

"Drew's composure gave all of us confidence that we would be able to get the touchdown," said Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett, who finished with 4 catches for 45 yards. Smith is scheduled for further imaging tomorrow to determine his status for next week, but the quarterback was optimistic about being able to return.

Without Kenneth Walker III, the Seahawks still managed to get solid production from their running backs. Rookie Zach Charbonnet recorded his first career 100-yard game on 19 carries. He also scored a touchdown. Deejay Dallas added 29 yards on the ground, while rookie Kenny McIntosh caught 2 passes for 22 yards out of the backfield in addition to 18 yards on 3 carries.

The win is Seattle's 6th of the season, putting them in solid position to win their 7th next week when they face the Washington Commanders.

Scoring Summary

• 1st Quarter
  [BAL] J.K. Dobbins, 3-yard run (J. Tucker kick) [5:47]
  [SEA] Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 13-yard pass from Geno Smith (J. Myers kick) [1:00]

• 2nd Quarter
  [SEA] Zach Charbonnet, 4-yard run (missed PAT) [1:55]
  [BAL] Justin Tucker, 53-yard field goal [0:37]

• 3rd Quarter
  No Scoring

• 4th Quarter
  [BAL] J.K. Dobbins, 2-yard run (J. Tucker kick) [14:54]
  [SEA] D.K. Metcalf, 3-yard pass from Drew Lock (missed PAT) [2:48]

Notable Player Stats

• Seattle Seahawks (6-2)
  Geno Smith, QB: 20 of 31 (64%), 218 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception (82.4 passer rating) // 4 carries, 23 yards
  Drew Lock, QB: 3 of 4 (75%), 27 yards, 1 touchdown (132.2 passer rating)
  Zach Charbonnet, HB: 19 carries, 102 yards, TD
  D.K. Metcalf, WR: 6 receptions, 60 yards, TD
  Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR: 4 receptions, 60 yards, TD
  Mike Jackson Sr., CB: 8 tackles, INT
  Jordyn Brooks, LB: 7 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks
  Devon Witherspoon, CB: 3 tackles, INT

• Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
  Lamar Jackson, QB: 20 of 29 (68%), 260 yards, 2 interceptions (68.1 passer rating)
  J.K. Dobbins, HB: 14 carries, 72 yards, 2 TD
  Mark Andrews, TE: 8 receptions, 133 yards
  Zay Flowers, WR: 5 receptions, 68 yards
  Roquan Smith, LB: 12 tackles, TFL
  Patrick Queen, LB: 11 tackles, 2 TFL, INT
  Jadaveon Clowney, LB: 6 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks
  

[Captain Canada]

Did pretty well to eliminate impact plays from the Ravens side. Sucks to see your starting QB go down early, hopefully its nothing long-term.

[Baze]

Did pretty well to eliminate impact plays from the Ravens side. Sucks to see your starting QB go down early, hopefully its nothing long-term.

I held my breath. Could've been called a late hit too

[Baze]

// AROUND THE NFL - WEEK 9 \\

// Eagles defeat Cowboys in thriller to control the NFC East
Despite being out-gained 407 yards to 296, Philadelphia somehow managed to survive a 4-touchdown performance from Dak Prescott as well as overcome a 18-point deficit at halftime to defeat their NFC East rivals and control their destiny in the division. The Cowboys, perhaps, should be focusing on getting back into the win column before anything else...they're now losers of 2 straight games after starting the season 6-0 and becoming the last team to lose a game in this season. Not to mention, there's another team creeping up behind the Cowboys for second place in the NFC East - the Giants are sitting in third place with a 5-4 record.

Here were other things to note for Week 9:

• Carolina's impressive season continues, now leading the NFC South
  Coupled with a Falcons loss, the Panthers are now division leaders and if the season were to end today, it would be the first time since 2015 that they've clinched the NFC South crown - but there's still plenty of games left to play. Carolina fans should be more than thrilled with the play of rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who added another 4 touchdowns to his career against the Colts on Sunday. Xavier Woods was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after doing everything on defense - 1 interception, a forced fumble and recovery, and a defensive touchdown. They can maintain their lead in the standings with another win on Thursday night against Chicago. That will have to be done, however, without key defensive player Frankie Luvu, who will be out for most of the remainder of the season with a fractured foot.

• Broncos defeat Chiefs to stay within striking distance of AFC West
  These two teams met just two weeks ago, with the Chiefs (6-3) winning 38-31 at Arrowhead Stadium. The Broncos (5-3) returned the favor this week and delivered Kansas City a 26-24 loss to stay within a game of their division rival for the AFC West crown. Russell Wilson accounted for 2 touchdowns (1 passing, 1 rushing), and the Broncos defense prevented Patrick Mahomes from throwing for touchdowns, although he did score twice using his legs. These aren't the only 2 teams to pay attention to in the division, as a 38-17 Monday night win over the Jets also keeps the Los Angeles Chargers close behind with a 4-4 record.

--------------------------------------------
NFL Scores: Week 9, 2023

• [41] Tennessee Titans // Pittsburgh Steelers [3]
• [22] Miami Dolphins // Kansas City Chiefs [30]
• [13] Minnesota Vikings // Atlanta Falcons [10]
• [17] Arizona Cardinals // Cleveland Browns [28]
• [0] Los Angeles Rams // Green Bay Packers [14]
• [35] Tampa Bay Buccaneers // Houston Texans [7]
• [3] Chicago Bears // New Orleans Saints [42]
• [10] Washington Commanders // New England Patriots [21]
• [19] Seattle Seahawks // Baltimore Ravens [17]
• [20] Indianapolis Colts // Carolina Panthers [37]
• [30] Dallas Cowboys // Philadelphia Eagles [31]
• [21] New York Giants // Las Vegas Raiders [7]
• [28] Buffalo Bills // Cincinnati Bengals [14]
• [38] Los Angeles Chargers // New York Jets [17]

Players of the Week

• Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys: 26 of 35, 311 yards, 4 touchdowns
• Xavier Woods, S, Carolina Panthers: 4 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and recovery, 1 touchdown
• Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins: 22 of 34, 299 yards, 3 touchdowns
• Logan Wilson, LB, Cincinnati Bengals: 13 tackles, 2 sacks

Notable Transactions

• [CIN] Signed LB Melvin Ingram
• [DAL] Released DT Neville Gallimore
• [DAL] Signed LB Rashaan Evans
• [LV] Signed C Ben Jones

Injury Report

• Ryan Jensen, C, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Season (knee)
• Jalen Ramsey, CB, Miami Dolphins: 3 weeks (knee)
• Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets: Season (achilles)
• Chuck Clark, S, New York Jets: Season (knee)
• Jonathan Allen, DT, Washington Commanders: 2 weeks (knee)
• Clelin Ferrell, DE, San Francisco 49ers: 2 weeks (ankle)
• George Karlaftis, DE, Kansas City Chiefs: 1 week (back)
• Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens: 2 weeks (elbow)
• Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants: 3 weeks (shoulder)
• Adrian Phillips, S, New England Patriots: 2 weeks (shoulder)
• Frankie Luvu, LB, Carolina Panthers: 7 weeks (foot)
• Xavier McKinney, S, New York Giants: 5 weeks (shoulder)
• Tyler Conklin, TE, New York Jets: 7 weeks (foot)

[Baze]

[Agent]

Christ the Jets are horrible