The Ravens can’t keep asking the same offense to carry the load and hope it all works out. Not with Snoop Huntley making a third straight start at quarterback, not with Lamar Jackson still dealing with what he called an incredible painful high-ankle sprain, and not with the Bengals looming as the toughest opponent Baltimore has faced without Jackson this season.
That’s the setup for Sunday, and it leaves the Ravens needing a very specific kind of game: controlled, efficient, and built around keeping Joe Burrow on the sideline as much as possible. If this turns into a shootout, the Ravens are in trouble. If Baltimore is going to stay in it, the offense has to help create that kind of game.
The first place that has to happen is in the run game, and that means more than just Derrick Henry. Baltimore needs a meaningful ground contribution to shorten the game and let Huntley operate in a more manageable passing script.
The Bengals’ run defense has had issues against outside runs, but the Ravens also need to show more intent than they have so far with Huntley as a runner. The threat has to be real, not occasional.
That probably means more Justice Hill in the pistol and more RPO work than Baltimore has shown the past two weeks. It’s hard to see the Ravens winning without Huntley picking up 3-5 first downs on the ground himself, and some of those runs need to go for more than just a few yards.
Baltimore also has to find a way to get more out of Zay Flowers. Huntley is not going to win this one by stretching the field the way Lamar can, so the offense has to create explosive yards after the catch.
That could mean using Flowers in the backfield more often and getting him targets at or behind the line of scrimmage. A line like eight catches for 60 yards, or six for 66, won’t be enough here.
Even if the Ravens defend well, this feels like a game where Baltimore still needs Flowers to break loose if it’s going to keep pace.
Doyle will have to keep getting creative with Flowers, and the use of him has already drawn praise. Former head coach and play caller Todd Haley, who isn’t easy to impress, was gushing about Doyle’s use of Flowers to me on “The Daily Flock.”
The protection picture is just as important, because this is another new offensive line for Baltimore. Five linemen who have never played together before. Cam Jurgens, coming off a concussion and still learning the offense, now has to deal with one of the league’s dominant defensive tackles and a Bengals front that can overwhelm teams inside.
Huntley is going to be under pressure, and the numbers make that a concern. The Bengals are generating a 50% pressure rate in the fourth quarter this season, and Huntley’s career production under pressure has been rough: 49% completions, 5.0 yards per attempt and a 66.3 passer rating.
That means the Ravens need answers ready. Screens.
Hot routes. A protection plan that may need more Justice Hill, especially with the team’s best blocking tight end already lost for the season.
Huntley has to be placed in as much of an incubator as possible, with quick outlets waiting for what should be a heavy Bengals rush.
And there’s one more name who needs to be part of the plan: rookie tight end Matthew Hibner. There is YAC waiting to happen there, and it needs to be a focus on Sunday.
In Other News...
Ravens Need Tyler Huntley To Hold Up In Their Toughest Spot Yet
Tyler Huntley is set to take the Ravens offense into another division test in Week 7, with Lamar Jackson still sidelined by the high ankle sprain that has kept him out for two straight games. Against a Bengals defense that has been a sturdy run unit, Baltimore will need Huntley to keep the offense on schedule and avoid putting the game in a position where every snap feels heavier than it should.
The matchup also brings a few layers beyond the quarterback spot, with Baltimore eyeing how it can attack Cincinnati while managing the other side of the ball. Trey Hendrickson is in line for his first game against the Bengals since leaving the team, adding another edge to a matchup that already asks plenty of the Ravens as they try to navigate a tricky road in the AFC North. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens O Line Has Another Injury Concern Fans Will Hate
The Ravens offensive line took another hit in Week 7 when rookie guard Vega Ioane went down with a knee injury, adding to a season-long run of up-front concerns. Ioane has been a key player for Baltimore, and losing him in the middle of a game only adds more pressure to a unit that has already had to shuffle through injury trouble.
Ioane exited during the Ravens third drive and was replaced by Emery Jones Jr., leaving Baltimore to adjust on the fly again. His status to return was listed as questionable, and for a team that has already spent plenty of time managing its line depth, this was the kind of scare fans did not want to see. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Collapse Put One Late Decision Under The Microscope
The Ravens had an early lead and looked capable of riding out Lamar Jacksons injury with backup Tyler Huntley under center, but the game slipped away in a hurry against the Bengals. Baltimore was outscored badly after halftime in a 35-13 loss, a result that left the whole afternoon feeling like a missed chance long before the final whistle.
What drew the sharpest scrutiny was a late fourth-down call from Jesse Minter, one that ended without a payoff and seemed to swing momentum squarely to Cincinnati. With the Ravens already trying to survive without Jackson, the decision became a focal point in a game where every possession mattered, and it only deepened the frustration around a collapse that had been building for much of the second half. [Read more 🡒]