After one other dispiriting house loss, the Ravens will attempt to defend their turf in prime time towards the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals blew them out twice in 2021. Do the matchups look completely different this time round? Here’s who has the sting:
Ravens passing sport vs. Bengals move protection
Lamar Jackson performed his worst sport of the season in a Week 4 loss to the Buffalo Bills, throwing two interceptions and struggling to see downfield targets towards a protection that persistently pressured him with out blitzing. The dangerous information for the Ravens is that the Bengals current an analogous problem, blitzing on simply 17.2% of drop-backs and harassing quarterbacks with a pair of productive edge rushers in Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Cincinnati sacked Jackson 5 occasions in a 41-17 blowout in Week 7 final yr, with Hubbard and Hendrickson combining for 3 1/2 of these. This can be an opportune week for left sort out Ronnie Stanley to return. Daniel Faalele and Morgan Moses struggled to maintain Buffalo’s excellent edge rushers from hurrying Jackson, and Stanley would seemingly supply an on the spot improve in move safety. The Ravens even have to fret in regards to the well being of No. 1 large receiver Rashod Bateman, who damage his foot towards the Bills. Bateman is Jackson’s high downfield goal, and Demarcus Robinson (5 catches on 10 targets, 41 yards) can be requested to step up if he’s restricted. Tight finish Mark Andrews stays Jackson’s high goal total (24 catches on 36 targets, 260 yards), however he had a subpar sport towards the Bills, partially as a result of officers worn out a catch on the aim line with a push-off name and partially due to Buffalo’s very good inside linebackers. Wide receiver Devin Duvernay (12 catches on 13 targets, three touchdowns) has grown right into a dependable third possibility for Jackson.
Cincinnati’s move protection ranks eighth in effectivity, in line with Football Outsiders’ DVOA, and has held opposing quarterbacks to five.9 yards per try. Behind Hendrickson and Hubbard, the Bengals have strong gamers all through their secondary with cornerbacks Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton and safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III. They have excelled on third and fourth down, permitting opponents to transform on simply 17 of 58 possibilities.
EDGE: Bengals
Bengals passing sport vs. Ravens move protection
Joe Burrow was considered a number one Most Valuable Player candidate coming into the season however acquired off to a tough begin with 4 interceptions in a gap loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has performed higher the final two weeks with 5 landing passes and no interceptions in wins over the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. The 2020 No. 1 total decide loves taking part in towards the Ravens, whom he torched for 941 yards and 7 touchdowns in a pair of blowout wins final season. The Bengals invested closely in enhancing their move safety, however Burrow has been sacked on 9.3% of his drop-backs by way of 4 video games, up from 8.9% final season. Right sort out La’el Collins has been the worst offender on an offensive line that might be Cincinnati’s Achilles heel. But it’s truthful to ask if the Ravens, twenty seventh within the league in pressures per drop-back, are outfitted to take benefit. Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh did produce his first sack of the season to go along with a pressured fumble towards the Bills. The Ravens added Jason Pierre-Paul to their mixture of edge rushers and will get fellow veteran Justin Houston again after he missed the Buffalo sport with a groin damage. They’re blitzing on 27.6% of drop-backs beneath first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald however struggling to get house with these additional rushers.
Cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Brandon Stephens will face an excessive problem this week from Cincinnati large receivers Tee Higgins (20 catches, 315 yards, two touchdowns) and Ja’Marr Chase (25 catches, 293 yards, two touchdowns), a pair of huge, quick targets who can rating from anyplace on the sphere. It’s a scary matchup for a protection that struggled to stop lengthy move performs in a Week 2 loss to the Miami Dolphins and a Week 3 win over the New England Patriots. On the plus facet, the Ravens lead the league with 10 takeaways, an indication that Peters’ return and their offseason funding in security Marcus Williams (three interceptions) have paid off.
