The Cincinnati Bengals secured their first win of the season last week, defeating the Carolina Panthers, who are struggling in many areas.
This week, the Bengals (1-3) will face a tougher challenge when the Baltimore Ravens come to town for their first AFC North game of the season.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens (2-2) bring the NFL’s top offense, averaging 429.5 yards per game. Running back Derrick Henry, in his first year with Baltimore, leads the league’s best rushing attack, averaging 220.3 yards per game.
The Ravens score an average of 26.5 points per game, ranking fifth in the league, while Cincinnati is near the bottom in points allowed.
The Bengals do have some positive news, as quarterback Joe Burrow is looking like his old self again after a wrist injury and surgery that cut his 2023 season short.
“We’re confident in our group,” Burrow said. “We’re rolling on offense right now. We’ve still left some points out there. We’re going to continue to chase perfection.”
In Cincinnati’s 34-24 victory over Carolina last Sunday, Burrow completed 22 of 31 passes for 232 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. He’s hitting 70.9% of his passes this season and has reconnected with star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Running back Chase Brown is becoming a key player as well, rushing for 80 yards and scoring two touchdowns last week.
“Really, we’ve seen the same thing that we’ve always seen from (Burrow),” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh. “He’s playing very well.
He plays the game in a very unique way, a very precise way, in terms of his reads, his accuracy, his timing, and he’s strong in the pocket — all of those things. He’s leading that team, leading that offense like he always does.”
After a shaky start, Baltimore has fixed issues with its offense. Last Sunday, the Ravens defeated Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills 35-10, highlighted by Henry’s 199 rushing yards and two touchdowns — one rushing and one receiving. Jackson also threw two touchdown passes in that game, and the Ravens sacked Allen three times.
