The Bengals picked up their first victory of the 2024 campaign Sunday with a 34-24 win over the Carolina Panthers. The team will now quickly flip the page towards Week 5, where the Baltimore Ravens come to Paycor Stadium for Cincinnati's first AFC North matchup of the season.
The Ravens roll into Ohio after beating the Buffalo Bills 35-10 on Sunday Night Football in Baltimore. Led by MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens sit at 2-2, winning back-to-back games after starting out with two straight losses.
Ravens Run Game
Baltimore's offensive success this season has primarily come on the ground. Former Titans running back Derrick Henry is coming off a 199-yard rushing performance on Sunday Night Football and currently leads the league with 480 rushing yards.
Henry took the Ravens' opening play of the night 87 yards for a touchdown, the fifth-longest touchdown on a team's first play since 1991. Bengals Ring of Honor inductee Corey Dillon holds the longest such play, a 96-yard rushing touchdown against the Lions in 2001.
Henry took advantage of the looks the Bills gave him Sunday night: All his rushing yards came with seven or fewer defenders in the box. When faced with a stacked box (at least eight defenders), Henry had three carries for zero yards. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, the Alabama product has faced a stacked box on 27.5% of his runs this season.
The 30-year-old Henry also hit the fifth-fastest speed of all ball carriers this season on Sunday, topping out at 21.29 miles per hour.
The Ravens have had back-to-back games with at least 270 yards on the ground, becoming the first team to do so since the Bills did it in Weeks 15 and 16 of 2016. Since the start of the 2023 season, Baltimore has three games with 270+ rushing yards, while the rest of the NFL has combined for one.
The additional threat of Jackson's legs has caused problems for defenses, as he has rushed for at least 45 yards in every game this season.
The Bengals could be getting some relief in the trenches. Head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that B.J. Hill could be close to returning and Myles Murphy and McKinnley Jackson should begin work in practice this week as they look to return from IR.
Meanwhile, linebacker Logan Wilson continues to be successful against the run: He has the fourth-highest PFF run defense grade among all NFL linebackers (85.7). Both Wilson and Germaine Pratt rank inside the top 10 in tackles so far this season, with 43 and 42, respectively.
Ravens Pass Game
Baltimore's running game has allowed Jackson to pick his spots in the passing game. The dual threat quarterback has thrown just 33 passes in the last two weeks. As a result, the Ravens' top pass catchers have been quiet as well. Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews has been held without a catch in back-to-back games after having just three such games over the first seven years of his career. Meanwhile, number one receiver Zay Flowers had only two targets in the win over the Bills.
After a big Week 1 where he posted nine catches for 111 yards and a score in a loss to the Chiefs, tight end Isaiah Likely has been held to just four catches in the last three games. Backup running back Justice Hill has been a favorite target of Jackson so far this season, tallying 161 yards through the air, the second most on the team behind Likely's 167.
Jackson has been efficient when he has thrown the ball, posting a 79.0 PFF passing grade on the season, good for sixth in the league (for reference, Joe Burrow has an 80.0, fifth in the NFL).
Jackson's average depth of target this season sits at 7.8 yards, tied with Chargers QB Justin Herbert, Giants QB Daniel Jones and Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix. The Ravens quarterback has completed only four passes at least 20 yards downfield this season, as Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken has chosen to attack opposing defenses with short and intermediate passing.
Jackson has been dangerous when throwing to the intermediate part of the field (between 10-19 yards). Per PFF, Jackson has thrown three of his five touchdowns on intermediate passes and zero interceptions while posting a 92.5 passing grade, the highest in the NFL.
The Ravens' rushing attack has then opened the playbook up to play action. Jackson has thrown 31 passes off play action, per PFF. His 74.4 PFF Pass grade off play action ranks eighth. Baltimore has also attempted 19 screen passes in four games this season, the fifth-highest total in the NFL.
The Bengals have covered the intermediate part of the field well, allowing zero touchdowns and grabbing an interception when targeted in that area. Cincinnati has allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards in the NFL so far this season. Cornerback DJ Turner II enters Week 5 as the seventh-highest graded cornerback in coverage, according to PFF. He's allowed just six catches for 44 yards while in coverage.
Jackson has been sacked just four times this season, and the Ravens rank third in PFF pass-blocking grade. The Bengals may find success if they can collapse the pocket on Jackson, though, as he is completing just 44.4 percent of his passes under pressure.
In classic AFC North fashion, Sunday could come down to who wins the battle in the trenches as the Bengals look to build momentum heading into the heart of the season.