EDGE: Bengals
Ravens operating sport vs. Bengals run protection
The Ravens ran for 162 yards on 33 makes an attempt towards Buffalo and are averaging 5.4 yards per keep on the season. Their floor sport was on the upswing with J.Ok. Dobbins and Justice Hill working beside Jackson, however they suffered a setback when Hill (6.6 yards per carry) damage his hamstring late within the Bills loss. Coach John Harbaugh mentioned the damage was not critical however that Hill would seemingly miss time. Neither Mike Davis nor Kenyan Drake can be as dynamic a associate for Dobbins, who scored twice towards Buffalo in his second sport again from the knee damage that value him all of final season. No matter who’s taking handoffs, Jackson rolls on as a terrifying risk on scrambles and designed runs. He’s averaging 8.5 yards per carry and on tempo to hurry for greater than 1,300 yards.
Cincinnati’s run protection took a serious hit when defensive sort out D.J. Reader, one of many high inside defenders in soccer, went on injured reserve. They haven’t confronted a robust floor assault — actually not one with a risk comparable to Jackson — since they misplaced Reader, so their No. 4 rating in run protection must be taken with a grain of salt. That mentioned, their safeties and linebackers are strong run defenders, so they aren’t simple to gouge.
EDGE: Ravens
Bengals operating sport vs. Ravens run protection
The Bengals have averaged simply 3.1 yards per carry, and operating again Joe Mixon is off to a poor begin, averaging 2.7 yards on greater than 20 carries per sport. He stays a risk as a move catcher however just isn’t operating just like the star many understand him to be. Burrow isn’t a operating risk on par with Buffalo’s Josh Allen, however he can’t be ignored on scrambles. He’s second on the group with 79 yards on 20 carries.
The Ravens haven’t performed as much as their traditional stage on this space, permitting opponents to common 5 yards per carry. Linebackers Patrick Queen and Josh Bynes haven’t performed nicely towards the run, and the Ravens additionally want Oweh to be extra constant setting the sting. The Bengals might be a group for his or her run protection to get nicely towards.
EDGE: Ravens
Ravens particular groups vs. Bengals particular groups
The Ravens nonetheless rank first in particular groups effectivity, in line with Football Outsiders’ DVOA. All-Pro Justin Tucker has made all 5 of his field-goal makes an attempt this season, with three of these coming from 50 yards or past. Duvernay is the league’s most harmful returner, averaging 15.4 yards on punts and 42 yards on kickoffs. Rookie Jordan Stout has alternated booming punts with mishits and imprecise placements; the Ravens hope for extra consistency from him.
The Bengals rank eleventh in particular groups DVOA. Kicker Evan McPherson has a robust leg however has missed twice in 11 makes an attempt this season. Trent Taylor has averaged a strong 10.8 yards on punt returns.
EDGE: Ravens
Ravens intangibles vs. Bengals intangibles
The Ravens walked off their house subject a annoyed group after blowing a 17-point lead towards the Bills. Harbaugh confronted widespread second guessing from followers, who felt he ought to have gone for a straightforward go-ahead field-goal try as an alternative of attempting for a landing on fourth-and-goal on the finish of the Ravens’ final drive. Harbaugh has stood by his resolution, and gamers have promised to maneuver previous the demoralizing defeat rapidly. They’ll strive to take action towards an opponent that slapped them round like no different in 2021.
The Bengals will come to Baltimore well-rested off a Thursday night time win over the beforehand undefeated Dolphins. The defending AFC champions know what Burrow can do at M&T Bank Stadium, the place the Ravens have misplaced 5 video games going again to final season. It’s the largest sport of the early season for each groups as they jockey to take pole place within the AFC North.
EDGE: Bengals
Prediction
The Ravens have outplayed the Bengals by way of 4 video games however have solely a 2-2 report to point out for it. Can their protection be trusted to make a late stand towards Burrow if the sport is shut? Can their offensive line give Jackson time to work towards a protection that beat him up final season? This can be a neater name if the Ravens weren’t once more going through damage questions at key spots, however Jackson’s legs can be their salvation in one other shut sport. Ravens 30, Bengals 26
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Source: www.bostonherald.com