Ravens: 3 positive takeaways from Baltimore’s disappointing Week 7 loss
By Kristen Wong
1. The Ravens were beaten by a GOOD team
Say it with us: the Cincinnati Bengals are legit.
The Ravens are, too. That much was proven in decisive victories against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Well, the Ravens came into this matchup as the favorites and left as the heavily battered and bruised losers. And to their credit, the Bengals deserved this win.
Given their one-sided matchup history, Baltimore might have been expecting a game more along the lines of their sloppy victory against the Detroit Lions.
Whereas the Ravens played poorly that game and won, they played decently against the Bengals and lost. That doesn’t take too much away from the Ravens’ overall team form. It just means Cincinnati isn’t the pushover team the Ravens may have thought they were.
The NFL’s worst team in 2019 beat Baltimore on the road to take first in the AFC North, and no, this is not a fluke. Cincinnati has transformed into a certifiably good team in 2021 with huge upgrades on both offense and defense.
Pass rusher Trey Hendrickson and others sent Jackson to the ground five times. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are for real.
And while Bengals coach Zac Taylor has nothing on John Harbaugh, Harbaugh can at least respect a team that tore Baltimore’s defense apart for one of the biggest yardage days of Taylor’s coaching tenure.
After seven weeks of the season, one thing is for certain: the Ravens aren’t running away with the AFC North.
Next. 6 takeaways from Baltimore's ugly loss to the Bengals in Week 7. dark
And if you thought Lamar Jackson was being underestimated in the league this season, you haven’t properly watched the Cincinnati Bengals.