Cincinnati (11-4) finally was able to focus on Baltimore (10-6) by the end of the week, and the Bengals say they are ready for the opportunity to show they truly earned their second straight AFC North title. The league’s decision to cancel their game against Buffalo clinched the division for the Bengals because there no longer is a way for Baltimore to finish with a better winning percentage, even with a victory Sunday.
A win for Cincinnati would leave no doubt. Here are five things to know about the game.
1. Restored spirits
The Bengals were feeling better about Hamlin’s situation by Thursday and even more so Friday when he came off his breathing tube, but if they needed to get their competitive juices flowing still after witnessing such a traumatic event, the league gave them a surprising jolt.
NFL owners voted to pass a resolution adding two changes to the rules for playoff seeding and scheduling in an attempt to address competitive inequities resulting from the cancelation of the Bengals-Bills game. One of those makes it so the Bengals are no longer guaranteed a home playoff game unless they beat Baltimore on Sunday. If Baltimore wins and the two match up in the Wild Card round, a coin flip would determine the site of the game.
Karras could be heard on camera during interviews in the locker room Friday saying, “Let’s settle it the real way and (bleeping) win.” The Bengals do not want to leave their ability to host a playoff game up to chance. Plus, as cornerback Mike Hilton and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said, they still feel like they need to prove they are the true division champs.
Baltimore won the first matchup, 19-17, and had Buffalo beat Cincinnati, the Ravens could have won the division by competing the sweep. The Bengals have a chance at the No. 2 seed with a win and a Buffalo loss vs. New England.
2. Still no Lamar Jackson
The Bengals don’t have to worry about the return of quarterback Lamar Jackson, whose knee injury has extended into a fifth week on the sidelines. There is a chance they won’t even have to face backup Tyler Huntley as he is questionable with a right shoulder/wrist injury.
Huntley was limited all week in practices. If he can’t play, Anthony Brown would be next in line.
“He played some against Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago so we have a little bit of film, but he’s that same type of build (as Huntley),” Hilton said. “He’s an athletic guy, can make throws in the pocket and been in the system so he knows the system well. And whoever’s out there Sunday, we just got to make it difficult for him.”
Huntley has a 2-2 record over the past four games replacing Jackson, but he’s thrown for just 658 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. Brown made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter of a 16-14 win over the Steelers on Dec. 11, but completed just 3 of 5 passes for 16 yards and the Ravens finished out the game running the ball.
3. Stopping the run
Everything Baltimore does starts with the run, even without one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league in Jackson.
The Ravens have the second best running game in the league, averaging 163.1 yards rushing per game, and ever since J.K. Dobbins returned from injury in Week 14, he’s been outstanding. In those four games, Dobbins has 397 yards and one touchdown on 57 carries (6.96 yards per attempt).
Gus Edwards also is capable of doing some damage. Two weeks ago against Atlanta, he carried the ball 11 times for 99 yards.
“That’s where it starts and ends with those guys,” Hilton said. “They like to stay on schedule. Especially against an offense like ours, they definitely want to play ball control and keep our guys on the sidelines, so as a defense we got to put them in a tougher situations forcing them to throw the football.”
4. The red-zone test
The Bengals have come a long way in their red-zone offense since the Week 5 loss at Baltimore when they had a chance to take a lead in the third quarter on a 15-play drive that got down to the Ravens’ 2-yard line. Cincinnati was held out of the end zone on four straight plays, including an odd shovel pass attempt that had no chance.
Joe Burrow engineered a go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to put Cincinnati ahead 17-16 with 1:58 left, but the Ravens responded with a 43-yard game-winning field goal from Justin Tucker as time expired.
After that shovel pass to Stanley Morgan fell incomplete, Cincinnati ripped off 19 consecutive red-zone trips with a touchdown (excluding kneeldowns), and the Bengals rank fifth in touchdown percentage in redzone situations at 66.7 percent.
Baltimore’s defense will put that to the test, as the Ravens rank second in touchdown percentage allowed in redzone situations at 47.2 percent. The Ravens are led by a strong linebackers corps, including Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith, the Pro Bowler who Baltimore acquired from Chicago in Week 9.
“I see a really good linebacker that pairs with Patrick Queen really well,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “They’re both really fast. They can run sideline to sideline, they run a lot of things down. They’re good in coverage. You can see the boost that he’s given that defense. … They’ve held a bunch of teams to not very many points, and not very many possessions they do a really nice job.”
The Ravens have several defensive players questionable, though, as defensive end Calais Campbell (knee) and cornerbacks Marcus Peters (calf), Kevon Seymour (finger/illness) and Brandon Stephens (illness) did not practice Friday.
5. Picking back up momentum
The Bengals were leading the Bills, 7-3, and looking good offensively when the game was halted Monday, and now after such a challenging week, emotionally and mentally, they have to try to pick back up the momentum they had going with a seven-game winning streak.
Coach Zac Taylor said he’s been impressed by how the players have handled things this week and he has no doubts they will be ready to go Sunday.
“I think they’ve done a good job,” Taylor said. “They’ve, again, had their space for getting ready for Baltimore and at the same time having compassion for Damar and his family. And again, I’ve been impressed with the leadership and the group, really everybody on the team, how they’ve handled it. It’s been an impressive week for those guys.”
Cincinnati should get a lift from the return of defensive end Sam Hubbard, who has been out with a calf injury and was still inactive Monday. He returned to full participation in practice this week and is expected to play. Eli Apple (neck) was the only questionable player for the Bengals.
SUNDAY’S GAME
Ravens at Bengals, 1 p.m., Ch. 7, 12; 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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