Bengals vs. Ravens: Previewing Baltimore's Week 3 Matchup
The Baltimore Ravens will be looking to get their first win of 2015 when they host the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday.
After losing a bad game to the Oakland Raiders last week, Baltimore is 0-2 for the first time under head coach John Harbaugh. That's a big reason why the Ravens have made the playoffs in all but one year under Harbaugh.
This is certainly shaping up to be the second one without a postseason if Baltimore doesn't win this week. Making this game even more important is it's the first divisional game for the Ravens.
It's also against the team currently leading the AFC North as Cincinnati enters this game 2-0. It isn't often you see a team fall out of contention for its division after three games, but that would just about be the case if the Ravens start 0-3 and the Bengals are 3-0.
Here's our preview for this week's matchup and the latest news and notes surrounding Baltimore.
Game Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore
Date: Sunday, Sept. 27
TV: CBS
Week 2 Results and Recap
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After losing a narrow contest to the Broncos in Week 1, most expected the Ravens to pick up their first win of 2015 against the Raiders in Week 2.
Though the Ravens got off to a shaky start, it certainly looked like that would be the case after they took a 33-30 lead late in the fourth quarter. It came in the midst of a 13-0 run by the Ravens as they appeared to have taken control of the game and were poised to pick up the win.
However, Oakland got the ball with one last chance and under two minutes to play before driving down the field to take the lead after Derek Carr hit Seth Russell for the go-ahead score.
That put the Raiders up 37-33 with 26 seconds left, and the ensuing drive saw Joe Flacco throw a game-clinching interception. Flacco had played great to that point, and he frankly should not have had to lead his offense to more than 33 points to win a football game.
Alas, Baltimore is still 0-2 and looking for a win this week when Cincinnati comes to town. Here is a look at the AFC North standings after Week 1, which sees the Ravens in last place with the Steelers and Browns ahead of them in a tie for second place after winning their Week 2 games.
AFC NORTH | W | L | PCT | DIV | CONF |
Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
1 | 1 | .500 | 0-0 | 1-1 | |
1 | 1 | .500 | 0-0 | 0-1 | |
Baltimore Ravens | 0 | 2 | .000 | 0-0 | 0-2 |
News and Notes
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Ravens Trade for DB Will Davis
The Ravens secondary is once again looking like the team's biggest weakness, so Baltimore is trying to be proactive in addressing it before it continues to cost it games.
It did so by trading a seventh-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for defensive back Will Davis this week, according to BaltimoreRavens.com.
A backup DB with 15 career game appearances, Davis did not play for the Dolphins in the first two weeks this season as he was a healthy scratch. Miami drafted Davis in the third round out of Utah State in 2013, but he has never started a game while recording just 25 total tackles and two pass deflections.
It's hard to say if Davis will even play this week, but it doesn't look like he'll be anything more than an emergency DB for the time being.
Ravens Badly Missing Terrell Suggs
Week 2 at Oakland was the first time Baltimore played a September game knowing Terrell Suggs wouldn't be with the team for the rest of a season.
The defensive MVP for Baltimore had missed just 11 career games before tearing his Achilles in Week 1 at Denver. Ironically, eight of them came in 2012 after Suggs missed the start of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in the offseason.
Since being a first-round pick out of Arizona State in the 2003 draft, Suggs has racked up 106.5 sacks and 728 total tackles over his NFL career. His greatest impact has been as a pass-rushing force in Baltimore's 3-4 defense.
As ESPN's Kevin Seifert wrote, Suggs was badly missed last week as the Ravens' pass rush took a major hit without him.
"They pressured Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on just 17 percent of his dropbacks, No. 24 in the NFL for Week 2, and sacked him on 2.1 percent of his dropbacks (No. 23). In Week 1 at Denver, the Ravens managed a pressure on 22.7 percent of dropbacks and a sack on 9.1 percent. Suggs has produced double-digit sacks in each of the past four full seasons he has played, and the ripple effect of his loss is substantial.
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It's not going to be easy for the Ravens to replace Suggs, but they've got to find a way to overcome his loss if they're to get back on track and make the playoffs this season.
Breshad Perriman Getting Close to Return?
The Ravens offense is still waiting for rookie wide receiver Breshad Perriman to make his regular-season debut.
A sprained PCL cost Perriman most of training camp and the entire preseason after the team drafted him in the first round out of UCF this year. He'd be a great addition to a Ravens offense in need of more help at receiver, but it doesn't look like it'll get that this week.
As ESPN's Jamison Hensley wrote, there's still no clear timetable for Perriman's return, and John Harbaugh isn't giving any hints as to when he'll play: "Not that I've been told. I got no update on it."
Don't expect Perriman to play this week versus the Bengals or even next week against the Steelers on Thursday Night Football. In the meantime, Steve Smith Sr. and Kamar Aiken will be the starting receivers, though who steps up behind remains to be seen.
Latest Injury News
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NAME | POSITION | INJURY | WEDNESDAY | GAME STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Canty, Chris | DL | Calf | DNP | - |
Monroe, Eugene | T | Concussion | DNP | - |
Perriman, Breshad | WR | Knee | DNP | - |
Taliaferro, Lorenzo | RB | Foot | DNP | - |
Injury report courtesy of BaltimoreRavens.com
The Ravens are fairly healthy this week but are still dealing with injuries to a few key players. As mentioned earlier, Perriman will likely miss this week while recovering from a PCL injury.
