Injuries may have decimated the Bengals last week in a loss to the Bills. Wide receiver A.J. Green will likely be out a few weeks after injuring his hamstring, and running back Giovani Bernard is out for the season with an ACL. Nevertheless, the Bengals have to keep on trucking as they head to Baltimore to face the Ravens, who need a win to stay ahead of the Steelers atop the AFC North.
Bengals vs. Ravens 2016 live stream: How to watch Week 12 matchup online
After losing A.J. Green and Gio Bernard, the Bengals’ hopes rest with the “Red Rifle.”
Considering that Green accumulated over one-third of the Bengals’ team receiving yards, quarterback Andy Dalton may perform at a diminished level Sunday as he has to rely on the likes of Brandon LaFell and Tyler Boyd as targets. LaFell and Boyd have combined for as many receptions this season (66) as Green, while totaling nearly 200 fewer receiving yards.
The Ravens defense also complicates matters for the Bengals, as it has allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards per game to opposing offenses. If cornerback Jimmy Smith returns after he sat out last week’s matchup against the Cowboys with a back injury, the Ravens should be able to compound Dalton’s loss of Green as an elite target. Baltimore’s defense has 11 interceptions, third most in the NFL, with linebacker C.J. Mosley leading the team with three picks this season.
Baltimore has also allowed just 76 rushing yards per game, the stingiest mark in the league. This will provide a greater challenge for running back Jeremy Hill, who will likely be shouldering a full load of carries with Bernard out. Hill has averaged 4.6 yards per carry this season, but he will likely struggle to break out for big runs against a tough Ravens front seven.
On the other side of the ball, it has not been an elite season for Ravens QB Joe Flacco. Despite a pace that would allow him to set a career high in passing yards — he has 2,643 yards in 10 games and is on pace to exceed 4,000 yards for the first time in his career — Flacco has posted a disappointing TD:INT ratio. The Delaware alum has thrown just 10 touchdowns to go with nine interceptions as he and the Ravens offense have struggled to convert drives into points. Baltimore is averaging less than 20 points per game.
Another problem for the Ravens has been their moribund rushing attack, which ranks 27th in the NFL with an average of 87.4 yards per game. Terrance West unexpectedly became the lead back early in the season and has held the job since, but his 552 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per carry average have not inspired too much confidence.
Fortunately for the Ravens rushing attack, however, the Bengals defense has allowed runners to break loose this season. It has surrendered the fifth-most rushing yards per game to opponents in 2016. Even with a bruising back like West, the Ravens may be able to use the running game to their advantage Sunday.
How to watch Bengals vs. Ravens
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: CBS
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn
Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket
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