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It’s Know Your Enemy for Week 8, and we’re taking a look at the Ravens vs. Bills on this fine Friday! This is an interesting matchup that doesn’t have a ton of notable chapters over the first two decades, but in the last ten(ish) years has blossomed into a fierce AFC heavyweight rivalry. Have any fun Ravens/Bills memories that I missed in the video? Let me know in the comments, or hit me up on socials!

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Episode Rundown

00:00 – Introduction: A tale of two halves for the Ravens defense

01:15 – Joe Burrow’s adjustment: How his time to throw changed everything

04:35 – Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey: Why condensed formations created problems

08:06 – First-half film breakdown: Jesse Minter’s simulated pressures and aggressive coverage

10:45 – Pressure and coverage working together: How Baltimore took away Burrow’s options

13:10 – Cincinnati’s second-half adjustments: Shorter routes, quicker throws and attacking leverage

17:10 – Breaking down the Tee Higgins touchdown: Kyle Hamilton, Malachi Starks and the Cover 1 debate

23:10 – The tackling problem: Poor technique, missed opportunities and playing out of control

26:50 – Defensive leadership: Who steps up when things start going wrong?

29:15 – Why the defense looked different: Playing too conservatively and failing to disrupt Burrow’s rhythm

31:00 – Looking ahead to Buffalo: Josh Allen presents another major test for Baltimore’s tackling

32:40 – Accountability and execution: What Jesse Minter needs to fix

34:00 – Closing thoughts: Why the Ravens need to maintain their first-half intensity for four quarters

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In this episode of After The Tape, we’re digging into the film to figure out where things are going wrong. We’ll look at the Ravens’ struggles running both zone and gap concepts, some concerning decisions in pass protection and why the offense continues to look so dependent on Lamar Jackson. There were a few positives, particularly Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane, but there’s plenty for Declan Doyle and this coaching staff to figure out.

Episode Rundown

• 00:00 – Introduction: Breaking down the Ravens’ offensive struggles against Cincinnati

• 00:46 – Derrick Henry isn’t the problem: The Ravens’ run game identity crisis

• 03:23 – Film breakdown: What’s working and what’s failing in the running game

• 06:08 – Missed blocks, blown assignments and questionable run concepts

• 09:20 – Why the Ravens need to commit to a rushing identity

• 10:23 – Formation and alignment issues hurting the run game

• 12:06 – Pass protection problems and a bizarre offensive line slide

• 14:21 – Zay Flowers’ touchdown and a perfectly executed screen

• 14:57 – Breaking down the controversial fourth-down play

• 15:30 – Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane provide some optimism

• 17:16 – Deep shots, penalties and offensive execution

• 18:17 – Final thoughts: Just how dependent is this offense on Lamar Jackson?

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Show Rundown:

• 0:00 — Ravens-Bengals recap and the blown lead

• 9:49 — Offensive line struggles, short-yardage failures and inability to run out the clock

• 13:12 — Joe Burrow’s performance and the defensive collapse

• 15:27 — Leadership, coaching and the Ravens’ season outlook

• 21:04 — Roster construction, offensive line concerns and quarterback sneaks

• 26:00 — Further postgame analysis and fan discussion

• 41:54 — Lamar Jackson’s potential return, Buffalo preview and closing remarks

Baltimore Film Breakdown is a reader/viewer supported venture. You can subscribe to us on Substack at www.baltimorefilmbreakdown.com, or find us on social media - Twitter @baltimorefilmBD, IG @baltimorefilmbreakdown to get involved.

Hosts: Jake Louque (@jakelouque), Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies), Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB)

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The Ravens are back home against Cincinnati, and once again they’ll be without Lamar Jackson. The Bengals are coming off their bye week, while Baltimore is trying to bounce back from an ugly loss to Cleveland. It’s another tough spot for a Ravens team that’s struggled to find any consistency this season, particularly on offense. Tyler Huntley gets another start, and the Ravens need to find a way to make his life easier than they did last week.

There’s also a lot riding on this one. Baltimore already dropped its first divisional game, and falling to 0-2 in the AFC North would be a pretty tough hole to dig out of. The running game has to be better, the offensive line needs to give Huntley a chance, and Jesse Minter’s defense has to hold up against a Bengals offense that’s had an extra week to prepare. The Ravens have Buffalo coming to town next week, also off a bye, so the schedule isn’t getting any easier. At some point, they have to start stacking wins, and today would be a pretty good place to start.

