Bengals News (11/16): Ryan Fitzpatrick is a big Joe Burrow fan

The former Bengals quarterback doesn’t think any team would want to face Cincinnati in the playoffs.

Game Within The Game: FitzMagic On The Wizard Of Joe: ‘I Don’t Think Anyone Wants To See Joe Burrow In The Playoffs’
It seems like you can conjure up FitzMagic anytime you want on the NFL’s endless stream of commercials and who knows how many times former Bengals quarterback (and Bills and Dolphins and …) Ryan Fitzpatrick appears before us Thursday night (8:15-Cincinnati’s Channel 9 and Prime Video) in Baltimore when the Bengals and Ravens stage one of their death-defying AFC North acts.

Quick Hits: Pratt Vows, ‘“I’m Not Going To Stop Being Who I Am’; Bengals Defense Looks To Plaster
Pratt, as he always seems to be in the fourth quarter of a game there for the taking, had been at the center of Sunday’s crucial and last scrimmage play when Pratt and safety Nick Scott had stood up Texans wide receiver Noah Brown at about the Bengals 33. It would have made for a daunting last-snap kick by an emergency kicker who had never hit an NFL 50-yarder. Pratt went for the strip, Brown went for 13 more yards, and the Texans walked it off with a 38-yard field goal.

NFL Week 11 injuries: Bengals without star on each side of the ball for Thursday; Ravens likely down No. 1 CB
The Bengals’ biggest offensive blow is that they will be without wide receiver Tee Higgins, who did not practice all week. Expect more Tyler Boyd and Trenton Irwin to make up for Higgins’ absence. No Hubbard for Cincinnati is also a huge loss, so Cam Sample is expected to start.

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens: Game predictions, picks, odds
The Ravens remain at home after a 33-31 loss to another division rival, the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore led the entire game until a last-second field goal toppled them. Lamar Jackson was 13 of 23 for 223 yards and threw a touchdown and 2 interceptions. It was his first multiple-pick game of the season.

Bengals playoff odds at ESPN boosted by Deshaun Watson’s injury
While that doesn’t sound like much, those numbers could dramatically swing more into a favorable range for the Bengals if they beat the Ravens on Thursday. Then, they get the Steelers the week after.

‘That’s Why We Invested in the Position’ — Big Opportunity Awaits Bengals First-Round Pick Thursday
Hubbard missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and was listed as a non-participant in Monday’s estimated practice report, and Hendrickson suffered a freakish right knee injury on the final scrimmage play of Sunday’s loss to Houston when Texans receiver Noah Brown fell into him after getting tangled up with a couple of Cincinnati defenders.

Marlon Humphrey doubtful, Ronnie Stanley out for Thursday vs. Bengals
The Ravens won’t have their left tackle and most likely won’t have one of their top cornerbacks when they face the Bengals on Thursday night.

2023 NFL season, Week 11: Four things to watch for in Bengals-Ravens on Prime Video
The Cincinnati Bengals hit the road in Week 11 to face their nemesis, the Baltimore Ravens, in a game that will carry major divisional weight and figures to impact the entire AFC playoff picture.

Around the league

2023 NFL Offensive Player Rankings, Week 11: Russell Wilson, Brandon Aiyuk among 10 Pro Bowl sleepers
Russell Wilson and the Broncos are heating up. After a disastrous Year 1 in Denver, the veteran quarterback has seemingly turned things around under Sean Payton. He has at least one touchdown pass — with zero interceptions — in each of the team’s three games during the current winning streak, which has helped the Broncos get back into playoff contention. Wilson also ranks in the top five among qualified quarterbacks in TD-INT ratio (18:4, second), passer rating (104.0, fourth), fourth-quarter comebacks (three, tied for the most) and game-winning drives (three, tied for second).

Jets head coach Robert Saleh: Aaron Rodgers will have final say on potential return in 2023
“Aaron’s a big boy, a grown man, and no one’s going to know Aaron’s body like Aaron knows his body,” Saleh said. “And if he feels, after all the doctors clear him — and I’m sure there’s a million of them, I have no idea on that stuff — but if Aaron says he wants to play, he’s going to play.”

Ben Johnson, Mike Macdonald and Jerod Mayo among young NFL coaches to watch
Just five NFL head coaching jobs opened in the 2023 coaching cycle, tied for the fewest in the past decade. Considering we’ve seen an average of seven head coaching changes per year during that span, logic would suggest that number will be higher after this season (and one HC post already opened up in Las Vegas). That raises a question people within the league are often asking at this time of year:

Bears QB Justin Fields (right thumb) expected to start vs. Lions
Fields is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday, per sources informed of the situation. Head coach Matt Eberflus later confirmed that the team’s plan is to start Fields this week.

New Raiders CB Jack Jones on Patriots’ release: ‘I would say it wasn’t the best fit’
“I would say it wasn’t the best fit,” Jones said, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “I can’t really speak too much about it, just because I’m not on the coaching staff. I can’t call it. Just wasn’t the best fit, but I’m glad to be here.”