OWING MILLS, Md. — Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman knows that Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa is a "game wrecker."
As a result, Baltimore's offensive linemen will have to make sure they track Bosa on every play.
Bosa has 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hits and two forced fumbles, and is already a candidate for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Compounding the challenge is the number of injuries with the Ravens offensive line.
"Obviously, it starts with Bosa upfront," Roman said. "This guy is a potential game wrecker, and if you treat him like an average player, bad things are going to happen to you – there’s plenty of evidence of that."
The Chargers (4-1) are ranked 19th in the league for overall defense — 32nd against the run and seventh against the pass.
Safety Derwin James Jr. leads the team with 43 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and interception, and is a premier player in the secondary. Fellow safety Nasir Adderley has 35 tackles, and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. leads the team with two interceptions.
Defensive lineman Linval Joseph, 6-foot-4, 329 pounds, does a solid job in the middle of the field and has 10 tackles.
The Chargers are allowing 23.2 points per game, and the Ravens will likely need to exceed that if they want to win this game.
"The nose guard, Joseph, has been doing it at a high level for a long time in this league," Roman said. "When you look at [Drue] Tranquill and [Kyzir] White at the middle linebacker position, these guys are all over the field [and are] really doing a nice job in space.
"The other outside linebackers, mainly [Uchenna] Nwosu and [Kyler] Fackrell, these guys have been real factors as well. The secondary, they’re doing a really good job. Obviously, Derwin James and Adderley are two guys that we have to know where they are on every snap."
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