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The Ravens are 6-7 and fighting for their playoff lives with just four games remaining in the regular season.
They've lost two straight heading into Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals (4-9), a talented offensive team that beat the Ravens, 32-14, in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night.
However, the Ravens will still make the playoffs and capture the AFC North if they win their remaining four games. That's plenty of incentive for a Ravens team trying to win a third straight division title.
"I feel like we just played them yesterday, but we're looking forward to new results [and] a different ending," Lamar Jackson said this week.
Here's everything you need to know:
Basics
Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m. Paycor Stadium
TV: Local, WJZ Channel 13 (Baltimore); CBS crew Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (analyst), Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline)
Radio: WBAL (1090 AM), 98 Rock (97.9 FM), Sirius XM Radio Ch. 138 or 381. For affiliates in your area, click here.
History
Baltimore leads the all-time regular season series, 32-27, but the Bengals have a 17-12 advantage in Cincinnati.
The Bengals can sweep the season series for the first time since 2021. These teams last met on Thanksgiving night, and Cincinnati left M&T Bank Stadium with a 32-14 victory that snapped Baltimore's five-game winning streak. The Ravens severely hurt their chances by committing a season-high five turnovers.
It marked the return to action for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow after missing nine games following toe surgery. Burrow (24 for 46, 261 yards, two touchdowns) got sharper as the game progressed and Cincinnati pulled away after leading 12-7 at halftime. Derrick Henry (10 carries, 60 yards) and Keaton Mitchell (two carries, 19) scored Baltimore's touchdowns.
Stakes
The Ravens still control their destiny and can clinch their third straight AFC North title by winning out. A third straight loss would put them in great danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Bengals' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, and they will be eliminated with a loss. The Bengals must win out and get help to avoid missing the postseason for a third straight year.
Storylines to Know
Will the Ravens' offense heat up in frigid conditions?
It's expected to be one of the coldest games in Ravens' history. The weather forecast is frosty, with the temperature at kickoff expected to be in the single digits with a negative wind chill. Baltimore hasn't scored more than 23 points in four straight games, and while the Bengals are ranked last in total defense, they held Baltimore to 14 points on Thanksgiving. The Ravens' offense is due to break out, but it needs to happen soon if they're going to make the playoffs.
Can Baltimore continue its road success?
The Ravens have won three consecutive road games, so perhaps a change of scenery will benefit them after losing two straight at home. It's been a strange season, and Baltimore's home record (3-5) vs. its record on the road (3-2) is one of the oddities. With three road games left to play, the Ravens must remain road warriors to reach the postseason.
Will Baltimore keep Ja'Marr Chase from exploding?
Chase has averaged 119.1 receiving yards against Baltimore over his career, the highest mark in NFL history for any receiver against one opponent with a minimum of eight games. The ability to turn any play into a huge play makes Chase lethal, and with wide receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) out, Burrow may target Chase even more. He had seven catches for 110 yards on Thanksgiving, but Baltimore kept him out of the end zone. If the Ravens contain Chase in this game, it could be the key to victory.
X Factor Players
QB Lamar Jackson
Baltimore needs Jackson to outplay Burrow and the Ravens' quarterback has done that before. Jackson is 4-0 in games that he's started in Cincinnati, and the Bengals' defense should give him opportunities to make plays. Jackson missed a day of practice for the fifth straight week, but what he does Sunday matters most.
S Kyle Hamilton
Hamilton can show up anywhere on any play, and he'll be a key to helping the Ravens' defense get off the field on third down against Burrow.
"He has gotten us a couple of times, but we also have gotten him, too," Hamilton said. "I think that's the beauty of football. You are going to have wins and losses, it's just a matter of who stacks more wins at the end of the game."
TE Isaiah Likely
Likely had a season-high five catches for 95 yards against the Bengals on Thanksgiving. He would've had two touchdowns against the Steelers last week if his late-game catch in the end zone was not overturned on a controversial call. Likely is getting more involved at an opportune time and could again be one of Jackson's favorite targets against Cincinnati.
