At the beginning of the season, there were very few people who saw the Baltimore Ravens-Denver Broncos match as one of the most important matches of the 9th week.

The matchup between the 5-3 teams could have major implications on the AFC Playoff picture for two months as teams jockey for a spot in the crowded conference. While Denver entered the match having won five of its last six games, the Ravens’ five-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Cleveland Browns in week 8.

Here are three things to watch: Ravens and Broncos Shootout at M&T Bank Stadium at 1 p.m.

The Ravens started to get their season back on track after deciding to rely on their running game. It’s no coincidence that the game they missed played a role in their loss to the Browns.

Baltimore’s 124 rushing yards against Cleveland were their fewest of the season. Part of that was that the Browns’ defense was mostly effective at containing Derrick Henry, but the Ravens’ impatience in the running game certainly didn’t help matters. Henry took only 11 carries and rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Running the ball against Denver’s strong defense won’t be easy. He 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. broncos The defense also ranks third in points allowed per game and fourth in passes allowed per game.

Baltimore shouldn’t be too deterred if they struggle to find success running the ball early. There are few running backs better than Henry at wearing down opposing defenses, but that can only happen if he gets the ball consistently.

Moving the ball against Denver won’t be easy, but it will be even harder for the Ravens to stop leaning on a rushing attack that leads the league in rushing yards per game.

ravens He made a big splash earlier this week when he acquired Diontae Johnson from the Panthers for a fifth-round pick.

Johnson won’t get the full workload in his Baltimore debut, as the NFL’s Jordan Schultz reported he’ll only play 15 to 20 snaps. He can still play an important role on offense.

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

Whether it’s getting a few receptions or his presence leading to more opportunities for Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, how the offense operates on the field with the former Pittsburgh Steelers and Panthers linebacker will provide an insight into what could potentially happen down the road.

It wouldn’t be wrong to see the Ravens’ pass defense and the Broncos’ pass defense as moving objects and stoppable forces.

The Ravens 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 were also tied for the second most allowed.

Even worse were the missed opportunities against Winston. There were three instances where Baltimore had a chance to intervene; only the ball passed through the hands of Eddie Jackson or Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton’s interception with about a minute left in the fourth quarter could have put the Ravens in the driver’s seat to win their sixth straight game.

Bo Nix and the Broncos’ offensive passing aren’t setting the world on fire. Ranking sixth in passing yards per game, Nix had 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. He threw for 1,530 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

The return of Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins will undoubtedly help provide stability, but the Ravens’ defense still needs to show signs of righting the ship against a rookie quarterback and a passing offense that has been below average through eight games.

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