Roquan Smith Gives Honest Take on Ravens, Bengals Rivalry

There's no love lost between the Baltimore Ravens and their AFC North foes.

Jan 8, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (18) and safety Chuck Clark (36) bring down Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

As the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals prepare to renew their rivalry, their feelings towards each other haven't changed one bit.

The two AFC North foes have been at each other's throats since the Ravens entered the fray in 1996, but especially in the past few years as they've battled for the division crown. Baltimore leads the all-time series 30-27, including a sweep last season, but Cincinnati won the only playoff matchup in the 2022 Wild Card round.

Sunday's game is the first divisional game of the season for both teams, and players on both sides expect it to be an intense affair.

"It's a highly anticipated game. It's a division game, at the end of the day, and we know how much these games mean, in a sense," Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith told reporters. "And truth be told, [the Bengals] don't like us, and we don't like them, so it's one of those type [of] things. We're just going to go out and play our game, and it's going to be a good game, so I'm excited for the matchup."

Smith joined the Ravens via a mid-season trade with the Chicago Bears in 2022, and in just two years, he's seen the Bengals rivalry grow tremendously.

"[The Bengals], obviously, have been good for a while, with [Joe] Burrow [and] the offensive weapons that they have," Smith said. "And then, even from the defensive side of the ball, they've got some really good players over there – a former [Ravens] player in Geno [Stone] and whatnot. So, I've got mad respect for those guys, but at the end of the day, it's a game that has to be played, and I play for the Baltimore Ravens, and we've got to play [the] Ravens' style of football."

Baltimore is riding high after two straight victories, including a 35-10 demoltion of the Buffalo Bills last week. Meanwhile, Cincinnati just earned its first win of the season last week with a 34-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

It may be early in the season, but this game still holds massive playoff implications for both teams, which only adds to the intensity.

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