ExtremeRavens Posted 7 hours ago Posted 7 hours ago That Ravens’ winning streak is falling further into the rearview mirror. They’ve now dropped two straight, both crucial matchups to division opponents, and the only obvious path to the playoffs requires winning out. Baltimore’s uphill climb starts Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium for a rematch against the Bengals. The forecast calls for wool socks and mittens. Who will have the advantage? Ravens passing game vs. Bengals pass defense In Lamar Jackson’s first six games, he threw 15 touchdown passes and one interception. The Ravens were 1-5, toiling through tempestuous waters, but the quarterback play was expectedly sharp. In four games since returning from a hamstring injury, while dealing with a host of other lower body pains, Jackson has thrown only one touchdown pass compared with four interceptions. He has played shockingly subpar football. At least below the ridiculously high bar we judge a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player on. He’s the centerpiece of a wider inefficient offense that’s forgivable in wins against lesser teams and plagued Baltimore in losses against decent clubs. When the Ravens and Bengals met on Thanksgiving, Cincinnati owned, by some metrics, the worst defense of the last half-century. But that group held Baltimore to 14 points and forced five turnovers. Three of them were from Jackson. The Ravens weren’t much better 10 days later. Mark Andrews said this week that he’s excited to “start being the team that we are.” But it’s Week 15. This might just be who they are this year. EDGE: Bengals Bengals passing game vs. Ravens pass defense After the bye week, the Ravens reeled off five straight wins by holding opponents to less than 20 points. Here were the quarterbacks they muted: Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel (then Shedeur Sanders) and the New York Jets’ Tyrod Taylor. Not exactly a menacing list. But the Pro Bowl-caliber passers have picked apart the Ravens. Such was the case early in the year; the likes of Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Stroud and Matthew Stafford. It’s happening again, with the schedule feeding Baltimore a healthy Joe Burrow, who passed for 261 yards and two touchdowns in their first meeting. EDGE: Bengals Ravens running game vs. Bengals run defense Two things can be true: Derrick Henry hasn’t burst into space the way we’ve become accustomed to over his Hall of Fame career and the Bengals aren’t the team to keep it that way. According to Next Gen Stats, Henry has forced a missed tackle on only 17.1% of his carries this season. That’s the second lowest rate among 41 running backs with at least 100 carries. It’s also his lowest since at least 2018. Henry has been hit behind the line of scrimmage on half of his carries this year, the seventh-highest rate among that same group. He’s still top-four in the NFL in generating yards after contact. Meanwhile, the Bengals rank last in the NFL in contacting running backs in the backfield, about one-third of attempts. On Thanksgiving, Henry touched the ball just 10 times. An extensive line of questioning followed about his lack of involvement in the loss considering that he scored Baltimore’s first touchdown. Harbaugh fairly explained that it was a product of how the game unfolded. Against Pittsburgh, Henry went 94 yards on a season-high 25 carries, his most in a game since late 2023. This matchup could be a beneficial one for Henry if he gets more than 10 touches and the offense stays on schedule. EDGE: Ravens Bengals running game vs. Ravens run defense The Bengals don’t run the ball much. Who can blame them? They have one of the best receiving duos in the NFL and, when healthy, a dynamite quarterback to deliver them the ball. Chase Brown and Samaje Perine are no backfield slouches, but Cincinnati play callers won’t lean on them to decide a game, as evidenced by their combined four rushing touchdowns this season. There’s one outlier on the list. Two weeks ago, the Bengals ran the ball 33 times, 10 more carries than their next most in a single game. Cincinnati’s 128 yards on the ground were the most Baltimore’s front has let up since Week 5, when an injury-riddled defense did nothing to slow down Houston. EDGE: Bengals Ravens special teams vs. Bengals special teams Tyler Loop missed an extra point attempt in Pittsburgh, something he hadn’t done since Week 1. But he’s been perfect on all nine field goal attempts, all within 50 yards, over the past four games. The rookie isn’t being called upon to win games or show off his boot to save a drive, but he’s been admirably consistent when the Ravens get down near the red zone and stall out. Can’t ask for much more than that. Cincinnati could be a daunting task for the Texas native who kicked at the University of Arizona. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton said they “won’t be able to replicate the things that you see up in this [AFC North]. It’s different. When that wind gets to howling, and it’s really cold, it’s a lot different. But, he’ll be fine, man. He’s a young guy, and he’s on the right track. I think he’s playing his butt off.” The Bengals own the fifth-best special teams expected points added per play in the NFL (20.6) — far better than Baltimore’s 15th place mark (2.7). While it’s been a strong year for the Ravens’ third phase, the edge goes to Cincinnati, particularly for a chilly home game. EDGE: Bengals Ravens intangibles vs. Bengals intangibles Well, the Ravens are playing for their lives and the Bengals are essentially playing for pride — the pride of crushing Baltimore’s playoff hopes. Here’s how the two sides spoke about this week, this matchup and the vibes umbrella over each team. Burrow spent his 29th birthday reflecting. His team’s playoff odds, by percentage points, can be counted on one hand. After missing a chunk of this season because injury, he waxed eloquently about his desire to have fun. “I’ve been through a lot and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? So that’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table.” Winning is included in that calculation. But that’s the mindset of someone who knows he won’t be playing deep into January. On the other hand, Kyle Hamilton, knowing that the Ravens are on the ropes, invoked some of the best Cinderella stories in recent memory. Like Carlos Alcaraz’s miraculous French Open comeback. Or Rory McIlroy leaving short his would-be winning putt on the 18th green at The Masters, only to win it on the first playoff hole. Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen had an impressive second-half turnaround this year. So did LeBron James’ Cavaliers, famously climbing back from down 3-1 to win the 2016 NBA Finals. Conversely, Hamilton pointed out, the Patriots went undefeated in 2007 and lost in the Super Bowl. “So, it’s not about how you get there, it’s just a matter of you getting there; I think the mindset that we have to have is kind of like that,” he said. “It’s going to be a heck of a story; that’s what we’re telling ourselves.” EDGE: Ravens Prediction What have the Ravens done to give anyone confidence that a turnaround is imminent? Two weeks ago, they scored 14 points against a bad Bengals defense and let Joe Burrow torch them for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Last week, Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers picked apart their defense and the Ravens missed out on three chances at lead-changing, fourth-quarter touchdowns. It’s possible Baltimore proves us wrong and flips a switch with the kind of dominant showing it’s capable of. But we haven’t seen that version in weeks. The Ravens seem destined to watch their playoff odds shrivel up in Sunday’s frost at the hands of a team whose only motivation is spoiling Baltimore’s year. Bengals 27, Ravens 21. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article Quote
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