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NFL playoffs: Prediction for Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens AFC Wild Card game

jason williams, cincinnati enquirer
·2 min read
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The Cincinnati Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens Sunday at Paycor Stadium in what will be their first home game of the 2023 regular season.

As the NFL playoffs begin this weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals' road back to the Super Bowl appears much tougher. After opening postseason play at home against Las Vegas last season, the Bengals face AFC North rival Baltimore at Paycor Stadium in a Wild Card game. These teams don’t like each other. They split the regular-season series and will face each other for the second time in a week.

NFL playoff prediction: Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) vs. Baltimore Ravens (10-7), 8:15 p.m., Sunday, NBC

“We’re the big dogs of the AFC, and everybody knows that,” Bengals running back Joe Mixon said this week.

Mixon’s message: The Bengals are the team to beat in the AFC, and they are confident heading into the playoffs.

They’re not phased by the injuries on the right side of the offensive line. The Bengals, riding an eight-game winning streak, aren’t dwelling on a ho-hum performance in last Sunday’s 27-16 win over Baltimore at Paycor Stadium.

In fact, forget about that game. Baltimore rested some key starters. Cincinnati ran a vanilla offense. Both teams were looking toward Super Wild Card weekend.

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Baltimore will again be without quarterback Lamar Jackson (knee), who led the Ravens to a 19-17 win vs. Cincinnati in early October on Sunday Night Football. But the Ravens' salty defense likely ensures it'll be a close game. The Bengals only scored three points in the second half last week. In the five previous games, Baltimore allowed an average of just 12.2 points.

Cincinnati’s inability to run the ball is a red flag. The Bengals had only 55 yards rushing last week. They’re now starting two backups on the offensive line. But quarterback Joe Burrow and his receiving corps are the great equalizer and look for the Bengals’ quarterback to show why he’s an MVP candidate.

Prediction: Bengals win, 23-17

Last week: Cincinnati wrapped up the regular season with a 27-16 win against Baltimore. I predicted the Bengals would win, 24-10.

My season record: 13-3

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NFL playoff prediction: Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens