The Bengals have been one of this year’s surprising teams, sporting a 4-2 record after six weeks.
Cincinnati now has its second divisional matchup of the season in Week Seven, going on the road to play the Ravens.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson hasn’t lost to the Bengals in five starts. He’s torched Cincinnati on the ground for 442 yards — the most rushing yards he has against an opponent. And in 2019, Jackson had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in Baltimore’s 49-13 victory over the club.
But the Bengals expect things to be different in 2021. Cincinnati’s defense has played well through the season’s first six weeks, as the unit ranks No. 5 in points allowed and No. 8 in yards allowed. The team has not allowed more than 25 points in a game this season.
Safety Vonn Bell said the Bengals are in a good spot as they begin to prepare for Jackson and the rest of Baltimore’s offense.
“Everybody knows what we have in the room,” Bell said, via Geoff Hobson of the Bengals’ website. “We just have to prove it week in and week out. We already know what’s brewing. We’ve got guys oozing with confidence and wanting to make a play. This will be a stepping stone for us and I think we’re going to be ready for it.”
While the Ravens outscored the Bengals 65-6 in their two 2020 contests, Bell said Cincinnati has “a whole different mindset” heading into the first matchup of 2021.
“It’s night and day different,” Bell said. “You can tell that on film with the guys that we brought in, with the guys that stayed and everybody bought in, and it’s one big family. We always hold each other accountable and we don’t want to let that person down next to us. So, we’re all playing as one tribe, and we go as the team goes, and that’s what we’re showing week in and week out.”
If the Bengals can pull off a win on the road at Baltimore, it will solidify the team as a legitimate contender in the AFC North.
