The Ravens get a built-in scouting trip on Monday night, with Atlanta on deck next Sunday night. Falcons-Saints offers a clean look at a team Baltimore is about to face, and there are a few things worth watching closely before the Ravens head south.
Start with Michael Penix, because the question is simple: is he really back?
Penix didn’t just manage a respectable outing in his 2026 debut against the Packers last week. He turned in one of the best performances of his young NFL career, posting +0.24 EPA/dropback in a 35-14 win. Atlanta’s offensive line is healthy, and the ground game is rolling, which helps set the table for everything else the Falcons want to do.
Still, Penix’s career has been a swingy one, and the bigger question is whether he can sustain that level against a Ravens defense that, even with some recent issues, has generally handled quarterbacks who aren’t at the top of the food chain. The Saints’ pass defense has been efficient this season, but they did hold Baltimore to 233 passing yards in Week 2, so tonight should give a decent read on what Penix might be walking into next week.
The more jarring Atlanta storyline is the run defense.
The Falcons have flattened opposing rushing attacks all season long, allowing just 47.7 rushing yards per game, 2.8 yards per attempt, and two explosive runs. All three are league-best marks.
They also sit at 21.2% in stuff rate and -0.22 EPA per rush, numbers that land among the NFL’s top three defenses. That is a massive change from last year’s bottom-10 unit.
The exact reason for the leap isn’t fully clear. Kevin Stefanski kept defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in place after arriving in Atlanta this offseason, and the Falcons didn’t pour major resources into their front seven. Gervon Dexter Sr. arrived from the Bears and did upgrade the offensive line, though he hasn’t exactly been a dominant run defender early in his career.
That run defense could matter a lot if Lamar Jackson (ankle) is out next week. If Jackson can’t go, Baltimore may have to lean hard on its run game, but offensive line injuries could leave that plan exposed. Dwayne Ledford will have a good reason to keep a close eye on his former team tonight for any crack Atlanta might show.
Then there’s the chess match involving Bijan Robinson.
Jesse Minter’s approach is built on stopping the run from nickel - and even dime - personnel, keeping at least five defensive backs on the field and trusting safeties and linebackers to do the dirty work in run support. The results have been uneven. Baltimore’s -0.09 EPA per rush allowed is good for sixth in the league, but its +0.55 rush yards over expected per attempt ranks eighth-worst.
That could be a problem against a Falcons offense averaging 5.0 yards per carry, -0.01 EPA per rush, and +0.70 RYOE per attempt, all elite numbers by any standard. Robinson has been a force behind Ledford’s former offensive line, and Stefanski’s run scheme has made life miserable for defenses.
Atlanta will try to force Baltimore out of its nickel and dime looks, and that makes tonight’s game useful prep for Minter and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. If the Ravens want their run defense ready for next Sunday night, this is the tape they’ll be studying.
In Other News...
Ravens Made A Desperate Fix That Still Leaves One Big Problem
The Ravens went into the week needing help in the middle, and they found a way to patch the problem by striking a deal with Philadelphia for center Cam Jurgens. Baltimore sent a future fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder to the Eagles, a price that underscores how urgent the need had become as injuries kept chipping away at the center spot.
Jurgens does give the Ravens a possible answer once he is cleared, but his status also keeps the situation from being fully solved. He is in the NFLs concussion protocol after a severe head injury, and he cannot practice or play until independent neurological doctors give him the green light, leaving Baltimore with an immediate fix that still comes with a very real wait attached. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Pass Rusher Ethan Burke Almost Took A Very Different Maryland Path
Ethan Burkes road to the Ravens nearly ran through a very different Maryland program. Before he was chasing quarterbacks, Burke was a highly regarded lacrosse recruit who committed early to the University of Maryland, and even then the path was already being shaped by football. Maryland coach John Tillman saw enough in Burkes athletic upside to advise him to delay signing his lacrosse letter of intent, sensing a football scholarship might be waiting if Burke kept progressing on the gridiron.
Burke ultimately listened to the pull of football, a choice helped along by the reality of limited lacrosse scholarships and his growing prospects on the other side of the ball. It is a reminder of how narrow the margins can be for multi-sport talents, and how a different college decision might have sent Burke somewhere else entirely. Instead, the pass rusher made his way to Baltimore after going undrafted, giving the Ravens a player whose athletic path could easily have unfolded in a completely different Maryland uniform. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Have Found A Pass Rush Option They Can't Ignore
Ethan Burke got his first meaningful taste of defensive work in Week 4 against the Titans, and the undrafted rookie made sure it stood out. With Trey Hendrickson sidelined, Burke stepped into the rotation for the first 16 snaps of his career on defense and finished with his first sack, the Ravens only one in the game.
For a Baltimore outside linebacker group that is already battling for snaps, that kind of production is hard to ignore. The Ravens have been searching for more consistent pressure off the edge, and Burkes debut gave them something they have not had enough of lately - a fresh option who turned limited opportunity into a real impact play. [Read more 🡒]