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Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wasn’t too concerned with scouting Diontae Johnson, but this could be the week he breaks out in Baltimore. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that the newly acquired wide receiver’s workload will “ramp up” as he gets acclimated to one of the league’s top offenses after spending nearly half the season with one of the worst. It’s been a slow build up for Johnson, who spent five years in Pittsburgh before being traded to the Carolina Panthers in the offseason and then sent to Baltimore late last month. It remains to be seen when (or if) the Ravens lean into utilizing another pass catcher. Johnson caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns for the now-three-win Panthers before joining one of the best offenses in recent league history. The Ravens are the only team to surpass 4,000 total yards this season (4,402), and their efficiency through 10 games ranks alongside legendary units such as the 2007 New England Patriots and 2018 Kansas City Chiefs. In other words, there wasn’t much to fix. But that could change Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. “I can’t go in there just expecting a lot [or putting] a lot of pressure on myself,” Johnson said. “However the game goes, I’m all for it.” In two games with Baltimore, Johnson has played just 22 offensive snaps and one on special teams. He had only two practices and a short window to learn offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s playbook before suiting up for his first game against the Denver Broncos. On a short week before playing the Cincinnati Bengals on “Thursday Night Football,” the Ravens had only one full practice. “That was really where he got a chance to move around,” Harbaugh said. Johnson was a relative nonfactor in the Bengals win. He caught one pass for 6 yards in the second quarter but couldn’t get to the sideline to stop the clock with 13 seconds left. He later slipped on an improvised route and missed a pass from Lamar Jackson. Inside the home locker room about an hour after the game ended, there sat Johnson. He was one of the only players still wearing part of his uniform and sitting in his locker. A few teammates took a moment to speak to the new guy still getting acclimated in Baltimore. That’s why Tomlin didn’t mince his words about the idea of preparing to face his former receiver. “To be honest with you,” he said Tuesday, “I hadn’t thought a lot about it. He’s not on a lot of their video, and so, at this stage of the week, I don’t know that I’ve weighed what he might mean to the matchup. They’ve got more significant pieces with larger roles that are occupying my attention at this part of the week.” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, left, talks with wide receiver Diontae Johnson during training camp 2023. Tomlin said he’s not paying much attention to Johnson now that he’s with the Ravens. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) This week is Johnson’s first normal, full week of practice. He said he’s been working in slowly, but Harbaugh’s proclamation that Johnson would be ramping up would make sense, both with Baltimore playing his former team Sunday and considering the extra time to get on the same page as Jackson. “It’s just really the terminology [you] have to pay attention to, know what you’re doing when you get in there, just to show them that you retain everything, and you’re putting the right stuff on film,” Johnson said of his acclimation. “I’m just taking it one day at a time, so it’s really just learning the formations and stuff like that. Then obviously, my job is to just go out there and be me, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” Jackson was asked twice about getting acquainted with his new receiver. In a week’s time, his tone seemed to have noticeably shifted. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens finally had a game without drone issues at M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore Ravens | Ravens S Kyle Hamilton, OLB Kyle Van Noy absent from practice Wednesday Baltimore Ravens | Colts return to Anthony Richardson as starting QB over Joe Flacco Baltimore Ravens | Keaton Mitchell’s return gives Ravens ‘three-headed monster’ in backfield Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey is back to playing like ‘All-Pro Marlo’ Last week, he sounded the slightest bit apprehensive to offer much. Jackson said he was unsure what it would be like for Johnson to find his place in a new offense. Or how fast it might click. But, “because they’re in the NFL” and Jackson has “a feel for the game,” he forecasted it would come naturally. On Wednesday, asked how Johnson has acclimated since then, Jackson sounded more confident in his assessment. “I feel like it’s been good, actually. We were throwing passes out here today, 7-on-7, [whole] team. He was looking pretty good, pretty solid.” Because Baltimore brought him in at next to no cost and the Ravens already have such a strong passing attack — the best of Jackson’s career — there’s no reason to rush Johnson onto the field. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Jackson said. “That’s probably how coach and those guys are feeling. But we definitely want to get him involved because he’s a great talent and a great addition to our offense.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Ravens running back Derrick Henry wasn’t with Baltimore when Keaton Mitchell broke out last year during his rookie season, so he never got to experience a backfield mate at least as fast as he is, and in Mitchell’s case likely faster. He also acknowledged being “a little worried” for Mitchell’s season debut last Thursday night in what was the second-year undrafted free agent’s first game since suffering a torn ACL in December of last year. “But once I seen him take that kickoff return and he got hit a little bit and got up off the ground, I was like, yeah, he’s back, he’s good,” Henry said. “I’m excited to have him back.” The broad smile that stretched across Mitchell’s face after practice Tuesday afternoon in Owings Mills was all the indication anyone needed to know that he was equally elated. Mitchell played just two snaps on offense and had only one carry that went for zero yards, with the play wiped out by a penalty on the Bengals. He logged seven snaps on special teams, which included one kickoff return of 30 yards. But for Mitchell, who called the experience a “warm-up” game, it felt good just to put pads on and set foot on the field for a game again. “It was a long process,” said Mitchell, who tore three ligaments as well as cartilage in his left knee in Week 15 last year against the Jaguars in Jacksonville. “Everybody come up to me and said that it went by fast, but to me it didn’t go by fast. It seemed like it took forever.” Mitchell added that he couldn’t walk for about a month after the injury, but he spent all but about two weeks in the area so he could continue rehabilitating at the team’s facility, rather than returning home to the Atlanta area. He also considered waiting until this Sunday’s game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh to return but decided to “rip the Band-Aid off,” at the advice of his father, former Ravens defense back Anthony Mitchell. “I hit faster than what I hit last year,” Mitchell said. “Once I hit my speed, I knew that now it’s time to get the football portion of my ability back just being able to play football, not just using my speed because I can’t really use my speed all the time.” It wasn’t until two weeks ago that Mitchell said he turned the corner and felt like his explosive self, and his return gives the Ravens what coach John Harbaugh called a “three-headed monster” in the backfield, between Henry, Mitchell and quarterback Lamar Jackson. Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell’s explosive speed helped him average 8.4 yards per carry as a rookie. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Already with the league’s leading rushing attack (182.6 yards per game), the NFL’s top rusher in Henry (1,120 yards, 12 touchdowns) and the favorite to win a third NFL Most Valuable Player Award in Jackson (2,669 yards passing, 24 touchdowns; 538 yards rushing, two scores), the 5-foot-8, 191-pound Mitchell provides another dimension. From Weeks 9-16 last season, his 8.4 yards per carry and 5.9 yards after contact led the league. His top speed of 20.99 mph, per Next Gen Stats, was also the fastest of any Ravens running back last season. And indications are he is every bit as fast as he was last season. “His speed is still there,” Ravens running back Justice Hill said. “By the time he got to the game he already had 2-3 weeks of practice, so he was already confident. He’s looking like Keaton.” He should know. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey is back to playing like ‘All-Pro Marlo’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: The Ravens aren’t alone. The NFL has a defense problem. | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | NFL rescinds fine on Ravens LB Roquan Smith for tackle that injured Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 10: Maybe the Chiefs will never lose again Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Will Ravens or Steelers win the AFC North? Hill overcame a season-ending torn Achilles in 2019 and has been a steady and integral part of the league’s top offense this season as both a runner, receiver and blocker. He also saw former Baltimore backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards come back from season-ending ACL tears and said Mitchell is ahead of what their curve was in terms of a comeback. Now he, like everyone else in the organization and fan base, is excited to see what Mitchell can do as he continues to get ramped up within the offense. “We already had the best backfield in the league,” Hill said. “Adding him to it is only going to makes us more explosive.” As for what Mitchell expects? “Just be patient take advantage of every opportunity I get,” he said. “Hopefully I get going fast.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

This summer, while watching cornerback Marlon Humphrey press Ravens receivers with rejuvenated aggression and repeatedly intercepting passes from the NFL Most Valuable Player front-runner Lamar Jackson, players and coaches started to chatter. “Man, Marlo is back. He’s back to that All-Pro, Pro Bowl level,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr recalled thinking. “I think he’s probably playing [the] highest-level football he’s probably ever played in his career.” In the sum of its parts, Baltimore’s secondary continues to be the team’s biggest hitch and most forward-facing storyline. But Humphrey’s convalescent play has been a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered unit. He has, particularly over the past few weeks, been Baltimore’s much-needed defensive spark plug. That was once the norm for Humphrey, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and 2019 All-Pro. He’s 28 and still one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. There were signs of regression last season, but the way he’s playing now, hindsight says it was an outlier rather than a troubling trend. Injuries plagued Humphrey in 2023. Foot surgery kept him out the first four weeks of the season. Then, last November, a calf strain sidelined him two more games, only to be aggravated in late December before he powered through a pair of playoff games. “That’s a tough guy,” cornerback Arthur Maulet said. “He was playing injured when he honestly, probably couldn’t play. A lot of people don’t know what he was going through last year to even get out there to play with us.” Humphrey called it a “unique” year. He admitted on an episode of his podcast over the summer that he wasn’t locking up receivers. Safety Kyle Hamilton quipped Humphrey came back this offseason having shed his “chunkiness” and got his “abs back.” “In camp,” safety Ar’Darius Washington said, “him picking the ball off I was like, ‘OK, Marlo’s back to it. Back to himself.’” Humphrey was healthy again (and 10 pounds lighter) and in a better head space, teammates said. He picked off Lamar Jackson four times in their first three practices. Yet, the impression Humphrey left in the buildup to the regular season didn’t immediately translate. Through the first six weeks of the season, he allowed a passer rating of 92.5, which is slightly above league average. It’s now 64.9 over 346 coverage snaps — that’s the best mark since his rookie season when he played 402 snaps. Compared with his All-Pro season, he already has more interceptions and is on pace for more solo tackles. The turning point for the Ravens’ win on Thursday came when Marlon Humphrey, left, forced Bengals running back Chase Brown, second from left, to fumble in the third quarter. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Humphrey played the best game of his career in Week 7 until a knee injury forced him to exit before halftime. He picked off Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield twice, his first career multi-interception game, and leads the AFC with a career-high four. “They used to say he had hands like a snake, but now, the guy got on the JUGS [machine],” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “The way he’s been throughout camp, OTAs and throughout the season, man, the guy is just honed in, focused on the details and just trying to take the team to that next level.” Like when he forced his first fumble of the season on Thursday, ripping the ball from Bengals running back Chase Brown — the turning point in a crucial AFC North battle decided by the smallest of margins. With an overall Pro Football Focus grade higher than any of his past seven seasons and twice coming up as the Ravens’ secondary’s saving grace, Humphrey is playing, in Maulet’s words, like “All-Pro Marlo.” “He’s somebody who’s a leader of our room. We go as he goes,” Hamilton said. “He sets the example for us to kind of follow on it and build on it.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Keaton Mitchell’s return gives Ravens ‘three-headed monster’ in backfield Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: The Ravens aren’t alone. The NFL has a defense problem. | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | NFL rescinds fine on Ravens LB Roquan Smith for tackle that injured Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 10: Maybe the Chiefs will never lose again Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Will Ravens or Steelers win the AFC North? After Thursday’s win, the defense having been exposed again by the Bengals, Humphrey was asked about Ja’Marr Chase’s otherworldly stat line: 11 catches, 264 yards and three touchdowns. “I’m tired of that dude,” Humphrey said, the frustration of trying to contain one of the best receivers in football clear in his wandering eyes and hapless tone. That answer lasted two minutes. It turned into an indictment on the entire pass defense that ranks last in the league. At one point he called them the “little brother” of the team. They haven’t met the standard, Humphrey continued, that was set by his predecessors, “and I feel like that falls on me.” Baltimore’s secondary hasn’t shown much collective progress 10 weeks into the season, giving up 25.3 points per game and a league-most 294.9 passing yards. Uncertainty around Hamilton’s ankle injury is another thorn in their side. Shuffling between three safeties beside him hasn’t proved to be a quick fix. The list goes on. Humphrey living up to what Orr and his teammates saw this summer is at least keeping them afloat. “I think the way he’s been playing has been huge for our defense,” Smith said. “And we definitely are going to need him along the stretch.