AFC North football is back on the menu this week when the Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) host the Baltimore Ravens (2-2) Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium. 

This is not only the first divisional game for both teams this season, it's the first AFC North matchup for the entire division on the league-wide schedule. The NFL wanted the division's last two winners to kick things off in the first weekend of October. 

Slow starts plagued both clubs as the Bengals' first win of the season was earned in Week 4, and the Ravens didn't notch a victory until Week 3. Now that the season is in full swing, both sides appear to be hitting their stride without a moment to spare. 

Revenge is also on the mind for the home team. Joe Burrow's previous meeting against Baltimore resulted in a season-ending wrist injury. The Ravens went on to take the division title as the Bengals reeled without their quarterback. Now with Burrow back and playing great football, vengeance is in the air.

How to watch Bengals vs Ravens in Week 5

Sunday's game will kickoff at 1pm ET on CBS with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Trent Green (analyst) on the call with Melanie Collins reporting from the sidelines. Virtually all of Ohio will be able to watch the Bengals on CBS (WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton and WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington). Michigan, Wisconsin, and other areas of the midwest will also get the game, as well as a good portion of the southeastern part of the country.

If you live in the blue areas of the map below, you will be able to watch the game on TV:

Ravens walk into Cincinnati as slight betting favorites

Despite being the home team, the Bengals are 2.5-point underdogs against their fierce rivals. Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow have faced each other four times in which both played the entire game, and the Ravens are 3-1 in those games. The most recent two games have resulted in Ravens wins by three and two points, respectively. Burrow's lone win against Jackson was all the way back in 2021 when he led a 41-17 victory in Baltimore.

Since 2021, the Bengals have played four games as 2.5-point dogs at home. They are 3-1 in those games, with the one loss coming to the Green Bay Packers, 25-22, in overtime.

Key Bengals players to watch

Chase Brown, RB: The Bengals unleashed their second-year tailback for 15 carries last week against the Carolina Panthers, and 80 yards and two touchdowns were the result. That's as good of a breakout performance as you'll see in the NFL in a two-back committee. Brown will continue working in junction with Zack Moss, but the former is the more explosive option and could be the answer to attack the Ravens' stingy run defense.

Erick All Jr., TE: We may've already seen the torch handed to All as the Bengals' TE1 in this new 12 personnel offense. All can quite literally do it all as a blocker and receiver, which has only increased his usage over the first four weeks of the season. It wouldn't be surprising to see him out-snap his two veteran teammates, Drew Sample and Mike Gesicki, again this week in their toughest matchup yet.

Cam Taylor-Britt, CB: Last week was one to forget for the Bengals' lead cornerback. He'll look to avoid getting pulled for DJ Turner II again by limiting big plays from Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. The Ravens' offense goes through their running backs and tight ends, but if Taylor-Britt's issues carry over from last week, the Bengals may not stand much of a chance to stop the offense as a whole. 

Key Ravens players to watch

Derrick Henry, RB: King Henry looks completely in command for the Ravens. He leads the NFL in rushing and is still insanely fast for his size at 30 years young. He's gone over 100 yards in back-to-back weeks, and he's got a prime matchup against the Bengals' porous rushing defense to pop off again. 

Ronnie Stanley, OT: The best pass-blocking left tackle in football might just be Stanley at the moment. He's atop ESPN's leaderboard for pass block win rate at the tackle position and is second in pass blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus. He'll go up against Trey Hendrickson all game in what should be a battle of titans. 

Kyle Van Noy, ED: Van Noy has racked up two sacks in each of his last three games, and this comes after suffering a fractured orbital bone in Week 1. He'll be going up against right tackle Amarius Mims, and what a great test for the rookie that will be.

AFC North Standings

The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) still hold a one-game lead over the Ravens, while the Bengals and Cleveland Browns are tied at the bottom. The Browns technically have the tiebreaker over the Bengals due to their record against AFC teams, but it is still extremely early in the season. A win for the Bengals will put them even with the Ravens at 2-3 on the year, while a loss will put a massive dent into their playoff hopes.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
2. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
3. Cleveland Browns (1-3)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)

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