Bold Predictions: Another Rumble in the Jungle

The Ravens (2-2) travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) for each team’s first AFC North showdown of the season. The Ravens seek their third-straight win after recent victories vs. Buffalo (35-10 in Week 4) and at Dallas (28-25 in Week 3). Meanwhile, the Bengals are coming off a 34-24 win at Carolina last Sunday.

Baltimore enters Sunday’s contest with the NFL’s No. 1 offense (429.5 YPG), including the league’s top-ranked rushing attack (220.3 YPG). Through four weeks, the Ravens are also averaging 26.5 points per game (the NFL’s fifth-best mark).

QB Lamar Jackson has started three career games at Cincinnati, posting a (3-0) record. In these contests, Jackson is 49-of-68 (72.1%) for 573 yards, 8 TDs and 1 INT (130.3 rating). He’s also added 216 rushing yards and 1 TD on 30 carries (7.2 avg.). Maybe Cincinnati feels a bit like home for Lamar, just 100 miles from his familiar stomping grounds of Louisville.

The North runs through The Jungle. #RuleTheJungle | #BALvsCIN pic.twitter.com/nPKgNX2wIi

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 1, 2024

The Tweet above is from the Bengals official social media team. Pretty bold for a (1-3) team, don’t you think?

Bulletin Board material?

• KICKOFF: Sunday, October 6, 2024, at 1PM Eastern Time from Paycor Stadium
• FORECAST: Mostly sunny, 80 degrees, winds SW at 12 MPH, 0% chance of rain
• LINE: Ravens minus 2 ½ points; over/under at 49 points
• ON THE CALL: Kevin Harlan (PBP), Trent Green (analyst), Melanie Collins (sideline)
• OFFICIATING CREW CHIEF: Bill Vinovich
• OFFICIATING NOTES (Stats courtesy of Sharp Football Analysis)

• Vinovich is calling below average penalties per game in 2024, which is par for the course with his crew. Of those penalties, 56% are being called on the home team.

• Bill Vinovich is averaging the second-fewest offensive holding penalties per game through four weeks of the 2024 season. This crew picked up where they left off in 2023, a season where they averaged the fewest offensive holding calls per game.

• Since 2016, divisional home teams are 21-27-1 ATS (44%) with Vinovich

• The Ravens are 7-2 on the money line and 8-1 ATS with Vinovich in the Lamar Jackson era, the most recent a 33-19 victory at the 49ers in Week 16 of 2023. Additionally, Baltimore has averaged just 4.9 penalties per game in those contests officiated by Vinovich.

AFC Offensive Player of the Week @KingHenry_2 sits down with @Melanie_Collins for this week’s @NFLonCBS pregame feature. pic.twitter.com/Lo6PJGXzOt

— Baltimore Ravens Communications (@Ravens_Comms) October 3, 2024

Tony Lombardi

Last season the Ravens beat the 3 ½-point favored Bengals in Cincinnati by the score of 27-24. Baltimore led at half, 13-10 and eventually took a 27-17 lead at the 11:38 mark of the 4th quarter. The Bengals closed to within 3 with 3:28 left in the game. On the ensuing possession the Ravens bled the clock dry, running it six times for 33 yards for the dub! This game could look very similar.

• Lamar goes 16 for 23, 210 yards and a TD. He’ll also run for 80 yards and a score. His only blemish on the day will occur when he tries to force a throw to Mark Andrews and it is picked off by the guy pictured above – former Raven Geno Stone. Later, Andrews will be the recipient of Lamar’s only TD pass.

• Derrick Henry continues his streak of 100+ yard games. He’ll start slow but Todd Monken will remain committed to the run against the league’s 25th-ranked rush defense. The King grinds out 125 yards on 18 carries and adds a score from 15+ yards out.

• The Ravens rushing totals will eclipse their average on the season (220). They will also outpace their league-leading 429.5 YPG in total offense.

• On defense, Kyle Van Noy‘s multiple sack streak will end. The Ravens will register a fistful of sacks as follows: Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Trenton Simpson each get a throw-down of Blonde Burrow.

• Justin Tucker connects from 53 yards out and goes 2 for 3 on the day. He’ll miss one attempt – wind will be a factor.

• After the Ravens take a commanding 27-10 lead in the third quarter, the Bengals get back in the game when the 4th quarter arrives. Old habits die hard, and John Harbaugh’s conservatism can’t be stopped in this divisional showdown. Cincinnati gets back in it and they’ll have a chance to make it a one-score game UNTIL… a blitzing Kyle Hamilton tips a Burrow pass that ends up in the bread basket of Roquan Smith to seal the win.

Ravens 27, Bengals 17

Tanner George

The Ravens finally look like the team we all expected them to be, and that’s scary for the rest of the league.

On Sunday, they head to Cincinnati with the chance to capture the lead in the AFC North if they get a little bit of help from Dallas. This group looks completely different from the unit that let the home opener game slip through their fingers and the team that showed up in the 4th quarter against the Cowboys. If the Ravens play a complete game, they’ve proven that they’ll be nearly impossible to stop.

