3 problems the Commanders must address before Week 6 at the Ravens

The Washington Commanders face their biggest test of the 2024 season when they travel 30 miles up I-95 for a showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens, who posted the best record in the AFC last year before succumbing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, ride a three-game winning streak into the matchup. The Commanders have won four straight. It has reached the point to which NBC reportedly wanted to flex the game into their national Sunday night slot, but CBS was unwilling to give it up.

Who would have thought that could happen to the Commanders?

To come out of M&T Bank Stadium with a win, the Commanders will have to be on top of their game. Baltimore has quality up and down its lineup. It has explosive players on offense and a tough-as-nails defense.

Even though future Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker is off to a slow start, the Ravens almost always have an edge when it comes to special teams play. They have stability throughout the organization. There are no holes to exploit.

We worried that the Commanders would be overmatched on the road against a talented and desperate Cincinnati Bengals team in Week 3. We worried that they would have trouble traveling cross country to face a resurgent Arizona Cardinals squad. We worried about how their dynamic young quarterback would match up against the first elite defense he would have to face in the Cleveland Browns.

The team has met every challenge. Will they be able to do it again on Sunday in Baltimore? If so, they will need to solve these three problems.

Problems the Commanders must solve before Week 6 at the Ravens

Commanders must have a plan Derrick Henry

The Washington Commanders' defense must come up big against one of the best runners in the league. Derrick Henry is going to Canton when he is done playing. But based on how he has looked so far in 2024, the 30-year-old is far from being done.

It is his first season with the Ravens after eight years with the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore is still figuring out how to best mesh his skills with those of quarterback Lamar Jackson. Despite some adjustment pains, Henry currently leads the league with 572 yards on the ground. He also leads the league with six rushing touchdowns.

Despite his age and 247-pound frame, Henry is averaging six yards per carry. He also has the longest run from scrimmage in the NFL this year - an 87-yard scamper against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

Henry can beat a defense in a lot of different ways, and Baltimore is content to pound away early in the hopes that he will dominate a worn-out defense late. I can’t recall a back at his age and at his size remaining so effective since the glory days of John Riggins.

Until the Browns game, Washington had not been good against the run. Especially against strong inside runners. Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Bobby Wagner, and Frankie Luvu will have to play big to contain Henry. However, given the Ravens’ propensity for wearing out opposing defenses over 60 minutes, it will be equally important that rotational players Phidarian Mathis and Johnny Newton play well.

Mathis showed signs of life against the Browns. He and Newton need to continue that against Baltimore.