Ravens begin their home stand against the NFC West division leader
The Baltimore Ravens welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to Baltimore as Week 11 of the NFL season gets under way.
Teams (Records)
Baltimore Ravens: 7-3
Cincinnati Bengals: 5-4
Odds (Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Ravens -3.5
OVER/UNDER: 46
Moneyline: Ravens -180; Bengals +150
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Last 5 Games In Series
Bengals have won three of the past five matchups
Matchup History
Ravens lead the series 29-27-0
Injury Report
Depth is a Necessity
The Ravens will be without left tackle Ronnie Stanley after suffering a knee injury against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. This will bring backup tackle Patrick Mekari to fill in on the left side after doing so for the injured right tackle Morgan Moses just last week.
“He’s not a backup. I mean, we consider him as a starter, man,” Moses said. “What he brings to the table every day, I mean, I don’t think there’s another guy in this league that can go in there and play all five positions and be doing it at a great level.”
There’s also a likelihood of cornerback Marlon Humphrey not playing, after missing all three practices this week with a calf injury sustained Sunday. If so, the Ravens will look to Brandon Stephens, Arthur Maulet and Rock Ya-Sin to hold it down.
Hungry to Move Past Sunday
The Ravens’ ugly loss to the Browns could be quickly nullified with a victory on Thursday. Ravens players are anxious to get under the lights against another division rival.
“I’m excited. It’s a short week. [You can] get the nasty taste out your mouth – being able to just get back out and play the game that we all love,” Roquan Smith said. “So, I’m excited to get back out there. It’s a home game, so I know ‘The Bank’ is going to be rocking. [We’re] ready to get out there and do what we have to do.”
Others, like Patrick Queen, are looking at the game for what it is at its simplest: A division game, and nothing more.
“If you want to put it that way, you can, but at the end of the day, it’s another football game,” Queen said. “It’s a division game; a game that we need to win. It’s just another team in our way, so we have to go out there, play our best game, try to get these guys out of the way and just try to get to this long, little break [after the game].”
DVOA Stuff
The Ravens, after a poor game, still remain the No. 1 team by DVOA.
Offense: No. 5
Defense: No. 2
Special Teams: No. 19
The Bengals are a top-half team and could find advantages on special teams.
Offense: No. 11
Defense: No. 13
Special Teams: No. 5
Prepping for a Thursday Football Game
Four days after a physical game against the Browns, the Ravens are right back at it against another divisional opponent. Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked about preparing for the quick turnaround.
“Probably two things. The one thing is the physical part of it for the guys. It’s just a big challenge, but they have to do it once a year. They’re up for doing it. They know it’s coming, so our guys are ready to face that challenge and try to be their best Thursday. Then, [there’s] the mental part of it – being ready with the gameplan and putting the gameplan together. We were right on the gameplan today right after the game [yesterday]. That’s quick, but we felt like we were prepared as a coaching staff. Having a division opponent is helpful with that.”