Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 7th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Two teams from the AFC North who are looking to make a significant impact on the national stage will face off on Thursday night as the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals in a rematch of their thrilling overtime game earlier this season.
Back on October 6th in Cincinnati, the Ravens found themselves trailing by 10 points on three separate occasions in the second half. However, they were able to tie the game in the final two minutes and ultimately came out on top in overtime with a 41-38 victory over the Bengals.
Currently sitting at 6-3, the Ravens are second in the AFC North, trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) by just half a game. They are coming off a dominant 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, with star quarterback Lamar Jackson completing 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
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Known for their high-powered offense, the Ravens have scored 41 points in three games this season and currently hold the top spot in the NFL with an average of 445.9 yards per game. Jackson, a two-time MVP, leads the league in passer rating (120.7) and has thrown 20 touchdowns with only two interceptions in nine games.
Baltimore's ground attack is also ranked number one in the NFL, averaging 191.9 yards per game. Derrick Henry, who leads the league in rushing yards with 1,052 and total touchdowns with 13 (11 rushing, two receiving), is a key player in their offense.
According to Ravens coach John Harbaugh, Henry adds a new dimension to their running game that they haven't had before. He compared him to former Ravens running back Jamal Lewis and expressed his excitement about having him on the team.
Jackson, who has an impressive 9-1 record in 10 lifetime starts against Cincinnati, is looking forward to facing them again. He expects them to show him a variety of defensive looks, but is hoping for a similar outcome as their previous game where they put up a lot of points.
The Bengals (4-5) are also coming off a game where they scored 41 points, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 for their first home win of the season.
Quarterback Joe Burrow had an impressive performance, completing his first 15 pass attempts and matching a career best with five touchdown passes. He is the only quarterback in the NFL with multiple games this season with five touchdown passes, with the first being against the Ravens.
Despite their strong offensive showing against the Raiders, Burrow was not satisfied with their execution in the third quarter and showed his frustration by slamming his helmet to the ground on the sideline.
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He explained that he has a certain standard of play that he expects from himself and his team, and he will make it known when they meet that standard or fall short of it. With a short week before their next game, Burrow is determined to continue pushing for excellence.
The Bengals' offense has been hit hard by injuries in the past week, with rookie tight end Erick All Jr. suffering a torn right ACL and running back Chase Brown dealing with a rib injury. They have also lost running back Zack Moss indefinitely due to a neck injury.
In response to these injuries, the Bengals made a rare in-season trade, acquiring Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears on Tuesday. Head coach Zac Taylor said that Herbert could potentially play in Thursday's game, as they hope to have star receiver Tee Higgins back from a quadriceps injury and starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. back from a right knee injury.
On the defensive side, the Bengals have standout defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who leads the league with 11 sacks this season. Despite his impressive performance, Hendrickson remains focused on their upcoming game against the Ravens and is not getting caught up in any midseason awards hype.
As both teams prepare for this highly anticipated rematch, it's clear that they are both determined to make a statement and come out on top in this AFC North showdown.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens Recap OCT 24TH 2021
Ja'Marr Chase and the Cincinnati offense sparkled while the defense did enough to contain Lamar Jackson as the Bengals took over first place in the AFC North with a 41-17 win over the host Baltimore Ravens.
Joe Burrow threw for a career-high 416 yards and three touchdowns and the rookie Chase caught eight passes for 201 yards, including an 82-yard touchdown. Tight end C.J. Uzomah had 91 receiving yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati (5-2).
Jackson completed 15 of 31 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown and led Baltimore (5-2) with 88 rushing yards. The Bengals sacked him five times on their way to halting the Ravens' five-game win streak.
With the score 3-3 early in the second quarter, Burrow connected with Uzomah, who evaded Marlon Humphrey's tackle en route to a 55-yard touchdown.
Baltimore responded with a drive that featured Jackson runs of 7 and 16 yards. Devonta Freeman capped the possession with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
The Bengals pieced together a seamless two-minute drill with three completions to Chase and took a 13-10 halftime lead on Evan McPherson's second field goal of the day.
The Ravens struck quickly right out of halftime. Jackson rolled out and hit Rashod Bateman for 35 yards. On the next play he connected with Marquise Brown, who kept both feet in bounds and hauled in a 39-yard TD in stride in the back of the end zone.
But Cincinnati needed only 2:14 to retake the lead for good. Burrow found Uzomah wide open on a go route to score his second touchdown, a 32-yarder, to go ahead 20-17.
On the Bengals' next trip, Chase caught a pass in traffic, shed one tackle and spun away from another defender before sprinting away for an 82-yard score.
Joe Mixon, relatively quiet to that point, burst free for a 21-yard TD run to make it 34-17 with 9:32 to play. After stopping the Ravens on downs, the Bengals put it away when No. 2 running back Samaje Perine cut upfield for a 46-yard score.
It was Cincinnati's first win over Baltimore since Sept. 13, 2018, ending a five-game skid.
Burrow, who completed 23 of 38 passes, has thrown multiple touchdowns in every game this year.