The Cincinnati Bengals are gearing up for a very important early season game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Not only is this game a massive meeting for AFC North supremacy, but it's also the first time the Bengals will face former defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson moved on from the Bengals and joined one of the three teams this fan base would have preferred he not sign with. The former Bengals star may have a pep in his step when he takes the field in Week 7.
On Monday, Ben Baby spoke with Orlando Brown Jr. about the matchup with his former teammate. The Bengals are definitely expecting more spark from their former teammate.
Extra Juice
"Just the way things ended here, from a personal and player perspective, I get it. I've been in that position before as well," Brown said when asked if Hendrickson would have extra motivation on Sunday. "I imagine he will have a little something extra to play for."
Brown also went on to say that he expects Hendrickson's best on Sunday because every time he has went up against the former Bengals star, he has gotten his best.
Hendrickson has missed two games this season with the Ravens, but returned on Sunday in the team's 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
The Ravens pass rusher earned his second sack of the season against the Browns. Hendrickson has been dealing with issues with his finger after having a surgery, but it seems like there's no chance in this world he will miss the opportunity to go after Joe Burrow this week.
"He's a good player," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. "They got a lot of good players on their defense and we got to put together a great plan and be able to execute it to give ourselves the best chance to win."
What's On The Line
Bragging rights will be on the line Sunday, but there's more than that at stake. With the bye week, the Bengals fell to last place in the AFC North at 3-2, while the other teams are 4-2. A win on Sunday will put the Bengals back in a good spot in the division race. A loss means the Bengals will move to 0-2 in the division, putting them a lot further behind than they would like.
The talk leading up to this game will be about Hendrickson, and rightfully so. All four of his Pro Bowl selections and his First-Team All-Pro honors came with the Bengals. But even he knows this game is more than earning bragging rights over his former home. This game has major postseason ties to it. The Bengals will need to bring their A game.
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