3 ways Cincinnati Bengals can take down the Baltimore Ravens
By Darin McCann
The Baltimore Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Here is how they could get into trouble against a team they should beat:
On the surface, Sunday’s home game against the 0-5 Cincinnati Bengals looks like easy pickings for the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens are sitting in first place atop the AFC North standings, a full three games ahead of the visiting Bengals. The Bengals have had a hard time getting its running game on track, despite the presence of talented back Joe Mixon. The passing game is somewhat held back by the limitations of quarterback Andy Dalton, as well as the absence of star receiver A.J. Green and a possibly resurgent John Ross.
It all looks like a cakewalk for the Ravens. But we’ve watched the Ravens struggle against their rivals from Cincinnati before, and there are enough signs from the Bengals to give us a little pause when considering the outcome of this game. Let’s take a look at three ways the Bengals could come out on top in this match up.
Ravens don’t make them pay for selling out against the run
The Bengals are currently ranked 31st against the run, allowing 167.6 yards per game, including five yards per carry. Run defense rankings can be skewed based on a team’s overall performance — a bad team who is behind in many games will see their opponents run the ball to drain clock, for example. But that five yards per carry tells a tale of a team that is struggling to stop the run, no matter the situation. That’s encouraging for a Ravens team that is currently second in the NFL in rushing yards per game.
However, this is the NFL, and the Bengals coaches have access to that same data, and have watched hundreds of hours of film. Look for them to sell out against the Ravens run game, stacking the box and blitzing at gaps. It’s important that the Ravens stick to their game plan, even if they are facing resistance early, but they also need to take advantage of one-on-one match ups in the passing game.
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Look for the Bengals to load up on the run defense with eight players, play man-to-man on the outside and keep a safety deep to prevent the downfield passing opportunities for rookie Marquise Brown. The Ravens, and we’re looking at you, Lamar Jackson, need to hit the intermediate passes to soften that run defense and bring that safety up, allowing Brown the opportunity to use his wheels downfield.
The Ravens do not want Jackson throwing 40 passes this Sunday, but they do need him to make the Bengals suffer when they sell out against Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and Jackson in the run game.
On the flip side, Joe Mixon is good
The Bengals Joe Mixon is averaging 3.7 yards per carry on the season, and only 48 yards per game, but we know he is a better running back than these numbers show. Last year, for instance, Mixon raced for 1,168 yards and 4.9 yards per carry. That is a dramatic drop off.
However, he has picked it up a little as of late. He has averaged at least four yards per carry each of his last three games, including 93 yards last week against the Arizona Cardinals, for an average of 4.9 yards per tote. He is a dangerous player, both carrying the rock and catching it, and if he gets going against a somewhat-suspect Ravens defense, the good guys could find themselves in trouble. Just like the Ravens would like to force Cincinnati into selling out against the run game, the Bengals would like the same thing from the Ravens.
Having Brandon Williams back certainly helps the defense, and adding Josh Bynes appears to have helped a bit, as well. But if the Ravens let Mixon eat, this could go in a bad direction very easily.
Lamar Jackson must stop turning over the ball
Throughout his brief career, Lamar Jackson has proven to be careful with the ball in his throws. He often throws the ball where only his guy could get it, and he often has turned to his legs to pick up some yards instead of forcing throws into tough coverage.
He’s had some bad luck with calls these past few games, but he has thrown five picks in the last two games, regardless. The Bengals only have two interceptions on the season, but some unlucky bounces and poor decisions downfield could offer extra possessions to a team that is, on paper, the Ravens inferior. Do you want to lose a game to a team you are better than? Turning over the ball is a good way to make that happen.
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The Ravens need to lessen the risk of that happening and make sound decisions with the football, and that starts with Jackson.