Rival Report: Ravens, Bengals dress while Browns, Steelers rest
Every week, Steel City Underground previews the Pittsburgh Steelers’ AFC North rivals and the opponents those division challengers will go head-to-head against in our ‘Rival Report’. In Week 7 of the 2019-20 NFL regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns get a much-needed bye while the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals look to add numbers to the win column.
Can the Ravens be the only divisional team to beat the Seahawks?
Baltimore is the latest AFC North team to take on a surging Seattle Seahawks team. In Week 1, the Bengals lost to Russell Wilson and company by a single point. The next week, the Steelers lost to the Seahawks by two points. The Browns then lost by four points. So, can the Ravens be the one lone AFC North team to grab a win?
During the 2019-20 NFL season, Seattle has squeaked out wins by fairly narrow margins. This will be a true showdown between two mobile quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Wilson. The veteran has balanced his athleticism with an ability to throw a laser of a ball while the young quarterback has shown an ability to be unpredictably difficult to contain as he uses his speed and underrated ability to throw the ball. Both will be under the spotlight to see which one will make more defenders miss, keep the opponent guessing, and moving the chains as playmakers.
“People always mention (Jackson’s) speed. That’s obvious. But I think the mixture of all the different things he can do… he’s really special.” – Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
Wilson is no shirk. He’s become the fourth NFL quarterback in league history to open a season with six straight games with a passer rating of 100 or higher. Add to that the fact that Wilson has yet to throw an errant pass since the final week of the 2018-19 regular season and you get a sense that he’s not only accurate but “DangerRuss”.
A player to watch on Sunday in Seattle is safety Earl Thomas. Thomas spent nine seasons with the Seahawks before signing with the Ravens during free agency. A member of the “Legion of Boom”, Thomas is a three-time first-team All-Pro and left Seattle with a bad taste in his mouth after they didn’t offer him a contract extension.
“When I’m on the field, I totally lock in. I feel free. I love this game…” – Ravens safety Earl Thomas
Seattle has its own defensive playmakers that will be ready to compete on Sunday. With Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah looking to improve their sack numbers from a mediocre ten, the defense will also get Jarran Reed back this week.
Game Information: WEEK 7 · Sun 10/20 · 4:25 PM EDT (CenturyLink Field)
- TV: FOX
- Radio: 98 ROCK • WBAL 1090 AM • 101.5 FM (Baltimore Market) – 710 ESPN Seattle • 97.3 KIRO FM (Seattle Market)
- Ravens Injury Report
- Seahawks Injury Report
Is Zac Taylor the Captain of a sinking ship in Cincy?
Zac Taylor is experiencing growing pains. In his first season as an NFL head coach, he’s been tasked with getting the vessel that is the Cincinnati Bengals righted and on course. It hasn’t been easy. With a Week 7 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, there’s a chance things could work in his favor – it might be slim but a chance.
The Jaguars are only 2-4 on the season and still looking for answers of their own with Gardner Minshew as their signal-caller and a defense that has been on-again, off-again.
Cincinnati’s biggest issue right now is the continual list of injured players that might be difference-makers if they were able to suit up. Receiver A.J. Green is the most notable on offense. Dre Kirkpatrick left last week’s game against Baltimore on a cart, William Jackson had to have his shoulder popped back into place in order to get back into the game, cornerback B.W. Webb is playing with a fractured forearm (that’s in a cast). Cincinnati is hoping they can pull Darqueze Dennard off of the PUP list this week and get Torry McTyler and Tony McRae to step up for them.
“We’re going to find the positive in this thing… Lots of teams deal with injuries. We’re going to take a great approach to this,” – Bengals HC Zac Taylor
If there is a gold lining, it may be that the Bengals won’t face Jalen Ramsey on Jacksonville’s roster. The Jaguars traded the All-Pro corner to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Jaguars haven’t missed a beat, however in getting their defensive secondary ready since they had dealt with Ramsey missing Weeks 4-6 due to a back issue. Tre Herndon slid into the starting lineup for Ramsey and Jacksonville expects he’ll play at the level they expect. “We’re going to have to change some things up,” Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash said on Thursday. Herndon has been up and down in the starting role but head coach Doug Marrone isn’t concerned despite the fact the second-year defensive back has been targeted a team-high 29 times in coverage this season. “From where Tre has started to where he is, he continues to get better. That is only going to help our football team,” Marrone said this week.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to get our first win,” Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said in his press conference this week. “Everybody is doing every little thing they can do to make it as successful as we can on Sunday… you still love this game. It has been tough, though.”
Game Information: WEEK 7 · Sun 10/20 · 1:00 PM EDT (Paul Brown Stadium)
- TV: CBS
- Radio: 700WLW • ESPN 1530 • 102.7 WEBN (Cincinnati Market) – 1010XL (Jacksonville Market)
- Bengals Injury Report
- Jaguars Injury Report
Final Notes
Both the Steelers and Browns are getting their bye week at a critical point for both teams. While both Cleveland and Pittsburgh are dealing with injuries and roster shuffles of their own, they’re also both focusing on the play of their quarterbacks/offenses.
The AFC North still is a tale in the making this season. The Ravens still hold the reins at this point, but they’re not the guaranteed Kings of the North just yet.
