The Ravens are facing quarterback Carson Wentz for a second consecutive season.
Last year, Wentz nearly led the Philadelphia Eagles to a stunning comeback against Baltimore. He threw for 213 yards with a touchdown as the Eagles scored 22 points in the fourth quarter but fell short 30-28.
Wentz is the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts this season and he'll get the start Monday night against Baltimore, which is not taking him lightly.
“Well, I think when you’re taken No. 2 in the Draft, there’s obviously a serious talent that he has," Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale said. "I know he was hobbled a little bit early in the year, and he’s come back from that. But he’s an explosive quarterback that can get the ball down the field, and he has a little magician to him. When you think you have him, all of a sudden, he slips out, and he’ll hit somebody 60 yards down the field, right in stride.
"So, he’s a dangerous quarterback to go against – we know that – especially paired with [head coach] Frank [Reich]. You can see that’s his comfort zone. He’s spreading the ball around. He’s getting it to running backs, the tight ends. I told the defensive staff that they’re as diverse offensively as we are defensively. And I think they’ve done a nice job, offensively, of moving the ball around.”
Wentz has thrown for 920 yards with five touchdowns and one interception this season. He has blended well with the Colts' new offense.
Last season, the Ravens beat Indianapolis 24-10 with Philip Rivers as the starting quarterback. Baltimore will need to make adjustments when facing Wentz, who is a lot more mobile than Rivers.
“Carson Wentz is different from Philip Rivers, for sure," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He can throw it. He makes a lot of throws, especially over the middle, high-to-low-type throws. He gets the ball out to his [running] backs really well. He’s very much on time. He does a good job with protection and changes the protection. He makes certain checks at the line.
"Then you have to be concerned with him running the ball. He has a history of taking off and running and getting yards in scrambles, scrambling and throwing, and then also the quarterback-driven stuff he’s done in the past. So, these are all things that we have to be aware of.”
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey witnessed the ability of Wentz to make plays last season in Philadelphia. He said you have to play to the final whistle because Wentz is going to play hard the entire game.
“Carson Wentz – he does not give up on any play, no matter what the score is. He doesn’t care about if he’s about to get hit," Humphrey said. "I know we apply a lot of pressure, but he doesn’t care if he’s about to get hit; he’s going to stay in there. He’s a guy that, I think you said it best, in that Eagles game, it seemed like that game was all but wrapped up, and then the next thing you know, I’m like, ‘Man, we’ve gotten ourselves into a dog fight.’
"So, he’s a guy you’ve got to play all four quarters with, and like you said, he will throw the ball. He doesn’t care if he throws three interceptions, he doesn’t care if he gets sacked five times, he’s going to keep competing the entire game.”
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