Gameday Details

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
TV: CBS (Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt and Tracy Wolfson)
Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S., where available)

Head Referee: Shawn Smith

Gameday Weather

Kickoff (1:00 p.m. ET): Sunny, 62°F (17°C)
Temperature: 62–66°F throughout the game
Precipitation: 1% chance of rain
Conditions: Sunny skies and mild temperatures. Excellent weather for football.

Weather shouldn’t be much of a factor this afternoon. Temperatures will climb into the mid-60s as the game progresses, with virtually no chance of rain. Both offenses should have ideal conditions to work with.

Betting Lines

Spread: Bengals -2.5 to -3 / Ravens +2.5 to +3
Moneyline: Bengals -148 to -155 / Ravens +130 to +140
Over/Under: 46–46.5

The betting market has been all over the place this week, largely because of Lamar Jackson’s practice participation. Baltimore originally opened as a 3-point favourite, but the line has steadily moved toward Cincinnati as Jackson’s availability became more uncertain. With Lamar officially out and Tyler Huntley starting, the Bengals are now laying roughly a field goal on the road. That’s a pretty significant six-point swing, especially for a divisional game in Baltimore.

TA couple other Ravens props worth watching:

Derrick Henry over 83.5 rushing yards — The matchup is there for Henry to have a productive afternoon. Cincinnati has struggled against the run, and Baltimore needs to lean on him with Huntley starting.

Derrick Henry longest rush over 19.5 yards — This might be my favourite Henry prop. The Bengals have allowed the most runs of 10 or more yards in football, and Henry has the ability to clear this number on a single carry.

Ja’Kobi Lane over 22.5 receiving yards — The number is low enough that a couple of catches could get him there. Baltimore has been finding ways to get Lane involved, and his role continues to grow.

Ja’Kobi Lane anytime touchdown (+450 to +475) — More of a long shot, but there’s some value in a player the Ravens have been willing to target in the red zone.

Trey Hendrickson over 0.5 sacks — Health is the biggest question here. If Hendrickson is close to his usual workload, he has a chance to get home against Burrow, particularly if Baltimore can force Cincinnati into obvious passing situations.

For me, the biggest thing to watch is whether Baltimore can establish the run early and keep this game on its terms. The Ravens can’t afford another afternoon of second-and-long and third-and-long situations that put everything on Huntley’s shoulders. Cincinnati has the offensive firepower to make Baltimore pay for mistakes, and falling behind early would make things considerably more difficult.

Tune back in for Spenny & the Bets for gameday best bets.Injury Report

Ravens Injury Report

The Ravens head into Sunday’s matchup against Cincinnati without Lamar Jackson for the third straight week, but there is some good news along the offensive line. Cam Jurgens has cleared concussion protocol, and Trey Hendrickson is healthy enough to play. Defensively, Baltimore will be without two players, including Tavius Robinson, who has been placed on injured reserve.

OUT

• QB Lamar Jackson — Ankle

• S Jaylinn Hawkins — Knee

• OLB Tavius Robinson — Pectoral

DOUBTFUL

• CB T.J. Tampa Jr. — Knee

QUESTIONABLE

• DT Broderick Washington — Ankle

CLEARED TO PLAY (NO GAME DESIGNATION)

• C Cam Jurgens — Concussion

• OLB Trey Hendrickson — Finger

• OT Ronnie Stanley — Toe/Ankle

• G Andrew Vorhees — Foot

• G John Simpson — Groin

• G/C Vega Ioane — Ankle

• WR Rashod Bateman — Shoulder

PRACTICE SQUAD ELEVATIONS (October 24)

• OLB Adisa Isaac

ADDITIONAL ROSTER MOVES

• OLB Tavius Robinson — Placed on injured reserve

• G Kyle Hergel — Signed to the active roster

The big one is obviously Lamar Jackson, who was officially ruled out Saturday after being listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report. Jackson was limited in practice throughout the week and admitted Friday that he was still experiencing pain when trying to run. That means Tyler Huntley will make his third consecutive start, this time against a Cincinnati team coming off its bye week. The Ravens have managed to stay competitive without Lamar, but the offense hasn’t been nearly consistent enough, particularly when it comes to running the football and staying out of third-and-long.

The good news is that Cam Jurgens is finally cleared to play after missing time with a concussion. That gives Baltimore another option at center after Vega Ioane handled the position in recent weeks. The rest of the offensive line is also in better shape. Andrew Vorhees, John Simpson and Ioane were all full participants Friday, while Ronnie Stanley carries no game designation despite sitting out Friday’s practice. After the offensive line struggled to create movement against Cleveland, getting some bodies back should help.

