The Ravens head back home in Week 7 with a chance to make a quick jump in the AFC North, and several individual matchups could end up deciding whether they get there. A win over the Bengals would push Baltimore to 5-2 and could put first-year head coach Jesse Minter’s team back on top of the division. A loss, though, could send the Ravens tumbling to last place after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ overseas win, especially with the Cleveland Browns set to face a one-win team on Sunday.
One of the biggest swings in this game may come from the edge. Even before fourth-year pro Tavius Robinson suffered a season-ending pectoral injury, second-round rookie Young was already working into the defense in a rotational role on early downs. Now that the Ravens’ sack leader through six games is out for the year, Young is likely to take on an even bigger pass-rushing workload starting in this matchup.
Baltimore also gets a major boost on the offensive line with the debut of its newly acquired center. The two-time Pro Bowl selection, picked up in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles a couple of weeks ago, is set to make his first appearance for the Ravens at a crucial time.
He’ll be lining up against a Bengals interior front that has been reshaped and now includes multi-time Pro Bowlers Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence. He saw those same kinds of battles twice a year in the NFC East when he was with the New York Giants.
His arrival should also let standout first-round rookie Vega Ioane slide back to right guard, the spot where he opened the season before a wave of center injuries forced him to spend the last three games out of position.
Another name to watch is the second-year safety and special teams standout who could be in line for his first defensive snaps of the season with veteran Jaylinn Hawkins sidelined for a couple of weeks because of a knee injury. He could become a factor in DIME looks, where Baltimore might use him near the line as a blitzer and add him as a presence in underneath coverage, while allowing three-time All Pro Kyle Hamilton to drop deeper into a more traditional safety job to help the defense handle the middle of the field.
And then there’s the tight end matchup, which has been a problem spot for Cincinnati all season. Even after a bye week, the Bengals still lead the league in receiving yards allowed to tight ends through six weeks with 451.
Baltimore has two promising young rookies at the position who have flashed when asked to take on larger roles, but the three-time Pro Bowler remains the central piece of the passing game. He leads all tight ends in offensive snaps played, targets, receptions and receiving yards, and he has produced some of his best career games against the Bengals, where he’s repeatedly given their off-ball linebackers and defensive backs trouble.
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Ravens Have A Bigger Problem Than Their Record Right Now
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Ravens Pro Bowler Is Taking Heat After Costly Bengals Matchup
Marlon Humphrey found himself in the spotlight after Baltimores latest meeting with Cincinnati, and not in the way a Pro Bowler usually wants. The Ravens cornerbacks comments about JaMarr Chase drew attention before the game even settled in, with Humphrey making it clear he would rather not see that matchup quite so often.
Chase then did his part in the Bengals win, catching five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown while Baltimores defense struggled to slow the game down. Humphrey finished with three tackles and a pass defended, and the criticism online came quickly after the final whistle, with fans using the result to question how the veteran cornerback handled the matchup. [Read more 🡒]