The Harbaugh family takes center stage on Monday night to wrap up Week 7.
John, the oldest brother, is in his 17th season with the Baltimore Ravens while Jim is in his first season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Ravens (4-2) travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers. Baltimore is currently on a four-game win streak after defeating Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Week 6. Lamar Jackson continues to break records and most recently passed Cam Newton for the second-most rush yards by a QB in NFL history.
As for the Buccaneers (4-2), they have been one of the most lethal offenses scoring a combined 114 points in the last three games. Baker Mayfield leads the league with 17 offensive touchdowns. The last player to have more in the first six games of a season in Buccaneers history was Tom Brady in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Chargers (3-2) travel to Arizona for a matchup against the Cardinals. Los Angeles bounced back in the win column after defeating the Denver Broncos 23-16. Will his club continue their winning ways?
Arizona (2-4) has been inconsistent, especially its offense to begin the season. The Cardinals scored 28 points or more in the first two games of the campaign but have scored 14 points or fewer in three of their last four games. Jonathan Gannon’s squad has a tough task ahead of them, with the Chargers being the only team to allow 20 points or fewer in each game this season.
Here are four things to watch for when the Ravens-Buccaneers and Chargers-Cardinals games kick off on Monday Night Football on ESPN and NFL+:
- WHERE: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.)
- WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, NFL+
1) Can the Ravens’ rushing duo continue their historic start? The combination of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry has been a perfect pairing so far. Henry leads the league in rush attempts (119), rushing yards (704), rushing yards per game (117.3) and rushing touchdowns (8). Baltimore is averaging a league-high 205.3 rushing yards per game, while the defense is holding the opposition to only 59 yards per game on the ground. The Ravens are averaging 146.3 more rushing yards than their opponents in 2024. If Henry and Jackson continue their success on the ground, Baltimore could set the largest differential in rush yards per game in a single season, per NFL Research. Last week, Zay Flowers reaped the benefits of a successful ground game. The second-year WR posted a career-high 132 receiving yards on nine receptions. The Bucs will need to slow down Baltimore’s run game on Monday if they want to beat one of the top teams in the AFC.
2) Will the Buccaneers’ offense find success against Ravens defense? Heading into Week 7, Baker Mayfield is proving that he’s the answer at QB for Tampa Bay. Mayfield’s wide receivers have played a key part in his hot start. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin led the league with five touchdown receptions, respectively. Evans, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, is off the team's injury report and slated to play. Meanwhile, Godwin leads the league with 43 receptions and is on pace for his best season as a pro. Godwin also leads the NFL with 335 yards after the catch, per Next Gen Stats. Monday’s contest could have one or both receivers in line for a huge game as they face Baltimore’s 31st-ranked pass defense, allowing 275.7 pass yards per game. With a TD catch, Evans could become the 11th player in NFL history to reach 100 career receiving TDs. If the Bucs WRs can take advantage of their matchups, Mayfield could have a big game in prime time.
- WHERE: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)
- WHEN: 9 p.m. ET | ESPN+
3) Herbert, Chargers WRs need to find chemistry. The Chargers offense has had their up-and-downs so far in the five games played. Fortunately, Justin Herbert appears to be fully recovered from his ankle injury and recently had his best game in L.A.’s win over the Broncos. Herbert threw for a season-high 237 yards and one touchdown. Even though the Chargers don’t have a true No. 1 WR, rookie Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston have filled in nicely after the club moved on from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in the offseason. McConkey leads L.A. with 19 receptions and 219 receiving yards while Johnston has three receiving TDs, which is more than his entire 2023 rookie season. However, Johnston is doubtful to play due to an ankle injury. So, Herbert could lean on the run game with J.K. Dobbins and rookie Kimani Vidal. The veteran RB ranks fifth in the NFL with 87.6 rushing yards per game. The Chargers could rely on Dobbins early to let Herbert and Co. find the right moments to attack Arizona’s defense.
4) The Cardinals offense needs playmakers to step up. Kyler Murray and the offense struggled last week in Green Bay. The loss also forced rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to exit early due to a concussion. The positive news for Arizona is that Harrison will play, head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters on Saturday. When Harrison is on the field, Arizona passes the ball 58.5 percent of the plays compared to 37.1 percent of plays when he’s off the field, per NFL Research. Murray could feature Michael Wilson and Trey McBride if Harrison sees limited action. McBride led the team with eight receptions and 96 receiving yards in the defeat against the Packers. Murray’s favorite target this season has been his tight end as the duo has connected 28 times for 271 receiving yards. If Murray and the Cardinals would like to get back to their winning ways, expect James Conner to be involved early in Monday's game.