When the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals played each other back in Week 5, these two AFC North rivals combined for 79 points, 962 total yards, and lord knows how many wow plays. Now with their second meeting just hours away, one more dynamic playmaker could be added into the equation, as if the Ravens offense needed any more firepower.
Per NFL insider Mike Garafolo, second-year running back Keaton Mitchell has been a full-go at Ravens practice all week and is officially listed as questionable for Thursday night's matchup against the Bengals. Garafolo noted that there's optimism within the Ravens organization that Mitchell will make his season debut versus Cincinnati. This is obviously problematic for the Bengals, who gave up 175 yards on the ground to the Ravens back in Week 5, the most they've surrendered all season.
In case you had forgotten, Keaton Mitchell made a splash during his rookie season with the Ravens last year, rushing for 396 yards on just 47 attempts — over 8 yards per attempt — before a torn ACL ended his season prematurely. Assuming Mitchell could return even close to peak form, an already dominant Ravens rushing attack could be downright terrifying as the season enters its stretch run.
Derrick Henry, Ravens rushing toward record-setting marks
It was only five years ago when the Baltimore Ravens rushed for 3,296 yards, setting the NFL record for most rushing yards by a team in a single-season. Through nine games, the Ravens are rushing for just over 191 yards per game, meaning they're on pace to finish just 35 yards shy of that record total.
And speaking of a record setting pace, Derrick Henry is still on pace to come damn close to topping the 2,000 yard mark for the second time in his career. Right now, assuming he plays all seventeen regular season games, Henry is on track for 1,987 yards. But one or two big performances could put the big-bodied powerhouse within striking distance of Eric Dickerson's single season record of 2,105 yards.
King Henry isn't the only Ravens who is nearing a long-held record total. Lamar Jackson is just 346 yards shy of Michael Vick's career record for most rushing yards by a quarterback. Assuming the two-time MVP continues on the pace he's at, he'll pass Vick's mark in Week 17, on Christmas Day, against the Houston Texans.
Of course, all of these records would certainly be worth celebrating, but fans in Baltimore are growing impatient as this team that has been a regular season juggernaut since Lamar Jackson arrived has failed to find the postseason success to match.
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