Opponent Profile: Bengals Health A Concern Heading Into Game Against Ravens
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens are set to battle the Bengals in round 2 of this division rivalry. With the Ravens riding high and the Bengals sliding, both teams realize that this game may determine the fate of both teams moving forward.
Bengals on Offense
The Bengals are led by starting QB Andy Dalton and will rely on him to get the team going in this game. He is a great manager of the game and Baltimore knows that if they let him, he’ll give them fits all day. To swing the momentum in the Ravens favor, they’ll try to do what they’ve done well the entire season – get after the quarterback. If the Bengals are without AJ Green, Baltimore will take more risks and blitz often to get after Dalton early and often. The Bengals will look to keep the Ravens guessing with Giovani Benard who is one of the more explosive running backs in the NFL.
The Bengals do a good job of getting him the ball with screens and draw plays that take advantage of Baltimore aggressive style of play. With Green injured, Benard has become public enemy number 1 for the Baltimore Ravens. Stop him and you likely stop the Bengals offense.
Bengals on Defense
The Bengals have one of the better defenses in the NFL. They did a good job of keeping the Ravens in check in Week 1 of the NFL season. But they aren’t nearly as healthy as they once were. In fact, they are hobbling into Week 8 with some key injuries. For starters, Rey Maualuga and Emmanuel Lamur are dealing with injuries that kept them out of the Colts game. Vontaze Burfict was sidelined with an injury on Sunday. Starting cornerback Leon Hall was knocked out of the game last week as well with a lower back strain. It’s still too early to tell, but all of these players may be unable to play against Baltimore. That’s huge, especially considering the Ravens are one of the more explosive teams in the NFL. If the Bengals aren’t healthy in time, Baltimore will have plenty of inexperienced players to exploit.
Bengals Coaching
Head Coach Marvin Lewis has been with the Bengals since 2003. He’s the second longest tenured head coach in the NFL next to Bill Belichick. He’s also the former defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a pivotal piece to the championship puzzle when Baltimore won their first Super Bowl title back in 2000. He has a current record of 93-87-2. Ravens currently lead the series 20-17 with Baltimore losing their last game 23-16.
For more Ravens news and updates, visit Ravens Central.
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
