The Ravens ran away from the Broncos, 41-10, on Sunday, while the Bengals blew out the Raiders, 41-24.

Which of these AFC North rivals will have the edge when they meet Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium?

Ravens passing game vs. Bengals pass defense

Lamar Jackson finished with a perfect passer rating for the fourth time in his career against the Broncos, adding to a brilliant season in which he’s leading the league in passer rating, yards per attempt and ESPN’s QBR metric for all-around performance. He has taken just 13 sacks and thrown two interceptions in nine games, signs of how on-point he is even as he looks downfield more than almost any other elite quarterback.

The Bengals tried to crowd the box on him in Cincinnati, and Jackson threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns, keeping the Ravens in the game as their defense flailed against a red-hot Joe Burrow. Wide receiver Zay Flowers, who caught seven passes for 111 yards in that 41-38 win, has emerged as a clear No. 1 target for Jackson in his second season. He surpassed 100 yards for the fourth time in five games against Denver and made the play of the game on a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown just before halftime.

Jackson torched the blitz-happy Broncos without even looking to tight end Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, who caught two passes between them. They combined for 10 catches in the previous matchup with Cincinnati, so look for them to play a significant role Thursday night, though Likely could be sidelined by a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman dropped another pass in the win over Denver, while Diontae Johnson played a minimal role in his first game as a Raven.

The Baltimore offensive line stabilized against the Broncos after a rough game in Cleveland and will need to keep Bengals edge rushers Trey Hendrickson (11 sacks, 22 quarterback hits) and Sam Hubbard (nine tackles and a sack against the Ravens in Week 5) out of Jackson’s face. Cincinnati blitzes on a modest 23.2% of dropbacks. How aggressive will defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo be after Jackson carved up his pressure looks in the previous meeting? The Bengals secondary, with Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner II at the corners and former Raven Geno Stone on the back end, is ripe for attack. Cincinnati ranks 26th in third-down defense and 27th in preventing touchdowns in the red zone.

EDGE: Ravens

Bengals passing game vs. Ravens pass defense

Burrow lit the Ravens up for 392 yards and five touchdown passes and is coming off another five-touchdown game against the Raiders. He’s right behind Jackson near the top of most passing metrics. His worst games have come against teams that put heat on him such as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Browns. But the Ravens have struggled to generate pressure with their four-man rush, especially since defensive tackle Travis Jones hurt his ankle. In the earlier matchup, Baltimore defensive coordinator Zach Orr could not tap into his predecessor Mike Macdonald’s formula for keeping Burrow off-balance, and the Ravens could not cover or tackle Ja’Marr Chase, who finished with 10 catches on 12 targets for 193 yards and two scores. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey did step in front of Chase for a crucial interception late in that game.

The Bengals are dealing with a pair of significant injuries. Burrow’s No. 2 target, Tee Higgins, missed the Raiders game with a quadriceps injury. He caught nine passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens in Week 5, so his absence — the Bengals might have kept him out against Las Vegas to save him for Baltimore — would be significant. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. also missed the Raiders game with a knee injury. If Brown can’t go against his former team, the Ravens would attack backup Cody Ford.

The Ravens defended well on third and fourth down and in the red zone against Denver, though rookie quarterback Bo Nix missed throws that Burrow likely would have made. Orr is still searching for an optimal lineup. Safety Marcus Williams was back to playing almost every defensive snap against the Broncos after his one-week hiatus in Cleveland. Safety Eddie Jackson was inactive, and safety Ar’Darius Washington played well in an expanded role. The Ravens need to squeeze more production from pass rushers Nnamdi Madubuike and Odafe Oweh. Madubuike had his best game of the season in Cincinnati with four tackles and a key late-game sack. They also need better work from cornerback Brandon Stephens, who had one of the worst games of his career against the Broncos.

EDGE: Bengals

Ravens running game vs. Bengals run defense

The Bengals emphasized stopping Derrick Henry and did a good job of it until he broke a 51-yard run in overtime. Of course, that’s what makes Henry so dangerous; the job against the NFL’s leading rusher (1,052 yards, 6.3 per carry, 11 touchdowns) is never complete until the final whistle. Jackson carried a season-low three times for a season-low four yards against Denver after he missed two practices resting knee and back injuries. He seemed less inclined to take off than usual but didn’t need to risk it with the pass game clicking so efficiently. He carried 12 times for 55 yards in Cincinnati and remains the deadliest running quarterback in the league, averaging six yards per attempt.

The Bengals put eight or nine defenders in the box to keep the Ravens from running over them in Week 5, and they did hold the league’s top ground game below its usual per-game and per-carry averages. Cincinnati has limited opponents to 4.2 yards per carry, sixth-best in the league. Linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt are good run defenders as are Hendrickson and Hubbard on the edges, where Henry likes to work. But the Bengals’ worst defensive performances have come against teams — the Ravens, Eagles and Washington Commanders — that attacked them on the ground with multiple threats.

EDGE: Ravens

Bengals running game vs. Ravens run defense

The Bengals don’t run often (26th in attempts) or well (24th in yards per carry). They gained just 71 yards on 23 carries against the Raves, and why did they need to run when Burrow was filling the sky with fireworks? Second-year running back Chase Brown (479 yards, 4.6 per attempt) has supplanted Zack Moss as the top option, and he did gouge the Raiders for 120 yards on 27 carries.

Perhaps Bengals coach Zac Taylor will surprise by going right at the Ravens’ injury-depleted defensive front, which missed Jones (ankle), Brent Urban (concussion) and Michael Pierce (injured reserve) against the Broncos. Denver carried 30 times for 122 yards against the league’s top run defense. Defensive tackle Chris Wormley did a nice job filling in and will likely have to play against the Bengals given the quick turnaround. Linebacker Roquan Smith still leads the Ravens in tackles, but safety Kyle Hamilton has arguably surpassed him as the team’s most impactful run defender in recent weeks. Second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson played his best game of the season against Denver with nine tackles, two for loss. If the Bengals do try to attack on the ground rather than through the air, the Ravens would feel just fine about that.

EDGE: Ravens

Ravens special teams vs. Bengals special teams

The Ravens avoided special teams follies against the Broncos, though kicker Justin Tucker ricocheted an extra point off the upright and through. Tucker made a clutch 56-yard field goal in Cincinnati to send the game to overtime but has not been himself this season, with four misses in 19 field goal attempts. The Ravens have also made too many mistakes in the return game, though they moved up to 19th in special teams DVOA with that solid performance in the win over Denver.

Cincinnati ranks behind them at 21st in DVOA because of kicker Evan McPherson’s subpar performance (13 of 17 on field goals) and because of scant production on put returns. Rookie Ryan Rehkow is punting at a Pro Bowl level.

EDGE: Even

Ravens intangibles vs. Bengals intangibles

Coach John Harbaugh’s Ravens have won three straight against the Bengals after Cincinnati owned them in 2021. Jackson’s availability is the real key; he’s 9-1 against the Bengals as a starter. The four-day turnaround to a Thursday night game is never fun, but at least the Ravens get to stay home and face an opponent they know well. They’re banged up on the defensive line but otherwise reasonably healthy at the midpoint of the season, and they’re coming off what Harbaugh called their best all-phases performance.

The Bengals will come to Baltimore needing a win to stay near the playoff pack in the AFC. If they get it, they might even be back in the hunt for an AFC North title despite their 0-3 start. Burrow will certainly be confident he can move the ball against a Ravens pass defense that’s still trying to find its footing. Taylor’s teams have traditionally closed strong, so it’s no surprise the Bengals have won three of their last four, albeit against poor competition.

EDGE: Ravens