The Ravens begin their playoff journey this weekend, and not a moment too soon.
For the second week in a row, Baltimore will play in Cincinnati. In their previous two meetings this season, the Ravens split with the Bengals (each home team winning), with Cincinnati coming out ahead in total points scored (+9 point differential).
Many of Baltimore’s starters were withheld last week/had their reps limited, while the Bengals played their starters the entire game. It was an odd circumstance, as the Bengals didn’t have any playoff positioning to play for yet still risked their premier players with no bye week to look forward to.
Could the Ravens have lost the battle but won the war? We will see.
Here are three ways Baltimore could beat Cincinnati and gain the franchise’s 17th playoff win this Sunday night.
3-step drops
The last thing I want to do is purport to know more than NFL coaches, and what I’m about to say isn’t an outright assertion I do. That said, I feel like a good way to make the most of the players that will take the field Sunday is to call passes that require a 3-step drop, as opposed to the elongated 5 or 7 step drops.
Obviously, many of Baltimore’s passes won’t come from under center, meaning the actual steps the quarterback will take will be shortened, but you get my point. Shorter drops equal less opportunity for the defense to sack the quarterback and more probability for the quarterback to establish rhythm with quick throws.
Another way 3-step drops and quick throws benefits the Ravens offense is that Baltimore’s quick receivers would get the ball in their hands and be able to use their elusiveness to their advantage. Longer drops create more of an “all-or-nothing” prospect for the passing game.
I’m not opposed to deep passes all game, just not at the beginning. Establish a foundation, get the defense thinking/seeing/flowing one way, then take your shot.
Do what you do best
At this point, you owe it to yourself and your franchise to do what do you best. “Dance with who brought you,” as the saying goes. Run, run, run, and then run some more. Kick field goals when in doubt. Dominate on special teams. Don’t worry about disguise so much. Hammer Mark Andrews with targets.
Playoff games present ever-shrinking windows of opportunity to affect change. Now is not the time to experiment. You only ought to call what you’re completely confident in. If you wouldn’t call the play in a big moment, don’t call it, because every moment is big in the postseason.
Keep your cool
In a playoff game between division rivals, emotions are going to run high. That’s just a fact. How you act upon those emotions can determine the fate of your season.
Again, you can only control your actions. Penalties will be called. Make sure, as much as you can, that they’re not called on you.
During the regular season, the Ravens and Bengals ranked 5th and 6th respectively in least penalties per game (4.8, 5.1). Think about the feeling you get when the other team gets called for a penalty in the playoffs. It’s almost like scoring a touchdown. It causes an immediate surge of confidence (or doubt), depending on who you’re rooting for.
Whoever blinks first will have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. Even the Bengals, with their loaded offense, do not want to fall behind (because of penalties) on Sunday night.
Vegas
As of Monday morning, the line on this game favored the Bengals by 6 1/2 points, and the over/under was set at 43 1/2. Last Sunday’s game was played at somewhat of a methodical pace, yet still totaled 43 points. I think this week we will see a similar amount of scoring, but I’m going to take the over. These teams knew they might play each other two weeks in a row, and I suspect subsequently held a few things back in their Week 18 contest.
Obviously, so much depends on Lamar Jackson’s health. But despite that, the Ravens offense looked really bad last Sunday but the team as a whole was still competitive with the Bengals first string. That causes me a lot of concern if I’m a Bengals fan.
There are so many ways this game can go, but if the Ravens remain more than a 4-point underdog, I’m going to take the points. They may not win, but they’re a veteran bunch that’s been told how bad they are from their own fan base. At some point, they have to take their aggression out on someone.
It’s the playoffs. Anything can happen.
Prediction: Ravens 23, Bengals 21
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.