The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns both had byes in Week 9 and that left the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals as the only two teams in the AFC North division to see action. Unfortunately for the Steelers, both the Ravens and Bengals wound up winning their games in Week 9.
The Bengals easily took care of the Carolina Panthers 42-21 at home on Sunday afternoon as that game was essentially over at halftime.
In the Bengals’ Week 9 win, quarterback Joe Burrow completed 22 of his 28 total pass attempts for 206 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Burrow also had a short touchdown run in the game and he finished with nine yards rushing on four carries.
Backup quarterback Brandon Allen mopped up the big win for the Bengals by completing all three of his pass attempts for 22 yards.
Bengals’ running back Joe Mixon did most of the damage for his team on Sunday as he rushed for 153 yards and four touchdowns on 22 total carries. Mixon also caught four passes for 58 yards and another touchdown in his team’s big win. Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins led the team in receiving on Sunday with seven catches for 60 yards.
Defensively for the Bengal’s against the Panthers, linebackers Akeem Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey led the team in total tackles with six apiece. Additionally, Bengals’ safety Jessie Bates III and linebacker Germaine Pratt each had interceptions on Sunday for the defense. The Bengals’ defense did not record a sack in the game, but the unit did hold the Panthers to just 228 yards of net offense.
As for the Ravens, they easily defeated the New Orleans Saints 27-13 on the road Monday night.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 12 of his 22 total pass attempts against the Saints for 133 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Jackson also rushed for 82 yards on 11 carries in his team’s Monday night win.
Jackson’s lone touchdown pass against the Saints went to tight end Isaiah Likely from 24 yards out. That lone reception in the game by Likely was good enough to lead the Ravens in receiving yardage. Ravens’ running back Kenyan Drake rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns on his 24 carries against the Saints and he also chipped in two receptions for 11 yards.
Defensively for the Ravens, cornerback Marlon Humphrey led the team in total tackles on Monday night with seven. He also had one of the team’s four sacks in the game. Ravens’ linebacker Justin Houston had a big game against the Saints as he recorded 2.5 sacks and an interception.
Moving on to Week 10 AFC North action, the 6-3 Ravens and the 5-4 Bengals will both be on their bye weeks. The Ravens lead the AFC North division entering Week 10 with the Bengals being in sole possession of second place. The 3-5 Browns will play the 6-3 Miami Dolphins on the road next Sunday afternoon while the 2-6 Steelers will host the 3-6 Saints at the same time.
