With the AFC North crown in sight http://www.ravenscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-brandon-carr-jersey , the Ravens return to Baltimore for a must-win match against the 5-8 Buccaneers. Sandwiched between road contests against two of the best teams in the conference, Week 15 could be a trap game for Baltimore.The Ravens are 7.5 point favorites with the point total set at 46.5. Trends favor Baltimore, they are 15-7 at home and 6-1 when favored by more than a touchdown since 2016. Furthermore, the Buccaneers are 1-5 on the road this season and 4-15 when playing an opponent with a winning record over the last three seasons.Joe Flacco tossed four first quarter touchdowns to jumpstart a 48-17 rout when these teams last met in 2014. Yet Flacco will backup Lamar Jackson this Sunday. John Harbaugh opted to stick with the run-heavy, pressure defense formula that saved the season. Despite their flaws, the Buccaneers do field the weapons to force Jackson out of his comfort zone and give the Ravens a game.Three key matchups:C Matt Skura vs DT Gerald McCoyMcCoy usually lines-up across from the left guard and will require frequent double teams. A disruptive penetrator, the six-time Pro Bowler has accumulated six sacks, six tackles for a loss and 18 quarterback hits in 11 games this season. Skura has shown an inability to anchor in pass protection throughout the season, including a sack allowed to Chris Jones last week. Asking the young center to contain the veteran one-on-one would be ill advised. Baltimore also needs Skura to deliver effective combination blocks before climbing to the second level in the run game.The Ravens resurgence since the bye has largely been built on controlling the line of scrimmage. Containing McCoy is the top priority in Week 15.CB Jimmy Smith vs WR Mike EvansSlowly but surely, Jimmy Smith is rounding back into form following his Achilles tear. He was not flawless against the speedy Tyreek Hill last week. However, he displayed his ability to be one of the top cover corners in the league against Julio Jones in the previous game. Tampa Bay has a formidable receiving corps with Evans serving as the clear cut leading man. The 6’5 wideout has over 1,200 yards the season and a career best average of 17.2 yards per catch. DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard are injured, but red zone target Chris Godwin, slot man Adam Humphries and tight end Cameron Brate bring more than enough talent to complement Evans.Baltimore signed Smith precisely for matchups such as these. If Jimmy can prevent Evans from posting a consequential game, the banged up secondary can focus on Jameis Winston’s secondary weapons RB Kenneth Dixon vs LB Lavonte David Dixon has returned from injured reserve with a vengeance. In three games the halfback has two scores and averaged nearly five yards per carry on limited touches. After rumbling through the Chiefs defense last week, Dixon has earned a more prominent role.Despite missing two games, David leads the Buccaneers defense with 74 solo tackles. His speed helped limit the powerful Saints to 3.3 yards per carry last week. The two-time All-Pro is perhaps the best off-the-ball linebacker the Ravens have faced since Lamar Jackson took control of the offense.The Ravens will rely on Dixon and Gus Edwards’ efficient work on the ground to stay on schedule and prevent unfavorable down and distances.Score Prediction: Ravens 23, Bucs 16 For three quarters Brent Urban Jersey , the Los Angeles Chargers dominated the Baltimore Ravens and appeared to be on their way to an easy victory. The fourth quarter had several twists and turns that ultimately led to the Ravens having one final chance to win the game. However, a strip-sack by Uchenna Nwosu led to the Chargers securing the victory. 1. Defense. Defense. Defense. Baltimore’s defense forced just one turnover, but their defensive effort goes much further than that one stat. Los Angeles finished with a horrendous 35.29% third-down efficiency, and they were only one-for-three in the red zone. Baltimore’s secondary swarmed the Chargers’ talented receivers as they only allowed 154 total passing yards. The secondary, especially Jimmy Smith, had one of their signature performances, but it was not enough. Although Los Angeles’ running game had a fair amount of success, the Ravens’ defense made crucial stops after stops. Whenever they needed to make a big play, Don Martindale’s unit delivered. With the game hanging in the balance, the Ravens needed to force a three-and-out late in the fourth quarter to give their offense a chance for a final game-winning drive. Baltimore delivered as they only allowed three official yards thanks to a holding penalty. 2. Comeback seasonIn spite of a masterful defensive performance, the Ravens’ offense left much to be desired for a majority of the game. Los Angeles did something that no other defense could do this season with Lamar Jackson at the helm — contain the running game. Baltimore finished with 90 total rushing yards, and they were unable to get much going on the early downs. This was part of their offensive failures as they were constantly behind the sticks. The play calling was questionable at times, but the lack of adjustments should be the more significant takeaway. Baltimore did not attempt to do anything different than they had in the previous seven weeks. To their credit, why fix something that is not broken? The Ravens’ running game was predicated on running a few concepts — power, power read, split zone, outside zone, zone read Youth Tony Jefferson Jersey , and QB power. The key contributing factor to their success was their ability to dress up these plays with unique formations, alignments, and personnel. However, Los Angeles was not fooled like they were in the previous matchup. Given this foreseeable development, the offensive staff failed to adjust until it was too late. The Ravens made an impressive comeback, but it was against a soft zone, prevent-type defense. The credit should go to the entire offensive unit as they were able to put together two impressive touchdown drives to battle back. Unfortunately for the Ravens, the offensive line collapsed at the worst time. Orlando Brown Jr. gave up a critical sack, and the game was over. 3. Who are you?Although the late emergence of the offense was impressive, the most encouraging sign in this wild-card matchup was Patrick Onwuasor, who had a tremendous final stretch of the year. Peanut was one of the many bright spots on the Ravens’ defense as he was all over the field. His sideline-to-sideline speed was on full display while his innate instincts were also encouraging. He made a couple of impactful plays that helped launch Baltimore’s potential comeback. With C.J. Mosley’s future uncertain, the Ravens have a potential in-house replacement in Peanut, who is set to be a restricted free agent.4. Kudos After an abysmal first half, many were pontificating if head coach John Harbaugh would make a change at quarterback. Ultimately, Harbaugh made the correct decision to keep Jackson in the game. With the way the offensive line was blocking, Joe Flacco likely would have been unable to save the offense. Jackson gave them the best chance to win. This decision by Harbaugh also speaks loudly to the staff’s confidence in the young signal-caller. Jackson has gained a ton of experience in his eight NFL starts, but playing in a playoff game is what he needed most to progress as a quarterback and a leader. Besides, pulling Jackson from this game could have had a severe ripple effect on his confidence and trust in the coaching staff. It should also be worth noting that he battled a ton of adversity in his previous seven starts and he passed those tests with flying colors. 5. Top needsThe offseason has officially begun for Baltimore Womens Marlon Humphrey Jersey , and it will likely be dedicated to surrounding Jackson with as many weapons as possible. With John Brown set to be a free agent while Michael Crabtree could potentially be out as well, the Ravens will need to draft and sign several playmakers on the outside. In addition to wide receiver, the offensive line, specifically along the interior, is another top priority this offseason. Baltimore’s offensive line was abysmal in this wild-card matchup, and it was a large part of why they suffered a heartbreaking defeat. Defensively, the Ravens may have to fill a need at inside linebacker if Mosley departs in free agency. However, the most significant two needs will be at edge rusher and safety. With Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs set to be free agents, the Ravens could be left with Tyus Bowser, Tim Williams, and Matthew Judon at OLB. At safety, Baltimore desperately needs a rangy, center fielder-type safety, who is versatile.