Baltimore Ravens Control Cincinnati Bengals Playoff Fate

The Baltimore Ravens stand in the way of the Cincinnati Bengals earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.

The role of spoiler fits this Baltimore Ravens team perfectly. John Harbaugh will not let his team fold due to injuries. He still expects his team to not only compete, but win these games against divisional opponents. That was evident in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

By defeating the Steelers, they may have knocked their arch rival out of the playoffs completely. Now they have an opportunity to force the Bengals to play in the opening week of the playoffs.

The race for a first-round bye has come down to three teams after the Bengals loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday night. The New England Patriots are already guaranteed one of the first-round byes and will be fighting for home-field advantage this week.

The other spot comes down to the Broncos and Bengals. Denver has the easiest scenario: win and they have a bye. The Bengals have a different road to take which begins with a win over the Ravens.

Cincinnati has had their way with Harbaugh’s team as of late, winning five of the last six games, including four straight. The Bengals came to Baltimore in Week 3 and Andy Dalton was responsible for four touchdowns in the game. A.J. Green continued his run of dominating the Ravens secondary, racking up 227 yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions.

The Bengals are arguably one of the best teams not only in the AFC, but the NFL. They have depth at many positions, but they are still without the key man on the team in Dalton. Cincy is hopeful that he will be ready for the playoffs, but that is no assurance either. This is A.J. McCarron‘s team for the time being, and the Ravens must take advantage of his inexperience on Sunday.

Baltimore has their own issues with inexperience with the rash of injuries. The Ravens are a team full of backups at this point. Ryan Mallett played well in his first game with the Ravens in his attempt to showcase himself to the league. Another solid audition on Sunday and Mallett could earn himself another chance to play his way into a starting gig next season.

A win over the Bengals would benefit the Ravens in so many ways. First, it gets Baltimore out of the recent struggle of not being able to beat Cincy. The Ravens have youngsters that they hope to develop for the future. Javorius Allen has shown flashes when he hangs onto the football. Maxx Williams has made plays when called upon. Za’Darius Smith has three sacks the past two weeks. Every game matters in their growth.

As I continue to repeat over and over, if you are rooting for the Ravens to lose for the sake of a draft pick, it’s time to question how you think athletes operate. Players never want to lose. There is playing time for those who do not get on the field often. Money to be earned – Mallett is a perfect example – and incentives to be met. If you have ever played a sport and wanted to lose, why play? That’s not the right mindset for players and coaches, and it should be the same for the fans.

Next: Spoiler Role Fits These Ravens Perfectly

It will not be easy as the Ravens head to “The Jungle” hoping to derail the Bengals season a bit. Dalton could use the extra week of recovery, but the Ravens do not care. They have no interest in helping out a team that has had their number lately.

There is just one more game left in this disaster of a season. Soon we can shift our focus on a better 2016 team.