Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey admitted his team should not have beaten the Cincinnati Bengals in their first matchup on Oct. 6.
Baltimore overcame a fumble in overtime by quarterback Lamar Jackson that set up a potential game-winning field goal by Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson, who squandered the opportunity because of a botched snap. On the ensuing drive, Ravens running back Derrick Henry rumbled for 51 yards, setting up a game-winning 23-yard field goal by Justin Tucker for a stunning 41–38 victory.
Humphrey knows the Ravens (6–3) need to play better when the teams meet Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bengals improved to 4–5 with a 41–24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders and are determined to get back in the playoff race.
“We felt like we should have lost; I think that’s what we kind of talked about,” Humphrey said about the first meeting when he met with reporters this week. “We won the game, but we did not play well, especially the secondary alone. There were a lot of contested catches, but [we allowed] big plays—too many big plays—so we’re hoping to try to limit the passing attack and get going.”
The Ravens have won six of their past seven games behind Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. The duo are potential NFL MVP candidates.
Jackson has thrown for 2,379 yards with 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He leads the league with a 120.7 rating. Jackson also leads all quarterbacks with 505 yards rushing. Jackson completed 26 of 42 pass attempts for 348 yards with four touchdowns against the Bengals earlier this season.
“The first game we played them this season they were showing me all types of looks, so there’s no telling what they [are] going to be doing this game,” Jackson told the media in his weekly press conference this week. “Hopefully it'd be probably the same because we put up a lot of points.”
Henry ranks No. 1 in the NFL with 1,052 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. The Ravens’ top-ranked rushing attack could get an even bigger boost with the return of Keaton Mitchell, who could make his debut after missing the past year with a knee injury.
The Bengals lost four of their first five games to open the season and their playoff outlook was dismal. However, Cincinnati has played better in recent weeks, winning two of three games, and can get back to .500 by beating the Ravens. Cincinnati can also pull closer to Baltimore in the AFC North standings behind first-place Pittsburgh Steelers (6–2).
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has led the resurgence. He is ranked fifth in the NFL with 2,244 yards passing with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions.
His favorite target is Ja’Marr Chase, who is second in the NFL with 717 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. However, fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins has a quadricep injury and could miss the game.
The Ravens are last in the NFL, allowing 280.9 yards passing per game.
Burrow, listed on the injury report with a right wrist issue, picked the Ravens’ secondary apart in the first meeting, going 30-for-39 for 392 yards with five touchdowns and a costly interception late in the fourth quarter. He is looking to avenge the earlier loss to Baltimore and continue to stack wins toward the playoffs.
“I think just how the season has gone, knowing what’s ahead of us, knowing what we’re going to have to do to get back into this,” Burrow said in his Nov. 3 press conference. “One win isn’t going to make or break our season. So, I’m going to strive for perfection every day and every game. So, until that happens, what’s there to be happy about?”
