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Three keys: How the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens

kelsey conway, cincinnati enquirer
·4 min read
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The Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) take on the Baltimore Ravens (10-7) Sunday night with the loser going home for the offseason.

For the third time this season, these AFC North rivals will square off against one another. Baltimore and Cincinnati split the regular-season series this year.

Baltimore will make back-to-back trips to Cincinnati as the Ravens just visited Paycor Stadium last Sunday when the Bengals pulled out a 27-16 victory. The Ravens are the No. 6 seed and the Bengals are the No. 3 seed in the AFC.

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It’s “do or die” time, according to quarterback Joe Burrow.

The quest to make another Super Bowl run begins now for the Bengals.

Here’s how Cincinnati beats Baltimore to advance to the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs:

Get off to a fast start on offense

If the Bengals can jump out to a lead on the Ravens early, it will be hard for Baltimore to come back.

The Ravens look as if they will be without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson for a seventh straight game.  Jackson said on social media he wouldn't be able to play and that his injured knee was still unstable. Since Jackson suffered his knee injury, Baltimore has struggled on offense. They have not scored more than 17 points since November.

The Ravens will likely be playing their seventh straight game without quarterback Lamar Jackson, who said on social media this week that his injured knee was still too unstable to play.
The Ravens will likely be playing their seventh straight game without quarterback Lamar Jackson, who said on social media this week that his injured knee was still too unstable to play.

When Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense starts fast, they are one of the hardest teams to beat in football. Not many offensive units have as much firepower as the Bengals, making it hard to keep pace.

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The Bengals want to make the Ravens feel as if they’ll have to score more than 20 points to have a chance in this game. Cincinnati averaged 26. 1 points per game in the regular season.Baltimore wants to slow the game down and control the clock. If the Bengals jump out to a two-score lead, it will force the Ravens to start throwing the ball more and that’s not what they want to do.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals will look to get off to a fast start against a quality Ravens defense led by linebacker Patrick Queen
Joe Burrow and the Bengals will look to get off to a fast start against a quality Ravens defense led by linebacker Patrick Queen

Keep J.K. Dobbins under 100 rushing yards

The Ravens are one of the league’s best at running the ball. Their run game is led by running back J.K. Dobbins who averaged 99 yards per game in his final four games of the regular season. If the Bengals can keep Dobbins under 100 rushing yards, they should be able to win the game.

J.K. Dobbins is the Ravens' primary rushing threat. Dobbins averaged 99 yards per game in his final four games of the regular season.
J.K. Dobbins is the Ravens' primary rushing threat. Dobbins averaged 99 yards per game in his final four games of the regular season.

Things could get dangerous for Cincinnati if Dobbins gashes the Bengals for a few explosive runs and makes it a short-field game while eating up the clock. Dobbins has not faced Cincinnati’s defense since 2020 and when he did, it was a long day for the Bengals.

“They have several guys like that,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said this week. "Mark Andrews. Dobbins in there. They run the ball – and it's documented by their stats – as good as anybody. They can control the clock if you let them, so that's a way for them to steal possessions against our offense, which we don't want."

Cincinnati has a top-10 run defense and they’ll need a dominant performance in this area to win.

The battle at the line of scrimmage will go a long way in how the Bengals control the Ravens' rushing attack.
The battle at the line of scrimmage will go a long way in how the Bengals control the Ravens' rushing attack.

Win the turnover margin

The NFL postseason brings out the best in everyone. Every team that makes the playoffs is good, making the margin for error incredibly small.

Whoever wins the turnover margin is likely to win the game. Look no further than the Bengals’ Super Bowl run last year to see why turnovers are so important. Cincinnati was opportunistic on defense and won games down the stretch.

In the last meeting between the Bengals and Ravens, Cincinnati forced four turnovers. On a day the offense wasn't clicking at the level it usually does, the Bengals’ defense carried the team.

Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman stressed the importance of ball security in the postseason this week.

“You can’t turn the ball over like that and expect to have a chance to win the game,” Roman said.

It sounds simple, but it really is that important at this time of year.

Safety Vonn Bell and cornerback Mike Hilton celebrate after forcing a turnover, one of four the Bengals forced against the Ravens last week.
Safety Vonn Bell and cornerback Mike Hilton celebrate after forcing a turnover, one of four the Bengals forced against the Ravens last week.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: AFC Wild Card preview: Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens