Your Thanksgiving NFL nightcap awaits, with an AFC North showdown in Maryland as the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals. Week 13 marks the return of quarterback Joe Burrow, who’s been sidelined
with turf toe since the injury occurred in Week 2.
Is it wise for a 3-8 Bengals team to trot out Burrow and his surgically repaired toe against a surging 6-5 Ravens squad? “Quoth the raven, nevermore.”
That’s ultimately up to head coach Zach Taylor to decide, but the Bengals have almost zero shot at playoff football in January. Baltimore, however, saw the return of quarterback Lamar Jackson just in time for a meaningful rebound toward playoff relevancy.
So what’s a Buffalo Bills fan’s go-to here in terms of rooting interests? You’re pulling for the tiger-themed team this evening. As Rachel Auberger pointed out in Buffalo Rumblings’ Bills Week 13 rooting interests:
“It would be better for the Bills if the Ravens were a Wild Card team. Buffalo holds the tiebreaker over the Ravens, so getting them back among the bottom three playoff teams gives the Bills a chance to move up if needed. It would also mean that the Bills would not play a postseason game in Baltimore, which everyone but the Ravens would prefer.”
Besides all that, not so long ago Art Modell stole the Cleveland Browns away from their faithful fans after the 1995 NFL season, attempting to eradicate all of the team’s history in Ohio. Ultimately, he was allowed to re-enter the league in 1996 as an expansion team: the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore, too, has a tempestuous past, with former team owner Robert Irsay pulling off an overnight move that took the Colts out of Baltimore and into Indianapolis.
The Ravens have a 2-0 record in Thanksgiving games, while the Bengals are 0-1 all-time on Thanksgiving. Baltimore leads the head-to-head series against Cincinnati (32-27-0), with their last matchup coming on November 7 of the 2024 NFL season, a 35-34 win by the Ravens.
Here’s your open thread for Ravens-Bengals. As always, be kind to one another — and in all things… Go Bills!
