Bengals Keys vs Ravens: Let Joe Cook
Cara Owsley via Imagn Images
The Bengals find themselves in a must-win situation once again, as they head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in a Week 10, Thursday night showdown. The last time the Bengals played a prime time game at M&T Bank Stadium, Joe Burrow went down for the rest of the 2024 season with a season-ending wrist injury. Now, Burrow will look to redeem himself on nearly an identical stage that was his undoing.
What are our keys to victory in this must-win game against Baltimore?
1. Don’t let Baltimore’s run game control the clock
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are having a historic season. Derrick Henry is the NFL’s leading rusher, and Lamar Jackson is the odds-on favorite to win the NFL’s MVP award for an unprecedented third time. They are the NFL’s premiere QB-RB rushing duo, which says a lot for a team in a league where Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley exist.
In the Week 5 matchup with the Ravens, Cincinnati was able to stifle the Baltimore rushing attack for the majority of the game (unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the Ravens’ pass game) until the very last play from scrimmage, where Derrick Henry ripped off a 51 yard gain to solidify a Justin Tucker game-winning field goal.
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have shown zero signs of slowing down, and explosive running back Keaton Mitchell has a chance to play for the first time all season as well. With a run game that is currently at its peak, the Bengals either have to stifle Derrick Henry like they were able to until the final play from scrimmage, or they have to win the track meet with Baltimore’s offense. Which, speaking of…
2. Use Joe Burrow’s throwing arm, a lot
The Bengals were able to stay in the game thanks to Joe Burrow’s throwing arm. Baltimore is one of the worst teams in the league in terms of pass defense, and their most recent acquisition isn’t turning any heads, simply because you’ve heard his name before.
Tre'Davious White is currently tied for the 3rd-most touchdowns allowed this season (4)
He hasn't played since September 30th https://t.co/BLDnNduokS
— Eric Romoff (@FantasyNav) November 5, 2024
It was a major reason why the Rams dumped him and a 2027 7th round pick off to Baltimore for a 2026 7th round pick.
White will be added to a secondary that has given up the most passing yards in the NFL (2528), the most first downs allowed (133), and have allowed 18 touchdowns, which is one fewer than the NFL’s lead of 19. With Tee Higgins likely to miss his third straight game, Bengals fans, myself included, are hoping that the team is able to utilize the rest of their receiver corps (including a certain someone) to help Baltimore’s heavily suspect secondary, especially as the Bengals are 1-3 when Higgins doesn’t play in 2024.
3. Limit the mistakes that were your Week 5 undoing
The Bengals’ undoing in Week 5 were their mistakes. Joe Burrow threw a brutal fourth quarter pick to Marlon Humphrey, and Ryan Rehkow mishandled the hold on a game-winning field goal attempt. The latter of the two mistakes was lampooned by Joe Buck on Monday Night Football the very next night.
Joe Buck on the Chiefs' Monday night field goal: "What a job by Araiza! … Bengals going, 'Why? Why? Why couldn't that have happened for us?" https://t.co/FB7bBQwIsU
— Enquirer (@Enquirer) October 8, 2024
(If you’re mad at Joe Buck for saying something like that, watch Peyton and Eli like the rest of us.)
As good as Baltimore has been in 2024, one area they’ve struggled in is in penalties. The Ravens are the second-most penalized team in the NFL, having accumulated 602 penalty yards; on the other hand, the Bengals are the second-least penalized team in the NFL, with 335 penalty yards. Against a team like the Ravens, who run a deeply efficient offense that just added Diontae Johnson from the Panthers.
In the turnover battle, however, Baltimore is much better, as they have only coughed up the ball six times, which is fifth fewest in the NFL. It’s paramount for the Bengals to capitalize on every opportunity they get, especially against an offense as dynamic as Baltimore’s.
4. Play like the must-win situation that it is
The Bengals have found themselves in too many must-win situations for comfort. At 4-5 and clinging to life in the AFC playoff picture, they are in one yet again. This upcoming matchup in Baltimore is just that, and the team is more than aware of it.
“Anybody who’s rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals knows it’s a must-win game,” Trey Hendrickson said. “We had a good plan. There’s things we need to correct and obviously we’re going to have to do that on a short week.”
With their season on the line, the Thursday night matchup on the road against a team that is more than capable of walking away with the division crown could make or break the season. With the situation at hand, the team is cognizant of what is at stake, which hopefully means that nobody will be missing any walkthroughs.
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