Baltimore Ravens round table: Who does the Ebony Bird staff have in the battle between the Ravens and Bengals:
The Baltimore Ravens have a tough test in their first game of the regular season. They have to take on the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. In this battle it is a dominant defense going against an offense with top shelf options in the passing game. Either C.J. Mosley and company come up with some big plays, or Andy Dalton and his crew get some good home cooking. There is no in between. In this game.
The Bengals and the Ravens are familiar foes. They both play in the AFC North and so they meet twice per season. The Bengals are hoping their pattern of knocking the Ravens down can continue. The Ravens are looking to open a new chapter in this rivalry. Before we get to the predictions, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Things to think about:
The weight of this season opener is tremendous. It’s not just a chance to start out 1-0. It’s a chance for a divisional rival to start 0-1. This is a chance to get off to a strong start, to make the habit of winning early in September. Winning games like this is a big deal when the weather gets frigid.
First, the Ravens may be getting healthy at the right time. Jaylen Hill and Sheldon Price were the only players listed on the Ravens injury report. While being shorthanded a bit in the secondary, the Ravens should have enough defensive pieces to take care of business. Joe Flacco and Breshad Perriman will play. This will be the first glimpse the Ravens offense shows us as a whole unit. We’ve seen bits and pieces in the preseason. We haven’t seen everyone come together. Hopefully, for the Ravens sake the offense can find a groove early, and exceed expectations. With this in mind, lets get to the predictions.