CHARLOTTE – The Panthers are back on the road again.
Coming off of a mini-bye after winning on Thursday Night Football against Atlanta, Carolina turns away from division action to take on the Ravens (6-3) at M&T Bank Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Sunday against the AFC North leaders.
The Panthers carry a 4-2 all-time advantage in the series with Baltimore. Carolina won its last matchup against the Ravens 36-21 in 2018 at Bank of America Stadium.
Here's what to know about the Ravens:
LAMAR JACKSON AN X-FACTOR IN RUN-HEAVY OFFENSE
The Ravens know what they have in quarterback Lamar Jackson, and a lot of his impact starts with his legs.
Jackson has rushed for 635 yards on 86 attempts this season, averaging a career-best 7.4 yards per attempt, shaping up to be his best year on the ground in five NFL seasons.
Jackson's 70.6 rush yards per game place him 12th in the league across all players, and second among quarterbacks behind Chicago's Justin Fields.
But Jackson isn't the only factor contributing to Baltimore's second-best rushing offense (168 yards per game, behind only the Bears). The Ravens also boast running back Gus Edwards, who averages 65.5 rush yards per game, and Kenyan Drake, hauling in 49.1 yards per game.
Jackson also putting up numbers as a passer, averaging 196.4 pass yards per game, and completing 62.3 percent (160-of-257) this year with 16 touchdowns against six interceptions.
Jackson must prefer throwing to tight ends, as Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely have carried a chunk of the weight as pass catchers in Baltimore's offense. Leading wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who played in six games while dealing with an injured foot this season, decided to undergo season-ending surgery to correct the injury before Week 9.
Andrews leads the Ravens in receiving yards, averaging 61.0 receiving yards per game. Likely, the rookie tight end out of Coastal Carolina, averages the fourth-most pass yards, bringing in 22.8 per game.
Drake and Likely both stepped up in Baltimore's last win over New Orleans, while Andrews (knee) and Edwards (hamstring) both missed the game with injuries.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh seemed optimistic about Andrews and Edwards' prospects following a bye week, saying they had a "real good chance" and would evaluate their progress through practices Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
"(When) you talk to Mark, he sounds very positive, obviously, about it, and the trainers as well," Harbaugh told Baltimore media Monday. "We'll see how it progresses throughout the rest of the week. It'll be the same answer for Gus."
BALTIMORE'S DEFENSE CAN CREATE PROBLEMS
The Ravens can lean on a solid rush defense and are stingy on third down. They also have a knack for creating turnovers across the roster.
Baltimore has allowed opponents 92 yards rushing per game on average, good for third in the NFL. The Ravens have held opponents to less than 100 rush yards five times this year, including in games against the Giants and Saints.
The Ravens are hard to convert against on third down. Baltimore's opponents convert 33.7 percent of the time on third down (35-of-104 attempts), the league's fifth-best mark.
Baltimore has also totaled a plus-7 turnover differential through its first nine games, third-best in the league. Safety Marcus Williams, who paces the Ravens in takeaways with three interceptions and one fumble recovery, won't play against Carolina while he remains on injured reserve with a dislocated wrist.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey is close behind Williams statistically, with two interceptions and one fumble recovery. Four other players have caught a pick, and nine have forced one fumble.
Baltimore's leading tackler is linebacker Patrick Queen, totaling 58 tackles, including a team-high 43 solo tackles.
The Ravens also recently added a piece to their defense, bringing linebacker Roquan Smith and his 83 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions this season from the Bears before the trade deadline. He put up five tackles in his Baltimore debut against New Orleans.
RAVENS ON WINNING STREAK, COMING OFF BYE
The Ravens were heating up before their Week 10 bye.
Baltimore tallied three straight wins over Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans after getting off to a 3-3 start this season. The Ravens lead the AFC North over Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh and have won their last three games by a combined 22 points.
Baltimore hosts Carolina after a week off while returning after the bye has generally served the Ravens well.
Since 2003, the Ravens are 16-6 (72.7 winning percentage) after the bye week, tied for the third-best mark in the league behind New England and Philadelphia.
