The Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens (5-1) for the top spot in the AFC North. Head coach Zac Taylor has yet to beat the Ravens since taking the job in 2019 and all eyes will be on him this weekend as the Bengals look to "flip the script" against the Ravens in the series.
Here's how the Bengals can beat the Ravens and lead the AFC North:
Force Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to make a mistake
Jackson, the former NFL MVP isn't a player you can say you have to stop. There's no stopping Jackson, it's more about containing him and limiting his production. The Bengals best chance of doing so besides setting the edge and not allowing him to escape the pocket and create explosive plays is to force Jackson into making a mistake. If the Bengals are able to bring pressure on Jackson, Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard will get their chances to bring Jackson down and try and get him to put the ball on the ground. Jackson has five fumbles and five interceptions on the field. Expect Logan Wilson, Jessie Bates and Mike Hilton in addition to Hubbard and Hendrickson to be at the front of making this happen for the Bengals.
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Target Ja'Marr Chase early and often
When Joe Burrow throws the ball Chase's way, usually good things follow. Chase will probably be shadowed by Ravens' star cornerback Marlon Humphrey and that could open things up for Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Even if Chase gets shadowed, he's still capable of making plays. When the Bengals are able to create explosive plays to Chase, Cincinnati's offense gets a spark. If the Bengals want to win in Baltimore, they have to keep pace with the Ravens. The Bengals can't go into halftime without a touchdown and expect to beat Baltimore because it's too hard to do with Jackson on the other side playing at the level he does. If the Bengals can get Chase going early, they could put pressure on the Ravens' defense to pick their poison per se and the Bengals have the weapons offensively to make them pay .
Keep the pocket clean for Joe Burrow
The most important thing for Cincinnati's offense to do on Sunday is to make sure Burrow has time to get through his reads. The Ravens are notorious for their pressure packages and disguises and if the Bengals want to keep pace with the Ravens, they need to at least give their quarterback the chance to get the ball to his playmakers' hands. For the most part, the Bengals' pass protection has been good enough for Burrow to win games. It needs to stay that way against a potent Ravens' defense and in front of what will be a rabid crowd at M&T Bank Stadium.
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