Week 10 kicks off with the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) taking on the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bengals seek revenge against the Ravens for the week 5 loss that ended in thrilling fashion in overtime. Ruled out for the Ravens are DE Brent Urban and TE Isaiah Likely while CB Jalyn Armour-Davis, RB Rasheen Ali and RB Keaton Mitchell are listed as questionable. The Bengals will be without WR Tee Higgins, WR Charlie Jones, and TE Erick All while OT Orlando Brown Jr., S Geno Stone, and DT B.J. Hill are listed as questionable. 

Bengals Insight:

The Bengals are coming off of a win against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-7), winning 41-24. Similar to last season, the Bengals started the season poorly and put themselves at a disadvantage. They’re below .500 and haven’t looked like the playoff team they were just two years ago. The offense has taken a step back with the departures of Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd. They also haven’t been the same with Tee Higgins missing time with a hamstring injury. Coming into this matchup with the Ravens, the Bengals are 0-4 against teams with a winning record. 

The Bengals offense ranks 27th in rushing yards per game (94.2), 7th in passing yards per game (236.3), and are 7th in points per game (26.2). They’re playing a Ravens team that is 32nd against the pass and 1st against the run. The Bengals have had difficulty getting the run game going with Zack Moss, who’s likely to miss the rest of the season, and Chase Brown. They’re 1-4 when they rush for under 100 yards and their last game against the Ravens ended with them rushing for 71 rushing yards. 

Joe Burrow will have to continue carrying the offense through the air as he’s done all season. Burrow has completed 70.2% of his passes for 2,244 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. It’s a perfect matchup for him and Ja’Marr Chase as the Ravens are 32nd in passing yards allowed per game (280.9), 32nd in total air yards allowed (1,568), and 30th in passing touchdowns allowed (18). The Bengals were able to put up 442 total yards against the Ravens defense, 371 in passing yards. 

On defense the Bengals have been a middle of the pack team. They’re 16th in takeaways (10), 18th in pressure percentage (22.3%), 17th in passing yards allowed (212.4), and 18th in rushing yards allowed (130.4). The team has struggled against the run, allowing less than 100 rushing yards only two times. Their matchup against the Ravens is an unfavorable matchup for them as the Ravens have been the best rushing team with their duo of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. The Ravens racked up 520 total yards in their week 5 win versus the Bengals, including 175 on the ground. On the brightside, the Bengals have allowed 104.3 rushing yards in their last four games.

If the Bengals win this game, it’s because Joe Burrow was able to get the offense downfield and get touchdowns. The Bengals are going to need Burrow to air it out versus the horrendous Ravens secondary. If they’re successful through the air early, it allows them to run the ball and not just pass. Maintaining drives and keeping the Ravens off the field is crucial, as they’re known to dominate the time of possession. No team has been able to stop the Ravens run game, but if Bengals hold them to under 130 rushing yards, they put themselves in good position to win 

Ravens Insight: 

The Ravens are coming off of a commanding victory versus the Denver Broncos (5-4), beating them 41-10. The Ravens have played well so far but lack consistency. They’ve had impressive wins over the Bills and the Commanders but lost to the depleted Cleveland Browns just two weeks ago. They narrowly defeated the Cowboys and Buccaneers. In both games they built big leads, but almost lost because their offense stalled and their defense couldn’t stop the pass. They lost to the Raiders in week 2 because they couldn’t maintain their lead. It’s been the same story that plagued the Ravens last year and they hope it’s not the same this year

The offense looks stronger with the addition of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson continuing to improve year in and year out. Coming into this game, the offense ranks 1st in rushing yards per game (191.9), 4th in passing yards (254), 2nd in points (31.4), and 1st in red zone scoring percentage (74.4%). They’re playing the Bengals defense that ranks 19th in scoring percentage (40%), 17th in passing yards allowed (212.4), and 25th in points allowed (25.2). The duo of Henry and Jackson looks to continue their dominating run game against the Bengals defense that hasn’t impressed.

The Ravens defense has taken a step back from last year, specifically against the pass, where they rank 32nd in passing yards allowed (280.9), 32nd in air yards allowed, and 26th in opposing quarterback passer rating (100.7). They’ve been the best team against the run, allowing a league low of 3.4 yards per carry. Going up against the Bengals, where Burrow has been lighting it up through the air, the Ravens secondary must do a better job in coverage.

If the Ravens win this game, it’s because they ran the ball down the Bengals throats. The Bengals are 18th in rushing yards allowed per game (130.4) and just like everyone else the Ravens have played, they weren’t able to stop the run. Jackson must have another efficient game through the air and take care of the ball. The defense needs to shut down the Bengals run game, forcing the Bengals to rely on Burrow.

Prediction: 

I predict that the Ravens will beat the Bengals 31-21. I don’t think tonight’s game will be as explosive on offense as it was in the last matchup, but I do expect both sides to put up points. The Ravens run game has been unstoppable and their offense hasn’t had a bad game yet. The Bengals don’t have the players on defense capable of bringing down the Ravens. I think the Ravens defense will shut down anything the Bengals try to do in the run game and will have the Bengals play from behind. The Bengals not having Higgins is a major blow, as both Burrow and Chase are much better when Higgins is on the field. I project this will be the most complete game the Ravens play on both sides of the ball.