The Cincinnati Bengals Week 2 game against the Baltimore Ravens is more important than a typical mid-September NFL matchup. A few days before the Bengals-Ravens game, our Bengals Week 2 predictions suggest that Cincinnati could have an 0-2 start for the second straight year if its defense doesn't come to play.

After being embarrassed by the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, the Bengals risk going 0-2 in the AFC North with the 2023 season barely underway. Cincinnati's offense was unrecognizable in the 24-3 defeat. Joe Burrow completed 14 of 31 passes for a meager 82 yards. Tee Higgins didn't have a single catch and Ja'Marr Chase was limited to 39 receiving yards. While the Bengals struggled to move the ball whatsoever, the Ravens were cruising past the Houston Texans for a 25-9 win.

Week 1 was clearly an aberration for the Bengals. Burrow and the offense can't play that poorly for much longer. But Cincinnati's ugly performance does raise some questions about the team's 2023 outlook. Could the Bengals be due to take a step back after consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances? Will Baltimore finish ahead of Cincinnati in the AFC North for the first time since 2020?

Let's make some bold Bengals Week 2 predictions. Not that these are bold predictions. It's unlikely that both predictions will come to fruition, but there's a better chance of it happening than the odds would indicate.

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2. Cincinnati Bengals' QB Joe Burrow will have fewer than 200 yards passing

Week 1 will almost certainly go down as Burrow's worst game of the year. The Bengals' quarterback is going to be just fine. Burrow will bounce back. He could even go on to win the 2023 NFL MVP award. It just might take another week before Burrow regains his All-Pro-caliber form.

Burrow missed all of the 2023 preseason with a calf injury, and he looked like a quarterback who hadn't played in an NFL game since January. It was a similar story when Burrow missed the 2022 preseason. The quarterback threw four interceptions in last year's opener. He followed that performance up by throwing for 199 yards in a Week 2 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. Burrow and the Bengals righted the ship in Week 3, nearly making another run to the Super Bowl.

Considering how well Baltimore defended Burrow last season, this might be another case where the quarterback struggles for the first two weeks. Including the playoffs, there were three Bengals-Ravens games during the 2022 season. Burrow's passing totals in those contests were 217, 215 and 209 yards. Cincinnati won two of those games and can potentially overcome another low passing total. Just don't expect the $275 million man to be in mid-season form.

For what it's worth, the Ravens limited CJ Stroud to 5.5 yards per attempt and a 78.0 passer rating in Week 1. Baltimore sacked Stroud five times. The Texans' quarterback will probably have trouble with most defenses during his rookie campaign.

1. Bengals and Ravens will both fail to score more than 20 points in Week 2

If Burrow is going to be held under 200 passing yards, it isn't much of a stretch to predict the Bengals won't reach the 21-point mark. That doesn't necessarily mean the Ravens are going to hand the Bengals a Week 2 loss. There are several reasons to believe that Lamar Jackson and Baltimore's offense will struggle, as well. This should be another close, hard-fought Bengals-Ravens game that comes down to the wire.

As poorly as Cincinnati's offense played in the team's recent matchups with Baltimore, the Ravens have had an even more difficult time moving the football. Yes, Jackson missed two of those games, and he's a much better quarterback than Anthony Brown or Tyler Huntley. But Baltimore is dealing with a host of other injuries that will give the team trouble in Cincinnati Sunday.

Starting tackles Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum both suffered injuries in Week 1 that could force them to miss Week 2 against the Bengals. JK Dobbins definitely won't play in Cincinnati after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. Mark Andrews' status is uncertain after he missed the opener. Jackson was sacked four times in Baltimore's win over Houston. The Ravens' running backs had 24 rushes for 63 yards. Don't be surprised if Baltimore isn't much better in either area amid those key injuries.

The Ravens' offense under new coordinator Todd Monken might take a few weeks to hit its stride. Odell Beckham Jr. was only targeted three times during his first game with Baltimore. The Ravens have failed to score more than 21 points in five straight matchups with the Bengals.

The Bengals are favored by 3.5 points at FanDuel Sportsbook against the Ravens in Week 2. The total is 46.5. It might be worthwhile to bet the under on the alternate total of 40.5, which comes with +190 odds.