The Bengals, fresh off their biggest win of the year, a 32-14 thrashing over the Ravens at Thanksgiving, will be looking to maintain momentum this Sunday. The Bengals will have to face a Buffalo Bills team with eight wins who are desperate for a victory in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Last week, the Bengals’ win was a result of their improved defense and the return to action of quarterback Joe Burrow. Cincinnati’s defense, which has been criticized, forced five turnovers and had a 70% rate of success on third downs. They also allowed only 14 points, their lowest point total for the season. Burrow found his groove and threw 261 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.
In Trendrickson, and Tee Higgins, the Bengals also were missing two of their key players from each side of football. The Bengals must be able to defend Josh Allen, another top-tier quarterback in the NFL, in order to pull off a win against the Bills this week.
Allen’s tendency to make mistakes in recent weeks gives the Bengals some hope that they can come up with one or two takeaways. Burrow’s passing game is strong, but the Bengals would be better served to establish a ground game in order to take on a Bills rushing defense that’s vulnerable. Chase Brown averaged 5.4 yards per rush in the last three games and had at least 73 rushing yard in five out of six games.
Last week, the Browns failed to win a game and lost 26-8 to the San Francisco 49ers. The Browns had little offensive success in Shedeur Sanders first home start. The Browns were unable to score any points after scoring a touchdown in the second half and converting it to a two-point conversion.
Cleveland’s offense only averaged 4.2 yards per attempt. They converted 3-of-11 attempts on third down, but failed on all four fourth down attempts. The Browns were very good on defense, allowing just 251 total yards and 2.7 yards for every rush. The Browns’ offense was outplayed by their defense, as it has been for much of the season.
The Browns will have a better chance of winning this Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. They are the only team with a lower record this season than the Browns (2-10). Cleveland’s defense can feast on the Titans’ pathetic offense and rookie QB Cam Ward. Ward has had his fair share of struggles with a weak infrastructure surrounding him this season.
Kevin Stefanski is making an effort to include Quinshon in the majority of games this season, even if it has been a tough road. Judkins had 23 carries for 91 yard last week, and three more touches in the pass game. Expect him to get a lot of touches this Sunday, and he could have a great performance against Tennessee’s defensive unit.
The Ravens lost an embarrassing game at home last week after Cincinnati won the big game. Lamar Jackson and his team’s recent offensive struggles reached a new low as they scored only 14 points against the Bengals, who had the league’s worst defense. Jackson completed just 17-of-32 pass attempts with no touchdowns, two fumbles, and an interception in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens’ loss ended their five-game winning streak, and they missed the chance to gain a one game lead in the division. They must now focus on a game of paramount importance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This Sunday, the Ravens have had 10 days to rest. They may have used this time to fix their offensive problems.
There is no single solution that the Ravens can focus on, from Jackson’s poor play to questionable call-outs and inconsistent offensive line performance. This week, a good way to turn things around would be to commit to the ground-game and establish the run against the Steelers’ vulnerable rushing defense. In Week 13, Derrick Henry only carried the ball 10 times, and was outsprinted by Rasheen Ali, a third-string runningback.
Baltimore’s defense started to crumble in the second quarter of last week, allowing 32 total points. However, they were able to hold up well in the first and second quarters. The Ravens will blitz Aaron Rodgers frequently and attempt to stop Pittsburgh’s rushing offense.
Last week, the Steelers lost their biggest game of the season by a score of 26-7 at home against the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers, who had a 7-3 halftime lead and played a stout defensive game, were outscored by 23-0 in the final two quarters.
Pittsburgh’s offense had a poor offensive performance. The Steelers’ offense was worrisome. They only converted 10 first downs and gained 166 yards total. James Cook and Ray Davis smashed the Steelers’ run defense, which was vulnerable. The Bills ran for 249 yard and averaged 4.9 per run.
The Steelers had the Ravens beat in the last few years, and they had swept their season series several times. Last season, the Ravens won twice in a line by double-digits points. This included in the playoffs. The Steelers need to address their problems on both sides of football if they want to win the rivalry.
Pittsburgh’s front seven will be under pressure from the Ravens, who will most likely use their hammer to pound on the ball. Jackson has done an excellent job forcing turnovers against the Ravens, but he has been more prone to turnovers in recent weeks. They also need to protect an injured Rodgers at the center.