Lamar Jackson throws for just under 200 yards as Todd Monken again turns to the run game against a Bengals defense that is one of the worst in the NFL at stopping ball carriers. Derrick Henry tops 100 yards for the third consecutive week and adds another touchdown. Justice Hill remains active, racking up 50+ all-purpose yards. Zay Flowers gets a bit more involved this week, going for 75 yards, but it’ll be Rashod Bateman who catches the lone touchdown pass from Jackson. Lamar will also add a rushing score of his own.

Baltimore’s simulated pressures have always given Joe Burrow fits, and I don’t see that changing here in Week 5. Kyle Van Noy gets another sack, as does Odafe Oweh, and Brandon Stephens comes away with an interception. Roquan Smith is active all game, making 10+ tackles. Zach Orr’s group forces a lot of early three-and-outs, but Cincy makes the game closer at the end with some garbage time points.

All signs point to the Ravens getting out of The Jungle with the W.

Ravens 31 Bengals 17

Kevin McNelis

Baltimore comes into thIs matchup on the back of a big win against the Bills, but as we all know, divisional games never seem to come easy. We’ll see what the Cats can do in this one.

— Cincinnati comes into this game currently ranked 25th in run defense by yards, while Baltimore boasts the most team rushing in the league. You’d think that this would mean a heavy diet of Derrick Henry, but as we saw last season, the coaching staff sometimes over-corrects to their own detriment. I think they get Henry going, and he’ll rack up about 75 yards, but expect to see Justice Hill get involved. Hill’s looked really good over the last two games, and I think he gets rewarded by being more involved in the game plan.

— Since the pass rush has started to get right, the secondary has looked a lot better. Odafe Oweh brings pressure on Joe Burrow and forces a quick throw, and Nate Wiggins makes up for a couple of drops last week with a pick.

— This shouldn’t be a bold prediction, but the way things have gone this season, it is: Mark Andrews finally gets involved in the receiving game this week and is among your top targets. Andrews has done a lot of run blocking through the first few weeks, but if he’s to be believed in saying that he’s the same player he was pre-injury, he’ll re-emerge. It’s just a matter of time.

— Cincy found some rushing success last week against the Bengals, but Baltimore’s run defense has been suffocating so far this year. Burrow will go to the air, where he’s most comfortable, and he’ll find Tee Higgins for a long touchdown, but Ja’Marr Chase will once again be put in the gulag by Brandon Stephens.

Ravens 27 Bengals 16

Chris Schisler

After being a Debbie Downer the last couple of weeks, the Ravens have earned some confidence out of me. I see this as a game that will be tighter than Baltimore wants it to be yet the Ravens will get a comfortable win in the end. There are a few things that work for the Ravens in this game. First, I don’t think Cincinnati has an answer for the Ravens’ run game. This could be a huge Derrick Henry game. Secondly, Lamar Jackson tends to take it to the Bengals. Third, I don’t think the Bengals can do a good enough job protecting Burrow and it will lead to several negative plays for Zac Taylor’s team.

Here are some bold predictions

• Derrick Henry has another 150 yards on the ground
• Lamar Jackson throws for two touchdown passes.
• Odafe Oweh has a sack and a fumble recovery
• Justice Hill catches a touchdown pass

Ravens 28 Bengals 17

[Might The Ravens Give Lamar a New Weapon?]

Rob Shields

This week’s game at Cincinnati may be the biggest game of the year to date. The Bengals have struggled to win games, but a win on Sunday puts them right there in the division and they have a much easier schedule than the Ravens do.

The Bengals offense has been very good this year. They are throwing the ball well and scoring a lot of points. The run game hasn’t been that good but it was solid last week and Zack Moss tore up the Ravens last year when he was with Indy. We can’t just assume we shut down their run game and obviously, you have to key on the passing game.

Chase dominated the Ravens in his rookie year. The Ravens were ravaged by injuries that year and Chase and Burrow took advantage of it. The Ravens have done an excellent job in bottling him up since then, especially last year (although an injured Burrow aided in that). They bracketed him with different coverages and made it tough to find a window to throw it into. The Ravens have also generally done a decent job on Higgins, at least in most games.

The Ravens have been vulnerable to the pass this year, especially in between the hash marks. I suspect we see Cinci try to exploit that this weekend.

The defensive side of the ball is where the Bengals have struggled. They are actually top 10 in passing yards allowed per game but they are near the bottom of the league in run defense. I would expect a similar game play as we have seen the last few weeks: run it a lot and pick your spots to pass it. I expect another heavy dose of Justice Hill in the pass game but I do think they try to get Flowers and Andrews involved in the pass game.

The Ravens have largely owned the Bengals since Lamar became the QB. Cincinnati dominated the injury-riddled Ravens in 2021 but have won only two games outside of that season since 2019. Both games where in 2022, when Lamar didn’t play (the last game of the regular season and the playoff game). Lamar has only lost to the Bengals once in his career.

Last year, the Ravens won in Cincinnati 27-24. The Ravens had a 10-point lead on two different occasions in the second half but managed to never relinquish the lead. I expect a similar game this week. Cinci is a desperate team but so is Baltimore.

