Ravens’ Jackson, Chargers’ Herbert will take center stage once Harbaugh Bowl kicks off Monday night
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Most of the attention surrounding Monday night’s showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers has been centered on the first coaching matchup since 2012 between John and Jim Harbaugh.
Once the game kicks off, all the focus will be on quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert.
“To be honest, I don’t think about it,” Jackson said of the hype around the Harbaugh Bowl. “I can’t speak for everyone else. I remember watching them, not literally play against each other, but coaching against each other for the Super Bowl game. I remember watching that. I thought that was dope, but I don’t think about it right now.”
Jackson directs a Ravens offense that’s averaging a league-leading 430.1 yards per game. The seventh-year signal caller also leads the NFL with a 117.3 passer rating and is second with 25 touchdown passes.
Herbert was hampered by foot and ankle injuries the first quarter of the season, which also steepened the learning curve with a new offense. Since their bye in Week 5, though, the Chargers’ offense has been more consistent, averaging 368.2 yards, eighth best in the league over the past six games.
Both quarterbacks have excelled when playing on “Monday Night Football.” Jackson is 6-2 with a 124.0 passer rating, 20 touchdowns and no interceptions. Herbert is 4-3 with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
“Coach Harbaugh has done a great job, and we enjoy playing for him so much,” Herbert said. “We know how important it is for him. It is another very important game for us but also understand it is a special moment for him.”
Jackson’s strength this season has been on intermediate passes. He’s completing an NFL-best 69.1% of his passes that are 10-19 yards in the air for 965 yards with 11 touchdowns and only one interception.
Herbert and the Chargers’ penchant for wanting to burn opposing defenses with deep balls has been rediscovered under Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Herbert has seven touchdowns and no interceptions on passes of at least 20 air yards. He will be facing a Ravens defense that has allowed the second-most yards and tied for the most touchdowns (seven) given up on deep passes.
There’s good reason why there’s a lot of hype surrounding this matchup: It is an important game for both teams to solidify their chances of getting to the playoffs.
Los Angeles (7-3) has won four straight and holds the fifth seed in the AFC. Baltimore (7-4) holds the sixth seed and can’t afford to go two losses down to the Chargers if they can’t catch Pittsburgh for the AFC North title.
The quarterbacks aren’t the only intriguing matchup. Both teams also possess strong run games.
Baltimore’s Derrick Henry leads the league with 1,185 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns (13 rushing, 2 receiving). He’s also the fourth player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with a touchdown in each of his first 11 games in a season.
Henry replaced the two backs now in Los Angeles’ backfield: J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Dobbins is third in the AFC with 726 yards, and his 4.8 yards per carry is second in the conference among those with at least 100 carries. Henry leads with a 6.0 yard average.
Edwards missed four games with an ankle injury but is averaging 5.1 yards on 16 carries in the two games since his return.
Each team’s pass rush also could be a factor. Los Angeles — tied for fifth in the league with 34 sacks — has 21 in its last four games. Linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu has led the way with seven sacks in that span, and linebacker Bud Dupree and defensive lineman Poona Ford have three apiece.
Baltimore is tied for third with 35 sacks and has recorded at least two sacks in 14 straight games, the league’s longest active streak. Kyle Van Noy leads the team with seven.
Tuipulotu and Van Noy are the only players in the NFL this season to have three straight games with multiple sacks.