Bengals (3-8) at Ravens (6-5) Thursday, Nov. 27 at M&T Bank Stadium (natural grass), 8:20 p.m. ET, National TV: NBC: Locally WLWT-TV Ch. 5 (Cincinnati) Mike Tirico (PBP), Jason Garrett (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline), Terry McAuley (rules). Radio: Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham. 700 WLW AM, WEBN-FM (102.7 FM), ESPN1530. National: John Sadak (PBP), Mike Mayock (analyst)
BALTIMORE — Will Joe Burrow make a difference?
For a second straight week, the Bengals are facing a red-hot team that is on a massive win streak as the Ravens have run off five straight wins after a 1-5 start. But this time, the Bengals will have their star quarterback back on the field after missing the last nine games. Cincinnati went 1-8 in those nine and have all but fallen out of playoff contention in the AFC North.
They also get the services back of star receiver Ja’Marr Chase after serving his one-game suspension for spitting at Jalen Ramsey, running back Samaje Perine (two games with an ankle injury) and safety Daijahn Anthony, who has missed the entire season with a hamstring injury.
When Burrow spoke on Nov. 10, he acknowledged that coming back on Thanksgiving night in Baltimore would mean something to him. In part that’s because it’s a division game against a rival he respects. But don’t diminish the fact that it was on this field in Nov. 2023 that his season came to an end with his wrist injury. He would love to exorcise some personal and team demons, as the Bengals have lost their last three in the building, two in excruciating fashion (last-second field goal in 2022 and failed two-point conversion last year).
On the downside, the Bengals will not have Tee Higgins (concussion), Tahj Brooks (concussion) and Jermaine Burton (ankle) due to injury. Trey Hendrickson will miss his fourth straight game with a hip/pelvis injury.
The Bengals play on Thanksgiving for the second time in team history when they face the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium.
Cincinnati enters the matchup at 3-8 this season and is coming off a 26-20 home loss against New England in Week 12. After falling behind by 10 points late in the fourth quarter, the Bengals quickly scored and then held the Patriots to a FG, giving the offense an opportunity to potentially win the game with a TD. In what could be his final start as Bengals quarterback, Joe Flacco, who started the past six games for Cincinnati since being acquired in a trade in early October, drove the offense inside the New England 30-yard line, but his desperation throw on a fourth-down play fell incomplete to end the comeback effort.
Flacco finished 1-5 in his six starts for the Bengals while Jake Browning was 0-3. On the bright side, the Bengals have won their last seven with Burrow as the starter.
As the Bengals turn their attention to a road game on a short week against an AFC North Division rival, head coach Zac Taylor has repeatedly commended his team’s approach in practices and meetings. Cincinnati is fighting to end a four-game losing skid, and Taylor has insisted that the players have not allowed the disappointing results to become routine.
“We don’t appreciate losing,” said Taylor. “It’s not fulfilling. It’s sick. Our guys, they keep showing up. They keep doing a great job during the course of the week, keep practicing their tails off. They’re doing everything they can on the field. We just came up short. You saw guys that have played all year, you saw guys that came in there and got their first opportunities, you saw guys that came in on a one-play notice, and guys just kept fighting. We thought we were going to win the game, and we came up short. It’s a sickening feeling. You can’t question the fight for one second, and at some point it’s going to pay off for us.”
One area the fight is particularly noticeable is the defense. They allowed just 20 points on the road at Pittsburgh and 19 last week against the high-powered Patriots behind Drake Maye. If it weren’t for two touchdowns surrendered by the offense on turnovers in Pittsburgh and another pick-6 last week, the results could’ve been much different.
From Flacco’s first start in Week 6 through the team’s most recent game in Week 12, Cincinnati ranks third in the NFL in net passing yards per game (264.3), sixth in total yards per game (372.5) and sixth in points per game (27.2). The offense has featured some of its top playmakers stepping up in Burrow’s absence, led by All-Pro WR Ja’Marr Chase, whose 79 receptions and 861 receiving yards this season both rank in the top five among all pass catchers.
Another key performer in recent weeks is third-year back Chase Brown, who enters Thursday night having recorded 100 or more scrimmage yards in each of the past five games — the longest active streak in the league. Flacco also has been operating behind an offensive line which has allowed just nine sacks since Week 6, tied for the fourth-fewest in the NFL in that span.
