Bengals @ Ravens predictions

[Bengalbug]

Vegas is saying roughly 24-21 ravens.

I’m going 23-17 bengals.

[Lucius Cincinnatus]

(11-15-2023, 10:45 PM)Whacked Wrote: Concerns

1. Rat Turds DLine and Pass Rush vs Our Oline (most games)
Frightening

2. After watching the Texans’ Noah Brown get 172 receiving yards along w Schultz and Dell making plenty of noise, how are you all not very concerned with Flowers, OBJ and Mark Andrews going nuts?

3. Their excellent run game vs our horrible run D
*They ran over 100 yards against the Stains wicked D line.

4. No Hubbard to contain Lamar

IF JB balls out and Lamar being inconsistent Lamar doesn’t play well - maybe we can pull this off.

I watch all the Ravens games (and Browns + Steelers), I'm actually not as concerned about the pass rush vs. our O-line. Their DL + edge rushers are all quality, but none of them are elite talents. Just 4-5 solid guys. A lot of their sacks/pressures come from stunts, sim pressure, and general confusion vs. pure beating their man 1v1. 

My broader point, is our offensive line has shown they will get beat by greater talent, but I think, given the experience of our offensive line, I'm betting on the fact that we can communicate and handle their complex/confusing looks. Not saying it will be perfect, but I don't expect to see Burrow running for his life. 

[jj22]

(11-15-2023, 05:08 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Humphry and Stanley being out is pretty damn huge. 

Really..... How is it we always fall for this? Houston was out 8 players... We've read this script over and over. Stars will be born tonight.

Expect one of them to be a RB that went undrafted that many of us thought would make a great late round pick for the Bengals.

[Lucius Cincinnatus]

(11-16-2023, 02:09 PM)jj22 Wrote: Really..... How is it we always fall for this? Houston was out 8 players... We've read this script over and over. Stars will be born tonight.

Expect one of them to be a RB that went undrafted that many of us thought would make a great late round pick for the Bengals.

I would say his "star was born" two weeks ago with those long runs. He has had long touchdowns in back-to-back games. He isn't exactly under the radar at this point. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(11-16-2023, 02:01 PM)Lucius Cincinnatus Wrote: I watch all the Ravens games (and Browns + Steelers), I'm actually not as concerned about the pass rush vs. our O-line. Their DL + edge rushers are all quality, but none of them are elite talents. Just 4-5 solid guys. A lot of their sacks/pressures come from stunts, sim pressure, and general confusion vs. pure beating their man 1v1. 

My broader point, is our offensive line has shown they will get beat by greater talent, but I think, given the experience of our offensive line, I'm betting on the fact that we can communicate and handle their complex/confusing looks. Not saying it will be perfect, but I don't expect to see Burrow running for his life. 

Nice post Lucius, agree with this. Burrow will be able to eat up the blitz in this game as well, unlike the last one where he was 
all hobbled up and we lost by 3 points. This is what gives me hope going into this one. Burrow is healthy and we barely lost when
he was a shadow of himself. Not having Sam Hubbard to spy Lamar though will keep it close as Lamar should run for a lot, just 
hopefully not Tuddy's.

[RegularGuy22]

(11-16-2023, 02:09 PM)jj22 Wrote: Really..... How is it we always fall for this? Houston was out 8 players... We've read this script over and over. Stars will be born tonight.

Expect one of them to be a RB that went undrafted that many of us thought would make a great late round pick for the Bengals.

I don't fall for it. Seeing opposing teams with a long injury report ALWAYS means trouble for Bengals. Others 2nd's seem to always be better players than our 1st's. But when our 1st's are out it many times means a big drop off. Houston with 8 players out really crippled them on Sunday, I mean they could hardly run the ball or make any completions. Bengals have problem issues on both sides of the ball that alot of folks here refuse to admit.

Someone last week said with all their players out that Burrow and Chase were gonna feast. They sure did,, to a big L.

[RegularGuy22]

(11-16-2023, 02:01 PM)Lucius Cincinnatus Wrote: I watch all the Ravens games (and Browns + Steelers), I'm actually not as concerned about the pass rush vs. our O-line. Their DL + edge rushers are all quality, but none of them are elite talents. Just 4-5 solid guys. A lot of their sacks/pressures come from stunts, sim pressure, and general confusion vs. pure beating their man 1v1. 

My broader point, is our offensive line has shown they will get beat by greater talent, but I think, given the experience of our offensive line, I'm betting on the fact that we can communicate and handle their complex/confusing looks. Not saying it will be perfect, but I don't expect to see Burrow running for his life. 

Just 4-5 solid guys and that's not a problem? Stunts have been a major problem for the Oline this year. Unless Pollack has pulled a trick rabbit out I feel like we will see our Oline men helping JB up off the grass often tonight.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(11-16-2023, 03:03 PM)RegularGuy22 Wrote: Just 4-5 solid guys and that's not a problem? Stunts have been a major problem for the Oline this year. Unless Pollack has pulled a trick rabbit out I feel like we will see our Oline men helping JB up off the grass often tonight.

It usually hurts us more when the Defense is getting home with just 4. Stunts have been a problem for this OL this year but if the 
Ravens have to blitz to get to Burrow it could be a long night for them especially if Burrow is getting the ball out fast and playing 
under Center often. But if we are playing Shotgun all night, what you say last is probably true.

This is a damn good Defense, we need to play these guys like we played the 49ers. If we do this I think we can win. If not, not.

[Lucius Cincinnatus]

(11-16-2023, 02:51 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Nice post Lucius, agree with this. Burrow will be able to eat up the blitz in this game as well, unlike the last one where he was 
all hobbled up and we lost by 3 points. This is what gives me hope going into this one. Burrow is healthy and we barely lost when
he was a shadow of himself. Not having Sam Hubbard to spy Lamar though will keep it close as Lamar should run for a lot, just 
hopefully not Tuddy's.

Well, that's the slight nuance that makes their defense so difficult. While technically a lot of their defensive plays get charted as a blitz because they are bringing a slot or LB, they are still usually dropping 7 people into coverage and usually only bringing 4. They just make it look/feel like they are bringing more which causes the confusion up front. 

I think Burrow will play fine, but I'm more concerned about his play than the offensive line tonight. He hasn't been very good in his 3 games vs. Mcdonald. 

[Lucius Cincinnatus]

(11-16-2023, 03:03 PM)RegularGuy22 Wrote: Just 4-5 solid guys and that's not a problem? Stunts have been a major problem for the Oline this year. Unless Pollack has pulled a trick rabbit out I feel like we will see our Oline men helping JB up off the grass often tonight.

I mean clearly, it's a problem, they lead the league in sacks. I'm just not as overly concerned as some on this board seem to be. Yes, they will get some pressure, but I don't think it's going to be a blood bath or complete domination by them up front.

But my point is, I think it's important to understand how they are doing it, and it's not a bunch of gang-busters. If we can communicate effectively, we minimize some of their advantages. I'll take your word on us struggling with stunts, as I don't have access to film, but from what I see on TV, I see a lot of folks getting beat 1v1. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(11-16-2023, 03:23 PM)Lucius Cincinnatus Wrote: Well, that's the slight nuance that makes their defense so difficult. While technically a lot of their defensive plays get charted as a blitz because they are bringing a slot or LB, they are still usually dropping 7 people into coverage and usually only bringing 4. They just make it look/feel like they are bringing more which causes the confusion up front. 

I think Burrow will play fine, but I'm more concerned about his play than the offensive line tonight. He hasn't been very good in his 3 games vs. Mcdonald. 

Yes, it is a confusing type of Defense and it has gave Burrow some problems in the past. But still, he played really good in the 
2nd half against them the last time we played and he was a complete cripple at the time. This should be the game where he 
makes the Ravens Defense look bad. If not, we are in a bad spot and I will start to rant, but there is still a lot of hope if we can
pull this game out tonight, it is a huge game. He knows it, they know it, everyone knows it.

(11-16-2023, 03:25 PM)Lucius Cincinnatus Wrote: I mean clearly, it's a problem, they lead the league in sacks. I'm just not as overly concerned as some on this board seem to be. Yes, they will get some pressure, but I don't think it's going to be a blood bath or complete domination by them up front.  But I think it's important to understand how they are doing it, and it's not a bunch of gang-busters. If we can communicate effectively, we minimize some of their advantages. I'll take your word on us struggling with stunts, as I don't have access to film, but from what I see on TV, I see a lot of folks getting beat 1v1. 

If we are properly prepared like we were against the 49ers we should be fine.

If we come out and go Shotgun all night and play like we did against the Texans we won't be fine.

I think we learn from our last game and play more like we did against the 49ers. Just my opinion and I could very well be wrong 
and our coaches don't learn from our mistakes, but that goes against what we have seen late the last couple of years.

[RegularGuy22]

Getting beat 1v1, yes they are. Find the post where Volson and Cappa are tossed aside like kids and planted JB like a flower. I'm no OL expert but I don't think that is supposed to happen with an NFL Oline. And that is just 2 plays. Yes I'm sure there where many plays they won but it only takes 1 like those to be a disaster injury. Joe Burrow takes too many hits even when he gets a pass off for a completion.

[Whacked]

(11-16-2023, 02:01 PM)Lucius Cincinnatus Wrote: I watch all the Ravens games (and Browns + Steelers), I'm actually not as concerned about the pass rush vs. our O-line. Their DL + edge rushers are all quality, but none of them are elite talents. Just 4-5 solid guys. A lot of their sacks/pressures come from stunts, sim pressure, and general confusion vs. pure beating their man 1v1. 

My broader point, is our offensive line has shown they will get beat by greater talent, but I think, given the experience of our offensive line, I'm betting on the fact that we can communicate and handle their complex/confusing looks. Not saying it will be perfect, but I don't expect to see Burrow running for his life. 

Interesting! Well. I sure hope you’re right.

[TheBengals]

I'm going to predict an upset
Bengals 24
Ravens 23

[Nepa]

Well, less than an hour to go, and I'm nervous.

Right now, ESPN Analytics have the Bengals with only a 38% chance to make the playoffs and 8% chance to win the division and less than 1% chance for a playoff bye and 2% chance to make the Super Bowl. (Baltimore has a 91% chance to make the playoffs.)

That will all change tonight. A win will improve the Bengals prospects greatly. A loss just as bad in the wrong direction. The Bengals need a victory.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38890147/2023-nfl-playoffs-afc-nfc-seed-projections-predictions-super-bowl