There is a lot to be thankful for. Football is returning, the 2025 NFL schedule has dropped, and the Cincinnati Bengals return to Baltimore to face the Ravens in primetime. The Thanksgiving slate has the AFC North rivalry kicking off at 8:20 p.m.
Ravens-Bengals M&T Banksgiving Primetime Matchup
This will be the Bengals’ fourth matchup at M&T Bank Stadium since the 2022 season. While Ravens fans are ecstatic to see their contender-like squad face off at home, certain individuals feel the consecutive matchups in Baltimore are strung out.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow expressed his emotions on returning to Baltimore to play the Ravens in another primetime sequence. Burrow said he would like to play a primetime game against the Ravens on his home turf.
“Playing in Baltimore for the fourth straight primetime year isn’t ideal,” Burrow said, via ESPN. “Maybe we can get one of those in Cincinnati next year, please.”
High-Powered Offenses
The Ravens and Bengals have been notorious for their offensive firepower when matched up against each other. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Baltimore has had the Bengals’ number for the past couple of years, especially when the lights have come on.
The Bengals are 0-3 in their last three trips to Baltimore at night. In 2022, the Bengals fell to the Ravens on Sunday Night Football in a 19-17 nailbiter. The next two contests featured Thursday Night Football. The Ravens cruised past the Bengals in a 34-20 victory in 2023. The team that ended up with the football last decided last year’s back-and-forth classic.
The offensive surge from both teams had the game featuring nearly 70 points. The Ravens held the Bengals off by one in a 35-34 cinematic finisher. Later on in the season, Baltimore would travel to Cincinnati for another dramatic 41-38 victory. This game would skyrocket both quarterbacks’ odds to be the frontrunners in the NFL Most Valuable Player award race.
Burrow’s request to change the use of primetime from Baltimore to Cincinnati may seem like a stretch. Especially regarding him and his team’s losing streak against the Ravens. However, the two teams have sat atop the AFC North for consecutive years. The Bengals took the division title in 2021 and 2022. The following two years, the Ravens crowned themselves champions of the AFC North.
With players such as Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, the Ravens-Bengals matchup will always turn heads. Thanksgiving will be full of food, family, and football. It looks to be the perfect nightcap on a holiday slate with three great matchups.
Main Image: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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