Less than a week after witnessing one of the most frightening moments in NFL history, the Cincinnati Bengals will battle the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in a game which could determine who will host a postseason match should these teams meet in the Wild Card Round.
Cincinnati's encounter with the Buffalo Bills was cancelled after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, while Baltimore dropped their New Year's Day clash versus the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-13.
Match preview
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It was not the way the Bengals wanted to ring in 2023 as fans, players and coaches in Cincinnati watched in horror as Hamlin was given CPR on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest in the early stages of Monday's encounter, a moment that will be difficult to forget.
Understandably, the game did not continue, and now everyone who saw up close and personal what occurred must turn their attention to what lies ahead, and for Zac Taylor and his team, there is still a lot on the line.
The official cancellation of that game means that if the Bengals lose this upcoming one and happen to face the Ravens in the Wild Card Round, the site of that contest would be determined by a coin toss.
Coming into Monday's fixture, the Bengals were on a roll, winning seven in a row, posting 442 yards of offence on Christmas Eve when they beat the New England, Patriots, 22-18.
Keeping their receiving corps in check is easier said than done, as Cincy currently have three players with 700+ yards through the air and seven or more receivers producing at least one catch in the last nine games.
Given the weapons they have at their disposal on offence, many forget that this is also a pretty strong unit regarding pass coverage, allowing the lowest completion percentage in the NFL (60.2).
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Sometimes all it takes is one poor defensive series to lose, and that is what Baltimore experienced last weekend, holding the Steelers in check for three quarters before giving up a game-winning touchdown in the final minute.
John Harbaugh's crew have allowed the third-fewest points per game this season and are the second-best defensive unit in the red zone while also ranked fifth when it comes to stopping third downs.
Slowing down the run, however, has proven to be exceedingly difficult for them in recent weeks, allowing over 100 yards rushing in three consecutive contests, including 198 versus Pittsburgh on New Year's Day.
With their star quarterback out of action since Week 13, Baltimore have relied on their running attack and a stingy defensive unit to get by with over 100 yards in each of their previous four games while conceding 14 points or fewer in three of their last four outings.
Their passing game has suffered tremendously in recent weeks, posting more than 120 yards through the air just once in each of their previous four contests.
They have lost two of their last three encounters away from home and are without a touchdown pass on the road since the end of November.
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Team News
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Joe Burrow has thrown seven touchdown passes in his last two games, with the Bengals Trenton Irwin catching two for scores in their victory against New England.
Tee Higgins has a TD catch in each of his last two games, and Ja'Marr Chase has seven or more grabs in three consecutive encounters.
Josh Tupou, Cameron Sample and Logan Wilson each sacked Patriots QB Mac Jones once two weeks ago, while Vonn Bell and Mike Hilton both made four tackles.
Eli Apple was limited at practice on Thursday because of a neck injury, while Sam Hubbard is expected to play despite a calf strain.
Tyler Huntley has struggled in the passing game over the past few weeks, with the Ravens backup managing fewer than 140 yards through the air in four consecutive starts, Mark Andrews was his favourite target versus the Steelers, making nine catches for 100 yards, though the lone TD grab for them in that contest came courtesy of Isaiah Likely.
Chuck Clark and Brandon Stephens combined to make 13 tackles a week ago, while Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Madubuike both registered a sack.
Their starting quarterback Lamar Jackson remains questionable with a knee injury, while Kevon Seymour might play despite a sore finger.
Marcus Peters is dealing with a calf strain, and Nick Boyle seems to have recovered from his illness as he took part in full practice on Wednesday.
Head To Head
Less than three months ago, these sides last faced each other in Maryland when Justin Tucker kicked four field goals, and Andrews caught a second-quarter touchdown pass from Jackson to give the Ravens a 19-17 victory.
That gave Baltimore a 28-25 edge in the overall series versus Cincy, though the Bengals won the previous contest in their own backyard, 41-21, in December 2021 as Joe Mixon ran for a pair of scores.
Baltimore last defeated the Bengals on the road in the 2020 regular season in a game where JK Dobbins ran for a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, helping the Ravens to a 38-3 triumph.
We say: Cincinnati Bengals 24-17 Baltimore Ravens
A healthy Lamar Jackson can help their cause, but the Ravens do not have a good enough receiving corps to match up against Cincinnati for four quarters.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
