Cincinnati has its own problems. Tight end Tanner Hudson tore his pectoral covering a kick in the Miami game and is expected to miss the rest of the season. He had caught a 2-yard touchdown before he got hurt. That leaves Mike Gesicki, who also scored against the Dolphins, and Jack Endries at the position. Linebacker Swayze Bozeman is on injured reserve with a fractured forearm, and receiver Colbie Young and safety Kyle Dugger are both questionable. The offense around Burrow is in good shape: Ja'Marr Chase had 6 catches for 77 yards and a score at Miami, and Samaje Perine added 68 rushing yards.
Both teams are 3-2 over their last 5, and both have struggled to put teams away. The Bengals' 2 losses came by 3 at Pittsburgh and by 5 at home to Jacksonville, and they beat Tampa Bay in a 33-27 shootout. Baltimore has played 3 straight one-score games: the 34-31 win in Dallas, the overtime win in Atlanta and the 3-point loss in Cleveland. Expect another close one.
The defensive matchup to watch is Burrow against a Ravens pass rush with Trey Hendrickson, who was a full practice participant through his finger injury. Baltimore just held Cleveland to 13 points, so that defense can win games by itself when the offense stalls. The question is whether it can do that against Burrow and Chase rather than the Browns.
Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET, and the forecast in Baltimore is about as good as late October gets: low 60s, mostly sunny and a light breeze. Weather won't be an excuse for either offense. This week's news is about Jackson's ankle. If he practices, it's a different game. If he doesn't, Huntley needs a better day than he had in Cleveland.