Baltimore Ravens bold predictions for Week 5 vs. Bengals
The Baltimore Ravens have a chance to climb back into the driver’s seat of the AFC North this weekend. Baltimore is 2-2 heading into Week 5 and they are just one game back from a division-leading Pittsburgh team. The Ravens have a crucial divisional matchup against the Bengals on Sunday that could have huge ramifications on the division.
If the Ravens can manage a win, they will be right up there with the Steelers in the division race. This would be the perfect antidote to starting 0-2. Meanwhile, if the Bengals win then Cincinnati will have made a huge stride forward. They would be tied with Baltimore at 2-3 and muddy the picture in the AFC North.
Those are two very different realities, which highlights how important this game is for both teams.
The Ravens will not have home-field advantage on Sunday, but they probably won’t need it. They are set up well to cruise to another victory against a division foe in their own house.
Below are three Ravens bold predictions ahead of their Week 5 divisional matchup against the Bengals.
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Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has his best statistical game of the season against Bengals
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Lamar Jackson is having a good season through four games. However, he has not returned to his MVP form from 2019.
The Ravens are a good enough team that Jackson does not need to play like an MVP every single game. In fact, I’d argue that Baltimore’s offense is designed in some ways to keep this from happening. The addition of Derrick Henry takes a lot of weight off of Lamar’s shoulders.
That said, I believe it is time that Lamar Jackson had a truly elite performance in 2024. The Bengals’ defense could be just the right opponent for this to happen against.
Cincinnati has a solid defense that can get the job done when the offense is playing complementary football. However, they cannot carry the team by themselves. In fact, the best performance they’ve had was in Week 1 where they still surrendered 16 points to a dreadful Patriots team. They have not faced a QB with the rushing ability of Lamar Jackson this season (because he’s 1-of-1).
My prediction: Lamar Jackson has his best game of the season, setting a new season high in nearly every statistical category. For our purposes, let’s say all-purpose yards and passing touchdowns. This should be manageable for Lamar. For context, Lamar would have to eclipse 395 all-purpose yards (his total from Week 1) and surpass two passing touchdowns (his total from Week 4). 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards gets it done, lock it in.
Derrick Henry has a good game, but does not reach his Week 4 heights
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Derrick Henry put the Ravens on his back in Week 4.
Henry wasted no time making an impact in the game, rumbling for a 87-yard touchdown on Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage. He finished with 24 carries for 199 yards and a touchdown, while also adding a touchdown through the air as well.
This was exactly the type of performance Ravens fans were hoping for out of Henry. It was also the nightmare that other NFL fanbases feared would happen if Henry signed with the Ravens in free agency.
Henry clearly has enough gas left in the tank to give opposing teams hell for the rest of the 2024 season. That is encouraging news for the Ravens.
Thankfully for the Bengals, I don’t see Henry going nuclear against them like he did against the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
My prediction: Derrick Henry will have a good game on the ground against the Bengals. However, he will not live up to the ridiculous standard he set in Week 4. Let’s say he puts in 100 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. That is a solid day’s work for King Henry.
Ravens put away the Bengals in the fourth quarter, secure huge AFC North victory
The Ravens will be the road team on Sunday, but they are still the betting favorite to win this game. It is not hard to understand why.
Cincinnati has a good offense that can have great games, especially against a division rival. However, the offensive line is still a weakness no matter how many resources the Bengals pump into it. This leaves Cincinnati vulnerable to Baltimore’s pass rush.
If the Ravens can short circuit the Bengals’ offense, they might end up running away with this game. That said, I like the Bengals to keep this one close until the very end.
My prediction: the Bengals will throw the kitchen sink at the Ravens on Sunday, likely staying within one score into the fourth quarter. However, the Ravens are a better all-around team and will find a way to win this game. I’ll go out on a limb and say they win with a long Justin Tucker field goal as time expires.
The post Baltimore Ravens bold predictions for Week 5 vs. Bengals appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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