It wouldn't have taken Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden much film study to know that his unit has labored against the run game. What his bye-week dive into the defense did tell Gordon was that major damage was being inflicted on the perimeters.
“We must improve on the perimeter run game,” Golden said Oct. 21. “That’s one of the things we are working through right now and just trying to make sure conceptually and tactically we’re doing it the way we need to do it to improve there.”
The Bengals defense allowed 5 yards per carry through five games, but more than 10 explosive runs were allowed on the outside edges of the defense. That problem is at the forefront of Golden's preparations for Cincinnati's Week 7 encounter with the Baltimore
Ravens, who feature star running back Derrick Henry.
The Bengals (3-2) and Ravens (4-2) meet at 1 p.m. Oct. 25 at M&T Bank Stadium. Cincinnati will attempt to pull even in AFC North play at 1-1 after dropping its divisional opener to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 27.
"I think they're doing a really good job of running off the ball upfront," Golden said. "I think they're big and physical up front. They deploy the tight ends in a multitude of ways, make you really communicate and try to get an advantage tactically pre-snap with those guys. I think they do a really good job. Obviously, Derrick has been doing it for a really long time, just running really strong. You have to wrap him up. You can't let him get going. You got to find a way to stop his feet in the backfield. And then obviously they have change of pace when Justice (Hill) comes in, too. So I think they're blocking really well in the perimeter, wide outs, tight ends, whoever it is. And it's going to be a great challenge for us."
At 32 years old, Henry has totaled 534 yards and seven touchdowns in 2026. In other words, the two-time NFL rushing champion is well on his way to another big season and is the fourth-leading rusher in the NFL.
The Ravens have an open question at quarterback as Lamar Jackson (ankle) has been injured for weeks and wasn't present at the start of Baltimore's Oct. 21 practice. Cincinnati has experience against longtime and experienced backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, who is completing about 71% of his passes.
Baltimore might not need to lean heavily on either quarterback or its passing game if Henry can have a big impact. He rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries when the teams played at Paycor Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025, and had 60 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards in Cincinnati's win on Nov. 27, 2025.
Short of improving the perimeter defense, another area where Cincinnati might derail Henry is by knocking the ball out of his hands. Henry lost a fumble in the Ravens' unexpected Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Henry doesn't fumble often. He has 25 fumbles in 11 NFL seasons. Since he joined Baltimore in 2024, the Ravens are 0-5 when Henry fumbles and turns the ball over.
"Just winning the turnover battle in general in a division game like this," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. "I can think of many times we played the Ravens and you feel like you leave the game with three possessions. And so, if you lose or gain one, that's always critical. Now, the game's gonna end up being an 18-possession game because I said that, but just any time it's like that, it (a turnover) turns out to be a big part of the game."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals preparing for 'great challenge' in Ravens' Derrick Henry
