Bengals' Burrow: I have to play 'damn near perfect' to beat Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow believes anything short of a stellar performance Sunday won't be enough to defeat the Baltimore Ravens.

"I'm gonna have to play damn near perfect. That's how I'm preparing, so it's an exciting opportunity," Burrow said Wednesday, according to Maddison Williams of Sports Illustrated.

He added: "You've got to be aggressive out the gate. You can't let the game come to you because your possessions are going to be so limited."

Burrow is off to a hot start this season, throwing for 978 yards with seven touchdowns to only one interception. Cincinnati's offense ranks fourth in EPA/play and success rate through four contests.

However, the Bengals can largely blame their 1-3 record on their defense. The team sits 27th in points allowed per game and 29th in success rate and didn't force a punt or turnover in its Week 3 loss against the Washington Commanders.

Baltimore, 2-2, has won back-to-back contests and is coming off a 35-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football.

"It's a big game. We know what our record is," Burrow said. "We know the opportunities we have going forward, but it's our first divisional opponent. We're 1–3. We need to get this one."

Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury against the Ravens in Week 11 last season. He holds a 3-4 career record against Baltimore, averaging 268 yards per game with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.