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Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Written by: Daniel Collins
Last Updated:
Read Time: 4 minutes
The Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals have been rivals in the National Football League despite the many changes in cities, etc. Both teams reside in the AFC North, and have been competitive with playoff berths in recent history. It’s never pretty when these two get together on the field, and someone always comes away a little black and blue. Betting these types of rivalry games is always fun, so here is a guide on how to make the most of your bet.
Ravens vs. Bengals All-Time Record
This has become a very exciting rivalry, as the Ravens lead a close series 27-25. Baltimore started this rivalry off lopsided by winning 12 of the first 17 meetings, including 9 of 10 at one point with three consecutive shutouts at home. Cincinnati has made a ton of progress in that story by winning 10 of the last 17 games between the two.
This rivalry was ultimately overlooked until 2003 when former Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis became the head coach for Cincinnati. His first draft pick was a big get by selecting Heisman Trophy-winning QB Carson Palmer to help compete with the Ravens, who largely dominated this series from 1997-2002.
Palmer seemed to be the missing piece of the puzzle for the struggling Bengals, who did have some nice talent already on the team. Both of these teams were now viewed as tough opponents to see on your schedule for very different reasons. The Ravens had a veteran-led defense with Ray Lewis at the helm, whereas the Bengals had a young, high-powered offense behind QB Carson Palmer, WR Chad Johnson, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and RB Rudi Johnson.
Ravens vs. Bengals History
Since the Baltimore Ravens’ first season in 1996, they have always belonged to the same division as the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are a much older franchise having been around since their inaugural season in 1968. This makes it one of the newest rivalries in the NFL, and there’s not a ton of history between Cincy and Mobtown other than when the Bengals played the Baltimore Colts in the ’70s and early ’80s.
Baltimore was home to the Colts from 1953 to 1983, but they had a 13-year dry spell before Art Modell relocated his Cleveland Browns to Baltimore to give the city football again. Modell was required to leave the Browns’ history and records in Cleveland, so the Baltimore Ravens became an expansion team using Modell’s own personnel and players.
Art Modell also has some significance to the Bengals, as he dismissed Paul Brown from coaching in Cleveland. Brown went on to help begin the Cincinnati Bengals and be their head coach. The Cincinnati Bengals stadium has been named Paul Brown Stadium since 2000 in honor of his legacy. Furthermore, this rivalry did not produce many storylines, as the Ravens were a much better team right out of the gate, making this a non-significant match up until the early 2000s.
With the addition of Joe Burrow for the Bengals, and their Super Bowl appearance last season, many storylines have emerged regarding the competition in the AFC North. The Ravens were swept by the Bengals last season for the first time since 2015. The tide may be shifting in the Bengals favor, as young talent has boosted their overall level of play.
Ravens vs. Bengals Stats
These two teams have never faced off in the playoffs since 1996, and the Ravens have had some incredible postseason success in their short tenure. The Bengals were established nearly 30 years before the Ravens which makes Baltimore’s success that much more impressive.
The Baltimore Ravens have won both of their 2 Super Bowl appearances in the year 2000 (SB XXXV) and the year 2012 (SB XLVII), as opposed to the Cincinnati Bengals who have not won a championship in their 50+ year existence. The Bengals do have more playoff appearances with 15 total, which is only 2 more than the Ravens’ total playoff appearances of 13 that all came post-2000s.
It is no longer a tie for the number of conference championships as Cincinnati bumped their total to 3 last season and Baltimore has 2. In their division, the Bengals have won 10 championships and the Ravens have won 6. The Bengals have the most recent championship last season.
Ravens vs. Bengals Rivalry Outlook
It is pretty incredible to see how far this rivalry has come, especially in the past fifteen years. Both of these teams have bright futures with young talent, and they both have ownership that has been known to draft well. For the Bengals, look out for young guys like QB Joe Burrow, RB Joe Mixon, WR Tyler Boyd, FS Jessie Bates III, and DL Sam Hubbard. For the Ravens, keep an eye on electric QB Lamar Jackson as well as TE Mark Andrews.
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