Defensively, the Bengals have shown improvement in several key areas over the past two games, yielding 20 points to Pittsburgh’s offense in Week 11 and 19 points to New England’s in Week 12. That unit’s effort against New England was highlighted by a goal line stand in which the Bengals held the Patriots out of the end zone on four separate plays from their own one-yard line in the third quarter.
“We’ve got a lot of young players out there,” said Taylor on the defensive personnel. “Every game, they’re gaining more experience, more confidence and more cohesion, and understanding what we’re asking them to do. I’ve certainly seen that, especially in these last two weeks. You’ve seen a big step up for a lot of players.”
This is Cincinnati’s second-ever appearance on Thanksgiving. Their first came in the 2010 season, when the Bengals fell 26-10 in a road contest against the New York Jets. The opportunity to even their all-time Thanksgiving record this week comes against a Baltimore team that has won five straight games, after beginning the season with a 1-5 mark. The Ravens boast the NFL’s sixth-ranked rushing offense this year, averaging 138.0 yards on the ground per game, while defensively they have not given up 20 or more points since Week 5.
The series: The Ravens currently hold a six-game advantage in regular season, 32-26, while the Bengals hold a 1-0 lead in postseason. Baltimore
currently has a four-game win streak over Cincinnati, recording sweeps in the last two seasons. Throughout the series, it has not been easy for the visiting team. The Ravens lead 20-9 in Baltimore, and the Bengals lead 18-12 in Cincinnati (including postseason).
Here’s what to look for:
- When the Bengals have the ball:
The return of Joe Burrow provides a boost but it’s realistic to expect some rust from the star quarterback, who will not have Tee Higgins and Tahj Brooks. But he will have Ja’Marr Chase, and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher will have to scheme to work him open against the double-teams and cloud coverages in the revamped Ravens secondary that Chase will no doubt face. The Ravens defense has been tremendous in the last six games, not allowing 20 points in all six. Part of that is health after a spate of injuries during the 1-5 start and another has been the trade for safety Alohi Gilman from the Chargers, allowing them to move Kyle Hamilton to nickel corner. Throw in rookie Malaki Starks at the other safety and all-pro Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins at corner and you have one of the most gifted secondaries in the game. Hamilton, Humphrey, Wiggins and Starks are all first-round picks and all have been significant contributors. It’s something the Bengals have long tried to get right along the defense edge with little success. Chase Brown’s run of five straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage should give the Bengals the balance they’ll need against the Ravens to compete on the road. Don’t sleep on the significance of having Samaje Perine back in pass protection situations.
- When the Ravens have the ball:
Lamar Jackson is having another great season and is 10-1 lifetime against the Bengals as a starter. Cincinnati’s defense has to begin and end with not letting him get out of the pocket and make plays off script, either with his legs or arm. In the one Cincinnati win in 2021, he completed just 15-of-31 passes for 257 yards. Derrick Henry is, of course, the second biggest factor in this game for the Bengals defense. He has had big games against the Bengals when he gets to the second level of the defense. Not allowing him to get on track will be another critical part of the Cincinnati game plan. In two close Baltimore wins last year, Henry was held in check – to a degree – going for 92 yards in the OT win in Cincinnati, a game where he had just 41 yards heading into overtime before a 51-yard run that put Baltimore in position to win the game after Evan McPherson’s missed field goal. Then in Baltimore in November, he was held to 68 yards on 16 carries. Do that again here, and the Bengals have a very good chance to win. The Bengals have again not been good defending the tight end and that’s bad news with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely on tap. The Bengals will likely put DJ Turner on Zay Flowers. Turner was all over Stefon Diggs last week and has been terrific in the last five weeks.
- Bottom Line:
The Bengals have been fighting and with Burrow back on the field, they should play inspired and with focus. That might be enough against a Baltimore team that is playing great defensively but has struggled to find the end zone in the last two weeks. Ja’Marr Chase should play inspired and has always found a way to do just that in Baltimore. This should be no different. Chase Brown goes for 100 scrimmage yards again as the Bengals try to isolate the Ravens linebackers in coverage. Games in Baltimore are typically intense and a division game on Thanksgiving night should only add to that. The Bengals deserve a break at the end and get it with a turnover that leads to an Evan McPherson game-winner.
Bengals 23, Ravens 21
