Ravens And Bengals Should Be Playoff Type Battle

Bengals vs. Ravens, 8:15 ET

I feel like each year, anyone is likely to have a turnaround in the NFL. The interesting thing is that almost every season, the AFC North is one of the more competitive divisions. This season is really no different with all teams having a winning record right now. The picture should get a bit more clear in this one as the Bengals take on the Ravens in Baltimore.

This has not been the season that the Bengals were hoping for. All isn't lost though a win here puts them at 6-4 and the Ravens would be 7-4. The problem is that two of their four losses this season have come from their AFC North opponents. Last week was a great game to watch but exposed the Bengals defense a bit as the Texans came into Cincinnati and took down the Bengals. That ended a four-game winning streak for the Bengals. One that saw them seemingly turn their season around. Their offense is finally doing their job, something they certainly weren't doing early in the season. They are still allowing more points than they are putting up for the year. They are also allowing opponents to complete over 40% of third-down attempts. With the Ravens having an effective running game, I expect them to be in mostly third and short situations which does not bode well for the Bengals. This is going to be a difficult task for Burrow and the Bengals to get their offense going against a tough Ravens defense as well.

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 29: Ja'Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals catches a pass for a touchdown against Isaiah Oliver #26 of the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium on October 29, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

The Ravens are also coming off of a loss, but before that one, they looked like one of the best teams in the NFL. I wouldn't exactly call their schedule super difficult to this point though. They did play the Bengals earlier this season in Cincinnati and were able to escape with a 27-24 victory. In that game they were able to get almost 200 yards on the ground and another 237 through the air. The Bengals' defense was certainly struggling at that point, and has improved, but I'm not sure they will be able to stop the Ravens running backs. The first game also featured something that you can't really count on replicate: A punt return touchdown for the Bengals. I'm not saying the first matchup should've been a bigger win for the Ravens, but it might have been a bit more comfortable of a victory without the touchdown. Tonight, the Ravens need to get back to what works best for them: running the football. When Lamar Jackson escapes the pocket he can cause a lot of damage. Of course, the Bengals recognize that and are likely to have a QB spy most of the game. There aren't that many people on the Ravens to throw to, so if they can make him have to beat them through the air, I think Cincinnati can keep it close or win the game.

The first game between the two teams scored 51 points. I think this one is a lower score as both are coming off a loss and need to adjust. The importance of this game cannot be understated. The Bengals really need this to make things easy on them for the playoff race. The Ravens can take a bit more control of the division with a win, especially now that Desean Watson is out for the season in Cleveland. Tonight should be an under in this game.

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