For the Baltimore Ravens, they enter the heart of December with no margin for error, fully aware that every remaining week now carries playoff implications and AFC North consequences, and this Sunday’s trip to Cincinnati represents the start of a month that will define their campaign.
A brutal four-game stretch lies ahead -- on the road against the Bengals, at home against New England, a late-December primetime matchup at Lambeau Field, and a season-ending rivalry showdown in Pittsburgh -- will determine whether a team that opened 1-5 can climb above .500, sustain momentum, and legitimately challenge for the division.
In that pursuit, though, nothing matters more than how consistently Baltimore can ride the strength of its backfield, and place its offense squarely in the hands of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
Ravens must rely on their offensive superstars
The formula isn't complicated, and at this point in the calendar, it rarely needs to be. AFC North football in mid-December demands physicality and the ability to dictate terms at the line of scrimmage.
For Baltimore, everything begins with its quarterback. Jackson remains one of the league’s most dynamic offensive forces, and his dual-threat capability remains the catalyst for every defensive stress point the Ravens aim to create. His command in the pocket continues to evolve, but it's his ability outside of structure -- on QB counter, rollouts, and designed plays to get him in space -- that unlocks the vertical and horizontal elements that separate Baltimore from most offenses. Because when Jackson is decisive, creative, and able to threaten both edges of a defense, the entire unit elevates.
Beside him, the complementary piece is as critical as the quarterback himself. Henry was acquired for exactly this type of stretch run, the kind where temperatures dip, collisions grow heavier, and games are increasingly built on patience, body blows, and attrition. His value lies not only in his volume -- 25 carries when weather and circumstance demand it -- but in how his style transforms the rhythm of a game.
Defenders simply don't want to tackle him when temperatures drop, and the Ravens must leverage that reality. This week, every downhill carry will force Cincinnati’s pair of rookie linebackers (Demetrius Knight Jr and Barrett Carter) to step forward, and each of those steps enlarges the space Jackson can then exploit off play-action or second-reaction movement.
For Cincinnati's side of things, they will score with Joe Burrow back in the lineup. But the contest will require Baltimore to control tempo, win situational football, and shorten stretches where Burrow can dictate the flow. While we could talk Baltimore's defensive structure and ways to potentially limit his impact, that responsibility falls directly on Jackson’s creativity and Henry’s punishing consistency to churn yards, churn clock, and put the ball in the end zone for six.
For games like this, it's the model the Ravens envisioned when they paired the former MVP with one of the league’s most dominant power backs -- where entire seasons pivot week-to-week. For Baltimore, their biggest playmakers have to show up in the biggest moments, and a late season run will hinge on Jackson and Henry's execution.