Cincinnati Must Follow The Obvious Path Against Baltimore
Credit: Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Despite how much we analyze and over talk it, football can be a very simple game. Can you exploit your opponent’s weaknesses beyond their ability to exploit yours?
Cincinnati lost in a track meet in Week 5 to Baltimore by a final score of 41-38 in a game that had a combined nine passing touchdowns by both teams. The Bengals were able to stay in that game thanks to Joe Burrow’s throwing arm, as he completed 30 of 39 passes for 392 yards in the losing effort. It was also the first of two games in 2024 that he threw for as many passing touchdowns in one game (5) that Akili Smith threw for in his entire career. The second of those two games came last week against Las Vegas.
Faced with a must win contest Thursday against those same Ravens, Cincinnati’s only path is to double down on that all pro arm.
As much as we’d like to pretend that the defense is capable of showing up against one of the league’s most potent offenses, or that Zac Taylor will master the run game between now and kickoff, we know better. Now is not the moment to work on building your identity, now is time to do what works. Against the Ravens that is to simply air it out.
Despite the unending amount of national love Jim Harbaugh’s team is receiving his secondary 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.
“It really sucks when the product we’re putting out there isn’t what we’re being coached (and) isn’t what we’re practicing,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “That’s kind of what hurts me.”
Humphrey has been the Ravens’ clear best corner this season, but that shouldn’t matter against Cincy as he will likely be shadowing Ja’Marr Chase. In week five Humphrey had his worst game this season doing exactly that, as he gave up five receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns in coverage, for a passer rating of 118.8. Attacking the Ravens best defender early and often with success could have catastrophic results from their defense. It’s not unreasonable to think that Chase should see 4 to 5 target in the first quarter alone.
The big play is what really hurts Baltimore, as they have given up an NFL leading 43 passing plays of over 20 yards or more. Ja’Marr Chase, who can be the NFL’s most productive receiver in any given week, and Jermaine Burton, who, despite his antics leads the NFL with an average of 44 yards per catch, need to pressure the secondary down the field early and often. Traditional football tells you to open up the pass with the run, but breaking down the field early could prove especially necessary for Chase Brown, who had 32 touches merely four days ago, and will have a to try to fi room against Baltimore’s league-best run defense.
With Tee Higgins likely to miss his third straight game, Bengals fans are hoping Burton can live up to the above paragraph. Higgins was a major factor in the Bengals’ ability to keep up with Baltimore in Week 5, as he had 9 receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Whether he can, this team will also need to keep the Mike Gisecki train rolling. The Ravens have had their hands full with TE’s this year allowing 5.76 catches for 67.5 yards including giving up three 100 yard performances. With the safeties forced to help out weak corners in a vertical passing game, a red hot Gisecki, who is coming off of 12 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns over the last two games, should be able to eat all over the field.
It all adds up to a feasible but admittedly difficult gameplan. Come out and understand that the ravens are going to score a lot and let Joe Burrow dissect Baltimore’s many passing defense problems until they are so spanner around that they don’t know what to do. Easy to do? No, but if anyone is gonna do it it’s a red hot and dissatisfied Burrow.
Up Next