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Raiders assistant head coach Marvin Lewis had no answer when I asked him Monday about the last time he saw a dominating NFL defense. He thought for another 30 seconds. He still didn’t have a response. “Hey, I can’t tell you,” the former Ravens defensive coordinator and Bengals coach said. It might be a long time before we hear comparisons with those great defenses from the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, or the Chicago Bears in the mid-1980s, or the 2000 Ravens. It might never happen again, actually. NFL rules and regulations have steadily trended toward helping offenses, an emphasis by Commissioner Roger Goodell since he took over in 2006. He’s not the only reason. The rise of the dual-threat quarterback, shutdown cornerbacks getting paid massive salaries, the college football transfer portal and youth seven-on-seven tournaments have all played a part. But let’s be clear: this is not an excuse for the Ravens’ defense and their woeful secondary that is the worst in the NFL. This group can’t cover a small pot of boiling water much less shut down a top receiver like Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase or even a no-name like Cleveland’s Cedric Tillman. But it might be a sign of things to come. “When you can cover, you can play good defense,” Lewis said. “If you have that second element of a rush, you’re going to be really good.” Lewis would know. He was the architect of that historic 2000 Ravens defense that set a 16-game record by allowing only 165 total points and only 970 rushing yards. That team had a dominating front with strong pass rushers on the outside in outside linebacker Peter Boulware, ends Michael McCrary and Rob Burnett, and good cover cornerbacks in Chris McAlister and Duane Starks. And, of course, there was middle linebacker Ray Lewis. No team comes close to that level now. It’s embarrassing watching some of these games because receivers are so wide-open that defenders aren’t even on the TV screen. What’s the problem? There are many. Karl Merton Ferron / XXFormer Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, bottom right, coached one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses in 2000. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff file) “I think by utilizing the quarterback as a runner and the [run-pass option] game and so forth, they do make it 11-on-11 football,” Lewis said, “so defenses don’t have that one-man edge. You have players making their reads on one and two, and that’s keeping them further from the receiver.” Offenses are utilizing more presnap motion, which can cause communication issues for a defense, a problem the Ravens have had in the secondary. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken uses a lot of shifts, even to the point where it doesn’t seem to make much sense. Few teams use motion more than Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. His offense is not like decades ago in which teams lined up in traditional formations with two running backs. “That’s why you can have some wide-open people because there is such a change each week in game plans and how it’s applied,” Lewis said. “And if the formation ends up a little different than what you practice, then you have explosive plays. One or two people are going in motion every play, so defensively you’re trying to react to that. Heaven forbid you get a young guy that hasn’t played a lot.” That could happen. Shutdown cornerbacks, such as the Jets’ Sauce Gardner and Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II, are like the quarterback or receiver on offense. They get paid big bucks, but that usually hurts a team elsewhere. Dominant pass rushers also get paid well. The Ravens couldn’t afford to keep outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, who signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Panthers in March after having a career year with Baltimore in 2023. Sacks and interceptions get you paid. “It’s a learned thing from college, and unfortunately when they get here, they think the interceptions get them notoriety even though when you study them, it’s the same guys giving up big plays,” Lewis said. Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins reacts in front of Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase after making a third-down stop on Thursday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Having or keeping a top cornerback is only part of the problem. During the Ravens’ 2012 championship season, opposing teams feared throwing across the middle because of safety Bernard Pollard. He was an enforcer, much like former 49ers safety Ronnie Lott. The Ravens have usually had a thumper like Pollard in the middle or a player who covered a lot of ground, much like Rod Woodson did in 2000. Hall of Famer Ed Reed could do both. Those days are gone, too. “Officials react to an explosive hit, not whether it’s helmet to helmet,” Lewis said. “They just react to it, and so that’s been taken out of the game for fear of being fined or ejected. And quarterbacks literally have no fear of throwing the ball down the middle of the field.” According to Lewis, who worked for Arizona State from 2019-23, there has also been a dropoff in fundamentals from college players as they enter the NFL. The transfer portal has played a big part in that because players are hopping from program to program. “If you look at them cross-eyed, they leave,” Lewis said, laughing. There is also an emphasis on seven-on-seven tournaments, which is popular among youngsters and teenagers. The problem is it’s not the same game. It’s all about the offense. “The kids are all playing in these seven-on-seven leagues and that’s the whole emphasis, that’s the whole structure,” Lewis said. “Then they go to college and the time has been cut down, so there’s not much continuity because they move on. So the fundamentals kind of go by the way wide, like tackling and so forth. “That makes a difference, too. Cornerbacks get out of position because they’re always looking in the backfield and then they go into a panic mode and that’s when they get a penalty. I think it’s a reaction from the first part of being so unsound, so they have to grab or do whatever to stop the receiver from catching the ball.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Keaton Mitchell’s return gives Ravens ‘three-headed monster’ in backfield Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey is back to playing like ‘All-Pro Marlo’ Baltimore Ravens | NFL rescinds fine on Ravens LB Roquan Smith for tackle that injured Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 10: Maybe the Chiefs will never lose again Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Will Ravens or Steelers win the AFC North? Lewis thought the Ravens were playing well despite his Raiders upsetting them, 26-23, on Sept. 15. He believed the Ravens played more man-to-man because that’s what they wanted to improve on. Since then, the Ravens have struggled to cover anybody. Fortunately, so has just about every other team. The Ravens still have a real shot at returning to the AFC championship game, which is trending toward being in Kansas City. The Chiefs, much like Baltimore, have flipped a switch, with their defense leading the way and Patrick Mahomes and company still working out their issues. Beating Kansas City will require a strong pass rush and good coverage. The former hasn’t been consistent and the latter has been horrendous. But hey, what else is new? It’s the NFL these days. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The NFL has rescinded the fine levied against Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith for his tackle on Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin last month. A $16,833 fine was levied against Smith for the hit that ended Godwin’s season, but he appealed the matter and NFL hearing officer Jordy Nelson ruled in his favor, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. ESPN was first to report the news. The play in question took place with just over a minute remaining in Baltimore’s eventual 41-31 win over Tampa Bay. Quarterback Baker Mayfield connected with Godwin on a 21-yard pass, but the receiver went down awkwardly and did not get up after Smith brought him to the ground. Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle and is expected to be out for at least the remainder of the regular season. Though Smith wasn’t penalized on the play, he was initially deemed to have made an illegal hip-drop tackle. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 10: Maybe the Chiefs will never lose again Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Will Ravens or Steelers win the AFC North? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh: Everything ‘on the table’ for struggling secondary Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Ravens owner Art Modell belongs in Pro Football Hall of Fame | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey defends coordinator Zach Orr amid defensive woes League rules state that a hip-drop tackle must meet three criteria: the tackler grabbing or wrapping the ball carrier with both hands or arms; the defender unweighting by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body; and the tackler landing on and trapping the opponent’s leg(s) at or below the knee. But it was deemed that Smith did not meet those standards. “You never want to see anybody go down with any type of injury, but we play a very physical game, and it demands a lot,” Smith said three days after the Oct. 21 game. “Bullets are flying pretty fast, but I never go into any game to injure any player. I want every player to go back home safe and sound to their family — maybe a little sore — but other than that, I definitely want you to get back home to your family all safe and sound.” It marked the second time this season that Smith has won an appeal after he was initially fined $16,833 for a horse-collar tackle in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 10: Winner: Kansas City Chiefs This was it. This had to be it. The Broncos had thoroughly outplayed the two-time defending champions all afternoon. They had come into Arrowhead Stadium as 7 1/2-point underdogs and were on the precipice of handing the Chiefs their first loss since Christmas. The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins could pop another bottle of champagne. Denver played it perfectly. A 12-play march took nearly six minutes off the clock and brought the Broncos to Kansas City’s 12-yard line with just one second left. Patrick Mahomes could only watch from the sideline as Wil Lutz lined up a 35-yard field goal attempt. Make the chip shot, and the winning streak would be over. You know what happened next. Leo Chenal burst through the left side of the line and blocked the kick, sending it skittering harmlessly to the sideline. CBS play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan lost his mind. “It’s a complete shock, you know? Not much I can say about it,” Chenal said. “I was really praying for something to happen. That moment is so heavy. There’s a second on the clock, they’re going to kick a field goal and you feel the weight of the moment.” Kansas City is only the fifth Super Bowl champion to win its first nine games the following season. Its 15-game winning streak is the longest in the NFL since the Packers won 19 in a row from 2010 to 2011. Will they ever lose again? Beat the Bills next week, and a potential 20-0 season becomes a real debate. Kansas City still has games remaining against the Panthers, Raiders and Browns. The Chargers, Texans, Steelers and Broncos (in what could be a meaningless Week 17 game for the Chiefs) have the best chance of ending this perfect run. At the very least, the top seed and first-round bye in the AFC is all but wrapped up. What makes this streak so astounding is how vulnerable Kansas City looks. Mahomes is having one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, throwing 12 touchdown passes to nine interceptions while averaging a career-low 245.3 passing yards per game. He has missed open receivers, including throwing the ball over Travis Kelce’s head in the end zone Sunday. Even the defense has suffered lapses, allowing Broncos rookie Bo Nix to complete 22 of 30 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns Sunday while recording just two sacks and failing to force a turnover. The Chiefs’ average margin of victory this year is less than seven points. No matter. The Chiefs have won nine straight games in which they trailed in the second half. In the biggest moments this year, they’ve thrived: Kansas City leads the NFL in converting third downs (52%) and rank third on fourth down (88%). Most remarkably, Mahomes is now 19-14 in games in which he trailed by 10 or more points. No other quarterback in NFL history has a winning record in those situations. Is this sustainable? Of course not. Would you bet against the Chiefs keeping it up? Go ahead and try. Loser: Chicago Bears That Hail Mary might have broken the Bears. Chicago was one play away from winning a fourth straight game and vaulting itself into playoff contention. Instead, Tyrique Stevenson taunted the crowd, Jayden Daniels’ last-second heave landed in the arms of Noah Brown, and the Bears lost a heartbreaker to the Commanders. Things have only gotten worse. Since that fateful game, the Bears (4-5) have been outscored 48-12 in losses to the Cardinals and Patriots. