The Bengals enter a short week after securing a 41-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The sentiment of the locker room postgame was simple: There's no time for celebration with the Baltimore Ravens looming.
Baltimore is coming off a 41-10 victory over the Denver Broncos and sits at 6-3 on the year.
Ravens Offense
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has played at an MVP level over the first half of the year. He currently leads the league in passer rating (120.7) and ranks in the top three in passing yards (2,379) and passing touchdowns (20), while throwing just two interceptions. He also leads all quarterbacks with 505 rushing yards. His 91.7 PFF offensive grade is the highest among all quarterbacks, narrowly ahead of Joe Burrow (91.1). Since the Ravens last played the Bengals in Week 5, Jackson has tossed 11 touchdowns, one interception and is averaging 11.2 yards per attempt, which leads all quarterbacks with at least 10 drop backs over that span, per PFF.
"He's playing as good as anyone in this league right now," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Monday. "He's as unique as it gets."
Cincinnati held running back Derrick Henry in check until overtime in Week 5, where he ripped off a 51-yard run to put the Ravens in field goal position. Outside of that run, Henry averaged under three yards per carry. Henry crossed the 1,000-yard threshold in Week 9 against the Broncos and scored his 100th career rushing touchdown. Since Week 5, he ranks second in the NFL with 480 yards on the ground and is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (five) .
Baltimore's number one target in the passing game continues to be Zay Flowers. The wideout is the highest-graded receiver in the NFL over the last four weeks, per PFF, boasting a 90.8 receiving grade. His 485 yards since Week 5 paces all pass-catchers. For the year, Flowers ranks fifth in the league in yards (654) and 12th in catches (46) among receivers.
The Ravens also added former Panthers and Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson to their ranks ahead of the trade deadline. A third-round pick in 2019, Johnson tallied 1,161 yards in 2021 with the Steelers in his lone Pro Bowl appearance.
The tight ends for Baltimore continue to frustrate opponents, with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely both grading in the top-12 among in PFF offensive grade. After a slow start to the year, Andrews has turned it around since his trip to Paycor: He leads all tight ends with a 90.0 PFF receiving grade and paces the position with three receiving touchdowns over the last four weeks.
Ravens Defense
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow performed at a high level against the Ravens in Week 5, passing for 392 yards and five touchdowns. The Baltimore secondary has allowed the most passing yards in the NFL (2,718) and tied for the third-most touchdowns (18). It has also allowed the most passes over 20 yards downfield with 43. The Ravens have posted a 61.6 coverage grade as a team, per PFF, which ranks 21st.
The Ravens continue to get solid production from their top corner Marlon Humphrey, whose 83.2 PFF coverage grade ranks fourth among cornerbacks with at least 25 coverage snaps this season. He has recorded four interceptions, the only Ravens corner to grab a pick this season. First round pick Nate Wiggins has yet to allow a touchdown in coverage this season across 200 coverage snaps, per PFF.
Safety Kyle Hamilton's 83.9 PFF defensive grade ranks third among safeties with at least 10 snaps this season, and his 90.0 run defense grade is 14th among all defenders.
Speaking of run defense, Baltimore leads in the NFL with an 87.8 PFF run defense grade. The defense allows a league-low 3.4 yards per attempt on the ground. Linebacker Roquan Smith ranks sixth in the league with 85 tackles, while edge rusher Kyle Van Noy's seven sacks ranks tied for sixth with Cleveland's Myles Garrett and Minnesota's Jonathan Greenard.
Check out the Bengals 2024 Schedule.
