The upcoming matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens promises to be a high-profile clash, especially with quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson at the helm.
Previous Shock
In their last meeting, the two put on an unforgettable offensive display, combining for 740 air yards and nine touchdowns in a thrilling game that went to overtime. Each quarterback topped 325 yards and threw four touchdown passes, a rare feat not seen since Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff's iconic showdown in 2018.
Both players come into Week 10 in great shape, ranking among the top three quarterbacks in the NFL in total QBR, passer rating and touchdown passes.
Burrow, in particular, is coming off a game in which he threw five touchdowns against the Las Vegas Raiders, matching his personal best and reaching a season total of 20 touchdown passes, a record he himself had set for the Bengals in 2021.
Jackson, meanwhile, recorded a perfect passer rating in the Ravens' Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos, the fourth time he has achieved this distinction in his career.
His recent performances show a 71% pass completion rate and a 10-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the last three games, and he leads all NFL quarterbacks with 505 yards on the ground this season.
Both teams have shown dominance in the ground game, with the Bengals leaning heavily on Chase Brown. In Week 9, Brown matched career highs with 27 carries, 120 ground yards and 157 yards from the line of scrimmage, scoring the Bengals' first touchdown on a connection with Burrow on an impromptu play.
With Zack Moss on the injured reserve list, Brown is again likely to have a significant load, possibly sharing some plays with the recently acquired Khalil Herbert.
Derrick Henry's strength
The Ravens, meanwhile, continue to benefit from Derrick Henry's consistency; Henry is the most-used running back of the season with 168 carries and surpassed 1,000 yards in Week 9. Henry has found the end zone in each of the first nine games, joining a select group of players who have done so since 1990.
In the red zone, the Ravens excel with a 74.4% touchdown rate, leading the league and having committed no turnovers inside their opponents' 20-yard line.
The Bengals are also a force in this area, ranking third in red zone efficiency with a 69.2% touchdown rate and holding the NFL's longest active streak with 25 consecutive red zone series that have resulted in points.
Against the Raiders, Cincinnati capitalized on all four of its red zone visits, securing the victory with a late field goal from inside the red zone.
On defense, Bengals defensive wing Trey Hendrickson stands out after an outstanding performance against the Raiders, recording four catches and seven hits on the quarterback, racking up 10 pressures on just 30 rushing attempts.
His 11 catches in nine games set a franchise record, with Hendrickson leading the league in rushing pressures-seven of them occurring in less than 2.5 seconds.
His four games with multiple catches this season also lead the NFL, marking a historic milestone for a Bengals player since catches became an official statistic in 1982.
Diverse Air Raids: Key Receivers at Bengals and Ravens
Cincinnati's aerial game has thrived with a diverse group of receivers, even with three receivers absent in Week 9. Burrow distributed touchdown passes to four different players, tying a team record, while nine Bengals players were targeted for passes, matching a season high.
Star receiver Ja'Marr Chase showed his dominance in their Week 5 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, hauling in 10 receptions for 193 yards and two long touchdowns of 41 and 70 yards. Chase averages nearly 100 receiving yards per game against the Ravens, totaling 698 yards, his best performance against any team.
Baltimore's receiving unit is also multi-faceted, with nine players scoring touchdowns this season. Rookie Zay Flowers has been outstanding with 654 receiving yards, ranking fifth in the NFL, and has recorded four 100-yard games in his last five games.
Flowers was used extensively in his last game against Cincinnati, with six of his seven receptions topping 10 yards.
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Importance of Supporters
Bengals linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt continue to be key on defense, with Wilson recording his first two fumble recoveries in Week 9. Those second-half recoveries put the Bengals offense in favorable field position, helping to secure the victory.
Pratt, who has also recovered two fumbles this season, ranks ninth in the league with 81 tackles, while Wilson's 88 ranks third overall. Along with the Colts, Cincinnati is one of only two teams with multiple players who have recorded more than 80 tackles.
Wilson and Pratt join the Bills' Dorian Williams as the only players with more than 80 tackles and two or more fumble recoveries, further highlighting their importance in the Bengals' defensive structure.
As both teams prepare for this Week 10 showdown, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens are poised to showcase top-notch performances in all facets of the game, from quarterback play to defense, ground game and efficient execution in the red zone.
