After a surprising home loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals don’t have much time to get things back on track, as the next matchup on their schedule is a road game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
Now with a 5-4 record following the loss to the Texans, the Bengals can’t afford to lose too many more games this season if they want to grab one of the seven spots in the AFC playoff bracket.
Getting a win over the Ravens won’t be easy, and it could turn out to be even more difficult for Cincinnati as they might have to take the field without defensive end Sam Hubbard, wide receiver Tee Higgins, and defensive end Trey Hendrickson (via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway on Twitter).
We’ll get an update from Zac Taylor later today but it’s likely the Bengals could be without Sam Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson and Tee Higgins on Thursday night vs the Ravens
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 13, 2023
Hubbard (ankle) and Higgins (hamstring) both missed Sunday’s game against Houston due to injuries, while Hendrickson suffered a knee injury during the loss to the Texans.
The absence of Hubbard and Hendrickson would be a huge blow to the Bengals’ pass rush, and it could lead to a big performance by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on Thursday.
Higgins’ potential absence is a little easier to make up for since Cincinnati is still expected to have receiver Ja’Marr Chase available for the AFC North showdown in Baltimore.
Even after Thursday night’s contest with the Ravens, things aren’t going to get much easier for the Bengals this season.
Cincinnati’s next two games after Thursday are against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars, and they still have the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs on their schedule.
A playoff spot for the Bengals is far from a guarantee.
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