ExtremeRavens Posted 8 hours ago Posted 8 hours ago Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 15 game between the Ravens and Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati: Brian Wacker, reporter Bengals 31, Ravens 17: Joe Burrow might not be having any fun, as he said earlier this week, but the Ravens have too often been a welcome tonic for those searching for a cure. The Bengals quarterback is also too good and would like to do nothing more than put a dagger in Baltimore’s season, which feels like it’s hanging by the thinnest of strings. The Ravens’ own offense, meanwhile, has been oft discombobulated and far too allergic to touchdowns once it gets in the red zone, even against struggling defenses. Cincinnati hasn’t swept Baltimore since 2021, but that’s where this is headed. That was also the last time the Ravens missed the playoffs. Sam Cohn, reporter Bengals 27, Ravens 21: 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 that 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 season. Mike Preston, columnist Bengals 24, Ravens 21: I am not picking the Ravens until they prove that they can beat a top-caliber quarterback. Cincinnati is ranked No. 32 in overall defense, allowing 410.5 yards per game. Its run defense is also last, giving up 155.5 yards per game. But the Ravens won five straight earlier this season by beating up on rookie or inexperienced quarterbacks, and the Bengals have some top playmakers in quarterback Joe Burrow and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Josh Tolentino, columnist Bengals 27, Ravens: 21: The Bengals deploy the NFL’s 32nd-ranked defense and 30th-ranked rushing offense. Does any of that matter against the visiting Ravens? Baltimore’s offense is riding a season-long funk, while its defense has struggled against quality passers. During the team’s two-game losing streak, the Ravens’ defensive line has generated zero(!) sacks and just 11 pressures across 85 dropbacks from Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers. The five-game win streak was commendable, but now the real pressure is on. Until the Ravens put together a complete offensive showing, reminiscent of the first three quarters in the season opener at Buffalo, it’ll be difficult to trust Lamar Jackson and company over the season’s final stretch. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 26, Bengals 23: This can’t be how the season ends, right? Those upcoming matchups against the Patriots, Packers and Steelers are far too juicy for Baltimore to slip two games below .500 and be all but eliminated from postseason contention with a loss this weekend. Some fans might already be thinking about 2026 and the potential upgrades across the roster, but the story of this season has yet to be written. That Week 18 trip to Pittsburgh seems all but destined to be a winner-take-all showdown for the AFC North. The Ravens have a long way to go before that becomes a reality, but they’ll find a way to escape Cincinnati with a win on a last-second field goal and keep their faint hopes alive a little bit longer. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 34, Bengals 28: I’m going back to the well one more time. If the Ravens lose again, I will have officially lost hope in their 2025 season. Baltimore averaged more yards per play than Cincinnati in a loss two weeks ago, but five turnovers ruined its chance of winning. In the loss to the Steelers, the Ravens outplayed Pittsburgh between the 20s. They stunk in the red zone and lost by five, in part because of questionable officiating. The Ravens are not that far off from playing winning football, and in a weak AFC North, that means they still have a chance. If they lose Sunday, however, it’s time to call it. I think they keep hope alive for another week, and Miami upsets Pittsburgh on Monday to make the AFC North race even spicier. Tim Schwartz, editor Bengals 28, Ravens 24: The Ravens’ season is hanging by a thread, and I haven’t seen anything from them over the past few weeks that makes me believe they are going to turn it around and win the AFC North. The Bengals, despite having the leakiest defense in football, look like a better team than the Ravens right now. That says a lot. Baltimore’s offense looked better against the Steelers last weekend, but it’s still a shell of what we expected it to be with a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player under center. The good news for the Ravens is that the Steelers play a fairly difficult schedule the rest of the way, too, so it’s still possible that the division is decided in Pittsburgh in Week 18. Patrice Sanders, FOX45 Morning News anchor Ravens 37, Bengals 31: The Ravens are struggling to get into the playoffs. Looking at the road ahead and the games left to play, if Baltimore can’t get past this game with a win, it has no chance. View the full article Quote
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