The Ravens (1-4) will face the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Baltimore. Here are game predictions from The Banner’s sports staff.

Hard to see a breakthrough

Kyle Goon, columnist (4-1): Am I saying there’s a chance? Sure. But I don’t believe in it. You can’t trust a beat-up and inexperienced Ravens defense against Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay, who should run circles around the secondary with Puka Nacua. You can’t trust an offense with no sync and probably no Lamar Jackson. Short of somehow winning a mud fight in some ugly weekend weather, it’s tough to see the tide turning for the hard-luck Ravens before they limp into the bye.

Rams 34, Ravens 17

Just get through it

Giana Han, reporter (3-2): Cooper Rush playing a game after sitting out the first four weeks could’ve knocked some of the rust off. Maybe the Ravens will get into the end zone more than once. But, whatever improvement Rush or anyone else shows won’t be enough to slow Sean McVay and the Rams. It would take a miracle involving improved health and magically gained experience for the Ravens’ rookies to keep up in this one. This Ravens team should hope to escape without further injury so that it can use the bye week to rest.

Rams 35, Ravens 17

Just no

Chris Korman, editor (3-2): Football at the NFL level is an unruly sport and bizarre things happen all the time but the Ravens are slouching toward ruin right now. I predicted a hearty effort last week and couldn’t have been more wrong so I won’t be fooled again. All focus is on getting to the bye, regrouping and going on an epic (and improbable) run to recoup something from the season.

Rams 39, Ravens 23

Deck chairs on the Titanic

Paul Mancano, Banner Ravens Podcast co-host (3-2): If the lowly Texans can put up 44 points on this defense, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay should break records on Sunday. New safeties Alohi Gilman and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (if elevated) are joining a secondary in disarray, and the departure of outside linebacker Odafe Oweh will only exacerbate their issues in affecting opposing quarterbacks. Baltimore could be in for a long bye week.

Rams 35, Ravens 17

Puka power

Jonas Shaffer, reporter (2-3): The Rams got into a shootout the last time they came to Baltimore, a 37-31 overtime loss in 2023. This year, the fireworks will probably be one-sided. Given the sad state of the Ravens’ defense, Rams star Puka Nacua could set a season high for receiving yards Sunday — and he had 170 two weeks ago. Todd Monken acknowledged Thursday that the Ravens’ offense is in a “rut,” and this matchup doesn’t look like a slump-buster. The Rams can collapse the pocket with their edge rushers and interior linemen, and their run defense is among the NFL’s best. Maybe a rainy afternoon will level the playing field, but probably not. This is shaping up to be another long, painful game for Ravens fans.

Rams 31, Ravens 14

Holding off on hope

Childs Walker, contributor (2-3): Not being humiliated would represent progress for the Ravens coming off Sunday’s disaster against the Texans. The good news is, they will seemingly get a few key players back to go with the new safeties they added via trade and free agency. The bad news is, we’ve seen no indication that Lamar Jackson will be one of those returning stars, and the Rams, led by Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua, are well armed to exploit the Ravens’ myriad defensive failings. Hope might live on the other side of the bye, but there’s no logical reason to believe the turnaround will start this week.

Rams 31, Ravens 20

Reset at the bye week

Brandon Weigel, editor (2-3): As I walked out of M&T Bank Stadium near the end of Sunday’s shellacking at the hands of the Houston Texans, I wondered, “Is this defense going to have any answers for Puka Nacua?” The Rams receiver could become the first player in NFL history to amass 2,000 receiving yards in a season, and there’s nothing to suggest the Ravens will knock him off pace.

The Ravens are trying to make it right by signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad and trading for safety Alohi Gilman, hopefully freeing Kyle Hamilton to make splash plays at the line of scrimmage. But what are the odds either of these new additions is up to speed by Sunday? Not high.

Rams 28, Ravens 17