Baltimore Ravens travel to Cincinnati for big AFC North showdown with Bengals
BALTIMORE -- The last time the Baltimore Ravens were in Cincinnati, they were sent home with a heartbreaking playoff loss.
The vision of Bengals defensive lineman Sam Hubbard rumbling 98 yards down the field early in the fourth quarter after ripping the ball away from backup quarterback Tyler Huntley is tough to talk about in Baltimore.
"I'd rather not because we lost that game," quarterback Lamar Jackson said of the Ravens' 24-17 loss last January. "I was watching the game and we were doing pretty good. I felt like it was my fault a little bit because I had to use the restroom. I got up, heard cheers, then I looked, and 94 running the other way. I almost hit my screen."
But now it's a new season and Jackson is back and healthy.
The Ravens travel to play AFC North rival Cincinnati at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the first meeting since last year's AFC Wild Card playoff game. The game will be televised on WJZ.
"You remember stuff. it wouldn't matter if it was 10 years ago, you remember everything in football," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "They won the game, they played better at the end, made the plays they had to make. But that's history and we are moving forward."
Both teams are expected to be among the top teams in the conference once again, and while it is early in the season, Sunday's game looms large.
The Ravens (1-0) defeated the Houston Texans, 25-9, last week. But the Bengals (0-1), the defending AFC North champions, will attempt to avoid an 0-2 start after losing to Cleveland, 24-3, last week.
"It's a new week," Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said. "This is the NFL so I'm sure they are going to be pissed off coming into the game based on their outing from last week. Obviously, they are going to come out and try to get some redemption and we are going to be pissed off as well."
Jackson isn't favored in a game for the 13th time in his career. The Bengals are a 3.5-point favorite to win the game.
However, the underdog role doesn't bother him.
"I love being the underdog," Jackson said. "I don't really care to be hyped up or people talking about how we are on top of the league. I'd rather be the underdog because we all have something to prove. We always have a chip on our shoulder to go out there and win a game."
The Ravens lost four key starters in last week's season opener.
Running back J.K. Dobbins tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the rest of the year. Safety Marcus Williams will be out for an undisclosed amount of time with a torn pec.
Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (sprained knee) and center Tyler Linderbaum (sprained ankle) could miss this week's game.
"That's no excuse," Jackson said. "We all have guys in the NFL getting paid to bust their behinds."
However, Mark Andrews (quad) is working his way back. He has practiced on a limited basis.
Jackson, despite throwing an interception, losing a fumble and getting sacked four times last week, passed for 169 yards and rushed for another 38 yards.
Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers dazzled in his NFL debut, snagging seven passes for 78 yards.
On defense, Smith recorded a team-high 16 tackles, and the Ravens, as a team, had five sacks.
"Every game I play is personal. Every play I play is personal," Smith said. "I'm going to play through the whistle and play fast and physical all game long. If they don't like it, who cares?"
The Bengals had a rough time on offense against Cleveland.
Joe Burrow, who recently became the highest-paid quarterback, passed for just 82 yards and was sacked twice.
Star receiver Ja'Marr Chase had just five catches for 39 yards, while No. 2 option Tee Higgins was held without a catch.
The Browns amassed 360 yards of offense against the Bengals defense, which also forced two turnovers and sacked Deshaun Watson three times.
The Bengals' defense is led by Hubbard and defensive end Trey Hendrickson, and linebacker Logan Wilson.
"We are familiar with them. They are a good team," Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. "We are going in with a good game plan and we just have to execute to come out on top."
The Ravens return home to play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Sept. 24.
