Bengals @ Ravens
Man, this was an ugly one for fantasy. Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow both failed to reach 200 passing yards or 15 rushing yards. No running back in the game reached 60 rushing yards or scored a touchdown. The game also lacked an 80-yard receiver. So how did it look? Baltimore was in control from start to finish, despite some ugly play from Lamar Jackson. Their defense constantly ripped through the Bengals offensive line and Joe Burrow/ Joe Mixon never had a chance. Baltimore won the game 27-3.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: 19/30, 183 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2 fumbles, 7 sacks | 3 carries, 10 yards
I was eager to watch Joe Burrow as I haven’t seen a full game from him since Week 2. Well, there wasn’t much to see today. Burrow wasn’t given a chance as his offensive line constantly broke down to Baltimore’s pressure. Burrow was constantly running for his life, and it never improved. At this rate, I’m worried about Burrow’s long-term development if the line can’t keep him upright. Because of the pressure, Burrow had trouble avoiding mistakes. He threw a bad pick on a pass he shouldn’t have attempted. He fumbled twice. Still, it all comes down to the offensive line. Until that improves, Burrow is a risky start.
What was A.J. Green doing on this Joe Burrow INT?pic.twitter.com/eTSmLc8Mxb
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 11, 2020
Running Backs
Joe Mixon: 24 carries, 59 yards | 8 targets, 6 receptions, 35 yards
Giovani Bernard: 2 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
I just told you how the offensive line looked, so you can guess how the day was for Joe Mixon. He labored for a whole bunch of nothing all day, and this reminds me of last year. Mixon was constantly hit at or behind the line, and he is lucky to get what he did. This line doesn’t look like it’s getting better anytime soon, so Mixon will continue to be someone you start and hope for touchdowns. There are going to be some ugly days though when facing better defensive fronts.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Tee Higgins: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 62 yards
Tyler Boyd: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 42 yards
Tee Higgins is developing a nice rapport with Joe Burrow, and he looks like a smart weekly start moving forward–even despite the struggles of the offense. Higgins made a nice play early on a second and five. He ran deep, cut towards the sideline, and picked up 26 on the play. Higgins looks the part, and I am confident using him moving forward. Tyler Boyd is looking like the second fiddle to Higgins, but that’s fine with me. Boyd is a reliable weapon and he should eat when the pie is a little bigger. Life is always going to be tough when the offensive output is this small.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: 19/37, 180 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 1 sack | 2 carries, 3 yards
This was a rough one for Lamar Jackson. Whether you want to blame him or give credit to the Bengals defense, Jackson was lucky to not have a much worse stat line. Jackson regularly made bad decisions and should have thrown three or four picks today; the Bengals defenders just couldn’t hold on to the ball. Even more surprising, Jackson totaled only 3 rushing yards. We have grown accustomed to that weekly rushing floor, so it hurts when it’s missing. The Ravens offensive line did a good job protecting Jackson, so I’m not sure exactly what is to blame. I do know, though, that I am curious to see how he looks next week.
Running Backs
Mark Ingram: 11 carries, 57 yards
J.K. Dobbins: 1 carry, 34 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 21 yards
Gus Edwards: 7 carries, 25 yards | 3 targets, 0 receptions
Everyone in the backfield looked good–as they usually do. You know the drill here though: there just isn’t enough to feed three backs when your quarterback is also a runner. Mark Ingram took the lead and looked as powerful as usual, but he was held out of the endzone. JK Dobbins only saw one carry, but he made the most of it. He was run to the outside, and he broke it–and two tackles–down the sideline before going down 34 yards later. Dobbins looks like the excellent talent we thought, but he is in a muddy situation. Gus Edwards was the least impressive of the three Baltimore backs, but he still ran well and the team clearly trusts him. Unfortunately, my recommendation remains the same here: stay away unless there is an injury.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Marquise Brown: 10 targets, 6 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD | 1 carry, 1 yard
Mark Andrews: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD
Devin Duvernay: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards | 1 carry, 42 yards
It’s nice to see that even when this offense struggles, the big two still eat. Marquise Brown was constantly targeted, but he ultimately made his day on two big plays. Early in the third quarter, Jackson scrambled to extend the play and Brown found open field to become an easy target.
.@Lj_era8 + @Primetime_jet connect for a @Ravens TD!
📺: #CINvsBAL on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/BGCKhfX8uY pic.twitter.com/spVU0CKRt5— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2020
He then made a man miss and turned it into a big 30-yard gain. Brown’s touchdown was a short pass at the goal line where he found space right at the front of the endzone. Mark Andrews has mostly been a red zone threat to this point, and it continued with another short touchdown catch. Andrews faced tight coverage, but he still managed to pull in the ball and make his fifth touchdown grab on the year.
.@Lj_era8 to @Mandrews_81 for a @Ravens TD!
📺: #CINvsBAL on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/BGCKhfX8uY pic.twitter.com/S9zGw7eu7w— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2020
Devin Duvernay made a huge gain on an early run, but this offense can hardly support another pass-catcher right now.
— Mike Miklius (SIRL0INofBEEF on Twitter, ACT_like_you_want_it on Reddit)