The Baltimore Ravens need a big win against the Cincinnati Bengals, but how do they get it? Here is what the Ravens should plan to do in their week 1 battle:
The Baltimore Ravens are playing the Cincinnati Bengals in the first week of the regular season and they need things to go right. The Ravens need a strong start to the season. They have some daunting tests heading their way. A trip to London in week 3, certainly isn’t business as usual. The Ravens have to battle the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 4 and the Oakland Raiders (on the road) in week 5. A week one loss would be a really difficult situation for the purple and black.
The Ravens season starting means that Baltimore has something to be excited about again. This is the best looking version of the team since the Super Bowl (at least on paper). The 2017 season is pivotal for the future of the franchise. Baltimore is used to winning. Even after missing the playoffs for three of the last four seasons, the Ravens expect to make the postseason. The franchise may have lost track, but owner Steve Bisciotti still has lofty goals for John Harbaugh.
The time for talking is just about over. Now it is time to start doing. The Ravens won’t exist as possibilities on paper in just a couple of hours. They will be a football team trying to scratch and claw their way to Super Bowl 52. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Ravens blueprint for beating the Bengals.
Defensive Game plan:
With this Baltimore Ravens team, everything starts on the defense. The Ravens have to generate pass rush on Andy Dalton. Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams and the defensive line have to do a good bit of this pass rush themselves. If the Ravens don’t have to send more than four or five players rushing towards Dalton, that gives them more flexibility in pass defense.
The strength of the Bengals is the passing game. The Ravens still want to make the Bengals one dimensional. If Dalton is forced to do it all, good things can happen for the defense. The Ravens will constantly get in Dalton’s face. Sending timely blitzes will be a way for the defense to turn into offense. The Bengals may have stars in the passing game but the Ravens have pass rushers and two great safeties. By eliminating the ground game as a factor, the Ravens will be able to focus on stopping the Bengals passing attack. The Bengals won’t be able to keep the Ravens guessing; they won’t keep the defense honest.
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Stopping Green and company:
Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr will be asked to handle a heavy workload in this game. They have to man up and contest everything. Pees will mix up his coverage schemes, but with a great front seven and Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson, expect more man to man coverage than ever before. The Ravens will help Smith out with Green. Whether it’s a linebacker underneath or a safety over the top, Baltimore isn’t just going to ignore him on an island. Smith will be asked to do the brunt of the work though.
The biggest key defensively is to generate as much pressure as possible, without sending extra blitzers on a regular basis. The front seven is the strength of the team and it has to do it’s thing. Look for stunts along the defensive front rather than a heavy dose of blitzing. Balancing pass rush vs. pass coverage will be the key here.