The Bengals spent the offseason trying to clean up too many problems at once, and one of the same old issues is still hanging around: tight ends are finding room against this defense. That matters now because Baltimore comes in with multiple ways to stress Cincinnati right where it has been leaking.
Through five games, the Bengals have allowed the fourth-most receiving yards to tight ends in the league. Only the Lions have been worse among teams that have also played five games, and Detroit has the added wrinkle of sitting out Week 6 on a bye. Cincinnati is also seeing opponents lean on the position at a major rate, with tight ends drawing targets on 30% of passing attempts against the Bengals, second only to the Lions at 32%.
That weakness gives Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle a clear place to probe. It also creates a chance for Baltimore to get Mark Andrews back on track after a rough start that has drawn plenty of criticism.
In Week 5, Andrews struggled through drops and a costly fumble that former Bengals safety Jessie Bates returned for a touchdown, and some Baltimore fans have started to question whether injury is part of the problem. Others are simply looking for a different answer at tight end, especially with another rookie making noise.
Against the Browns last week, Josh Cuevas delivered the kind of performance that can change a pecking order fast. The fifth-round pick out of Alabama caught four passes on five targets for 44 yards and a touchdown. Andrews, meanwhile, was barely involved after his disastrous outing against the Falcons, finishing with three targets, one catch, and four yards.
That breakout from Cuevas gives Baltimore another piece to work with if the Ravens want to keep pressing Cincinnati where it has been soft. Matt Hibner, a fourth-round rookie, is also a potential factor if he returns from a hand injury. And if Andrews gets more work, the matchup still points the same direction: Cincinnati has already been burned by tight ends this season, with Dalton Schultz, Darnell Washington, and Brenton Strange all posting their best games of the year against the Bengals.
The underlying numbers only sharpen the picture. Andrews runs 69% of his routes from the slot or out wide, and Cincinnati is allowing 2.48 yards per route to tight ends in those alignments, worst in the league. The Bengals also play zone 62% of the time and are giving up 2.94 yards per route to tight ends there, again the worst mark in the league.
That leaves the Bengals staring at a familiar problem with a fresh opponent ready to exploit it. They know the tight end threat is coming, and they had time to prepare for it last season too. It didn’t stop the damage then, and now Baltimore has both a veteran trying to reclaim his standing and a rookie trying to build on his first breakout.
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Marlon Humphrey has made clear he knows how difficult that assignment can be, and the Ravens may need to look elsewhere if they want a different look on Chase. With Joe Burrow stressing how hard it is to win contested throws against Baltimore, the matchup could force the Ravens into a decision they would rather not have to make, one that might send coverage toward Nate Wiggins or Chidobe Awuzie instead. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Huge Ravens Twist At The Worst Possible Time
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Baltimore announced it will be without Lamar Jackson because of an ankle injury, leaving Tyler Huntley to step in under center. For the Bengals, the matchup now shifts in a hurry, with the focus turning to how they handle a Ravens team that looks different than the one they expected to see when the schedule first circled this game. [Read more 🡒]