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has looked worse each week, with a depleted and ineffective offensive line making his accuracy issues and tendency to hold onto the ball too long even more glaring. The Bears entered Sunday without both starting tackles and later lost left guard Teven Jenkins to an ankle injury. As a result, Williams was sacked nine times in a 19-3 loss to New England. Bears coach Matt Eberflus said after the game that he will evaluate “everything from the top to the bottom,” including potentially who calls the offensive plays. It might just be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic at this point, with Eberflus in danger of being fired if his team can’t turn this season around. Fans at Soldier Field have already started chanting for his removal with Chicago now 14-29 in his two-plus seasons in charge. As the No. 1 overall draft pick, Williams was supposed to be the savior of a franchise that has never found the answer at quarterback, but it’s starting to feel like even he can’t overcome his circumstances. Against one of the league’s worst teams, Chicago totaled just 142 yards and went 1-for-14 on third down, while Williams finished a dreadful 16-for-30 for 120 yards. The offense has gone 23 straight drives without scoring a touchdown. Amid the mess, Williams is putting on a brave face and saying all the right things. But it’s fair to start wondering whether Chicago is ruining another promising young quarterback. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson celebrates after forcing the Commanders to go offsides to seal Sunday’s win in Landover. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers There’s something different about these Steelers. Thanks to coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh has found a way to stay relevant over the years with an aging Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, “Duck” Hodges, Kenny Pickett and Justin Fields at quarterback. But with Russell Wilson under center, the Steelers feel like a legitimate threat to make a deep postseason run. In Sunday’s 28-27 win over the Commanders, Wilson helped lead a stirring second-half comeback punctuated by a 32-yard touchdown pass to newly acquired wide receiver Mike Williams with just over two minutes left. Pittsburgh’s offense was far from dominant, averaging just 4.2 yards per play, but Wilson is starting to look like his old self with his ability to make big plays down the field. That included an early 16-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens, who made an acrobatic grab in the end zone despite tight coverage. Wilson was far from efficient Sunday, completing just 14 of 28 attempts for 195 yards, but his three touchdown passes made the difference. “That’s one of his biggest components of his game: trusting his receivers,” Pickens said. While Fields did an admirable job leading the Steelers to a 4-2 start and providing a valuable threat in the running game, he was not accurate or aggressive enough as a passer to keep up with an offense as good as the Commanders’. While Wilson has declined from his heights as a Super Bowl champion and NFL Most Valuable Player candidate with the Seahawks, he raises Pittsburgh’s ceiling just enough to potentially give the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens a scare in the postseason. Despite the gaudy 7-2 record and AFC North lead, this team is far from perfect. A failed fake punt from the Steelers’ 15-yard line Sunday led directly to a Washington touchdown, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. committed costly penalties and running back Jaylen Warren fumbled at the goal line before Pittsburgh could score what should have been the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. It took a comeback from down 24-14 in the third quarter to escape with a win, after all. But there’s no doubt that this version of the Steelers is more of a threat to compete for a championship than any since Big Ben, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell were leading the way. Loser: New York Jets Can we stop pretending the Jets are relevant now? After New York fired coach Robert Saleh and traded for wide receiver Davante Adams, hope remained that the Jets could pull out of their tailspin and compete for a playoff spot despite their poor record. They still had Aaron Rodgers, and the defense would surely improve after such a woeful start to the season. Well, it’s time to abandon all hope. The Jets were blown out by the Cardinals on Sunday, 31-6, in a game that was basically over after the first quarter. The defense looked hapless all afternoon, missing tackles and leaving receivers wide-open as Arizona piled up 406 total yards. Defense was supposed to be the calling card for this team after that unit looked so dominant last year. Surely better quarterback play was the only thing missing to make the Jets a real contender. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Will Ravens or Steelers win the AFC North? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh: Everything ‘on the table’ for struggling secondary Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Ravens owner Art Modell belongs in Pro Football Hall of Fame | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey defends coordinator Zach Orr amid defensive woes Baltimore Ravens | Patriots claim pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue off waivers from Ravens Instead, the defense has fallen apart, going from one of the league’s best to one of its worst. Rodgers isn’t making much of a difference either; for the season, New York ranks 26th in scoring with 17.7 points per game. Since acquiring Adams at the trade deadline, a move touted as the final piece to unlock a struggling offense, the Jets have gone 1-3 while averaging just 16 points per game. Rodgers is 3-7 for the first time in his 20-year career, so this is uncharted territory. Even his worst seasons in Green Bay never finished with fewer than six wins. He said there’s “a lot still in front of us” after Sunday’s latest loss, but what’s he supposed to say? That this move to New York has been a disaster? That there’s no hope? That, at age 40, it’s an open question whether he’ll even play again next year? Rodgers and Adams are both under contract for next season, so maybe there’s a chance the Jets can build some momentum down the stretch in anticipation of new leadership and a better roster pushing the team back into contention in 2025. But for now, a 14th straight season without reaching the playoffs is all but assured for one of the league’s sorriest franchises. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

The Ravens (7-3) are set to travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday to take on the Steelers (7-2) in a battle for first place in the AFC North. Tell us who you think will win the division ahead of this weekend’s rivalry showdown. After you vote, tell us what you think by clicking the comments button and we might publish your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

By nearly every metric basic and advanced, the Ravens’ pass defense continues to be the worst in the NFL, a fact that was crystalized last week as Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase roamed freely through an absentee secondary at M&T Bank Stadium on his way to 264 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches. Baltimore won the game, but Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns, even though he was without his No. 2 receiver Tee Higgins and starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. The 2,949 total passing yards (294.9 per game) the Ravens have given up marks the most they have allowed through the first 10 weeks of a season since 2000, and their pace puts them within range of a historically dubious mark. “We gotta play our coverages better in those situations, especially the deep middle and the intermediate middle part of the field are the areas that have been a problem for us,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “You can’t have those long touchdown passes. It’s one thing to give up 9-yard completions, 7-yard completions on check-downs and low routes and go tackle them. … To not tackle it or to let it get behind us, those are things that are below the line. Those are not OK.” All of which begged the question: are the Ravens considering personnel changes and/or shifts in coaching responsibilities? “You consider everything,” Harbaugh said. “Everything’s on the table always. I don’t think that’s any kind of news story. It’s definitely not headline-worthy because that’s what you do. That’s what I spent the weekend doing, that’s what the coaches spent the weekend doing and that’s what our players spent the weekend doing. “We’ll look at every aspect of it and pursue the best path that we can think of and that we see going forward with a great sense of urgency.” With a hugely important game against the Steelers looming Sunday in Pittsburgh, where first place in the AFC North will be on the line, that urgency is upon Baltimore. However, it remains to be seen if there will be any changes in the Ravens’ lineup, or if there will be any shift in certain duties among the defensive coaching staff, which is led by first-year coordinator Zach Orr and includes a secondary overseen by assistant head coach/passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt along with first-year secondary coach Doug Mallory. But players — including cornerback Marlon Humphrey — have been quick to defend Orr, saying there has been a departure from their execution in practice to their performances in games. One immediate change, at least, will be the addition of newly acquired veteran Tre’Davious White to the cornerback rotation on the outside, an area where Brandon Stephens has seemingly regressed as the season has gone on and where rookie and first-round pick Nate Wiggins has at times struggled with penalties and consistency. White, an All-Pro in 2019 and two-time Pro Bowl selection, led the NFL in interceptions in 2019 with six in 15 games and had 17 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, 58 tackles, including four for loss and two forced fumbles. But the 29-year-old former first-round pick of the Bills also struggled in his recent and brief stint with the Rams, giving up four touchdowns in his first four games this season before becoming a healthy scratch and eventually searching for a trade. Cornerback Tre’Davious White, who has meaningful experience with the Bills and Rams, is expected to work into the Ravens’ secondary in the coming weeks. (Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP) Still, the Ravens need to do something if they are going to have a chance to get to where they want to go — the Super Bowl — and that will include rotating in White on the outside. “That’s why we traded for him,” Harbaugh said. “I know he’s excited.” One move that Harbaugh won’t be making, however, is shifting Stephens from cornerback to safety to spell the struggling Marcus Williams, who ranks last among Pro Football Focus’ 87 qualifying safeties in both his overall and coverage grades. In the summer of 2023, the Ravens were initially considering Stephens, a 2021 third-round pick, for free safety, a position he played extensively as a rookie. But a spate of injuries in training camp along with his performance at cornerback led to a permanent home last season opposite Humphrey. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Ravens owner Art Modell belongs in Pro Football Hall of Fame | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey defends coordinator Zach Orr amid defensive woes Baltimore Ravens | Patriots claim pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue off waivers from Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens running back Mark Ingram on SEC, NFL playoffs | TRIPLE OPTION PODCAST Baltimore Ravens | Bengals QB Joe Burrow responds to missed penalties in loss to Ravens Stephens played so well that Baltimore came into this season comfortable and confident with moving Humphrey inside more often with the former joining Wiggins on the outside. This season, though, Stephens, who played cornerback at SMU, has taken a big step back, particularly with getting his head around and finding the ball in coverage. He ranks 102nd out of 109 cornerbacks, per PFF, and 104th in coverage. Moving the 6-foot-1 Stephens to the back end of the defense isn’t happening, though. “That’s not really on the table right now,” Harbaugh said. “He’s got a big job right now he’s trying to take care of.” Ten games into the season, the same is still being said about the rest of the Ravens’ pass defense. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

In its present state, there is no NFL without former Ravens owner Art Modell, and the league needs to say thank you by inducting him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The NFL signed an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal in July 2021, and the roots can be traced to Modell, who was chairman of the NFL’s media committee from 1962 to 1993. Modell, who died in 2012 at the age of 87, is one of nine semifinalists in the Contributor category for the 2025 class. A committee will basically rubber stamp one finalist to be considered for enshrinement. The others on list of semifinalists include K.S. “Bud” Adams, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff, Doug Williams and John Wooten. Wooten was a member of the Ravens’ front office from 1997 through 2003, but this is all about Modell. “I have my fingers crossed and my toes crossed for Art and [his wife] Pat Modell,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It is richly deserved, in my opinion. I love that guy. I love their family and what he’s done to make this organization what it is, so, Art Modell for the Hall of Fame.” It’s really not that hard of a decision. All of the semifinalists have played major roles in the development of the league, and it’s hard to challenge the six Super Bowl titles won by New England Patriots owner Kraft. But the NFL is about money, and few contributed more than Modell. His influence led to huge TV ratings and a rise in the league’s popularity. Modell’s Browns were the first to play in a “Monday Night Football” broadcast on Sept. 21, 1970, against the New York Jets, which eventually led to Thursday and Sunday night games. Modell also helped create NFL Films, which is still a major staple. His fingerprints are still all over the league. In 1970, he agreed to move the Browns with the then-Baltimore Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers to the AFC as part of the NFL-AFL merger. According to Scott Garceau, a longtime sportscaster who represents Baltimore on the Hall of Fame selection committee, Modell has been a finalist in the voting at least once and several times as a semifinalist. But in the past, there was always something that kept him from being inducted. Either he didn’t win a Super Bowl title, or he fired popular Cleveland coach Paul Brown in 1963 or forced Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown to retire in 1966 while he was filming “The Dirty Dozen” in London. There was always something. They seemed to forget that Cleveland won the NFL championship in 1964 by beating the Colts, 27-0, and the field seemed to tilt Modell’s way after the Ravens won Super Bowl 35 in 2000. RICKY CARIOTI, Capital GazetteRavens owner Art Modell holds the Vince Lombardi trophy after his team won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2000 season. He died in 2012. (Staff file) But some of those on selection committee simply could not forgive Modell from moving to Baltimore from Cleveland for the start of the 1996 season. They seemed to forget that the old Municipal Stadium was an embarrassment filled with porta-potties. Fans could walk straight from their stadium seats into the press box, and a lot of the seats were made of wood. This isn’t to say that Modell didn’t struggle with the business end of the profession, but that stadium was a dump. Modell never got credit for the increase of new stadiums that were built around the country in Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Detroit, Phoenix and Indianapolis. Two years before he moved to Baltimore, Modell reportedly lost $21 million. Privately, Modell always told me he had planned to give Cleveland back its name and heritage even before the NFL got involved. He also shared that he had several conversations with Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay about buying back the Colts name, but Irsay wouldn’t relinquish the rights. Yes, Modell made his share of mistakes, but Brown always endorsed Modell’s enshrinement into the Hall of Fame. There can be no more excuses. Under Modell, the Browns had a proud heritage and history on the field, creating classic moments such as “The Drive” in 1986 and “The Fumble” in 1987 in playoff losses to the Denver Broncos. Now, look on the other side. Since returning to the league in 1999, the Browns have a 140-270-1 record, including an 0-16 slate in 2017. They’ve had 38 starting quarterbacks in that time. “When you get into the football end of it, think about where the Browns have been since Art hasn’t owned the team, right?” Garceau said. The relocation was a reality check, just as it was in Baltimore when the Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984. Three owners already enshrined in the Hall of Fame — Al Davis, Lamar Hunt and Dan Reeves — moved their respective franchises. