Six questions to preview Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens in week 11
The Baltimore Ravens will host the Cincinnati Bengals in a huge division game on Thursday Night Football. As we did the first time these two teams played we interviewed Leigh Olesczczak of Stripe Hype to get the latest on the Bengals.
What is the biggest difference between the Bengals team starting 0-3 and the one the Ravens will see on Thursday?
LO: The biggest difference is Joe Burrow's health. He wasn't healthy when these two teams met up in Week 2 and it showed. Since about Week 5, he's looked healthier and is able to run and make something happen when the play seems dead. That's when he's the most dangerous.
What is the Bengals' biggest strength at this point in the season? What is their biggest weakness?
LO: The biggest strength is the Bengals' ability to force turnovers. C.J. Stroud was one of the best QBs in the league when it comes to taking care of the football but the Bengals forced him into 3 turnovers. Yes, they ended up losing that game, but typically, when the defense forces takeaways, the offense is able to put the game away.
The biggest weakness is the run defense. It didn't look as bad during the win streak because the offense was putting points on the board, so the opposition had to throw more, but this past week, it reared its ugly head again. Devin Singletary rushed for 150 yards, and the Texans totaled 188 yards on the ground in that game.
Who is the Bengals MVP on offense and who is their MVP on defense?
LO: On offense, the MVP has to be Ja'Marr Chase. He played this past weekend despite his back hurting and finished with 124 yards and a touchdown, proving that he can gut it out and still make plays. Defensively, it's Trey Hendrickson, who already passed his 2022 sack total just nine games into the season (he had 8.0 sacks last year and now has 8.5).
In one sentence, tell us how Thursday night's game will go
LO: The Bengals will keep things close by forcing the Ravens to turn the ball over.
Next. 3 issues holding Baltimore Ravens back that must be addressed this season. 3 issues holding Baltimore Ravens back that must be addressed this season. dark
The Bengals win if ____
LO: ... the offense can stay efficient throughout the game so that the Ravens have to air it out more.
Give us a score prediction
LO: It's a short week, and on the road after both teams lost. I'm going to say the Ravens complete their sweep of the Bengals this week with a final score of 23-20.