AFC Game Of The Week
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Bengals: The page has been turned. Their first 2 losses of the season were painful. In week 1, they lost a nailbiter to the Pittsburgh Steelers after coming back to get themselves back into the game and the following week, they fell short to the Dallas Cowboys, a game they could’ve easily won. Dating back to the Super Bowl and the first few weeks of this season, Joe Burrow was sacked a total of 20 times, you read that correctly. 7 in the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams and 6 times each in the first 2 games of this 2022 campaign. As you can see, the Bengals main issue from last season has carried over and that’s the offensive line. Even after revamping things, they still struggle to keep the Quarterback protected and each time I watch him get hit, I get concerned because if they don’t keep this kid upright and, on his feet, he won’t last a decade in this league. After a few years, Joe could walk away from the game just as Andrew Luck did back in 2019. I know Joe started the year off rusty, but he’s been playing well as of late. What’s been the saving grace of their team has been their defense. They’ve stepped up tremendously and have been such a balanced unit that hasn’t allowed more than 20 points in regulation this year. They’re an aggressive unit that can give any team problems. On Sunday night, the defending AFC Champions will make a trip to Baltimore.
Ravens: I really don’t know what to make of them. Whenever I think of their identity, I often think of a stingy defense that makes teams think twice about how to move the football down the field on them and they run the ball. That’s their brand. Their offense has been outstanding this season. I still remember when Lamar Jackson took the league by storm and won league MVP back in 2019. This year, he looks better than he did that year to me because he’s doing it both as a passer and a runner. As I said earlier in the year, he’s betting on himself and it’s paying off. My issue with the Ravens is their defense. They’re soft. I’ll come right out and say it. I understand last season they had a ton of injuries in the secondary. Everyone is back this year, what’s the excuse? Teams have attacked their back end left and right. Another issue I have with them is their lack of tackling the opposition. They’ve been horrible in defending the pass, soft when it comes to stopping the run and they have no type of pass rush. The only time they can get home to the Quarterback is when they blitz. I know Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and other former Ravens defenders are cringing when watching this unit now. They’re doing too many of the little things inconsistently on the regular. They’ll look to bounce back with a win against a divisional opponent.
Bengals X-Factor: Tyler Boyd– Burrow has 3 trusted weapons to get the football too. Ja’Marr Chase is the top target, Tee Higgins is the number 2 option and Tyler Boyd is the 3rd. Tyler does his most damage in the slot and running over the middle. I feel he’s the piece defenses tend to forget about because of all the attention both Ja’Marr and Higgins both receive from secondary’s. Tyler is that underneath presence. He’s their Randall Cobb. Tyler is also their chain mover. On 3rd down, he’ll get the ball.
Ravens X-Factor: Jason Pierre-Paul– I took it back! He just signed with the Ravens! He’s a veteran that can spark up any pass rush. He was a key piece on those Giants teams when they were winning Super Bowls. Jason is a veteran that knows his role at this point of his career. He is a situational pass rusher that comes in when they need someone to rush the passer and help the defense make that play. The Ravens pass rush needs something and he can help in this area that’s struggled. You can only blitz so much.
Final Thoughts: When these teams met last year, the Bengals took both games. The first battle surprised me the most because I didn’t see them beating Baltimore in their own stadium the way they did. Fast forward to the matchup this year, this is the best defense this Ravens offense will have seen this year. The Bengals will throw a ton of different looks at Lamar The goal is to make him hesitate. Loading the box won’t work because Lamar has made teams think twice and has beat them with his arm. If I’m the Bengals, I’m doubling Mark Andrews each chance I get, take Lamar’s first read away. For the Ravens, can they get home to Burrow? The Bengals will have an easy night if Burrow can escape pressure and that will hurt the Ravens defensively. We could see the football fly here in this one.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Ravens 28