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh: Everything ‘on the table’ for struggling secondary Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey defends coordinator Zach Orr amid defensive woes Baltimore Ravens | Patriots claim pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue off waivers from Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens running back Mark Ingram on SEC, NFL playoffs | TRIPLE OPTION PODCAST Baltimore Ravens | Bengals QB Joe Burrow responds to missed penalties in loss to Ravens Maybe this time, Modell finally gets in because he doesn’t have to compete with players such as Jonathan Odgen or Ray Lewis. In addition, the selection committee has changed and added some new members. The dynamics might be different. “He did some things that maybe weren’t in the best interest of the Cleveland Browns, but it was good for the league and he took the hit,” Garceau said. “Guys like Jim Brown and a lot of the Cleveland people came out strong and maybe they didn’t like the move, but Art should be in the Hall of Fame.” If there was no Art Modell, maybe there would be no Monday, Thursday or Sunday night football. Maybe there wouldn’t have been a merger between the two leagues, and certainly the billions of dollars in TV money. That alone should get him. The story of the NFL can’t be told without Art Modell. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

What do Rashee Rice, Davante Adams, Cade Otton, Courtland Sutton and Ja’Marr Chase all have in common? If you’ve watched the Ravens this season the answer is easy. All had at least 100 yards receiving against Baltimore, and that doesn’t include Browns receiver Cedric Tillman, who had 99 yards and two touchdowns in last month’s stunner over the Ravens in Cleveland. Baltimore’s defense against Chase — or more appropriately lack thereof — was of course the most egregious. The Bengals star had 10 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns in Week 5 in Cincinnati and last week scorched the M&T Bank Stadium grass for 264 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions. “We have to turn over every stone on that as a defensive staff,” coach John Harbaugh said last week. “We have to figure out a way to stop those plays from happening, because they shouldn’t be happening.” The Ravens (7-3) won both games against the Bengals, but it took quarterback Lamar Jackson needing to put on a cape (again) to avoid his own defense (again) snatching defeat from the jaws of victory after being shredded once more. “These wins are getting harder to enjoy based off of what we’re doing in the pass defense,” said visibly frustrated cornerback Marlon Humphrey after the game. “I feel like when I was a rookie – first-year guy, second-year guy – the vets I looked up to [and] the standard that was there and the pass defense … We’ve really lost that standard, and I feel like that falls on me.” Humphrey, who is in his eighth season and has played 251 snaps out wide and 181 in the slot, has easily been Baltimore’s best pass defender and one of the better cornerbacks in the league this season, ranking fifth overall in Pro Football Focus’ grades. The rest of the secondary — notably, cornerback Brandon Stephens and safety Marcus Williams — not so much. Not only are the 294.9 passing yards the Ravens are allowing per game the worst in the NFL, they are the most by more than 30 yards. What’s been the issue for a defense that only a season ago led the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game while also allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards? It hasn’t been just one — communication, missed tackles, players in the wrong spots or, according to one former player, players looking like there’s at times a lack of on-field trust among the group and an ineffective pass rush have all played a part. So, too, perhaps has all the coaching staff turnover. Aside from losing its former defensive wizard and coordinator Mike Macdonald (now the Seattle Seahawks coach) and veteran defensive line coach Anthony Weaver (Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator), Baltimore also lost defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson (Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator). While first-year Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr has taken his share of heat, it’s telling that Humphrey has publicly defended him twice, including after Sunday’s game. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey leads the team with four interceptions. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “We’ve got to take the practice to the game,” said Humphrey, adding that the defense has been the little brothers of the team. “I think each guy has got to look at themselves in the mirror and figure out, ‘Why are you not playing how you practice something?’ You practice this route concept [and then in] the game, you don’t do it how you practice. It’s becoming more of a mental thing, I think, but we’ve got to get that fixed.” Meanwhile, the Titans entered Week 10 allowing the fewest passing yards per game (155.8) in the league after last season allowing the second-most per game (269.1). The Ravens’ secondary, which is helmed by assistant head coach/passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt, on the other hand is on pace to surrender a whopping 5,013 passing yards over 17 games this season. To put that in perspective, the 2015 New York Giants nearly became the first team in history to give up 300 yards passing per game when they averaged surrendering 298.9 yards per game over the 16-game season. Things likely won’t get any easier for the Ravens this week. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Patriots claim pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue off waivers from Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens running back Mark Ingram on SEC, NFL playoffs | TRIPLE OPTION PODCAST Baltimore Ravens | Bengals QB Joe Burrow responds to missed penalties in loss to Ravens Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens WR Tylan Wallace, game-changing TD vs. Bengals is deja vu Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore heads to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers (7-2) and quarterback Russell Wilson and receiver George Pickens (91 yards, one touchdown in a win over the Commanders on Sunday) with first place in the AFC North on the line. And it doesn’t end there. Among the remaining receivers the Ravens will face are Malik Nabers, Nico Collins, DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown and Pickens again. “I just don’t think [with us] playing like this we can go far,” Humphrey said. “It’s cool winning; it’s great we’re winning, but I want to go far. I want to go to the end. The way we’re playing … Something has got to change. We’ve just got to play better. I’ve got to play better; we’ve all got to play better. We’ve got to play as a unit, and we’re just not doing that. “[There’s] really nothing really more to say.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The New England Patriots claimed veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue off waivers from the Ravens on Friday afternoon. Since Ngakoue was cut after Tuesday’s trade deadline, he was subject to waivers despite being a vested veteran player. The Patriots inherit his $656,667 remaining salary. Ngakoue, 29, has spent time with the Jaguars, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders, Colts and Bears. He made a Pro Bowl in 2017 when he logged 12 sacks and six forced fumbles. The former Maryland star has 1 1/2 sacks in five games this season, his second stint with Baltimore after being acquired from the Vikings in a 2020 midseason trade. The Washington native has seven total pressures in 67 pass-rush snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus, including a QB hit. He’s primarily served as a situational pass rusher throughout his career. In need of pass rush help, the Ravens signed Ngakoue to their practice squad in September and later added him to the active roster. But he played just 25% of the defensive snaps in five games before being put on waivers Thursday when Baltimore activated running back Keaton Mitchell from the physically unable to perform list. Ngakoue was once a teammate of Ravens outside linebackers coach Matt Robinson at Maryland. He’s also known pass rush coach Chuck Smith for years after having first trained with him in Atlanta when he was in college. The Ravens had hoped to keep Ngakoue on the practice squad, but the Patriots (2-7) were in need of pass-rushing help. “I love the locker room, I love the guys here,” Ngakoue said of his return to Baltimore in September. “We have a great quarterback, and I just want to be able to help get the ball back to the offense.” The Ravens (7-3) have struggled to generate a consistent pass rush this season and have been hit by injuries along the defensive line. Michael Pierce was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury, and Brent Urban missed a second straight game with a concussion Thursday night. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, 33, leads the team with seven sacks, while 2022 second-round draft pick David Ojabo has been a healthy scratch in two games. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens running back Mark Ingram on SEC, NFL playoffs | TRIPLE OPTION PODCAST Baltimore Ravens | Bengals QB Joe Burrow responds to missed penalties in loss to Ravens Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens WR Tylan Wallace, game-changing TD vs. Bengals is deja vu Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 35-34 win over Bengals Meanwhile, the Patriots released veteran linebacker Raekwon McMillan from the 53-man roster to make room for Ngakoue. McMillan, 27, started four of nine games this season and notched 45 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. He first joined the Patriots in 2021 but missed that season with a torn ACL. He missed the entire 2023 season with a torn Achilles tendon. The Patriots have struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks this season. They traded outside linebacker Matthew Judon before the season and outside linebacker Joshua Uche ahead of the trade deadline. Top pass-rushing defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been on the non-football illness list since training camp with blood clots. Baltimore Sun staff contributed to this article. View the full article

College football enters a new era this season with the first-ever 12-team playoff, and on Tuesday night, the initial rankings were released. “Everything is an elimination game in the SEC, unless you’re Georgia,” said former Alabama National Champion and Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram II on “The Triple Option.” SEC teams occupy the third, fifth, seventh, eleventh, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth spots in the latest rankings. This puts several teams within striking distance of the top 12 but also sets up a challenging path for those currently in playoff contention. The rankings are as follows: 1. Oregon 2. Ohio State 3. Georgia 4. Miami 5. Texas 6. Penn State 7. Tennessee 8. Indiana 9. BYU 10. Notre Dame 11. Alabama 12. Boise State with SMU and Texas A&M being the first two teams on the outside looking in. “You have 24 potential teams with a chance at the playoff. It’s great for the game,” added three-time National Championship-winning head coach Urban Meyer as he examined the latest rankings. Meyer, who coached during the BCS era and the four-team playoff system, believes the expanded format is a major shift in college football. The SEC currently has four teams in the top 12, and Ingram, a former Raven, believes that’s likely to hold steady when the final rankings come out in December. “For five SEC teams to make it in, others would have to lay an egg. You’d need teams to lose three or four games,” Ingram explained. [ ARCHIVE: Ravens star running back Derrick Henry joins the podcast ] One player who wishes he had the opportunity to compete in a 12-team playoff is 2005 NFL No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith, who led the Utah Utes to a perfect season in 2004 but was shut out of the National Championship conversation. “We waxed everyone that year. We had dudes playing in the NFL. There was this idea that we couldn’t compete with the big dogs, and that just wasn’t true,” Smith said when asked if he thought his Utah team could have won it all under Coach Meyer. New episodes of “The Triple Option” drop every Wednesday. Watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. Follow us @3XOptionShow on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook for bonus content. This podcast is produced by Sinclair, Inc., the parent company of the FOX45, which is the news partner of The Baltimore Sun. View the full article

