Washington (4-1) and Baltimore (3-2)

Sunday, 1pm EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens at 6 1/2

Against the Spread: Commanders 4-1; Ravens 3-2

Series record: Ravens lead 4-3.

Last meeting: Baltimore defeated Washington 31-17 on October 4, 2020 in Washington.

Last week: Ravens beat Bengals 41-38 in overtime; Commanders defeated Browns 34-13.

Commander’s attack: overall (4t), rush (2), pass (14), score (1)

Commander defense: overall (14), rush (22), pass (23), score (21t)

Ravens offense: overall (1), rush (1), pass (9), score (2)

Ravens defense: overall (19), rush (1), pass (31), score (26)

Turnover difference: Commanders even; Raven plus-1.

Ravens player to watch

Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 572 yards rushing, and his seven total touchdowns – six on the ground and one receiving – are tied for the most among running backs. He scored at least once in each of his first five games with Baltimore, making QB Lamar Jackson a perfect addition to balance the offense. He needs to get the ball early and often, which has proven to be a winning recipe.

Commanders player to watch

WR Terry McLaurin comes off catching four passes for a season-high 112 yards, and his rapport with rookie QB Jayden Daniels is growing with each passing game. The Ravens’ struggles in pass defense provide Daniels with a real opportunity to find McLaurin on everything from short- and mid-range throws to the deep shot. McLaurin caught a 66-yard pass from Daniels against Cleveland.

Key match

Baltimore’s offensive line against Washington’s pass rush. Jackson has only been sacked five times this season, even with injuries up front. The Commanders sacked Deshaun Watson seven times last week while taking advantage of the Browns’ disrupted line. If Jackson has time to throw and run, he could expose some real flaws in the Commander’s defense.

Main injuries

Commander DE Clelin Ferrell hasn’t played since Week 2 due to a knee injury. … WR Noah Brown is leaning toward playing after missing last game with a groin injury. … The team is managing RB Brian Robinson Jr.’s knee injury. … WR Rashod Bateman (groin), CB Marlon Humphrey (ankle), LB Malik Harrison (groin), CB Arthur Maulet (knee and hamstring), T Ronnie Stanley (toe) and DE Broderick Washington (knee) all missed practice early in the week.

Series notes

The home team has won three of the past four meetings. … They have split four games since John Harbaugh started coaching Baltimore in 2008. … The teams’ stadiums, each in Maryland, are less than 30 miles apart.

Statistics and all that

The Ravens and Commanders are the only two teams ranked in the top five in the league in points, total yards, rushing yards and third down conversions. …Jackson and Daniels are the only two players in NFL history to average more than 200 yards passing and more than 50 yards rushing during their careers. … Jackson, the two-time and reigning MVP, has thrown for 1,206 yards, nine touchdowns and an interception and run for 363 yards. … Henry had 92 yards rushing for Cincinnati. … WR Zay Flowers led the team with seven catches and had a career-high 111 yards in the Bengals game. …TE Isaiah Probably made two TD catches last week and has three seasons. …LB Kyle Van Noy has a team-high six sacks. … LB Roquan Smith leads Baltimore with 50 tackles, including 15 last week. … Washington has 13 rushing TDs, tied for the most in the first five games of a season since 1970 with the 1975 Miami Dolphins. … Daniels is the third rookie QB to start and win four of his first five career games. … Daniels’ 300 yards rushing is the most by a QB through his first five games in the Super Bowl era. … Robinson ran for two touchdowns against Cleveland despite not getting a carry in the second half. … RB Austin Ekeler had a season-high 97 scrimmage yards last week. … McLaurin has 15 catches for 264 yards in the past three games after starting the season eight for 39. … McLaurin had 10 for 118 yards in his previous game against Baltimore. … LB Frankie Luvu had a career-high 2 1/2 sacks and his fifth career fumble in the Browns game. … Six-time All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner leads the Commanders with 44 tackles.

Fantasy tip

Baltimore’s defensive struggles make many of Washington’s pass catchers attractive, but avoid TE Zach Ertz and be careful with the receiver roulette past McLaurin. Brown’s potential return makes it unclear whether he, Olamide Zaccheaus or rookie Luke McCaffrey will receive more attention. Ekeler is a safer choice out of the backfield.

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AP N.F.L.: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl