Despite being expected to have at least a shot at reaching the Super Bowl this season, the Cincinnati Bengals have been a big disappointment so far.
They lost their first three games, and their lone win came against the lowly Carolina Panthers.
With a 1-3 record, they host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, and that will give them an opportunity to not only boost their record but to also earn that proverbial statement win against a divisional rival.
Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said that for Cincinnati to be successful, it needs to establish the “first tone.”
“We just gotta come out and set a tone when we first get the ball or they first get the ball, defense or offense. … It’s all about setting the first tone in the game,” Chase said, via the Bengals on X.
Divisional play is different. pic.twitter.com/SNDciC4ogh
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 3, 2024
Chase, who is still looking for a contract extension, has played well to start the season, as has quarterback Joe Burrow, but the Bengals defense has been a problem.
It ranks near the bottom of the NFL in several key defensive metrics and has had trouble stopping the run, and star defensive end Trey Hendrickson hasn’t quite looked like his usual self.
That inability to stop the run could cost them dearly against Baltimore, a team that has one of the game’s best dual-threat quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and star running back Derrick Henry.
The Ravens are first in rushing yards and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns, and Henry leads the league with 480 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
A win by the Bengals would go a long way toward putting them back in playoff contention, not to mention re-establishing themselves as a team that has a legitimate chance to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
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Zack Moss Gives Thoughts On How Bengals Can Defeat Ravens