Ravens are the unanimous choice to defeat Bengal
A month ago, the Ravens’ post-season hopes were seriously in jeopardy after a three-game losing streak dropped them to 6-5. Their roster has been plagued by the biggest COVID-19 outbreak in pro sports and injuries to key players.
The resilient Ravens (10-5) responded with four consecutive wins and placed themselves in the position to clinch an AFC wildcard league with a win over the Bengals (4-10-1) in Cincinnati.
All 45 experts we have looked at believe that the Ravens will do exactly that.
With the start of 2021, the 2020 Ravens and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson look like the 2019 versions of themselves, when they were the most dominant team in the league. There is every reason to be confident that the Ravens are taking care of business in Cincinnati. Baltimore, who are 12 points ahead, are 41-0 as a double-digit favorite in the regular season.
However, the Bengals can not be overlooked, despite their record. They upset the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks ago and won a shootout over the Houston Texans last week. On top of that, as noted in Late for Work yesterday, Cincinnati won 12 consecutive and 17 of the last 18 when it entered its home final with a losing record.
* In the same situation three years ago at the M&T Bank Stadium, Cincinnati eliminated a shocking upset of the Ravens to keep them out of the playoffs. But experts do not see it happening again. *
Here is an example of what the experts say about the game:
The Ravens reach a climax at the right time.
ESPN’s Marcus Spears: “They reached another level. They realized who they are. Land and pounds, allow Lamar Jackson to be the best player on the field, and they get healthy in defense. … This defense has the chance to be one when the playoffs come, I pick the Baltimore Ravens to win [Sunday], go into the playoffs and make some noise.
Pro Football Talk by Chris Simms: “Just like the Ravens’ offense, the Baltimore defense is really starting to peak. They have returned to where they are pretty healthy on the defensive side of the ball, and I think they’re going to Week 17 and into the playoffs. “They play about as good football as they can. I’m going to dominate this game with Baltimore.”
The Baltimore Sun’s CJ Doon: “The Ravens are now playing just too well in all three phases, rising to overall efficiency after their fourth consecutive win. Seen through the lens of expected points added, the Ravens are at the same level as top contenders like Buffalo, Green Bay “Kansas City. With a playoff spot at stake, the Ravens will not take the Bengals lightly.”
Although the Bengals have played well over the past two weeks, their defense cannot stop the Ravens.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal: “Brandon Allen is a ruthlessly capable rugby quarterback and the Bengals are competing hard. But there is little reason to believe that a defense that the Texans conceded just 488 yards could slow down the Ravens’ reformed spread running attack. Lamar Jackson found his mojo just in time to make the AFC playoffs more interesting. ‘
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports: ‘The running game continues [the Ravens], which will be the case here. The Bengals will not delay Lamar Jackson. Ravens take it. ‘
The Ravens are clearly the best team on both sides of the ball.
Fansided’s Matt Vederame: ‘The Ravens usually crush bad teams. This is what happens when you run the ball tremendously and the defense is built to overwhelm weak backs. It should not be otherwise. ‘
Pro Football Talk by Mike Florio: “I think the Ravens are so good at this point that even if the Bengals play their full potential, the Ravens are still doing it.”
Although the Ravens’ rush has been violent over the past few weeks, it could be a long day for Allen.
Penn Live’s Aaron Kasinitz: “Defense coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale sends a variety of players flowing towards quarterbacks, allowing eight different players to have at least one pocket in the last two games. The pressure has helped Baltimore recover from injuries to the cornerbacks. Marcus Peters and Jimmy resist Smith, and that could scare offensive Cincinnati coaches When they beat the Bengals, 27-3, in October, the Ravens saw a record of five different members of their secondary record.As Cincinnati does not get his running game going and Martindale’s group could turn Sunday’s game into an ugly situation. ‘