The Baltimore Ravens insist they're not going to overlook the banged-up Cincinnati Bengals.

It's difficult to take anything for granted when the Ravens have lost five straight times to the Bengals, which includes getting swept the past two seasons.

"It is a big challenge for us," coach John Harbaugh said. "They have always been tough for us as long as I have been here. I’m sure [they were tough] before that as well. It is a rivalry game, a division game. [They have] a very aggressive defense, a very hard-nosed, tough, fly-around-type of defense. [They have] a big, physical offensive line, an excellent quarterback -- Pro Bowl guy."

These Bengals (3-6-1) don't resemble the teams that won two of the past three AFC North titles and went to the playoffs the past five seasons. Cincinnati is expected to be without wide receiver A.J. Green, running back Giovani Bernard, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and safety Shawn Williams.

Still, many believe this game will be close. The Ravens are favored by 4.5 points and have a 53.9 percent chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.

Here are six players to watch, courtesy of ESPN Bengals reporter Katherine Terrell:

OFFENSE

WR Tyler Boyd: The rookie second-round pick saw his usage tick up considerably after Green went down with an injury on the second play of the game. With Green out versus the Ravens, the Bengals are going to have to turn to Boyd more. Boyd scored his first touchdown of his career against the Bills on Sunday and will be a bigger part of the offense going forward.

G Clint Boling: Boling has been on and off the injury report with a shoulder issue since Oct. 5, and it looked like it affected him against the Bills. He struggled with run-blocking that day, and had the lowest grade of his career by Pro Football Focus. The offensive line hasn’t played well as a unit all season, so Boling’s injury doesn’t help.

RB Rex Burkhead: Burkhead has become a special-teams fixture since Cedric Peerman went down with an injury in the preseason, but he rarely plays on offense. He’s rushed six times for 39 yards this season. Burkhead said the last time he played a full game on offense was in college, but the Bengals are likely going to turn to him with Bernard down for the season. There’s nobody that can fill the role of the versatile Bernard, so the Bengals' offense took a big hit when he went down.

DEFENSE

CB Darqueze Dennard: Kirkpatrick’s status is up in the air this week, which could lead to a bigger role for Dennard, who played half of the defensive snaps against the Bills. The team is trying to find more of a role for Dennard. The cornerbacks have a challenge this week, with Steve Smith coming up.

S Derron Smith: When Williams went out with an injury against the Bills, Smith filled in for the rest of the game, and even made a pass breakup near the end zone. Smith would fill in again for Williams if he can’t go this week. The little-used Smith is capable of making big plays, as he had a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown in the preseason.

LB Vincent Rey: Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said that Rey Maualuga wasn’t ready to go against the Bills with a fibula injury, despite fully practicing at the end of the week. Rey started in place of Vontaze Burfict when he was out on suspension and also in place of Maualuga when he was out. The main question now is will they keep Maualuga inactive going forward or continue ahead with Rey, who has played well this season when given opportunities.