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow did all he could in a 35-34 loss to the Ravens on Thursday night, but he’s not blaming the officials for how the game ended. After coughing up a 21-7 third-quarter lead and giving up a go-ahead touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Rashod Bateman with just under two minutes left, the Bengals stunningly drove down the field to score a touchdown of their own with 42 seconds left. But instead of kicking the extra point to potentially force overtime, Cincinnati elected to go for two and the lead. It backfired, with Burrow’s pass to tight end Tanner Hudson falling incomplete as the Ravens celebrated a comeback victory that moved them to 7-3 and dropped the Bengals to 4-6 — four games behind the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers in the loss column and three behind Baltimore. But Cincinnati might have a legitimate gripe with the officiating. On the 2-point attempt, Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki appears to be held by Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson, preventing him from running a route across the middle. Burrow didn’t look his way, instead throwing a pass to the right that sailed over Hudson’s head. “It was clearly defensive holding before the pass was in flight, that should have been called,” McAulay said on the broadcast. “And that does look like forceful contact to the head of the quarterback. That’s a personal [foul]. That’s roughing the passer and should have been called.” When asked about the missed calls after the game, Burrow acknowledged that, on a play that will likely decide the outcome of the game, “you’re not getting those calls in that situation for the most part.” The fifth-year quarterback also appeared to take a few late hits that went unpenalized, including a blindside shot from cornerback Marlon Humphrey that left Burrow wincing on the ground. Those plays hardly seemed to rattle the former No. 1 overall draft pick, as he finished 34-for-56 for 428 yards with four touchdown passes. “I feel like I’ve never really gotten those calls, so I don’t really expect that,” Burrow said. “I feel like there were a couple that were close, but I don’t really expect those.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens running back Mark Ingram on SEC, NFL playoffs | TRIPLE OPTION PODCAST Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens WR Tylan Wallace, game-changing TD vs. Bengals is deja vu Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory It’s also worth noting that the Bengals benefitted from Ravens penalties all night, including on the final drive. Humphrey was called for grabbing the facemask, defensive tackle Broderick Washington was flagged for roughing the passer and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy jumped offside on a span of four plays in the final minute, while a defensive holding call on Brandon Stephens and a pass-interference flag on Nate Wiggins extended a pair of Bengals drives in the first quarter. Baltimore finished with 11 penalties for 81 yards. Still, the loss continues a tough season for the Bengals, who are on the outside of the playoff race despite having Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase playing as well as they ever have in their careers. Chase had 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns Thursday, giving him an NFL-record 457 receiving yards in two games against Baltimore this season. Burrow has thrown for 820 yards and nine touchdowns in the two meetings and is tied with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for the league lead in touchdown passes (24). But, despite holding a double-digit lead in the second half of both matchups, the Bengals were swept by their division rivals after a 41-38 defeat in overtime in Week 5. “It’s sickening that this has happened twice to us,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said of the two collapses. “We got to find a way to close out these games.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Tylan Wallace is good for one improbable play a year. Last season against the Los Angeles Rams, the Ravens’ 25-year-old wide receiver broke loose on a 76-yard, walk-off punt return in overtime. He tip-toed the left sideline almost exactly 11 months ago for the first touchdown of his NFL career. That play, Wallace acknowledged late Thursday night after a come-from-behind 35-34 win over the Bengals, crept into his brain in a fit of deja vu as he raced down the same sideline to the same end zone wearing the same purple jersey for an improbable 84-yard touchdown catch that was the longest of Lamar Jackson’s career. It was one on a short list of game-altering plays that helped the Ravens improve to 7-3. Early in the fourth quarter, Jackson dropped back in the pocket on third down and quickly turned to his left, leading Wallace toward the sideline on an out route 7 yards past the line of scrimmage. Wallace caught it and shed a tackler. Then — because, as he joked, he’s been taking notes from Derrick Henry — he stiff-armed a trailing linebacker. And then another, his right heel barely evading the white out-of-bounds paint. Wallace, whose 115 yards on three catches were 84 more yards and one more reception than he had in the first nine games this season, wasn’t the only one whose mind fluttered back to last year. Cornerback Brandon Stephens had flashbacks as his head swiveled up field. He just wished Wallace repeated his touchdown celebration: a two-foot stomp and leap as if he were high jumping over a crossbar. This time, he looked like he’d been there before, swaggering over the goal line. “I feel like I’ve always known I can make plays like that,” said Wallace, a 2021 fourth-round draft pick out of Oklahoma State who was presumed to fall further down the depth chart after the Ravens traded for Diontae Johnson on Oct. 29. “It was just waiting for the right moment to show everybody else.” According to Next Gen Stats, Wallace’s expected yards after catch were 36 inches — 1 yard. He turned and burned for 78 more instead, the second-most yards after catch over expected on a reception since 2018. Wallace cracked into laughter hearing those figures. The touchdown highlighted a career day — his first 100-yard game. “A lot of these guys put in countless hours just to feel that and you never know when you’re gonna feel it again,” wide receiver Rashod Bateman said. “I love [stuff] like that. He works his [butt] off.” Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor, left, and Lamar Jackson, middle, celebrate with Tylan Wallace after the wideout’s 84-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter Thursday night against the Bengals. (Staff) Before Thursday night, Wallace had only two catches for 31 yards — all of which came in Week 5 against the Bengals. The back of his football card between 2021 and 2023 showed 67 receiving yards on seven receptions and no touchdowns. Even on special teams, he had only returned six punts and one kick in 2023. He wasn’t considered a lock to make the team this season or last. He now has two moments, immortalized in Ravens prime-time lore, both clutch scores in quasi-similar circumstances. Perhaps that’s why, on a monitor inside the locker room displaying a blueprint of their new color rush jerseys, it’s a player wearing Wallace’s No. 16. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens running back Mark Ingram on SEC, NFL playoffs | TRIPLE OPTION PODCAST Baltimore Ravens | Bengals QB Joe Burrow responds to missed penalties in loss to Ravens Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory “I believe it’s just his little magic uniform,” Jackson said. “He comes through when the lights are on [in] prime time. Shoutout to Tylan because that was wonderful.” Added tight end Mark Andrews: “Just a dog and he makes big-time plays. Tylan doesn’t get a lot of love but he should. He makes big-time plays and he comes in clutch. That was just an amazing play. That’s all there is to it.” Coach John Harbaugh shared in that sentiment, displaying a wide grin at the lectern after a heart-rate-spiking win that earned Wallace a game ball. Even the 17th-year coach could only wrap his arm around his prime-time playmaker to say what deja vu he had watching Wallace speed down the home sideline. “He’s something else. He’s quite a player,” Harbaugh said. “I’d say he’s a little underrated. What do you think?” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The Ravens (7-3) outlasted the Bengals (4-6) in another insane nail-biter that featured 34 combined points in the fourth quarter. Here are five things we learned from the game. The Ravens and Bengals play cuckoo bananas games, but we learned nothing new When did it become clear the Ravens would not go down to tidy defeat after the Bengals went up 21-7 on Ja’Marr Chase’s soul-destroying catch and run less than two minutes into the third quarter? Several players pointed to Marlon Humphrey punching a fumble loose midway through that quarter as the moment when they emerged from their torpor. Others pointed to oft-ignored Tylan Wallace breaking a tackle and tap dancing 84 yards down the sideline to pull them within a point early in the fourth quarter. Others said they simply never feel out of a game with Lamar Jackson leading an offense that revs hotter than any in the NFL. “Most complete offense I’ve ever been around in my time in the league,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. That offense hit a rare lull in the first half as Cincinnati hit Jackson with unexpectedly conservative defensive looks. He has carved up pressure so relentlessly that they tried another way. It worked. “We were kind of sleeping that whole first half,” the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player acknowledged. The Ravens roared back with 287 yards and 28 points after halftime, but that only scratches the surface of the wiled spectacle we witnessed Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. What about Chase answering Jackson’s fusillade with 212 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the second half, even as the Ravens knew Joe Burrow would be looking for No. 1 on all the biggest downs? What about Justin Tucker hooking an extra point that could have tied the game at 21? Who imagined that 10 weeks into this season, some Ravens fans would be calling for a succession plan to replace the greatest kicker of all time? What about that fourth down on Cincinnati’s final drive, when the Ravens thought they had stopped wide receiver Andrei Iosivas an inch short and the officials ruled otherwise? What about that drive coming down to a 2-point attempt on which Burrow inexplicably looked away from Chase and the officials declined to call roughing after Travis Jones’ paw caught the Cincinnati quarterback in the face? What about the whole thing coming down to an onside kick — the Achilles heel for 2024 Ravens special teams? Coach John Harbaugh said his players showed “the hearts of lions in a game like that.” Even more so considering that five weeks earlier in Cincinnati, they came back from three 10-point deficits to win in overtime. Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace caught an 84-yard touchdown pass that sparked their offense in the final quarter against the Bengals. (Staff) Did we learn anything new from a wildly entertaining game that moved the Ravens to 7-3 and kept them pointed toward the playoffs? We already knew their offense could not be kept down for 60 minutes. We already knew they were wildly vulnerable to elite quarterbacks and wide receivers. We already knew they were equal parts likely to come back and likely to flirt with blowing a lead. We already knew Jackson was questing hard for another MVP. The Ravens churn drama, for the right reasons and the wrong ones. The Ravens’ inability to cover No. 1 receivers could be their undoing With the Baltimore defense “protecting” a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter, Chase sprinted straight upfield. Cornerback Brandon Stephens did little to slow his momentum. Safety Marcus Williams seemed to have his eyes fixed elsewhere and offered no deep support. Chase had to be priority No. 1, the human embodiment of a skull and crossbones, but there he went, blazing free to catch a 70-yard touchdown pass that tied tied the game. He even rubbed it in, stopping short of the goal line and dancing along it for several seconds to emphasize just how far he was from being covered. The Ravens can’t cover No. 1 wide receivers, folks. It’s what the numbers say, and it’s what we saw with our own eyes Thursday night as Chase made a mockery of their once-proud defense. There’s no way to sugarcoat it, no way to pretend it isn’t a problem that could cost them dearly come the playoffs. Humphrey seemed notably disturbed in the postgame locker room, referring to the defense as the team’s little brothers and reiterating that the players simply aren’t translating the good coaching they receive during the work into appropriate game day action. The Ravens’ secondary had no answers for Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who caught three touchdown passes Thursday in Baltimore. (Staff) “We’ve lost that standard,” he said. “What is missing there from how we’re practicing to how we’re playing in the game? It’s become clear that it’s something. I think each guy has got to look at themselves in the mirror and figure out, ‘Why are you not playing how you practice something?’” With the Bengals’ No. 2 wide receiver, Tee Higgins, sidelined by a quadriceps injury, there was really only one Cincinnati playmaker who could devastate the Ravens. And devastate them Chase did, catching 11 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Add that to his bounty from five weeks earlier, and he’s up to 21 catches for 457 yards and five touchdowns against Baltimore in 2024. That’s a good 17-game season for plenty of NFL wide receivers. This from a guy the Ravens largely shut down in 2023. They seemed at a loss for explanations as they sorted through the wreckage. They could only say that fixing a broken pass defense has to be a defining mission over their next eight games. “I mean, I do give [Ja’Marr Chase] credit. He’s a great player,” Harbaugh said. “I was looking for him after the game and couldn’t find him. Maybe that was appropriate. There you go. I couldn’t find him either. But we doubled him a bunch of times. Those plays we didn’t, we were in zone coverage there. He should have been covered. Those plays shouldn’t have happened. There’s no doubt about it. Those are not tough plays. Those are basic routes that should be covered in the coverages that we’re in, so that’s not the standard.” The Ravens cannot survive for long without Kyle Hamilton M&T Bank Stadium fell deathly silent after Hamilton collapsed to the field, untouched and unable to rise on his own power. Such an awkward injury invites fears that a great player’s season might be over, that his brilliant career might be altered. Hamilton mercifully escaped that fate. Harbaugh said after the game that Hamilton’s ankle injury isn’t serious, though it wasn’t yet clear how much time he might miss. Even on a night when they pulled out a nutty win, the Ravens could not have received better news. