Ravens player provides Bengals with offseason bulletin board material and blame also resides with the NFL

It's a very innocent passing comment from Likely, but it certainly fuels the argument from Cincinnati that Baltimore has become too accustomed to having the pivotal matchup being played on their field. It's been four years since the Ravens hosted the Bengals during the day while Baltimore has played in Cincinnati in six consecutive sunlit tilts outside of the aforementioned playoff game. 

When the game's under the lights, fans provide more intensity and the atmosphere becomes more memorable and inspiring for the home players. It's an advantage the Ravens have had in this divisional rivalry for years. Why should Likely know or care what stadium the Bengals play in if that road game for him is always considered an afterthought by the people who make the schedule? 

"Playing in Baltimore for the fourth straight primetime year isn't ideal," Burrow said of the Bengals' schedule. "Maybe we could get one of those in Cincinnati next year, please?" 

Yes, Cincinnati will find a way to use Likely's comments against him and the Ravens, but the NFL is also the source of the problem here. The lack of balance is simply egregious and a key player in the rivalry just proved it with a joke.

Plenty of noise has been made about it since last week's schedule release. The Bengals will want to bring up the noise again once it's time to craft the 2026 schedule to make players like Likely learn where they play.