It's autumn in AFC North country, and that means the Cincinnati Bengals are preparing for one of their biggest games of the year.
With rest and perhaps some extra prep work coming off a Week 6 bye week, the Bengals (3-2) next visit an AFC North rival in the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) on Oct. 25 at M&T Bank Stadium (1 p.m.).
It's too early for talk of a "must-win" for the Bengals, but this matchup is going to determine a lot about what the middle portion of Cincinnati's 2026 season looks like. After this rare daylight visit to Baltimore (the teams are more accustomed to meeting during primetime TV hours in recent years), Cincinnati will either be keeping pace with the tightly-contested divisional race or firmly in the position of chasing the Ravens, Steelers and Browns.
Here's what needs to happen for Cincinnati to improve to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in divisional play against the rival Ravens:
If Bengals can't stop Ravens' run game, they must limit it
Cincinnati's run defense will be put to the test against Baltimore Ravens running backs, and primarily the 32-year-old Derrick Henry, the fourth-leading rusher in the NFL this season. Justice Hill is a formidable "RB2" with pace, as well.
The Bengals paid a lot of money this past offseason to players who should be impacting the run game, interior lineman Dexter Lawrence II chief among them. But opponents have opted to go around Lawrence and the Bengals' interior rather than through it, and have gashed Cincinnati for explosives plays on the perimeters. It's been a theme and a problem since Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Ravens' quarterback situation remains an open question with Lamar Jackson looking questionable (he was limited during practice Oct. 22), and while experienced and capable backup Tyler Huntley has played well enough, there's no substitute for Jackson. Even as some pundits have credibly said Huntley is the best backup quarterback in the NFL, he's only 1-1 with 366 passing yards over two games this year.
Henry could still singlehandedly dominate Cincinnati, although the unit has had some reasonable success against him recently. Henry's rushed for 100 yards against the Bengals in just two of his last five games against them (in a third instance, Henry went over 100 all-purpose yards thanks to success as a pass catcher). Cincinnati needs to make it two out of six games, and try to hold him down in this critical AFC North showdown.
Bengals' own run game needs to get going
Cincinnati's offense did enough to earn a 3-2 record ahead of its Week 6 bye week, but can anyone say the Bengals offense has a clear identity? If so, one of the clear, identifiable features is the run game is sputtering. Cincinnati has the second-worst rushing offense in the NFL, and successful, championship-caliber teams simply don't rank that low in most important metrics and measurements.
How do they turn it around? There might not be a clear answer. Some have speculated they might not even have the personnel required to do so. Chase Brown has 246 rushing yards through five games while Samaje Perine has 110. Brown rushed for 1,000 yards in 2025, and there's time for him to do that again this season. But will he rack up yards in big games like this weekend's, or merely pad his stats after the season has gotten away from the team and the pressure is ratcheted down.
Last time out on Oct. 11 against the Miami Dolphins, Samaje Perine's direct, downhill style produced better results, running for 68 yards on 14 carries. Maybe Cincinnati needs to ride Perine to as much productivity as he can provide. One way or another, Cincinnati needs to be able to run the ball more effectively.
Cincinnati could push the ball downfield for a change vs. Baltimore
As Bengals players and coaches describe it, part of their offensive identity is taking their opportunities when they get their receivers in favorable one-on-one matchups. In terms of taking those opportunities and converting them into deep shots down the field, that hasn't been happening with great regularity or success so far in 2026.
According to Pro Football Focus, quarterback Joe Burrow is tied for 32nd in the NFL in 20-plus yard attempts (he's thrown just 17 of those, which comprises just 9% of his throws, according to a Yahoo report).
This area of the Bengals offense showed some life in the Oct. 11 win against Miami when Burrow hit Ja'Marr Chase on a 45-yard touchdown reception. That was promising, but it's still the only reception of longer than 29 yards this season. That's very surprising, and the Bengals should lean into this area because it truly is a bread-and-butter component of their attack when the team looks its best.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 3 keys to success for Bengals in pivotal AFC North matchup at Baltimore