Week 1 is in the books. The Ravens won and lost.
They won their game, 24-9, against an overwhelmed Texans team, but they lost J.K. Dobbins for the year and potentially star offensive linemen Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum for multiple weeks. That’s just on offense. On defense, Baltimore lost safety Marcus Williams for “a while” due to a pectoral injury. Thankfully, they have good depth at the position, but it’s not easy replacing someone like Williams who made four interceptions in 10 games last year.
Replacing a starting defensive back is especially challenging when your next game is on the road against the dynamic passing attack of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals were stifled by the Browns in Week 1, a result that was extremely surprising. The Browns winning wasn’t what shocked people, rather the fashion in which they put the clamps on the Bengals offense. Joe Burrow was held to 82 yards passing—by far his lowest output in all of his 43 career games. It was the first game of his career in which he completed less than 50 percent of his passes, and only the 5th game of his career in which he failed to throw a touchdown. Any way you look at it, the star quarterback played poorly.
His top trio of wideouts (Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd) combined for a paltry 49 yards on seven receptions. The running game gained a respectable 75 yards but did so on 20 carries.
Needless to say, the Ravens have a strong blueprint for how to attack the Bengals offense in Week 2—an offense which will no doubt be motivated to start fast after such a sluggish performance last week.
Specific matchups to watch:
Kyle Hamilton vs. Ja’Marr Chase
There’s a small a chance Marlon Humphrey may go this week. We likely won’t know until the inactive list is released at 11:30 am ET this Sunday morning. Even if Humphrey is 100 percent, we’ve seen multiple times when Ja’Marr Chase has had his way against the 3-time Pro Bowler. Hamilton is a player that could make a big impact on this matchup, due to his range and instincts. Even if Chase can make a catch, it’s imperative all Ravens defenders rally to the ball to limit him gaining additional yardage. We’ve all seen the result when that hasn’t happened (Week 7 matchup in 2021).
Patrick Mekari vs. Trey Hendrickson
With Ronnie Stanley out for this game, Patrick Mekari figures to slot in at left tackle. Mekari has been a solid offensive lineman for the Ravens. He’s played multiple positions well, in fact. On the other hand, Trey Hendrickson gets a sack in 55.8 percent of games he’s played. Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo puts his defense is excellent positions, especially Hendrickson. If Mekari can displace Hendrickson and keep him from making impact plays, that would be a big win for Baltimore.
Whether the Ravens run or pass, Hendrickson figures to always be around the ball. He’s a complete defensive end. Mekari is well-rounded in his own right, so it will be a very interesting matchup to watch. It won’t make or break the game for either team, but it will undoubtedly influence the end result.
The Ravens vs. the scoreboard
In four of their last five games against the Bengals, the Ravens have only scored 10 1st quarter points and averaged 18.0 total points per game. Regardless of the fact that Baltimore won comfortably last week, the Ravens need to start fast this week. They need to score early so that the Bengals’ offense becomes (somewhat) more predictable.
In the 55 games these teams have played against each other, the Ravens have won 28 and lost 27. Needless to say, scoring early will only help their cause when this game will (most likely) come down to the wire.
I’m predicting a 26-24 Baltimore win, which would result in John Harbaugh tying Bill Cowher for 24th-most regular season wins as an NFL head coach (149). I’m also predicting the following fantasy football outputs from these key players:
Gus Edwards: 21 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD; 2 receptions 12 yards (16.6 fantasy points)
Zay Flowers: 7 receptions, 110 yards; 1 carry, 20 yards (13.0 fantasy points)
Joe Burrow: 22/32, 288 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT (17.5 fantasy points)
Ja’Marr Chase: 6 receptions, 120 yards, TD (18.0 fantasy points)
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.