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton left the win over the Bengals with a sprained right ankle. (Staff) Baltimore fans know there are only a few players without whom the Ravens are fundamentally diminished. Jackson is No. 1 on that list. Hamilton is probably No. 2. As skeptic might note that the Ravens came in 32nd in pass defense with the sport’s most versatile safety. True enough, but he’s more than their best option to cover tight ends and their most effective blitzer. He’s often their best run defender. Before he turned his ankle Thursday, Hamilton made four tackles, batted down two passes and earned the best coverage grade in the secondary. In other words, he was the best player on the defense, as he is almost every week. On the first play of the second half, with Hamilton nowhere to be seen, Chase slashed across the middle of the field to catch Burrow’s dart and ran away from four defenders for a 67-yard touchdown. Would the Pro Bowl safety have stopped it? Not necessarily. Chase is a great player who did the same thing to the Ravens with Hamilton on the field in Cincinnati. But the middle of the Baltimore secondary resembled the innards of a soft-boiled egg without No. 14 swooping to the ball. This time, the Ravens’ pass rush did not let them down For all the self-recrimination expressed by Humphrey and others, the Ravens’ defense actually kept them in the game while their offense inexplicably sputtered for the first 30 minutes. They hit Burrow 13 times, and Nnamdi Madubuike sacked him thrice (Jackson, by contrast took one quarterback hit and no sacks). After a week of hearing that they couldn’t get to the quarterback and of fans bemoaning general manager Eric DeCosta’s inability to land a pass rusher at the trade deadline, they at least made Burrow suffer for his 428 yards and four touchdowns. The Ravens gave us a pu pu platter of defensive disfunction at the end of the Bengals’ opening scoring drive. There was the blown challenge from Harbaugh that would have been worth all of 2 yards even if he had won it. There was the personnel confusion that forced the Ravens to waste another timeout. And to top it off, cornerback Stephens wiped out a seeming fourth-and-goal stop with defensive holding. The Ravens’ pass rush was one of just a few bright spots defensively in the 35-34 win over the Bengals. (Staff) Cincinnati faced two previous third downs on the drive. In each case, Burrow casually stepped away from pressure and found receivers open in the middle of Baltimore’s secondary for gains of 26 and 19 yards, respectively. It all felt like the blueprint for a Cincinnati offensive bonanza to follow up Burrow’s five-touchdown performance against the Ravens five weeks earlier. Not so, at least not until the second half. The final numbers might not show it, but the Ravens played one of their best defensive halves of the season, taking advantage of Cincinnati’s mobility-challenged left tackle, Cody Ford, who filled in for injured starter Orlando Brown Jr. They pressured Burrow 20 times in the first half, according to Pro Football Focus’ in-game charting, and held the Bengals to 4.6 yards per play, a yard below their season average. Of particular import was Madubuike’s big game. The Bengals seem to tap his inner fire more than any other opponent. He bellowed encouragement to teammates from pregame warmups right on through to that final stand. He backed it up by playing like the guy who earned a $98 million contract with his swarming rushes last season. “I believe I’m a big pulse on the defensive line. I’m a leader on the defensive line, and it starts with me and just my attitude and my focus,” he said. “I feel like guys feed off of me, and I take the initiative just to stay focused and [have] high energy just to get back there. It’s one thing to say it and it’s one thing to do it, so I try to do both and just encourage my teammates to do it as well.” The Ravens have so much to fix on their defense, but if they have that Madubuike for the next seven games, there’s one box checked off. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has a touchdown reception in five consecutive games. (Staff) Mark Andrews’ football life came full circle The last time the Ravens hosted the Bengals in Baltimore — last November no less — Andrews’ career took an awful turn as a hip-drop tackle wrecked his ankle and sent him hobbling into uncertainty. He took every possible step, including hours spent in a hyperbaric chamber borrowed from his girlfriend’s family, to recover in time for the AFC championship game. But there was no way for him to regain his full powers without an offseason of rehabilitation. Andrews began this season with more uncertainty in the form of a terrifying car accident and five games without a touchdown catch. Skeptics wondered if he’d ever again become the force of nature he was before that hit against the Bengals. So it had to feel juicy sweet for him to catch six of the seven balls thrown his way Thursday, including an essential 18-yard touchdown off what Jackson described as a “crazy” improvisatory route. “Playground ball,” the quarterback and tight end have always called it, speaking to the wavelength only they share on such plays. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 35-34 win over Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win “I’m just thankful,” Andrews said of returning to such a point. He has five touchdown catches in his past five games. And then it was time for Cincinnati’s final onside kick, a potential bugaboo given the Ravens’ failure to recover two of them earlier in the season. Andrews stood on the front line of their “hands” team as Evan McPherson lined up his kick. Based on the formation, he knew the ball was likely to skitter his way. Did he want that responsibility? He grinned broadly when asked after the game. “I guess I’m the guy to get it,” he recalled thinking. “Luckily, it was a pretty easy one.” His hands were true. The game was over. He was back where he belonged. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens (7-3) graded out at every position after a 35-34 win over the Bengals (4-6) on Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium: Quarterback This wasn’t one of Lamar Jackson’s better games, even though he had good statistics. He made several plays with his legs, but his timing was off for almost three quarters. However, he made plays at the end of the game, and that’s what mattered most. Jackson completed 25 of 33 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns, but the 84-yarder on a short pass to Tylan Wallace was a great effort by the fourth-year receiver. Grade: B Running back The Ravens didn’t get this group involved for most of the game, even Derrick Henry on toss plays to the outside. Henry finished with 68 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. Backup Justice Hill wasn’t involved much, recording minus-2 yards on two carries and two receptions. No. 3 running back Keaton Mitchell got into the game, his first since suffering a torn ACL in December, but was more of a return specialist, returning one kickoff for 30 yards. Grade: C Offensive line Turnovers and gambles on fourth down by the Bengals put the Ravens’ offense in good field position, but this group struggled most of the game with penalties. Left guard Patrick Mekari played hurt most of the second half and both right guard Daniel Faalele and left tackle Ronnie Stanley put the offense in poor position with either holding or false start penalties. The group did get better in the second half, though. Grade: C- Receivers Wallace had the play of the game, taking a short pass and turning it into a touchdown down the left sideline. Rashod Bateman (six catches for 54 yards) came up with clutch receptions, including the game-winner, and so did tight end Mark Andrews, who had six catches for 68 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. They came up with crucial receptions against a secondary that was as inept as the Ravens’. Grade: B Defensive line Tackle Nnamdi Madubuike had five tackles and three sacks, and he worked over Bengals guards Cordell Volson and Alex Cappa. The Bengals missed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., out with a knee/fibula injury, and the Ravens consistently beat his replacement, Cody Ford. The Ravens shut down Cincinnati’s running game, which had only 49 yards on 16 attempts. Grade: A- While the Ravens’ secondary was dreadful, Odafe Oweh and the linebackers were better against the Bengals. (Staff) Linebackers Outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh kept consistent pressure on quarterback Joe Burrow, even though Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns. Oweh had four pressures and Van Noy had one, but he made Burrow move in the pocket. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith led the Ravens in tackles with 12 and weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson had seven. Grade: B- Secondary The Ravens don’t have a shutdown cornerback. They continue to give up the middle of the field and don’t have an enforcer at safety who makes receivers pay for catches over the middle. Safety Marcus Williams continues to take bad pursuit angles after receptions, and the Ravens played off receivers despite knowing Burrow was going to feast on short passes. Ja’Marr Chase had 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns, including a 70-yarder with 5:37 left in the game. If Cincinnati had receiver Tee Higgins, who was out with a quad injury, the Ravens might have lost. Grade: F Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 35-34 win over Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win Special teams Justin Tucker didn’t attempt a field goal, but he missed an extra point attempt after Wallace’s 84-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter. That’s hard to believe. Tucker has missed several field goal attempts this year, and the extra point try was wide left. Jordan Stout averaged 46.2 yards on five punts and placed two inside the 20-yard line. The Ravens finally recovered an onside kick late in the game, an area they have surprisingly struggled in this season. Grade: B Coaching Coach John Harbaugh blew a challenge on a short pass early in the game and wasted another early timeout to prevent a penalty for 12 men on the field, which cost the Ravens a chance to score late in the first half. Offensively, the Ravens were out of sync for most of the first half. Defensively, they have struggled all season, and it was the same Thursday as the Bengals had nearly 500 yards of total offense. Whatever the Ravens have tried defensively, it’s not working, even though the personnel is similar to a year ago when the team had one of the best defenses in the NFL. Regardless of playing a divisional game on a short week, the outcome shouldn’t have been this close. Grade: C- Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The NFL’s best offense and its two-time and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player could only be contained for so long. It took more than a half of football, but the Ravens and Lamar Jackson finally woke up Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Faced with a 14-point third-quarter deficit — their largest of the season — Jackson put together four straight touchdown drives to lead Baltimore to a wild 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in a key AFC North showdown. That included what ended up being the game-winner with 1:56 remaining, as Jackson connected with wide receiver Rashod Bateman on a 5-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play, 70-yard drive and lift Baltimore to its seventh victory in its last eight games and a season sweep of the Bengals. Jackson finished 25-for-33 for 290 yards and four touchdown passes, giving him 24 on the season and tying him with Burrow for the most in the NFL. Even with that performance, though, it took Baltimore’s bend-but-don’t-break defense hanging on by the narrowest of margins in the end. Down seven inside the final two minutes, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (34-for-56 passing, 428 yards, four touchdowns) drove Cincinnati 70 yards in nine plays with Ja’Marr Chase making a leaping 5-yard touchdown grab in the back corner of the end zone with 42 seconds left to pull the Bengals within one. Cincinnati opted to go for a 2-point conversion to take the lead, but Burrow’s pass — during which he took a questionable hit to the helmet — to tight end Tanner Hudson was too high, and Baltimore recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal it. The victory improves the Ravens to 7-3 and keeps them within reach of the first-place 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Bengals fall to 4-6 and face a long road to making the playoffs. For a while, though, it looked like Baltimore’s offense had finally run out of momentum. With the Ravens down 21-7 after Burrow hit Chase on a 67-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, cornerback Marlon Humphrey stripped running back Chase Brown on the Bengals’ next possession, linebacker Roquan Smith recovered and the Ravens took over at Cincinnati’s 31-yard line. The defensive stand energized the crowd, which was booing the poor offensive performance earlier in the game, and the offense came back to life. Jackson hit Bateman for 8 yards, Henry shot through the defense for 11 and then Jackson does what he does better than any quarterback in the league. On a second-and-9 from the 11, he waited and waited for someone to come open. No one did. He was chased out of the pocket, backtracked to the 32-yard line, then juked, weaved and tip-toed to the 1-yard line, setting up a Henry plunge to cut the deficit to 21-14 midway through the third quarter. Baltimore took even less time to score on its next possession. After stopping the Bengals on third down to force a punt, the Ravens got the ball on their own 8 early in the fourth quarter and needed just three plays to go 92 yards, with Tylan Wallace covering 84 of them after catching a short pass from Jackson, narrowly staying in bounds while avoiding several tackles and then racing down the left sideline for the longest touchdown pass of Jackson’s career. The only problem? Justin Tucker, who entered the game 498-for-504 on extra point attempts, missed the ensuing kick, leaving Baltimore trailing 21-20. It was only a momentary blip. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman catches the game-winning touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. (Staff) On the Ravens’ next series, Jackson drove Baltimore 65 yards in seven plays, capping the series with a short pass to Andrews for an 18-yard touchdown. Then Jackson raced around the left side of the line and into the end zone on a 2-point conversion, putting the Ravens up 28-21 with less than six minutes remaining. