Bengals' Joe Burrow Sets High Standard for Ravens Matchup

The Baltimore Ravens should expect to see the rival quarterback at his best.

Jan 15, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass during the second half in a wild card game against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens have become quite familiar with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow over the years, and they've seen how dangerous he can be at his best.

In seven career games against Baltimore (not counting the 2022 Wild Card game), Burrow has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,847 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. Although he has a 3-4 record in those games, with two of those wins coming when Ravens star Lamar Jackson didn't play, he still presents a big challenge for the defense.

At the same time, Burrow recognizes how difficult it is to play against the Ravens as well. With their powerful rushing attack, getting off to a hot start and avoiding mistakes is critical to victory.

"You have to, otherwise they're just going to eat the clock up and run the ball," Burrow told reporters this week, per the Bengals' site. "You know how well they run it. So we have to start fast and get ourselves as many opportunities as we can.

"Have to be aggressive out the gate. Can't let the game come to you because your possessions are going to be so limited. I'm going to have to play damn near perfect. That's how I'm preparing."

The Ravens currently rank 29th against the pass (257.5 yards allowed per game), but they've also allowed just four passing touchdowns on the season. Considering what Burrow knows about the Ravens defense, they won't be easy to throw against no matter what the stats say.

"They're running the same stuff. They're going to mix it up. They're going to try to confuse the quarterback," Burrow said. "They're going to mix in a pressure here and there. They're going to send a zero (all-out) blitz at an opportune time. So you have to be on your Ps and Qs and reading your keys as a quarterback to understand where to best go with the football."

Sunday's matchup in Cincinnati (1 p.m. ET) is the first divisional game of the season for both teams, so naturally, they'll each have huge chips on their shoulders going in.

"We're rolling on offense right now. We've still left some points out there, which when you score 33, 34 back-to-back and you feel like you've left points on the board, that's a good spot to be as an offense," Burrow said. "We're going to continue to chase perfection, try to score on every drive. It's a big opportunity. We thrive in these moments. We're excited about it in front of our fans that we're going to need on Sunday. I hope they're excited, too."

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