Baltimore Beatdown
The Ravens won their fifth straight game last week and pulled even with the Steelers at 6-5 overall. By virtue of tiebreakers, though, the Ravens are now atop the division. While the Ravens’ turnaround after a 1-5 start has been more than commendable, they continue to win in unimpressive fashion.
Baltimore’s offense was sluggish and uninspiring against the New York Jets, similar to their win over the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago. Lamar Jackson had a second consecutive subpar performance with no touchdowns as the Ravens were outgained by the Jets in total yards. Thanks to the efforts of their defense and special teams, the Ravens were able to tread water and finally find offensive rhythm later in the game.
On deck now is a more high-stakes matchup versus the Cincinnati Bengals, their first matchup of the season series this year. The Ravens are hosting the Bengals on Thursday night for the third consecutive season and they’re seeking another victory. To keep their winning ways going, the Ravens will need to be crisper and more precise on offense, as the Bengals will almost surely score more than the Browns and Jets.
Cincinnati’s defense is ranked historically poor in a number of categories. So, while the return of quarterback Joe Burrow makes their offense more potent, the Ravens should be able to find a groove on offense given the advantageous matchup. It starts up front with the offensive line, which is in dire need of a well-rounded game in both pass protection and run blocking.
On the other end of this week’s divisional contest is the aforementioned Bengals, who fell to 3-8 last week with a fourth consecutive loss. The Bengals kept pace with the New England Patriots for much of the game and pulled to within one possession before ultimately bowing out, 26-20. It was their third loss by 6 points or less over the past four weeks.
Any chance the Bengals have of climbing back into postseason contention is now on life alert and they’ll need to win out the rest of the way to finish 9-8. Coming to the rescue, at least the team is hoping, is star quarterback Joe Burrow — who is set to make his return from injury after a multiple-month absence. Ja’Marr Chase is also returning after a one-game suspension, but his running mate Tee Higgins is out with a concussion.
While Higgins’ absence is a big one, the Bengals’ offense is still plenty capable of moving the ball consistently and scoring in bunches. The Ravens’ defense has been much improved over the past several weeks, so the Bengals will need to be firing on all cylinders. Burrow finding a groove and shaking off any potential rust early will be paramount.
On the other side of the ball, the Bengals actually showed some resistance against the Patriots last week but are still in bad shape without Trey Hendrickson in the lineup. They’ll need to take advantage...