Defensively, Trey Hendrickson is healthy and coming off a strong performance against Cleveland, where he generated six pressures. He was a full participant in practice all week and wasn’t given an injury designation. Baltimore will need him against Joe Burrow, particularly with Tavius Robinson now on injured reserve. The Ravens generated plenty of pressure last week, but Cincinnati’s passing game presents a different challenge with how quickly Burrow can get the football out.

The secondary is also worth watching. Jaylinn Hawkins has been ruled out with a knee injury, while T.J. Tampa Jr. is doubtful. Hawkins’ absence could affect how Jesse Minter deploys Kyle Hamilton, particularly if Baltimore needs him to play more snaps deeper in the secondary. Against Cincinnati’s receiving corps, that’s not an insignificant adjustment.

Bengals Injury Report

The Bengals come into Baltimore in considerably better shape than the Ravens. Cincinnati is fresh off its bye week and doesn’t have a single player carrying an injury designation for Sunday’s game. That’s a pretty significant advantage considering Baltimore is preparing to play its third consecutive game without Lamar Jackson.

OUT

• None

QUESTIONABLE

• None

CLEARED TO PLAY (NO GAME DESIGNATION)

• S Kyle Dugger — Quadriceps

RECENT INJURED RESERVE MOVES

• TE Tanner Hudson — Placed on injured reserve (October 19)

• WR Andrei Iosivas — Remains on injured reserve (Thumb)

• LB Swayze Bozeman — Remains on injured reserve

The biggest takeaway for Cincinnati is that Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ key offensive weapons are healthy coming out of the bye week. Baltimore’s defense has shown some improvement in recent weeks, particularly with its pass rush, but this is a much different challenge than what it faced against Cleveland. Burrow is capable of getting the ball out quickly, and the Ravens will need to find ways to disrupt him without constantly relying on the blitz.

Cincinnati is also in good shape defensively. Dexter Lawrence, B.J. Hill and Jonathan Allen all sat out Friday’s practice for rest purposes, but none carries a game designation. That’s worth pointing out given Baltimore’s struggles running the football last week. Lawrence makes life difficult for opposing interior offensive lines, and the Ravens are still figuring out their best combination up front.

The contrast between the two teams is pretty clear. Cincinnati has its starting quarterback, a healthy defensive front and an extra week of preparation. Baltimore is trying to get through another divisional game without Lamar while dealing with injuries on defense. The Ravens are going to need their healthy players to step up, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines.

Here’s How the Ravens Win

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It’s Know Your Enemy for Week 7, and we’re taking a look at the Ravens vs. Bengals history, focusing on when they’ve played in Baltimore over the years. There have been some great triumphs, and equally disastrous losses to a Cincy team that the Ravens are currently 20-10 against when playing at home. How do you think that will change this weekend? Let us know in the comments down below!

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Baltimore Film Breakdown is a reader/viewer supported venture. You can subscribe to us on Substack at www.baltimorefilmbreakdown.com, or find us on social media - Twitter @baltimorefilmBD, IG @baltimorefilmbreakdown to get involved.

Hosts: Jake Louque (@jakelouque), Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies), Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB)

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All right, the big question this week is Lamar. He missed the Browns game with the ankle injury, and the Ravens have now gone two straight without him. So naturally, everyone’s going to be watching practice. Is he out there? Is he moving around? Is he doing more as the week goes on? We’ll get a much better sense of where things stand from that than from trying to read between the lines of a press conference.

There’s also Stanley and Hendrickson, and the schedule doesn’t give Baltimore much breathing room. The Bengals are coming off their bye for Sunday’s game in Baltimore. Then it’s Buffalo, with the Bills coming off their bye. Two rested teams in two weeks, and two serious tests for Minter’s group.

Lamar Jackson’s Practice Status

Lamar hasn’t practiced since the ankle injury on October 4th. If he gets back out there this week, that’s a good sign. But let’s see how much he’s actually able to do and whether he can build on it through the week. Just seeing him at one practice doesn’t automatically mean he’s ready for Sunday.

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With six games under their belt, we can lay out some fact, some fiction following the Ravens 4-2 start. Lets get into it. . .

Only a few rooms have stayed healthy:

The Ravens have seen significant missed snaps at the following positions:

• Quarterback

• Wide receiver

• Tight end

• Center

• Left tackle

• Right guard

• Defensive tackle

• Outside linebacker

Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Trey Hendrickson and Nnamdi Madubuike haven’t played a full game together yet. Ronnie Stanley has missed time. The Ravens have lost three centers, seen their rookie right guard slide to center, then their backup right guard get hurt. The past two Sundays, they’ve trotted out their backup quarterback to take snaps from their fourth string center aligned next to their third string guard.