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 35-34 win over Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens activate RB Keaton Mitchell ahead of game vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? The Bengals shot right back, with Chase again getting behind the defense on a 70-yard bomb to tie the game. Chase finished the game with 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Chase finished with 457 receiving yards against Baltimore in their two meetings, the most by any wide receiver against one team in a single season. But the Ravens answered right back with Jackson’s touchdown to Bateman. It was a momentous turnaround from a first half in which Jackson threw for just 71 yards and a touchdown. The rushing attack also never got going, with Derrick Henry getting just six carries for 22 yards in the opening 30 minutes. But Henry finished with 16 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown, giving him at least one score in all 10 games as a Raven. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh pressures Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the first quarter Thursday night. (Staff) View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Thursday night’s Week 10 game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: C.J. Doon, editor: Leave it to Lamar Jackson to pull this team out of the fire. Or maybe we should credit Marlon Humphrey first? With the Ravens trailing by two touchdowns at home for the first time in three years, the veteran cornerback harkened back to his old “Fruit Punch” days and ripped the ball from running back Chase Brown’s hands to give the Ravens possession. Four plays later, Jackson pulled another Houdini act in the backfield, escaping a crowd of defenders and tight-roping down the sideline to set up Derrick Henry for a 1-yard touchdown plunge. It was reminiscent of his wild TD pass to Isaiah Likely against these same Bengals earlier this season, when he dropped the ball before putting Sam Hubbard on a poster with a pair of stiff arms. Who else in the NFL can do what he does? Not to be outdone, Jackson connected with Tylan Wallace for a ridiculous 84-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that included 78 yards after the catch — 77 more than expected given the location of the defenders on the field, per Next Gen Stats. It was, surprisingly, the longest pass of Jackson’s career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Shades of Wallace’s game-winning punt return touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams last year on that play, too. And how about Jackson going back to Bateman for the game-winning touchdown after a missed connection in the end zone on the previous play? That’s a level of trust that should put some chemistry concerns to bed, at least for a little while. That’s the thing about these Ravens: They are maddeningly inconsistent, capable of stunning heroics and stunning mistakes. We can’t ignore how poorly they played at times. The offense looked out of sorts early, committing several penalties that put them behind the sticks, and the defense failed to cover the middle of the field all night. Safety Marcus Williams got cooked on not one but two long touchdowns by Ja’Marr Chase, raising more concerns about his play entering the second half of the season — especially if Kyle Hamilton is out for an extended period with his ankle injury. (Chase has 457 receiving yards against the Ravens this season, the most by any player in a season against any team in NFL history.) The Ravens’ defense struggling is nothing new, but the offense having trouble finding any rhythm is a bit of a shock. This is an offense that, through nine games, was on par with the 2007 Patriots and 2018 Chiefs in terms of efficiency, according to DVOA. And yet we heard boo birds from the M&T Bank Stadium crowd in the second half after another failed series ended with a declined penalty. That’s pretty remarkable. Of course, such consternation was premature. Leave it to Jackson to make more than defenders look silly. Tim Schwartz, editor: Thursday night games tend to be a bit of a mess. This one was for all kinds of reasons, but it turned into one of the most entertaining games of the year. A defensive slugfest in the first half gave way to an offensive shootout in the second with Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, perhaps the NFL’s two best quarterbacks right now, putting on clinics. The defenses? Woof. Tylan Wallace took a short throw 84 yards to the house for the longest touchdown pass of Jackson’s career. Ja’Marr Chase got behind every Ravens defender twice for long scoring catches. But Jackson simply never blinked in this one. Down 14 in the second half, he took advantage of a key turnover with a much-needed touchdown drive, then got a play from an unlikely hero. With the game tied late, Jackson calmly put together the game-winning drive, capping it with a 5-yard score to Rashod Bateman. This offense is dominant right now. If the defense (and, uh, special teams) can be even league average, this is going to be a tough team to beat. But their ceiling is so high because this defense was the league’s best last year. Something needs to change in the defensive backfield, but they have Superman at the top of his game playing quarterback. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens activate RB Keaton Mitchell ahead of game vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? Bennett Conlin, editor: It’s a shame these teams only play twice each season because Joe Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson is appointment viewing. The Ravens’ offense woke up in the fourth quarter after a sluggish start. Lamar Jackson hit Tylan Wallace — among the unlikeliest of targets in an offense filled with an endless array of offensive weapons — for an 84-yard touchdown to open the quarter. Wallace made several tacklers miss on the sideline, turning a short throw into the longest pass of Jackson’s career. Baltimore desperately needed its offense to come to life because Joe Burrow and the Bengals found plenty of passing success. The Ravens have been unable to slow teams down when they’re passing over the middle, and Thursday was no different. Burrow took checkdowns when he had them, and he found guys like Ja’Marr Chase all over the place. Chase had a 67-yard touchdown reception and later a 70-yard touchdown catch, finishing with 264 receiving yards and three scores. Still, Jackson and the Ravens answered every time. The two-time MVP quarterback got lucky when a near-interception hit the turf on the team’s game-winning drive, but even the greatest players benefit from luck sometimes. Jackson did what was needed to win the game. With Baltimore’s defense, a lot was needed. Jackson delivered. John Harbaugh’s team still has major defensive woes. An injury to Kyle Hamilton depletes the weak secondary — the Ravens need him back healthy as quickly as possible. Until the pass defense improves, Baltimore will rely on its offense to win games. Through 10 games, that strategy seems good enough to at least contend for the AFC North. View the full article

Ravens star safety Kyle Hamilton was ruled out of Thursday night’s prime-time game against the visiting Bengals after he suffered a right ankle injury late in the first half. Hamilton appeared to step awkwardly on tight end Mike Gesicki’s foot as he dropped back in coverage. He wasn’t down long before limping off the field under his own power. The defensive leader and 2023 All-Pro went directly into the medical tent and then the locker room, and Prime Video sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung reported that Hamilton went to the X-ray room. Cincinnati scored five plays later to take a 14-7 lead into the break. In the second half, Hamilton returned to the sideline in street clothes while wearing a boot on his right foot. With 67 total tackles and five pass deflections, Hamilton has been one of the most productive Ravens defenders. He dropped a would-be game-winning interception against Cleveland but in the two games since, has batted down two passes and rebounded fairly well, including a 10-tackle outing against the Denver Broncos. He had four tackles and two passes defended before exiting Thursday night. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Baltimore gets 84-yard TD, trails 21-20 in 4th quarter Baltimore Ravens | Ravens activate RB Keaton Mitchell ahead of game vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Roquan Smith has struggled this season. The Ravens aren’t concerned. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore’s defense, which ranks last in the NFL in pass coverage, has had a rotating cast of safeties start next to Hamilton this season. Marcus Williams was benched for Ar’Darius Washington against Cleveland but returned a week later, making Eddie Jackson a healthy scratch. Against Cincinnati, Jackson appeared to be back in the mix. The Ravens will have to rely on the uncertainty of that rotation with Hamilton sidelined for at least the remainder of the night. His loss was evident early in the second half, however, as Ja’Marr Chase caught a pass over the middle and raced 67 yards past Williams and the rest of the secondary for a touchdown to give the Bengals a 21-7 lead. Hamilton said on Tuesday about playing on a short week: “I think it’s a physical thing, obviously, but it’s a big mental thing as well — trying to get the game plan as tight as possible before Thursday. The team [that] brings the most energy usually wins these games.” This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The Ravens (6-3) and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) face off on “Thursday Night Football” in a pivotal matchup between AFC North rivals at M&T Bank Stadium. Led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, Baltimore has won six of its past five games to keep pace with the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. After an 0-3 start, the Bengals have won four of their past six to stay in playoff contention. The 8:15 p.m. game will be broadcast on Prime Video but will also be on television locally on ABC. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will be on the call with Kaylee Hartung as the sideline reporter. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. View the full article

Keaton Mitchell is back. The Ravens are expected to activate the explosive second-year running back from the physically unable to perform list on Thursday afternoon, hours ahead of their prime-time game against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium, according to a source with direct knowledge of the move. Mitchell hasn’t played since last December when he suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville. He returned to practice Oct. 23 and Baltimore had 21 days to add him to the roster or he would have reverted to season-ending injured reserve. An undrafted free agent out of East Carolina who rushed for 396 yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries and caught nine passes for 93 yards in eight games last season before getting injured, Mitchell was wearing a brace on his surgically repaired left knee when he initially returned but quickly shed the apparatus and has looked good in practice, according to teammates. “It’s great to have him back out there,” quarterback Lamar Jackson said last week. “I told him earlier; he caught a little small pass, he took off. I’m like, ‘You’re starting to look like last year’s Keaton.’” Mitchell’s return also adds another dimension to what is already the NFL’s top rushing attack. Running back Derrick Henry leads the league in rushing yards (1,052) and rushing touchdowns (11). Jackson’s 505 yards on the ground also lead all quarterbacks, and Baltimore’s 1,727 rushing yards are 252 more than the next closest team, the Commanders. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Roquan Smith has struggled this season. The Ravens aren’t concerned. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ready to go, TE Isaiah Likely out vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? How much and how the Ravens plan to use the 5-foot-9, 181-pound Mitchell, however, remains to be seen. They also have Justice Hill (119 rushing yards, 272 receiving), who has been a dependable third-down change-of-pace back. It’s possible they could also look to use Mitchell on kick returns. The Ravens also waived veteran outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue earlier Thursday, clearing a spot on the roster for Mitchell, though they hope to re-sign the 29-year-old former Terps star to their practice squad should he clear waivers. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Thursday night’s Week 10 game between the Ravens (6-3) and Bengals (4-5) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 31, Bengals 22: This is a fascinating inflection point on the Ravens’ schedule. Win this game, and the AFC North title remains well within reach for Baltimore while forcing Cincinnati to go 5-2 or better down the stretch to have a shot at competing for a playoff berth. Lose, and the division race gets even tighter while dropping the Ravens into a potentially crowded field of wild-card contenders. Those are the stakes you hope for entering every prime-time game. While the Bengals are a scary matchup with the way Joe Burrow is playing, the likely absence of wide receiver Tee Higgins makes this game a lot more manageable for the Ravens’ defense. Tight end Mike Gesicki has emerged of late and the addition of running back Khalil Herbert from the Bears is a nice complement to impressive second-year back Chase Brown, but the Ravens will have a healthy secondary and trade deadline acquisition Tre’Davious White to help out in coverage. Even if Burrow stays hot, it’s going to be difficult for the Bengals and their poor defense (25th in DVOA) to outscore Lamar Jackson and company. Could this be the game Diontae Johnson makes an impact? Zay Flowers’ emergence could draw more attention from the Bengals’ defense, and the absence of tight end Isaiah Likely could open up opportunities in the passing game if the Ravens prefer to go with more three- and four-wide receiver sets. Running back Keaton Mitchell is also an interesting wrinkle if he’s deemed healthy enough to make his season debut. The Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase connection is good enough to keep the Bengals in it, but Baltimore simply has too much firepower and should handle business at home. Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 38, Bengals 34: Another high-scoring game, you say? Of course. That’s the Baltimore way. The Ravens have flipped their script, becoming the league’s offensive juggernaut while their defense has largely flopped. But the NFL’s best defense from a year ago has an opportunity to show Sunday’s positive performance against the Broncos is the start of their turnaround by facing the Bengals and Joe Burrow for a second time. Burrow has lit up Baltimore’s defense throughout his career, including a five-touchdown performance a month ago, but it looks like there’s a good chance he’ll be without Tee Higgins in this one. We know Lamar Jackson will make plays in the passing game, but the key for me is Derrick Henry. If the Ravens can get him going early and play a balanced game, control some clock and prevent Burrow and company from dominating the time of possession, I like their chances at improving to 7-3 and all but ending Cincinnati’s hopes of winning the AFC North. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 34, Bengals 28: For NFL fans, this is a dream “Thursday Night Football” matchup. Two of the best quarterbacks square off after playing a high-scoring thriller in Cincinnati a few weeks ago, with the Ravens winning that game, 41-38, in overtime. Joe Burrow threw five touchdown passes, while Lamar Jackson threw four and eclipsed 400 total yards. Can either middling defense stop the other superstar quarterback this time? I’m not banking on it. While I don’t see the teams combining to score 79 points this time, it’ll be hard for either defense to consistently get the other off the field. The Ravens won the first matchup, and home-field advantage should add a slight edge for Baltimore in the second meeting between division rivals. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Four days before the Ravens’ blowout win over the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, Baltimore’s defensive maharishi and All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith noted that the group was keeping “receipts” on all the “outside noise.” “We’re going to be perfectly fine,” he continued with the assembled media. “We’ll look back at this interview pretty soon, and you’ll be like, ‘You were right.’” Maybe. Maybe not. While the Ravens cruised to a 41-10 win over the Broncos, it hardly signaled the revival of a defense that has been one of the NFL’s worst after just a season ago being historically dominant. For one, Denver’s record had been forged in large part because of its stout defense that also benefitted from playing the second-easiest schedule in the NFL, according to defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA). For another, defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s unit still surrendered large chunks of turf all over the field to the Broncos and has consistently been one of the worst against the pass all season. In the first half Sunday, rookie quarterback Bo Nix had completions of 19, 26, 33, and 34 yards and juked out Smith on a 15-yard scamper up the middle. Down 31-10 after the Ravens scored on the opening series of the second half, however, Denver was forced into more predictable passing situations and only managed two long plays through the air. Notably, though, Smith again struggled, particularly against the pass with a 49 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, marking the fifth time this season he has failed to crack a rating of at least 50 in a game. After performing at an All-Pro level each of the past two seasons, Smith, whom the Ravens acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bears midway through the 2022 season and later signed to a five-year, $100 million deal to make him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL, hasn’t come close to achieving the same level — or even being particularly good. On the surface, his 85 tackles are the fifth-most in the NFL, but digging just only a little deeper, the numbers have been head-scratching and his play concerning. Through the first nine games of this season, Smith is ranked 59th overall out of 83 qualifying linebackers, according to PFF, is surrendering 9.4 yards per target and allowing the most expected points added among linebackers, per TruMedia. While Smith’s run defense has mostly been strong, he ranks 67th in coverage and has allowed the third-most yards receiving among linebackers at 343, with 229 of those coming after the catch. So, what gives? “We’ve had a lot of conversations,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We talk all of the time every day. We talk about plays, specifically — and I’m talking about plays in practice — we talk in the meeting room, we talk about how we’re handling a coverage or a rush, or how we’re handling a play. Those are all of the little detailed conversations that you have all of the time. “You also have some big-picture conversations, too, about how can we get better. What do we need to do? What are we missing? What are we doing well? With your leaders, you have those conversations.” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith hasn’t played to his usual elite standards through the first nine games of the season. (Staff) So far, there haven’t been a lot of clear answers for the Ravens’ on-field play caller. Against the Broncos, Smith had just three tackles, which was three fewer than his previous season low. For the year, he’s giving up just over 2 yards per completion and 1.3 yards per target compared with a year ago. Part of the reason could be scheme. When Baltimore has been in a Cover 2 look, Smith and fellow inside linebacker Trenton Simpson have often dropped well back into a soft zone, thus limiting their speed and aggressiveness to the ball in a bend-but-don’t-break approach. Other times, though, like on Nix’s scramble on third-and-5 from the Ravens’ 36-yard line in the second quarter, Smith bit badly on a pump fake and was left in the quarterback’s wake, nary getting a hand on him as he made one cut and ran by him. The game against Denver marked the fifth time this season that Smith finished with fewer than 10 tackles in a game. One consistent issue has been communication. But how are the Ravens fixing it? “As a team and as having Ro as our leader, we’ve spent more time on the back seven watching more film together with just players,” Simpson said. “We got all the talent and coaching staff putting the game plans into place, but just as players and teammates we have to be on the same accord and on the same page.” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, left, is confident the defense can fix its issues in the second half of the season. (Staff file) The same issues — along with execution — have echoed throughout the secondary as well, all of it interconnected. “We’ve been searching,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It’s bad when what you’re being coached. … If you don’t have it to the T, that’s what’s kind of hurting us. “We’ve talked about doing your 1-of-11. So many times this year, just one guy is not exactly where he’s supposed to be, and that’s where it’s been hit.” Often, where it has hit has been in the middle of the field, or where Smith roams. That will likely be the case again on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium against the AFC North rival Bengals. When the teams met last month in Cincinnati, the Ravens won a wild 41-38 shootout in overtime. A similar consequence could emerge if Baltimore can’t protect the middle and shallow areas of the field, an area where the Bengals excel. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been stellar on throws inside 10 yards, completing 122 of 145 for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns with one interception. Over the middle in that range, he is 70-for-85 for 567 yards with five touchdown passes, and between 10 to 20 yards in the middle is 17-for-28 for 362 yards and two scores. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ready to go, TE Isaiah Likely out vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Is Zay Flowers officially the No. 1 wide receiver the Ravens have longed for? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Put another way, pressure will again be put on Smith. Not that anyone — including the man who delivers the team’s fiery pregame speech after warmups every game, nor the team’s coach — seems to be worried. “It’s a process through the whole season to get better at everything,” Harbaugh said. “It seems to be an expectation that you’re going to be perfect at everything — every aspect of your game — from the first game to the last game to the end. … It’s just not reality. “We understand that we can get better. We work hard to get better every single day at every single thing we do. … You face challenges, [and] you face circumstances, and you meet them as you find them; you meet them where they’re at. You meet your circumstances where they’re at.” For the Ravens, in many ways, that begins and ends with Smith. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

When the Ravens and Bengals met earlier this season, they played an overtime thriller. Defense was optional. But Baltimore prevailed, 41-38, in part because its defense showed up in the final moments. Marlon Humphrey’s interception of Joe Burrow helped force overtime and propelled the Ravens to a divisional victory. Thursday night’s game once again pits Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson, and the two quarterbacks are among the hottest in the NFL. Jackson is coming off posting a perfect passer rating — going 16 of 19 for 280 yards and three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos — while Burrow threw for for 251 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. With each team’s defense struggling, it’s no surprise betting oddsmakers list the over/under total above 50 points. Baltimore, playing at home and sitting above Cincinnati in every relevant power ranking, is the clear betting favorite. What are the odds? The Ravens are favored for the ninth consecutive game, as they’ve only been an underdog in the season opener against the undefeated Chiefs. Spread: Ravens -6 1/2 points (FanDuel) Total: 53.5 points Moneyline: Ravens -255, Bengals +210 Baltimore is 5-3-1 against the spread this season, and eight of the team’s nine games have gone over the projected point total. The Bengals are 5-4 against the spread, and six of their nine games have gone over the total. Cincinnati has performed well away from home, going 4-0 against the spread in road games. Detroit (4-0) and Atlanta (3-0) are the only other teams undefeated against the spread in road games this year. Points, points and more points? The first meeting between these teams featured 79 combined points. While matching that total feels challenging, the over is my favorite bet of the week. Baltimore ranks first in offensive DVOA, as the Ravens have one of the best offenses in franchise history. They’ve yet to score fewer than 20 points in a game this season, reaching 30 or more in five of their nine games and eclipsing 40 points three times. Cincinnati boasts a dangerous offense, too, ranking 10th in offensive DVOA and scoring 30 points in four of nine games. Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns in the first meeting, with the Ravens having no answers for wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (who is doubtful to play Thursday with a quadriceps injury). I’m skeptical the Ravens’ defense will find those answers this week, although Ravens coach John Harbaugh is holding out hope this game might follow a different script. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ready to go, TE Isaiah Likely out vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Is Zay Flowers officially the No. 1 wide receiver the Ravens have longed for? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Tuesday but will play Thursday vs. Bengals “You never how it’s gonna play out,” Harbaugh said Tuesday. “I’m excited for all three phases of our team to play their best, play their hardest.” Jackson tallied 403 total yards and four touchdowns in the Ravens’ win. Will Cincinnati’s defense slow down Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers? Most defenses haven’t come close. “We already know we’ve just got to score points,” Jackson said Tuesday. “That’s our job, and that’s been the conversation all season long. We have to score points. With warm weather and minimal winds expected, can anyone slow down these two star quarterbacks? Best bet: Over 53 points (BetMGM) Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is ready to face the Cincinnati Bengals despite continuing to nurse a knee injury, while tight end Isaiah Likely will miss Thursday night’s AFC North showdown because of a hamstring injury. The Bengals, meanwhile, will likely be without No. 2 wide receiver Tee Higgins, who caught nine passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns when the division rivals met Oct. 6 in Cincinnati. Higgins, listed as doubtful on Wednesday’s injury report, is dealing with a quadriceps injury. Two other key starters, defensive tackle B.J. Hill (rib) and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula), are questionable to face the Ravens. Returner Charlie Jones is doubtful with a groin injury. Jackson did not practice Tuesday but was listed with no injury designation for the Bengals game. Coach John Harbaugh had already said he would start. Jackson also missed two practices last week because of knee and back injuries but finished with a perfect passer rating in Sunday’s 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos. He has said he’s simply trying to rest his body as he navigates a grueling season in which he’s a leading candidate to win a third NFL Most Valuable Player award. He will miss one of his favorite red zone targets in Likely, who caught two touchdown passes in the Ravens’ previous win over the Bengals. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Is Zay Flowers officially the No. 1 wide receiver the Ravens have longed for? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Tuesday but will play Thursday vs. Bengals Defensive end Brent Urban (concussion) was also listed as out on the final injury report of the week. The Ravens will likely elevate defensive end Chris Wormley and possibly nose tackle Josh Tupou to cover for Urban’s absence and that of defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who’s on injured reserve. In good news for the defensive line, Travis Jones (ankle) was upgraded to a full participant on Wednesday’s estimated injury report and does not carry an injury designation for the Bengals game. Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis is doubtful for Thursday’s game after being limited in practice all week by a knee injury. Running back Rasheen Ali, an option to return kickoffs after the Ravens released Chris Collier, was listed as questionable with an ankle injury but participated fully in practice Tuesday and Wednesday. Running back Keaton Mitchell was also listed as questionable as he prepares to return from the knee injury that cut short his 2023 season. Mitchell was a full practice participant all week, but the Ravens have until 4 p.m. Thursday to add him to their 53-man roster. If they don’t, he would likely be added next week, ahead of their Nov. 17 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article