The Baltimore Ravens are set to play the Cincinnati Bengals in a crucial division matchup in Week 16, and Bengals players are already bringing the heat.
Cincinnati smoked Baltimore 41-17 in their last meeting, and it seems like the Bengals are the much more confident side heading into Week 16.
It’s hard to forget what happened in October. The Bengals cut the Ravens’ secondary wide open in a game where rookie star Ja’Marr Chase broke three or four tackles and ran down the field for a touchdown.
This time around, Baltimore’s secondary has suffered more blows and may struggle more to contain Cincinnati’s high-octane trio of Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd.
The Ravens may have something the Bengals don’t, though: humility.
Bengals cornerback Eli Apple, who has a history of starting drama on Twitter, recently tweeted this at Ravens fans:
Can’t wait for that ravens game their fans was talkin all that mess last time it’s big smoke for them
— Eli Apple (@EliApple) December 20, 2021
Ravens are getting taunted by Bengals players ahead of Week 16 matchup
Cincinnati’s defense can talk all they want, but Baltimore knows they have a good chance at exacting revenge on their division rivals. All’s fair in the AFC North.
Quite a lot has changed since their last meeting — the Ravens were division leaders back then, and now, the Bengals have taken the throne.
The Ravens sit in second with an 8-6 record, but a win against Cincinnati this Sunday would propel them into first.
Despite being depleted by injuries, Baltimore’s secondary miraculously kept the team toe to toe against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. At the very least, the game showed how well the Ravens could hold up against one of the league’s top teams.
Cincinnati, for all their star power, has proven to be inconsistent all year with a questionable play-caller to boot. On the other hand, John Harbaugh and the Ravens embody the essence of team spirit and have continually overcome challenges thrown their way.
The Bengals know they can beat the Ravens after their midseason blowout victory, but the Ravens, time after time, have proved doubters wrong. Don’t count them out.