Ravens 24 Bengals 23

John Hughey

The Ravens have gotten their season back on track following consecutive wins over the Cowboys and Bills. Week 5 presents an opportunity to potentially ruin an arch rivals season, as Baltimore heads to Cincinnati to play the 1-3 Bengals. The Bengals defense has been a real disappointment through four games, ranking in the bottom 10 in scoring defense and rushing defense. If something doesn’t change Sunday, the Ravens could put Cincinnati’s season in jeopardy.

— Derrick Henry’s domination on the ground continues, picking up 100+ on the ground and another TD

— Justice Hills usage continues finding the endzone for the second straight week, this time on the ground

— Nate Wiggins moves on from the haunting drops in Week 4 and grabs his first career INT

— Kyle Van Noy leaves Cincinnati as the NFL’s top sack leader picking up 1.5 sacks

Ravens 28 Bengals 20

Nick Polinsky

After picking up two much needed wins to get back to .500, the Ravens seem to be rolling into this Week 5 divisional bout. The Bengals have had plenty of early struggles, and another loss to drop them to 1-4 would make their uphill climb even steeper.

Lamar Jackson is 8-1 in his career against the Bengals, and against a subpar Cincinnati defense, he has a great chance to improve that record. The offense has been very fluid over these last two weeks, with only one turnover and nine touchdowns. Derrick Henry has been the fuel to the offensive fire over this stretch. 49 carries for 350 yards and three touchdowns, along with one through the air.

The Bengals have allowed the 25th most rush yards per game, and there lies a massive mismatch the Ravens should be able to take full advantage of.

• Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Justice Hill will all record 40+ rush yards
• Derrick Henry will pass 150 on the ground for the third consecutive week
• Tee Higgins will score his first touchdown of the season
• Odafe Oweh will tie his career high season sack total, picking up sack number 5.0 in just week 5

Ravens 30 Bengals 23

Jared Pinder

This feels like a pretty straightforward game for the Ravens. Another bad run defense lies ahead and they should take advantage of that.

The Bengals offense is what it is. You know what’s up with Burrow and these two superstar receivers, but they have gotten solid production from other weapons on the roster as well.

• Lamar and Henry have a big day with both of them having two touchdowns each.
• Burrow will get his points on the Ravens as he throws for two plus touchdowns
• The Ravens try to make it close but the run game overwhelms the Bengals and they close this one out.

Ravens 31 Bengals 21 

Colin Russell

The Ravens are finally resembling the team we’ve watched over the last few seasons. Dominant efforts on the ground have gotten the season back on track as the Ravens head into a favorable matchup against a defensive front that ranks in the bottom half of the league against the run. That should be the formula for the Ravens as the season rolls along, especially in an AFC North matchup that would go down as a massive win if they get the job done, putting the Ravens over .500 for the first time this year while burying the Bengals at 1-4.

• All three phases will get off to another hot start as the Ravens will hold a double digit lead heading into the half
• Derrick Henry will find the end zone twice, as another house call will put the nail in the coffin for Cincinnati
• Lamar Jackson will remain efficient, making plays when he has too as the Ravens offense will have no problem moving the ball up and down the field all afternoon
• Mark Andrews will have his best game of the 2024 season, capping off a drive with a red zone touchdown
• Justice Hill remains a big part of the offense, particularly on third downs
• Joe Burrow will have his moments and will throw for 3 touchdowns in a come from behind effort
• Ravens Defense makes the big stop when they have to.

Ravens 35 Bengals 24

Ben Dackiw

Let’s not make this complicated.

The Bengals run defense isn’t very good, and the Ravens, as we all know, love to run the ball. Seems like a mismatch made in heaven for Baltimore. With the run game finally in sync, I’m expecting more of the same.

Still, it’s difficult to imagine the Bengals falling to 1-4. I think the Ravens win this one pretty handily, but still, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in wounded animal mode against the 29th ranked pass defense (a number that I think is very inflated and misleading) could be enough to keep the Bengals in this game.

Another get right game as the Ravens continue to march towards January. Let’s be real, that’s all any of us really care about.

Ravens 35 Bengals 17

Chad Racine

Coming off last week’s dominant performance there’s a lot to feel good about going into this game. Travis Jones looks like he’s on a trajectory to be an all-pro, Kyle Van Noy has found the fountain of youth, Kyle Hamilton is getting back to what he was last year, Oweh is becoming the player everyone hoped he could be as a first-rounder. Not to mention the 30-year-old Derrick Henry. This is still a division game so nothing should be surprising.

— Mark Andrews gets back on track with five targets and five catches and a touchdown and 55 yards.

— Derrick Henry continues to shine with an impressive game just not as impressive as last week with another 100 yard game and a touchdown.

— Nelson Agholor will have 2 catches and one for a touchdown.

— Justice Hill won’t have  a touchdown but will make contributions in both the pass and run game continuing to look like the perfect compliment to Henry with key first downs.

— Travis Jones continues to be impressive recording a sack and wrecking the offensive line like a prime Haloti Ngata.

— Kyle Van Noy will record another sack but won’t get two so the streak won’t continue with multiple sacks.

— Marcus Williams will have an interception.

Ravens 27 Bengals 16