Get used to seeing this game in primetime.
With quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow in the prime of their careers, this AFC North rivalry has entertainment written all over it. That’s why NBC picked it to be their Week 5 “Sunday Night Football” contest.
The Cincinnati Bengals swept the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 and it was a big deal for two main reasons. The first win came late in October, and it was not only a win, Cincinnati demolished Baltimore 41-17. It was the first time Zac Taylor beat the Ravens since he took over as head coach in 2019.
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The second win came the day after Christmas and the stage was set. If the Bengals were able to beat the Ravens again, they would clinch the AFC North. They did just that as they delivered a 41-21 win over Baltimore at home.
But despite the most recent success the Bengals have had over Baltimore, Burrow knows better than to think his next opponent won’t have a chip on their shoulder.
“We know what kind of team they are,” Burrow said Wednesday. “They're a really good team. It's going to be a tough divisional rival game. That's part of football – talking smack. That's what I love about the game. I have a lot of friends on that team that I went to college with, played with. It's all love at the end of the day, but it will definitely be intense."
The Baltimore Ravens defense isn't what it has been
For years, the Ravens have prided themselves on being a team built to run the ball and have one of the league’s best defensive units. Baltimore’s defense hasn’t been the same for a few years now.
They don’t have the stars they once had in safety Ed Reed, linebacker Ray Lewis, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, etc. and have yet to draft or sign a star pass rusher in free agency in years. Baltimore is widely praised across the NFL for its drafting of players and developing them into stars.
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It just hasn’t happened on the defensive side of the ball in a while. That’s not to say Baltimore doesn’t have good players on defense. They do.
In fact, according to Burrow, they have one of, if not the best, cornerback duos in the NFL in Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters.
“They have the best CB duo we’ve played so far,” Burrow said. “They’re going to be a challenge for our guys and for me. So, I think it’s an exciting challenge for us to go out and prove ourselves on primetime.”
Ravens defense is creating turnovers
Another thing the Ravens do particularly well on defense is create turnovers. Burrow says every week protecting the ball is important, but specifically noted it this week. Baltimore is tied with Philadelphia for most turnovers forced (10) through four games.
“Their secondary capitalizes on the ones you throw them - they're going to catch it,” Burrow said. “The defensive line does a great job of getting their hands up if they don't win immediately on the rush. They're going to sit back and try to tip the ball to create turnovers. That's a big part of it. You've got to get the ball out quickly, but always be aware. You've got Calais Campbell (69) with his big mitts in the passing lanes sometimes and you've got to be aware of that."
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After giving up an average of 363.4 yards per game (No. 25 in the NFL) in 2021, the Ravens continued to beef up their secondary and fired long-time defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. They signed safety Marucs Williams in free agency and he leads the team in interceptions with three.
How the Ravens defense is different than the Baltimore defense last year
The defense is different under new coordinator Mike Macdonald in some ways, but many parts of their scheme remain the same. Baltimore will surely highlight the losses to Cincinnati in 2021 as they prepare for Burrow and Co. this week. In the two wins last season, the Bengals put up 82 points.
The Ravens are giving up an average of 25 points per game and they rank last in the NFL in passing yards allowed (315.3). If Cincinnati’s offensive line can deal with the pressure packages Macdonald draws up and Burrow gets the ball out of his hands, the Bengals should be able to move the ball through the air on the Ravens. Burrow was sacked just once against the Dolphins and it made a huge difference in the final outcome of the game.
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It’s likely the Ravens will try and take away Ja’Marr Chase first in their defensive game plan, it’s what every NFL defense the Bengals have faced so far has done. Chase also caught 15 passes for 325 yards and a touchdown in two games against Baltimore last year.
But regardless of what wrinkles the Ravens try to throw at Cincinnati’s offense, they’ll be ready to adapt.
“Again, you (have) to be ready to adapt to however teams decide to play you,” Taylor said. “We always want to be attacking on our side of the ball as well and have things that they have to be prepared for to see in the game as well. That’s part of the preparation that goes on during the week. That’s the exciting part about Sunday, just seeing how it all unfolds.”
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