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Ravens are a unanimous choice to defeat the Bengals
A month ago, the Ravens’ playoff hopes were in serious jeopardy after a three-game losing streak dropping them to 6-5. Their roster had been ravaged by the largest outbreak of COVID-19 in professional sports and injuries to key players.
The resilient Ravens (10-5) responded with four straight wins and positioned themselves to clinch a spot for the AFC with a win over the Bengals (4-10-1) in Cincinnati on Sunday.
The 45 experts we looked at believe the Ravens will do just that.
In early 2021, the 2020 Ravens and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson look like the 2019 versions of themselves, when they were the most dominant team in the league. There’s every reason to believe the Ravens will take care of business in Cincinnati. Baltimore, who is favored by 12 points, is 41-0 as a double-digit favorite in the regular season.
The Bengals, however, cannot be overlooked despite their record. They upset the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks ago and won a shootout against the Houston Texans last week. Additionally, as reported in yesterday’s Late for Work, Cincinnati have 12 straight wins and 17 of their last 18 years entering their home final with a loss record.
* In the same situation three years ago at M&T Bank Stadium, Cincinnati pulled off a shocking upset for the Ravens to keep them out of the playoffs. But experts are not seeing this happening again. *
Here’s a sample of what experts are saying about the game:
The Ravens reach their peak at the right time.
ESPN’s Marcus Spears: “They’ve reached another level. They’ve realized who they are. On the ground and on the pestle, allow Lamar Jackson to be the best player on the pitch, and they’re healthy in defense.… This defense stands a chance. to be one of the dominant units heading into the playoffs I pick the Baltimore Ravens to win [Sunday], enter the playoffs and make some noise. “
Chris Simms from Pro Football Talk: “Much like the Ravens’ offense, the Baltimore defense is also starting to peak. They’ve come back to where they’re pretty healthy on the defensive end of the ball, and I think they’re going into Week 17 and into. the playoffs are playing about as well as they can in football. I’m going to go with Baltimore to dominate this game. “
CJ Doon of the Baltimore Sun: “The Ravens are playing just too well right now in all three phases, dropping to ninth in overall efficiency after their fourth straight win. Seen through the lens of added expected points, the Ravens are on par with top contenders such as Buffalo, Green Bay and Kansas City. With a playoff berth on the line, the Ravens won’t take the Bengals lightly. “
Even though the Bengals have played well on offense for the past two weeks, their defense won’t be able to stop the Ravens.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com: “Brandon Allen is a capable sneaky quarterback and the Bengals are competing hard. But there’s no reason to believe that a defense that just gave the Texans 488 yards will be able to slow down the on-going attack. Ravens’ reformed execution. Lamar Jackson found his mojo just in time to make the AFC playoffs that much more interesting. “
Pete Prisco from CBS Sports: “The racing game continues to gain momentum [the Ravens], which will be the case here. The Bengals won’t slow down Lamar Jackson. The crows take it. “
The Ravens are clearly the top team on both sides of the ball.
Fansided’s Matt Vederame: “The Ravens usually crush bad teams. That’s what happens when you throw the ball terrifyingly and the defense is designed to overwhelm poor quarterbacks. It shouldn’t be any different.”
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk: “I think the Ravens are so good at this point that even though the Bengals are playing to their full capacity, the Ravens are still doing it.”
With the ferocity of the Ravens passing rush in recent weeks, it could be a long day for Allen.
Aaron Kasinitz from Penn Live: “Defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale sends a variety of players to the quarterfinals, allowing eight different players to have at least one sack in the last two games. This pressure has helped Baltimore sustain back injuries. corner Marcus Peters and Jimmy. Smith, and that could scare off Cincinnati’s offensive coaches. When they blew up the Bengals, 27-3, in October, the Ravens saw a record of five different members from their secondary record a sack . If Cincinnati doesn’t start their running game and often find themselves in passing situations, Martindale’s squad could turn Sunday’s game into a lousy game. “
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