That’s a lot of reshuffling. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Ja’Kobi Lane were the Ravens top three receivers in Indianapolis in Week 1. Those three have combined to play three healthy quarters together.

Durham Smythe, who was signed to be a fixture in their new shiny under center offense as an aid in pass protection and the run game, is lost indefinitely.

The Ravens offense has been in constant flux, which has yielded mixed results. They certainly missed Flowers against the Saints. They certainly missed Lamar Jackson against the Browns. To be fair, they certainly could’ve lost to the Cowboys if not for a miraculous late fourth quarter heroic connection between Jackson and Flowers.

It’s hard to say we really know what this offense is truly capable of. We saw then light up the Colts in Week 1. Since, this group has been banged up, and we don’t know that there’s an end in site. With a late bye week, Declan Doyle has a new center in Cam Jurgens to integrate into his offense. Dexter Lawrence and Deone Walker, arguably the top two interior defensive lineman in football so far, await. Beyond that, a Jaguars front that has allowed only one back to eclipse 40 yards rushing.

There’s been adversity on that side of the football, which required the Ravens spending as much draft capital via trade as any team in modern football has on an interior offensive lineman in order to acquire help at center. That shows desperation in personnel.

On the other side of the ball, the first time Nnamdi Madubuike and Trey Hendrickson suited up together, Baltimore yielded a season high in sacks (five), allowed a season low in points (13) and yards (237), while stopping the Browns 11 times on third down.

In essence, we know the Ravens have a strong roster. We’ve seen explosive outputs from their pass game, run game, pass rush and secondary. The parts are there, but haven’t been available. There’s no guarantee they will be, that’s football, and what the challenge will be for a coaching staff that’s just halfway to their bye.

This leads to another point.

They’re behind track, especially offensively:

Because of the litany of injuries, they haven’t had time to gel. Their offensive line has had 14 different five man combinations. Lamar Jackson has had three and a half games in this offense, while missing key pieces. They have a new center who hasn’t played a snap yet. Their tight ends and receivers have sustained injuries consistently. The mad shuffle is in flux. We don’t know what quarterbacks, receivers, or line combinations we will see Sunday in Baltimore as of now. There’s much to figure out. It’s possible we see a third game of Tyler Huntley, no Ronnie Stanley, no Rashod Bateman, and who knows who else will show up on the injury report later today.

There’s a lack of stability, and it’s going to take time, if they can even get to a healthy point, to see what this offense is at its full potential. Again, that’s football, but there’s plenty of room for growth. The Ravens have until November to round into form before they finish with four consecutive AFC North games to decide their fate. If they take lumps in the coming three game stretch against quality AFC opponents, they must learn from them and eliminate the fat.

Jesse Minter won’t let his defense get beat overtop:

Through six games, the Ravens have allowed only two completions of 30+ air yards, with either barely being that. Both were contested. The Ravens often play with deep safeties at the snap, while rotating coverage often, it’s apparent that they will not allow any offense to attack them overtop of their shell. Their corners often take a more conservative approach in zone, often opting to sit at depth when aligned so at the snap. They prefer to make defenses go the long, hard way, throwing over underneath zones and underneath deep safeties. They funnel you to the middle of the field and make you sustain long drives that way. With Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence awaiting, Baltimore will need to figure out how to bait poor decisions, or force them to hold the ball.

They’ve played an easy schedule, and we’re about to learn a lot about Jesse Minter and his staff.

Consistent playoff teams, high powered quarterbacks and potent offenses await Jesse Minter. He’s supposed to be able to get off the field, generate turnovers and make life easier for Lamar Jackson. With his defense at full strength, relatively speaking, this upcoming matchup will be the first true test for Minter as a defensive play caller and mind. This six game stretch will be the appetizer for a bone-in ribeye that’s going to take a lot to chew. Buckle up.

I find these to be the three concrete truths after six weeks. The Ravens have the pieces, we’ve barely seen them healthy, they don’t get beat overtop and we’ve seen almost no sample size of the team they’re designed to be on paper. They need to get a grasp on their health, which yielded a CVS receipt injury report heading into Week 6 already. The best ability is availability and hopefully their conservative approach leads to fresher legs come December.

Baltimore Film Breakdown is a reader/viewer supported venture. You can subscribe to us on Substack at www.baltimorefilmbreakdown.com, or find us on social media - Twitter @baltimorefilmBD, IG @baltimorefilmbreakdown to get involved.

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Hosts: Jake Louque (@jakelouque), Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies), Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB)

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