The Baltimore Ravens have an opportunity to take a firm hold of the AFC North in Week 6. This week, the Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals, who have struggled to an 0-5 record.
With a new coach in Zac Taylor and some changes to their roster, I turned to Bengals Wire managing editor Chris Roling to get the inside scoop.
1) With A.J. Green and John Ross out with injuries, have any wide receivers stepped up?
Tyler Boyd is doing his usual thing (406 yards, one score, 20 first downs). Otherwise, the big-bodied Auden Tate is starting to emerge. Undrafteds behind him like Damion Willis and Stanley Morgan have been quiet. The problem is, nobody can really emerge because the offensive line isn’t holding long enough for plays to develop.
2) The Bengals have been allowing a ton of rushing yards this season in spite of what looks to be a talented defensive line. How are teams beating Cincinnati on the ground?
Like pretty much everything else, the defensive line has mostly disappeared this year, besides Geno Atkins. But the real issue is with the slow linebackers — opponents are running lateral plays to the sidelines and the linebackers just don’t have the speed to match. It has quietly been the biggest non-offensive-line problem all year.
3) Running back Joe Mixon has a lot of potential, but his stats this season have been disappointing. What has been causing his struggles?
He played through an ankle injury over the first two games or so and didn’t really play during the preseason at all, which explains a bit. Otherwise, this line is even worse than the one last year that helped him lead the AFC in rushing. He’s starting to show some serious spark again, but it’s going to depend on whether the hodgepodge of names up front can let him get the handoff and pick a spot.
4) How will the Bengals try to contain Lamar Jackson in this game?
“Try” is a good word here given how this unit has played. They’ll probably roll out extra defensive backs to compensate for the lack of linebacker speed. A spy seems likely, daring Jackson to throw it. Play-extending quarterbacks have bullied the unit again, though. Last week it was Kyler Murray with 253 passing yards and 93 and a score on the ground.
5) What’s your final score prediction, and who has the biggest impact, positive or negative?
Lamar Jackson shouldn’t have too many problems taking things over here. He might not like running, but the Bengals defense will give him plenty of chances to do so. Ravens 27, Bengals 13
