The battle for AFC North supremacy will come down to the wire, with all four teams making bids for the No. 1 spot. The Baltimore Ravens are currently at the top of the standings with a 7-3 record, and are the only team in the division yet to have its bye week. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns have identical 6-3 records, while the Cincinnati Bengals bring up the rear with a 5-4 record.
Thursday's matchup between the Ravens and Bengals is crucial by itself, but especially with the Browns and Steelers facing off on Sunday. Barring an unlikely tie, one of those teams will climb to a 7-3 record and challenge Baltimore for No.1 in the division. Cincinnati needs a win to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff picture, as its currently sits outside the wild card.
The AFC North is the only division in football with no teams below .500, so the two division matchups in Week 11 promise to be ultra-competitive. The Bengals began the year 1-3 but reeled off four consecutive wins. A disappointing loss to the Houston Texans last week halted their progress and put them back in the division's basement. The Ravens won four straight games to become one of the favorites to advance to the Super Bowl out of the AFC. However, the Browns pulled off an upset on the road in Week 10 to bring the team back down to earth.
Baltimore now has back-to-back primetime games to re-establish itself among the cream of the crop in the NFL, while Cincinnati is still a major threat in the AFC despite an up-an-down season so far.
When and where is Thursday Night Football?
The Bengals don't want another loss, sitting in last place in the competitive AFC North. A win would get them right back into the thick of the AFC playoff race. However, the Ravens have home-field advantage on Thursday night. Kickoff is 5:15 p.m. (PT) on Thursday, November 16th. The game will be at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
How to watch Bengals vs. Ravens
Like most Thursday Night Football games, the Week 11 matchup will not be on television. Instead, you can stream the game with Prime Video. Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, and Kaylee Hartung will be on the broadcast team.
Date: Thursday, Nov. 16 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium — Baltimore, Maryland
TV channel: N/A | Live stream: Prime Video
Odds: Ravens -3.5 | O/U 46
Bengals storylines
A Bengals win would be detrimental to the Ravens' future and put Joe Burrow and company right back into the playoff race. If Cincinnati hadn't suffered a costly loss to the Texans this past Sunday, this game could be a battle for first place in the AFC North. Instead, the Bengals are fighting for their playoff lives. With a loss, Cincinnati will be three games behind the Ravens for first in the AFC North and tied with three other teams while still sitting outside the final wild card spot. A win will put the Bengals into wild card position and no less than a game back of the top of the AFC North at the end of Week 11.
Cincinnati may be without their No. 2 wide receiver on Thursday, Tee Higgins. The Bengals missed Higgins in their 30-27 loss to Houston. He has 27 receptions and 328 yards this season, ranking behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd. In a pass-heavy offense, the absence of Burrow's third-favorite target on Sunday was evident during his mid-game struggles. Key members of the Bengals' defense are also on the injury report, as Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard may miss the Thursday night game. The Ravens' offense can be explosive, and the possible absence of Cincinnati's two best defenders won't be kind to them.
Ravens storylines
The Ravens are one of the top teams in the NFL and a contender for the Super Bowl. However, they had a costly loss to the Browns last Sunday. Still, going into another crucial AFC North matchup, Baltimore can put the Bengals in a compromising position due to the division's strength. A win will put the Ravens a game and-a-half up in the AFC North, a key spot to maintain with their bye week coming in Week 13. However, a loss will put Baltimore at risk of dropping to second in the AFC North behind the winner of the Steelers-Browns clash this weekend.
The quick turnaround for the Thursday night game may be detrimental for the Ravens. Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey suffered a lower calf strain in Sunday's loss to the Browns. He is day-to-day, but may miss the game due to it being Thursday. As we have seen, calf strains are nothing to take lightly, so Baltimore may err on the side of caution and sit Humphrey against Cincinnati.
Follow Us
Subscribe