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The Cincinnati Bengals are set to host the Baltimore Ravens for their Week 16 game on Sunday. At the end of October, the Ravens hosted the Bengals in Baltimore and got absolutely crushed. Joe Burrow and the Bengals took the road win with a final score of 41-17. Needless to say, this rematch is definitely one worth watching. For this critical Ravens-Bengals Week 16 rematch to potentially decide the AFC North crown, let's take a look at my top four Bengals Week 16 predictions.
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4. The Bengals dominate offensively
On Wednesday, second year quarterback Joe Burrow was asked about the Week 16 matchup in comparison to their dominating win back in October. He credited his team for staying healthy and attributes their recent success to more experience.
For more insight on the Bengals' Week 16 matchup against the Ravens, listen below:
“We've been healthy…We're the same team we were back then, we've just had more reps under our belt and are a better football team and understand the details better.”
He's right, the team has tackled a lot of difficult opponents since they last faced the Ravens. Most notably, the Bengals crushed veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-10 in Week 12.
When asked about his offense, Burrow said, “we can win a lot of different ways…I think that's what's fun about playing on this team.” When it comes to Week 16, expect Burrow and his offensive to dominate the Ravens' defense.
3. The Ravens can't keep up
The Ravens have no chance at keeping up with the Bengals' explosive offense. As Joe Burrow mentioned on Wednesday, his team has stayed relatively healthy throughout the season. This includes Cincinnati's defense.
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The Ravens are also struggling to stay consistent on offense, with the game day status of Lamar Jackson up in the air. According to CBS Sports, he did not practice on Wednesday, and his lower-ankle sprain could be a more serious bone bruise.
Either an immobile mobile quarterback will lead the Ravens' offense, or backup Tyler Huntley will. No matter what, the offense will not be able to put enough points on the board for a win on Sunday.
2. Ja'Marr Chase pops off again
Since Ja'Marr joined the Bengals, Burrow has been electric. There's instant chemistry between the quarterback and wide receiver. Why? He's connecting passes to his former LSU teammate. The rookie has had an astounding first year in the league, with 1,038 receiving yards and ten touchdowns in 14 games.
While he's been great all season, Chase seems to have a specific fire against the Ravens. In Week 7, the rookie recorded 201 receiving yards, crushing his personal record of 159 yards. Chase also picked up a touchdown in the win. On Sunday, expect Chase to match, or beat, his receiving yards record, and expect at least one touchdown from the rookie.
1. Bengals deja vu win
This is my boldest prediction yet, but I can definitely see it coming to fruition Sunday afternoon. The Ravens, now having more experience with how the Bengals play, have had some time to adjust their game plan. However, Cincinnati has home field advantage, canceling out the Ravens' extra preparation.
In different ways, it looks like the Bengals and Ravens of Week 16 are equal to the Week 7 versions of themselves. That being said, I believe the score will be identical to that of Week 7: Bengals win 41-17.
