How does a defense prepare for a quarterback that hasn’t played a game yet? If you’re Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith, you head over to YouTube to catch some of his film. That’s the case this week as the Ravens prepare for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ryan Finley.
The Bengals benched longtime starter Andy Dalton before their bye and are turning to a rookie in Finley this week. The last throw he made in live action was back in the third preseason game against the New York Giants, where he completed 70% of his 20 attempts for 155 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. With very limited film available, Baltimore’s defense has a bit of a guessing game on how to best defend against Finley this week.
Worse yet is wide receiver A.J. Green will be back from an ankle injury that has kept him out this entire season thus far. The Ravens have struggled to contain Green in the past, allowing him to take over games. Most recently, Green caught five passes for 69 yards and three touchdowns against Baltimore in Week 2 of the 2018 season.
If the Ravens are looking for their defense to continue the play they’ve had against the Seahawks and Patriots, they’ll need to figure out how to deal with Finley and contain Green.
