The Bengals come out of their bye week with a road trip to Baltimore, and they walk into it with a little momentum after snapping a two-game skid with a 31-24 win in Miami.
That win mattered. Cincinnati had dropped two straight before the break, but Joe Burrow and company now get extra time to rest and prepare for a Ravens team dealing with its own questions. Baltimore saw a three-game winning streak end in a 13-10 loss in Cleveland last week, and the biggest storyline remains Lamar Jackson, who is hoping to return this week after missing that game.
These AFC North matchups have already shown they can swing either way. The teams split their two meetings last season, and the road team won both games. Cincinnati also took a 32-14 win in Baltimore last November, which gives the Bengals reason to feel confident heading into Sunday afternoon.
Burrow’s numbers have been all over the place lately, but he was sharp in the win before the bye. He completed 23 of 32 passes for 190 yards and threw four touchdowns. The week before, though, he was much less efficient, piling up 428 yards in a 22-17 loss to the Jaguars while tossing one touchdown and two interceptions.
Against Baltimore last season, Burrow completed just 57.6% of his passes and finished with two touchdowns and two interceptions across the two games.
The Ravens, meanwhile, have put together a 3-1 stretch over their last four games, but the source material notes they have been a bit lucky to get there. Add in the uncertainty around Jackson, and Cincinnati has a real opening here.
I don’t expect a runaway either way, but I do like the Bengals as outright underdogs this week.
In Other News...
Lamar Jackson Gives Ravens Fans Hope Before A Huge Bengals Test
The Ravens Week 7 injury report brought a dose of optimism back to Baltimores sideline, with Lamar Jackson returning to limited practice after missing two weeks because of an ankle injury. It was the kind of update Ravens fans have been waiting for as the team turns its attention to a huge AFC North matchup with the Bengals, especially with several other Baltimore players cycling through full, limited and no-practice designations.
Cam Jurgens also showed up on the report with his best sign yet since joining Baltimore, practicing fully for the first time and putting himself in position to be available against Cincinnati. The Bengals, meanwhile, had a much cleaner report of their own, with safety Kyle Dugger the only player limited, which only adds to the intrigue around how much of a boost the Ravens can expect from their own injury picture before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Be Holding Nate Wiggins Back From His Ceiling
Nate Wiggins has already shown why the Ravens are excited about his future, but the way he is being deployed suggests there may still be another level to reach. The second-year corner has been effective in 2026, especially when asked to play press coverage, yet Baltimores defense under Jesse Minter has leaned heavily on zone looks that keep Wiggins off the line more often than not.
That setup has helped the Ravens in some spots, but it may also be limiting what Wiggins does best. He has had trouble finishing plays as a tackler this season, and the contrast between his comfort in press and the less natural fit of playing off in zone has made the usage pattern worth watching. Mixing in more press work could give Baltimore a better version of Wiggins without asking him to abandon the scheme entirely. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Are About To Find Out If Bengals Defense Is For Real
Cincinnati spent the offseason trying to change the conversation around its defense, and early signs suggest the upgrades have at least moved the unit in the right direction. The Bengals brought in Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence to fortify the front, and through five games the group has looked better in pass defense and pressure rates than it did a year ago, even if the run defense still has left some questions hanging. At 3-2, they have given themselves a little breathing room, but the schedule is about to offer a tougher test.
Baltimore is the kind of matchup that can expose whether those improvements are sustainable or just a short stretch of cleaner football. The Ravens lean on Derrick Henry to stress defenses in ways that show up quickly on tape and in the box score, and if Cincinnati is going to keep building credibility, it has to handle a physical challenge it has not always handled well. This is the sort of game that can tell you plenty about a defense, even if the final answer is still a week away. [Read more 🡒]