The Baltimore Ravens travel to Cincinnati in week five to take on the Bengals who are coming off their first win of the season, as they defeated the Carolina Panther. As for the Ravens they enter the week off an impressive victory over the Bills last Sunday night, and will look to make it three straight wins while also securing their first division win on Sunday.
The Ravens will be without cornerback Arthur Maulet (knee/hamstring) as he continues to work back off injured reserve, while rookie running back Rasheen Ali (neck) also began practice for the first time since being placed on injured reserve before the start of the regular season and is listed as questionable for Sunday. Guard Andrew Vorhees (ankle) who did not play last Sunday is listed as questionable, and wide receiver/return specialist Deonte Harty (knee) is also listed as questionable.
For the Bengals, cornerback Mike Hilton (knee) and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) both did not practice on Friday and are listed as questionable. Defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson (knee) and defensive end Myles Murphy (knee) both practiced in full on Friday and both are listed as questionable for Sunday.
Players to Watch:
Justice Hill
Fresh off a newly signed two-year contact extension, Ravens running back Justice Hill played possibly the game of his career last Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills. Hill had six catches for 78 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield, while also picking up several key third downs to keep the drives moving. With the addition of Derrick Henry into the Ravens backfield, Hill has taken on a more receiving back role, and it is allowing Hill to shine in this Ravens offense. Through four weeks Hill has just 14 carries for 76 yards, but 16 receptions for 161 yards.
Hill is a game changer for the Ravens and seems to get better each and every week with each opportunity given to him. It will be interesting to see how this offense continues to evolve around Henry and Hill, and how much Hill can impact Sunday against the Bengals.
Logan Wilson
The heart of the Bengals defense comes right from their idle linebacker Logan Wilson. The five-year veteran has improved every season since being drafted in 2020 and is currently on pace to surpass the 135 total tackles he accumulated in 2023. Through the first four weeks Wilson has 24 total tackles, with his least amount coming in week three against Washington when he finished with nine.
Wilson is a hard hitter, and also isn’t afraid to mix it up with the opposition to set the tone for his Bengals teammates and for the entire game. The Ravens will surely need to be aware of Wilson and keep him from making plays and being disruptive especially in the run game.
Prediction
Any game against a divisional opponent is tough no matter the records, and I expect Sunday to be no different. What the Ravens have in their favor is momentum heading into Sunday as well as the best rushing attack in the NFL. The Bengals defense ranks 25th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, giving up nearly 150 yards on the ground through the first four weeks. On the flip side the Bengals will look to take advantage of the Ravens secondary which has allowed an average of 257 passing yards per game, 28th best in the NFL.
The Ravens will build off their strong rushing performance against the Bills, and while it won’t be to the tune 199 yards rushing for Derrick Henry it should be north of 100. The running game for the Ravens will also allow them to keep Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow off the field and control the time of possession. The Ravens go on to win their third straight by a final of 31-23.
Line: Baltimore -2.5
Over/Under: 48.5
All-Time Record: Baltimore leads series 30-26
Last Meeting: 11/16/23 Baltimore 34-20
The post Preview: Ravens Look to Extend Win Streak Against Bengals appeared first on Marylandsportsblog.com.