It was only a six-point win at home, but the Ravens thoroughly controlled their Week 6 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. They nearly doubled the Bengals in total yards and time of possession. Despite the close score, it was a masterpiece of an offensive performance by the Ravens. While the Bengals are one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Ravens took care of business for the final 59 minutes, outscoring the Bengals 23-10 after the Bengals scored on the opening kickoff.
Is it alarming that the Ravens only won by six? Maybe.
However, the Ravens were in control for almost the entirety of the game.
From an offensive standpoint, the Ravens played very well on Sunday. Lamar Jackson became just the second player to throw for 200 yards and run for 150 yards in an NFL game, following Colin Kaepernick‘s playoff debut in 2012. Jackson was breathtaking as he broke run after run through the Bengals’ defense. The performance was Jackson’s career-high in rushing yards, and he was even effective as a passer. Jackson only accounted for one touchdown in the game, but he was effective in moving the Ravens into the position for Mark Ingram to punch in a touchdown and for Justin Tucker to kick a trio of field goals. For the Bengals, Andy Dalton had a solid day of work as he threw for 235 yards and had a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Dalton was nothing special, but he is far from the reason why the Bengals lost the game.
In the rushing game, the Ravens dominated. Four players carried the ball for the Ravens, and all four runners ended up with an average of more than four yards per carry. Paced by Jackson’s 152 yards and a touchdown, the Ravens had a total of 269 rushing yards. For the Bengals, they were incredibly disappointing as Alex Erickson lead the team in rushing with just 17 yards. Joe Mixon and Giovanni Bernard combined for 14 yards on 12 carries, a paltry tally. Despite Andy Dalton adding a rushing touchdown late, the Bengals were incredibly limited on the ground.
In terms of receiving threats, Mark Andrews led the ravens with 99 yards and Auden Tate led the Bengals with 91 yards. Both teams were without their top wide receivers as Marquise Brown and A.J. Green sat out with injuries. Moving forward, Brown and Green should return in the next few weeks and be the focal point of both offenses.
Things we learned this week:
Mark Andrews should stop hurdling.
For the entire game, the Ravens were clean with the ball. However, Mark Andrews had a horrific play as he fumbled after hurdling a Bengals defender. Andrews must be more careful with the ball as any turnovers can destroy the Ravens’ momentum and can be debilitating for the offense.
The Ravens have the right offensive personnel.
Even without Brown, the Ravens played an excellent brand of football. By keeping the ball on the ground, the Ravens were able to chew up nearly 40 minutes of clock. Moving into the colder months of the year, it is imperative that the Ravens can establish the run and dominate in the trenches. While Lamar Jackson will have to throw the ball at points in the game, a dominant ground game can take the onus of the defense off of Jackson and put it into his running ability and on to Mark Ingram.
The Ravens lead the NFL in yards.
After nearly 500 yards of offense against the Bengals, the Ravens have taken the mantle as the best offensive team in terms of moving the football. While it is a nice prize for the Ravens to be the best offense through six weeks, the underlying metrics support a Ravens team that could win a lot of games despite a tough schedule. The Ravens lead the NFL in yards per drive, average number of plays per drive, average time of possession per drive, and scoring percentage. In the running game, the Ravens have the most rushing yards in the NFL and have the most yards per attempt, too.
Things we learned last week:
Lamar Jackson had his worst game as a starter, and the Ravens still won.
Jackson had a bounce-back performance against the Bengals. While the Bengals are not a very good team, Jackson was able to play a clean game, committing zero turnovers as opposed to the five interceptions he had thrown over the last two weeks. The needle is pointing up yet again for Jackson.
Marlon Humphrey is the lone playmaker on the Ravens defense.
The Ravens traded for Marcus Peters. With Peters on the roster, Humphrey is no longer the lone playmaker, but in the context of the current Ravens, they have a distinct lack of playmakers on the defensive end. Humphrey forced another interception, his second of the season against the Bengals. While he is more known as a lockdown corner rather than an interception monster like Marcus Peters, Humphrey has shown the ability to take the ball away from the opponent, forcing a trio of turnovers this season.
Tony Jefferson is out for the season.
There is nothing new to report here.
The Ravens have scored the most points in the NFL.
After Thursday Night Football, the Ravens were unable to make up the deficit to catch the Patriots. As of writing, the Ravens are six points behind the Patriots, averaging out to one point per contest. However, the Patriots have had the benefit of five defensive and special teams touchdown and the Ravens have had zero. In terms of strictly offensive production, the Ravens have been the best scoring offense in the NFL.
A look at next week:
The 4-2 Ravens travel to Seattle to face the 5-1 Seahawks. The 0-6 Bengals return home to face the 2-4 Jaguars.
A look into the AFC playoff picture:
The Ravens are still the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoff picture, and they find themselves two games clear of the Steelers and Browns. While the Steelers and Browns will have an easier second half, the Ravens will have a tough final 10 games beginning with a cross-country trip to Seattle. The Bengals sit four games back in the division and 3.5 back in the wild card race. The Bengals will likely lose many of their remaining games and contend for the No. 1 draft pick.
