The Bengals view the Ravens rematch as a must-win game

The first meeting of the season between the Ravens and the Bengals was epic, with Baltimore winning 41-38 in overtime.

The rematch is Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium, where the Ravens (6-3) can win the season series while the Bengals (4-5) are still trying to overcome an 0-3 start.

Cincinnati running back Chase Brown didn’t try to downplay Thursday’s game.

“It’s a must-win game,” Brown said via the team’s websitefollowing the Bengals’ 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. “I’m glad we got the win, but it’s ‘Wednesday’ (in a short week) so now we have to get ready for Thursday.”

Joe Burrow threw five touchdown passes against the Raiders, matching what he did in Week 5 against Baltimore. However, Barrow was not happy with the performance as he believes the Bengals need to play better in order to earn a rightful playoff bid.

“I’m not going to just ignore the bad and dwell on the great things we did today,” Burrow said. “I don’t think that’s a recipe for improvement. I don’t think that’s a recipe for improvement. I will be hard on myself. I will be strict with us to act as I feel we need.

“I think with the way the season has gone, knowing what’s ahead of us … one win isn’t going to make or break our season. I will strive for excellence – every day and in every game. Until that happens, what’s there to be happy about?”

Defensive back Trey Hendrickson had four sacks against the Raiders and leads the NFL with 11. Hendrickson will target Lamar Jackson on Thursday night and help the Bengals leave Baltimore with a win.

“Anybody who’s a Cincinnati Bengals fan knows this is a must-win game,” Hendrickson said.