The Cincinnati Bengals have a golden opportunity to move to 4-2 with a win over the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday. Week 7 really is a watershed moment for their season, with an easy opponent in the Titans at home next week before a trip to face the Falcons in Madrid.
If the Bengals can somehow grind out a victory at M&T Bank Stadium, they'll be ideally situated to ascend to the top of the AFC North.
Lamar Jackson is out for Baltimore, so Tyler "Snoop" Huntley will do his best against a much-improved Bengals defense. And mind you, the last time Cincinnati played at this venue last Thanksgiving, which resulted in a 32-14 rout.
How to watch Bengals vs. Ravens Week 7 matchup
- Time: 1.p.m. ET
- TV Network: CBS
- Streaming: NFL+ (NFL app or via browser) / NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV
- International: DAZN Game Pass
Bengals vs. Ravens injury updates in Week 7
The biggie was mentioned in the intro because it's impossible not to talk about this game without the elephant in the room of Lamar Jackson's sprained ankle. This is his third straight missed start. I should share this graphic again:
Since 2021 Lamar Jackson has missed 17 games.
— DoomsDEY (@dpainclain) October 14, 2026
Since 2021 Joe Burrow has missed 16 games.
(Whenever I bring up 2020 for Lamar, they say “covid year dont count”) https://t.co/PP1zV3T2hC pic.twitter.com/HwOsStlGS7
Funny how Joe Burrow is the only one who ever gets labeled injury-prone when it sure seems like Lamar misses more time than him. Makes you think!
The lack of updates on the Bengals' side of things injury-wise is really what's of note here. They didn't have any injury designations entering Sunday. You read that right. Just some veteran rest days as the week of practice wrapped up.
Meanwhile, ex-Bengal Trey Hendrickson is set to gut through a broken finger. That's really the extent of major injury updates.
Storylines to watch for Bengals in Week 7
- Will Samaje Perine take over as RB1?
- Trey Hendrickson's revenge game
- Ja'Marr Chase looks to keep Ravens dominance going
- Can Bengals defense capitalize on Lamar Jackson's absence?
- The AFC North race can really heat up with a Bengals win
Yeah, obviously Trey playing against Cincinnati is a huge deal. Much has been made of his whole situation and uncomfortable, tense relationship with the Bengals front office.
I always defended Trey because I operated under the assumption that signing someone good from outside the building was out of the question. For years it was. Then, the whole organizational philosophy shifted, and thankfully so. It all worked out in the end.
Samaje Perine taking over for Chase Brown as the RB1 is my No. 1 storyline to watch. It's not guaranteed to happen, yet in Week 5's win over the Dolphins, Perine out-carried Brown 14-13. He's just way more effective between the tackles and can fall forward for extra yards better than Brown can. As long as the Bengals keep their run scheme basic, Perine should be their workhorse.
As for the Ja'Marr Chase storyline of it all, well, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Ja'Marr Chase averages 14.5 targets, 174.8 yards, and 34.5 FPG against the Baltimore Ravens since 2024 pic.twitter.com/ASdiZfqaq2
— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) October 23, 2026
My guy TORCHES the Ravens. Doesn't matter what they do, who's dialing up the defense. None of it. Ja'Marr is Himothy. Particularly against this opponent. Who's gonna stop him?
I'll be very disappointed if Cincinnati's defense doesn't play well with Huntley at QB for the home team. As long as Dexter Lawrence and Co. can somewhat limit Derrick Henry and force Huntley to beat them, the Bengals should be in good shape.
Falling to 0-2 in the division would be devastating if Sunday results in a loss. The Bengals really are in a must-win situation. A dub in Baltimore would be the perfect momentum boost for the rest of the season. A setback may put Zac Taylor firmly on the hot seat.
Final score prediction
It's been a minute — since Week 2 — that the Bengals played anything resembling a truly complete game in all three phases. They're due for a stellar all-around performance. I reckon the bye week, the team's overall health, and the extra time to prepare for any exotic wrinkles new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter has in store will serve them well.
But I will say, Huntley can really run, and the Bengals allow five yards per carry. They must keep him in check, because stopping Henry will be tough enough.
If the Bengals play to their potential, this should be a relatively straightforward win. Much of it hinges on whether Perine is the No. 1 back, because with Brown, Cincinnati can't establish the run. And going so one-dimensional on the road is asking for trouble no matter who you're playing.
In the end, Lamar's absence is too much for the Ravens to overcome.
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