Bengals (4-5) at Ravens (6-3) Thursday, Nov. 7 at M&T Bank Stadium (natural grass), 8:15 p.m. ET, TV: WCPO-TV Ch. 9 (Cincinnati), Prime Video (National) Al Michaels (PBP), Kirk Herbstreit (Analyst), Kaylee Hartung (sideline). Radio: Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham. National: Ian Eagle, Devin McCourty. WEBN-FM (102.7 FM), 700-WLW, ESPN1530.
Can the Bengals shock the Ravens and put themselves right back into the AFC North conversation? They at least have the opportunity Thursday night on a national stage.
Two AFC North rivals look to make a major statement when they meet Thursday night as the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) host the Bengals (4-5) in a rematch of an overtime thriller earlier this season.
The Bengals are going up against significant history as the Ravens are a perfect 8-0 at home on Thursday night football under head coach John Harbaugh. The Bengals are also returning to the scene of the crime last season, almost a year to the day also on a Thursday night when Jadeveon Clowney hit Joe Burrow and the next play later he felt a pop in his wrist on a touchdown pass to Joe Mixon.
The Bengals are hopeful to have newly acquired running back Khalil Herbert at their disposal to help in the offense and take some of the load off Chase Brown.
“I think so. We’ll find out, I guess,” Burrow said. “Football is football for the most part. Couple new languages but he is right there next to me so I can tell him what to do when he is out there. We’ll see how much he ends up playing but I am confident we can get him right.”
As for getting him the signals, Burrow likes the proximity of the running back to him in the backfield.
“It might happen on gameday, too, where he is standing right next to me and doesn’t know what to do and I lean over and tell him,” Burrow said. “He’s right next to me. That’s an easy thing for me to do.
“Number one, I hear he is good in pass protection. Might be hard to get him blocking the right guy on third down blitzes this week but we’ll see what his role ends up being. Number one, that. Number two, just take some carries off Chase. He had 27 carries last week. Played great. Played great in the pass game, too. So now maybe throw him a couple runs here and there, coupe passes to take the load off Chase a little bit.”
In a Week 5 matchup in Cincinnati on Oct. 6, Baltimore erased three 10-point deficits in the second half and overcame a turnover in overtime to edge the Bengals, 41-38.
The Ravens are coming off a 41-10 rout of the Denver Broncos last Sunday in Baltimore, a game in which star quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 16-of-19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
The high-powered Ravens possess the NFL’s No. 1 offense, averaging nearly 446 yards per game. Jackson, a two-time MVP, leads the NFL in passer rating (120.7) and has thrown 20 touchdowns while being intercepted just twice in nine games.
Baltimore’s top-ranked ground attack is averaging nearly 192 yards a game, led by Derrick Henry, who leads the league in rushing yards (1,052) and total TDs (11 rushing, two receiving).
“We have been really good at running the ball for a long time, but Derrick Henry is different,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He is adding a dimension that we have not had before. You go back to Jamal Lewis, maybe. This is different, and I’m excited about it.”
Jackson looks to improve upon his impressive 9-1 record in 10 lifetime starts against Cincinnati.
“The first game we played (against Cincinnati) this season they were showing me all types of looks, so there’s no telling what they (are) going to be doing this game,” Jackson said. “Hopefully, it’d be probably the same, because we put up a lot of points.”
The Bengals are also coming off a 40-point offensive effort in a win over the Raiders, recording their first home win of the season in a 41-24 decision over Las Vegas.
Joe Burrow completed his first 15 pass attempts and matched a career-best with five touchdown passes in the rout, becoming the only NFL quarterback with five touchdown passes in multiple games this season.
Despite the effort, Burrow was unhappy on the sideline with his offensive execution in the third quarter, slamming his helmet to the turf in frustration.
“I’m going to have my standard of play, and I’m going to have my idea of the standard of what we should live up to as an offense — the coaching staff, and myself, and everybody,” Burrow said. “When I feel like we live up to it. I’m going to let us know. And when I feel like we don’t live up to it, I’m going to let us know too. It’s a short week.”
The Bengals’ offense has been hit hard by injuries in the past week. They lost rookie tight end Erick All Jr. to a torn right ACL in the first half against the Raiders while running back Chase Brown suffered a rib injury and is hoping to be able to play through it. Zack Moss is out on IR with a neck injury, forcing the Bengals to acquire Herbert from Chicago in a rare trade deadline deal on Tuesday.
Receiver Tee Higgins could miss his third straight game with a quad injury. Starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. missed Sunday’s game with a right knee injury and is hoping to return to action Thursday night.
Defensively, Trey Hendrickson had four sacks against the Raiders, bringing his season total to an NFL-leading 11, earning AFC defensive player of the week honors on Wednesday.
“If they gave out midseason awards, that would be something you could get excited about, but they don’t, so it’s on to the next challenge and that’s the Ravens,” Hendrickson said.
Here’s what to look for:
- When the Bengals have the ball:
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins each had a pair of touchdown catches in the Week 5 OT loss to Baltimore. Joe Burrow had time to throw and built three different 10 point leads but couldn’t hold any of them. Burrow finished with five touchdown passes, his first of two such performances this season. The fascinating part of Thursday will be seeing if Tre’Davious White gets any reps in the secondary after being acquired from the Rams in a deadline deal on Tuesday. How much will new Bengals RB Khalil Herbert get to play after being acquired late Monday in a deal with the Bears?
- When the Ravens have the ball:
What answers will defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo have for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson? Jackson is again playing at an MVP level, an award he’s won already twice in his career. The Bengals will need AFC defensive player of the week Trey Hendrickson to continue his 4-sack effort from Sunday on Thursday night. Anarumo blitzed Jackson more than any other quarterback he’s schemed against this season in Week 5. The Ravens are just about at full strength. The Bengals defense will have to be on their best game to even have a chance in this one, as tight end Mark Andrews is getting healthy and joins an offense with Jackson, Isaiah Likely, Zay Flowers, newly acquired receiver Diontae Johnson, Zay Flowers and of course, running back Derrick Henry.
- Bottom Line:
Do the Bengals have a perfect game in them? They’ll need it to have a chance. The Ravens are almost unbeatable in an environment like this one Thursday night. Jeramine Burton, assuming he makes the team flight and meetings in Baltimore, will have a big role and Chase Brown will make three big plays. Evan McPherson wins it late.
Bengals 24, Ravens 22
