The 3-2 Cincinnati Bengals will travel to Baltimore to face the 4-2 Ravens. This is a rare 1:00 p.m. ET game when facing Baltimore on the road.
Can the Bengals pull out a crucial divisional victory, or will they drop to 0-2 in AFC North games to start the season?
Let’s take a look at some of the key matchups for the game this upcoming Sunday, which includes a matchup that we saw at Bengals training camp previously throughout the years.
Trey Hendrickson vs. Orlando Brown Jr.
We all remember the Trey Hendrickson vs. Orlando Brown Jr. scuffle
from training camp back in 2023. Hendrickson had claw marks on his neck after the two got into it. They will get to carry that over to a real game this week.
Hendrickson is coming off of a game with six pressures and a sack against Cleveland. He has been dealing with a hand injury for most of the season, but is likely fired up to face his former team this week.
Meanwhile, Brown Jr. had arguably his best game of the season against Miami a couple of weeks ago. He allowed just one pressure and 0 sacks. I imagine the Bengals will also look to give Brown some additional help with chips from tight ends and running back throughout this one.
Vega Ioane vs. Dexter Lawrence
Cam Jurgens could be making his debut at center for the Ravens this week, after dealing with a concussion. If he does, he will also get a heavy dose of Dexter Lawrence to deal with. If there is a healthy Jurgens, we will see talented rookie Ioane facing Lawrence from his guard position.
Either way, we’ll see Ioane take on powerhouse Dexter Lawrence on the interior this week. The 6’4”, 328-pound rookie from Penn State has been one of the better linemen for the Ravens this year. He has shown his versatility by logging 3 starts each at right guard and center for Baltimore.
Lawrence has been a havoc creator all season long for Cincinnati. He has 19 pressures, 3 sacks, and has just been a dominating presence on the interior of the defensive line.
Zay Flowers vs. Dax Hill
Flowers has been the go-to guy for both Lamar Jackson and Snoop Huntley so far this season for the Ravens. In 5 games played, Flowers has 471 receiving yards. He also has an additional 3 carries for 34 yards this year. The Bengals will have to watch out for him not just as a receiver, but on jet screens. Flowers is a big play waiting to happen, and the Bengals will have to keep him in check if they want to win this game.
The main player who will be tasked with doing so is Dax Hill. Hill has played his best two games of the season since moving back inside to the slot after Jalen Davis went to IR. Hill has allowed just 28 total yards in those two games combined. If he can put together another performance like that against Flowers, there will be a lot more buzz about how good he is playing in the slot.
Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins vs. Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase
The Ravens secondary has been a weakness in years past. This year they are closer to the middle of the pack in this area. Through 6 games, the Ravens as a team are 13th in passing yards allowed. The two guys on the outside are a reason for a lot of that improvement.
The veteran Humphrey has a 74.4 coverage grade this season. Last year that number was a career-worst 43.8. In his 10th season in the league, Humphrey appears to be playing at a very high level.
Meanwhile, third-year corner Nate Wiggins is playing solid football of his own. He has a 68.8 coverage grade this year. Both guys will have their toughest test of the season going against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase has 27 receptions, 289 yards, and 4 touchdowns through his first 5 games of the season. Those numbers would be even higher if he wasn’t knocked out of the game with a concussion before halftime of the Jaguars game.
Tee Higgins also has 27 receptions this year. He has just 1 receiving touchdown, but he does have a team-leading 423 yards through 5 games played. While the Ravens cornerback duo is playing at a high level, I still give a sound advantage to Chase and Higgins. These should be entertaining matchups all day long on Sunday.
