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The Cincinnati Bengals released a hype video titled Prime Opportunity ahead of their Thursday Night Football matchup in Baltimore against the Ravens.
But the Bengals have failed in their road prime-time opportunities over the last decade.
Going into this Week 11 AFC North clash, the Bengals are 0-14 on the road under the lights dating to 2013, per Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network. And, on the flip side, the Ravens are 19-3 in regular-season night games at home since 2008, according to the Associated Press. Both teams are coming off one-possession losses going into their second meeting of the season. And the Bengals will have to battle history to get back in the win column.
"It's a big part of the year for both of us," Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow told reporters this week. "They're coming off a loss, we're coming off a loss. We're both trying to win the division, so it's a big game."
The Bengals fell to C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans 30-27 last week in what Burrow described as one of the most frustrating losses of his career. Cincinnati trailed by 10 points early in the fourth quarter but rallied to tie the game with just over a minute remaining. But Stroud, who threw for 356 yards on the day, led Houston down the field shortly after and set his team up for a game-winning field goal as time expired.
Baltimore's Week 10 contest didn't go much better. The team's four-game winning streak came to an abrupt end when the Cleveland Browns rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Ravens, 33-31, with another walk-off field goal.
Now both of these teams are seeking to bounce back and strengthen their playoff positioning.
AFC North Playoff Picture
The Ravens and Bengals are familiar with sitting atop the AFC North.
This is the fourth time in five years Baltimore has led the division at the end of Week 10, though the Ravens (7-3) haven't won the North since 2019. Another Ravens loss would tighten the division race with the Steelers (6-3) and Browns (6-3) just behind them in the AFC North standings.
"Every game for us is a must-win for us, not just because it's a division game," Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson told reporters this week. "But I believe our team is definitely a lot hungrier just from what happened Sunday in a division loss in a close game."
Cincinnati is 5-4 for the third year in a row. On the first two occasions, the Bengals won the division and reached the AFC Championship Game twice. Throw a Super Bowl appearance in there, too. But falling to 5-5 would be a tough obstacle to come back from in a loaded division and conference.
The Bengals lost to the Ravens by three points in Week 2. Another loss in the rematch would drop Cincinnati's division record to 0-3. And the team is already in last place in the North, though Cleveland's playoff hopes are in question after losing quarterback Deshaun Watson to a shoulder injury.
Cincinnati is just outside the deep playoff picture entering this prime-time battle. Head coach Zac Taylor's team currently holds the No. 8 seed in the conference, while the Steelers, Browns and Texas sit in the Wild Card spots. Fourteen of the 16 teams in the AFC have at least four wins.
Baltimore is currently the No. 2 seed in the conference. But there's a long way to go if the Ravens actually want to claim that spot this time around. And head coach John Harbaugh certainly isn't overlooking the Bengals.
"These are the defending [AFC North] champs," Harbaugh said. "These are the Cincinnati Bengals coming in here. We know who they are, what they're about [and] how good they are. This division, every team is great. We're just going to try to play our best football against a great football team on Thursday night."
How to Watch Thursday Night Football
Al Michaels finally gets to call an anticipated game.
The legendary play-by-play announcer has faced criticism of late for a perceived lack of enthusiasm while calling games, particularly ones featuring bottom-feeders like last week's Panthers-Bears clash. But the Bengals aiming to end their prime-time drought against their rival Ravens in a game full of playoff implications is about as good as Thursday matchups get.
This week's Thursday Night Football game is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET. It will air on Prime Video, with Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. The Ravens enter as a 3.5-point favorite, according to Caesars Sportsbook.
About the writer
Robert Read is a Life & Trends Reporter at Newsweek based in Florida. His background is primarily in sports journalism ... Read more