Perriman missed Wednesday's session and has yet to get in a regular-season practice. Starting left tackle Eugene Monroe also missed Wednesday as he continues to go through the NFL concussion protocol.
Monroe suffered a concussion in the first quarter of Baltimore's Week 1 loss at Denver and missed Week 2 at Oakland. The fact he was unable to even get a limited session in Wednesday doesn't bode well for his chances of playing against Cincinnati.
If Monroe is unable to clear the concussion testing process before Sunday, he'll miss this game with James Hurst replacing him once more. Hurst has struggled mightily in the first two games, but there doesn't appear to be a better option than him right now.
Also missing Wednesday's session was defensive end Chris Canty because of a calf injury he suffered during Sunday's loss in Oakland. It's unclear how serious it is or if it will cause him to miss this week.
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Key Matchups to Watch
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Ravens OL vs. Bengals DL
When healthy, the Ravens have one of the NFL's better offensive lines. However, if Monroe isn't able to play in this game, they'll have to go with Hurst once more at left tackle, a role he's struggling badly in.
Through Week 2, Hurst is Pro Football Focus' worst-rated tackle. That's how bad he's been to this point, so having Monroe back could be exactly what this offense needs.
The Ravens need all hands on deck this week, as they'll be facing a tough Bengals defensive line that looks like one of the best in football. Going into Week 2, Cincinnati is No. 6 in total defense.
A big reason why is their defensive line has six sacks through two games, the sixth most of any team. The Bengals are led by All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who alone can destroy an offensive game plan.
According to Pro Football Focus, Atkins' 12.1 grade is the best on the team and the second best of any NFL defensive tackle. He's a load to block offensively, but the Bengals have other talented linemen who can make life hard on an offense.
Defensive end Carlos Dunlap leads the team with 2.5 sacks this year after racking up eight in 2014. His 3.5 PFF grade ranks him No. 8 out of 47 eligible defensive ends.
Defensive end Will Clarke and Wallace Gilberry have also been solid pass-rushers over the first two games. Nose tackle Domata Peko is a load at 6'3" and 325 pounds. He does a good job at holding his gap and keeping blockers off the linebackers, allowing them to make the tackle on the running back.
The Ravens are going to have to be on their A-game to handle this stout defensive line. If they can't, it's hard to see Baltimore winning this game.
Ravens CBs vs. Bengals WRs and TEs
Jimmy Smith was having a standout season in 2014 after emerging as the best defensive back Baltimore had and a lockdown cornerback who could go toe-to-toe with any receiver.
That is, until a season-ending foot injury cost him the second half of last season. It looked like he didn't miss a beat in Week 1 as he helped shut down the Broncos passing game.
Smith even had a pick-six that game in a 9-13 loss that the offense was primarily at fault for. However, the roles reversed in Week 2 as the defense was what cost Baltimore a win, and Smith was a primary culprit.
After recording a great 3.4 PFF grade in Week 1 at Denver, Smith had a terrible minus-2.9 grade in Week 2 at Oakland. He and his fellow corners are going to have to be at their best this week when they go against a group of explosive Bengals receivers.
Through two weeks, the Bengals rank No. 9 in passing yards per attempt (8.1) and have seven passing plays of 20-plus yards or more. Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green is the most dangerous of them.
Green is simply one of the game's best receivers who's already had a historic start to his NFL career, as NFL.com pointed out:
"Green and Randy Moss are the only two players to record four 1,000 yard receiving seasons to begin their careers. Green's 4,874 receiving yards in his first 4 NFL seasons ranks 4th in NFL history, behind only Randy Moss (5,396), Torry Holt (5,088) and Jerry Rice (4,881). His 329 receptions are 3rd-best, behind only Anquan Boldin (342) and Larry Fitzgerald (330).
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Green is no longer the only reliable pass-catcher in Cincinnati with the emergence of Tyler Eifert. Though his official position is as a tight end, he often lines up wide as a receiver and can run very crisp routes and use his 6'6", 260-pound frame to box out and outmuscle defensive backs for contested balls.
Through two games, Green and Eifert have combined for 21 catches, 261 yards and four scores. Cincinnati has other capable receivers such as Marvin Jones, who caught a 46-yard touchdown in a Week 2 win over the Chargers.
Baltimore's cornerbacks will be facing a very tough test in containing the Bengals receivers and tight ends. If they can't handle those talented pass-catchers, the Ravens will be forced to try to win another shootout, something they're unlikely to do with the Bengals.
Prediction
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The Ravens may not be as good as everyone anticipated coming into the season, but they're still not a team that should be 0-2—or 0-3 for that matter.
They've simply got too much talent and veteran leadership to keep them from going winless in the month of September. That's what will happen if they don't beat the Bengals, who may be a better team this year.
However, they won't be playing with the same level of urgency and fight as the Ravens will have in this one. It also adds to Baltimore's fire that Cincinnati has won three straight and four of five games in this series.
The Bengals have never won four straight in this series, and they won't start now. This game will come right down to the wire, but Baltimore's defense will make a late stand to seal the win for the team's first win of 2015.
Final Score: Ravens 23, Bengals 20
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