Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 11: Who has the edge?
The Ravens blew another fourth-quarter lead, losing 33-31 to the Cleveland Browns on a last-second field goal. The Bengals could not complete a comeback and fell 30-27 to the Houston Texans. Who will have the edge when these AFC North rivals meet after a short week of preparation?
Ravens passing game vs. Bengals pass defense
Lamar Jackson connected on three plays of 30 yards or more against the Browns but also missed several major opportunities, one of which turned into his first of two interceptions on the afternoon. Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers showed off his gift for getting open, catching five passes on six targets to push his team-high season totals to 50 catches for 545 yards. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. turned a nifty timing connection into a 40-yard touchdown that put the Ravens up 15, but Beckham played just 18 snaps compared with Flowers’ 47 and Rashod Bateman’s 40. Tight end Mark Andrews, who leads the team’s receivers in first downs and touchdowns, caught just two passes on four targets against Cleveland, a team he often torches. Jackson’s pass protection, diminished by injuries to tackles Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley, did not hold up against the league’s best defense.
The Ravens will look for better results against a Bengals defense they outmaneuvered for 415 yards and 26 first downs in the second week of the season. The Bengals are licking their wounds after surrendering 356 passing yards to Texas rookie C.J. Stroud on their home field. Opponents have averaged 6.9 yards per attempt against coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense, which misses safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III, both of whom departed after last season. The Bengals have struggled to get opponents off the field, ranking 26th in third-down defense but have compensated with 12 interceptions, second best in the league. They blitz on just 21.9% of dropbacks, instead relying on edge rushers Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard and defensive tackle B.J. Hill to win individual matchups. Hendrickson (8 1/2 sacks, 13 quarterback hits) remains the star of the bunch but hurt his knee late in the loss to the Texans. Hubbard is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out against Houston. Neither Hendrickson nor Hubbard practiced Monday, so the Ravens’ wounded offensive line, which could be without Stanley, might catch a break.
EDGE: Ravens
Bengals passing game vs. Ravens pass defense
Quarterback Joe Burrow has recovered from the calf injury that hampered him in his earlier matchup with the Ravens but generally struggles to go off against coordinator Mike Macdonald’s shifting looks. Burrow has resumed clicking with his top targets in recent weeks. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (69 catches, 821 yards, five touchdowns) is always problem No. 1, though the Ravens held him to five catches for 31 yards in Week 2. Wide receiver Tee Higgins, their chief nemesis that day, is dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him against the Texans. Tyler Boyd (44 catches, 417 yards) completes the gifted trio, though he dropped a potential go-ahead touchdown against the Texans. Burrow hasn’t much looked for his tight ends, so the Ravens will be free to focus on the big-play threats. Cincinnati’s pass protection, with former Raven Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle and 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams at right tackle, is decent. Burrow has taken 22 sacks, tied for 10th most in the league.
The Ravens lead the league with 39 sacks but dropped Burrow just once in their previous matchup, opting to keep him off-balance rather than attack relentlessly. They played two very different halves against the Browns, frustrating quarterback Deshaun Watson in the first half but giving him too much room to pick apart their zone coverages in the second. They lost cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who was already dealing with a sore hamstring, to a calf injury. Humphrey missed the earlier victory over Cincinnati, so at least the Ravens know how they would match up without their top cornerback. Their pass defense has dominated all season, holding opponents to a league-low 4.2 yards per attempt. They have continued to pile up sacks even as Macdonald has dialed back his blitzing. Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike extended his sack streak to seven games against Cleveland, while edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Odafe Oweh combined for three sacks.
EDGE: Ravens
Ravens running game vs. Bengals run defense
The Ravens still lead the league in rushing, but fans left the Browns game wondering why they went away from rookie Keaton Mitchell, who followed up his breakout against the Seattle Seahawks with a 39-yard touchdown to jump-start the Ravens against Cleveland. The team’s fastest back would finish the day with just three carries while workhorse Gus Edwards struggled to 24 yards on 11 attempts. The Ravens were unable to use their running game to control the second half as they had against Seattle.
They rolled for 178 yards on 37 carries in their earlier win over the Bengals, who have struggled to stop the run all season, allowing 5 yards per carry. The Texans just gouged them for 188 rushing yards. Cincinnati has a top run stuffer in defensive tackle D.J. Reader. Linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt stay on the field together for almost every snap.
EDGE: Ravens
Bengals running game vs. Ravens run defense
Joe Mixon (536 yards, 3.9 yards per carry) is the Bengals’ running attack. The Ravens have generally defended Mixon well, holding him to 56.2 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry in 12 career meetings. Burrow will take off in a pinch, but the Ravens won’t have to worry about designed runs from him.
Though they held the Bengals to 66 yards in Week 2, they have not consistently played up to their standard against the run, allowing opponents 4.1 yards per carry. They gave up a season-worst 178 yards on 36 attempts against the Browns, with their interior line playing a subpar game. Linebacker Patrick Queen also struggled, while his partner, Roquan Smith, had to clean up too many messes on his way to 21 tackles.
EDGE: Ravens
Ravens special teams vs. Bengals special teams
Another special teams lapse hurt the Ravens as the Browns blocked a 55-yard field goal attempt by Justin Tucker that could have been the difference in the game. Tucker is now 1-for-5 from beyond 50 yards this season, with two of those blocked. Devin Duvernay hasn’t done much with kickoffs but is still averaging an impressive 13.4 yards on punt returns.
The Bengals have outperformed the Ravens on special teams this year thanks to the good work of kicker Evan McPherson (5-for-8 from 50 yards or beyond) and punt returners Trenton Irwin and Charlie Jones (combined 13.8-yard average).
EDGE: Bengals
Ravens intangibles vs. Bengals intangibles
The Ravens entered the Browns game on a high after demolishing the Seahawks for their fourth straight win, but they’re back to confronting questions about their inability to protect second-half leads. They’ve hardly trailed all season, so why are they just 7-3? Two of their three collapses have come at home, so it’s not as if they can count on playing at M&T Bank Stadium as a fix. They won’t overlook the Bengals, who have emerged as their chief rival for AFC North supremacy over the past three years.
The Bengals ended the Ravens’ season last year and seemed to be rounding back into form until their Houston hiccup. As well as they played in wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, they’re last in the AFC North and would face an uphill climb to the postseason if they lose in Baltimore. Coach Zac Taylor has won four of his past six matchups against John Harbaugh, whose Ravens pounded Taylor’s rebuilding Bengals in 2019 and 2020.
EDGE: Even
Prediction
Familiarity has bred contempt between these AFC North rivals, both of whom need a win to put the stink of last weekend behind them. Expect a desperate game with chunk plays and wild swings. The Ravens have checked Burrow effectively and are equipped to pound on Cincinnati’s lesser defense. They’ll get back on track but not without tense moments. Ravens 26, Bengals 20
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