I view this as a must win game for the Bengals. At home, they must win as well as put themselves in the AFC North race. A loss puts them 2 games behind, and as we have seen in years past, sets this team in a spiral that they usually do not recover from.
Carson is 8-3 versus the Ravens. Benson had the only two 100 yard rushing games against the Ravens last year.
Ray Lewis is coming in with a foot problem, and Ed Allen will not play. Todd Heap is questionable, but they have picked up enough receiving weapons to more than make up for him being out.
When The Bengals Run
RB Cedric Benson aims for his third straight game of 100 yards or more against the Ravens (he ran for 120 and 117 last season). Since 2009, Benson has averaged 126.6 yards in games with 20 carries or more. Bernard Scott was in as the third-down back last week, but Brian Leonard could be back this week after missing five games (including the preseason) with a foot injury. The Ravens have one of the most formidable run defenses in the league with DT Haloti Ngata and MLB Ray Lewis. The Ravens had six tackles for loss in their Monday win over the Jets.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100...ing-report
When The Bengals Pass
Carson Palmer has an 8-3 record (.727) vs. Baltimore and has completed 218 of 356 passes for 2,730 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Chad Ochocinco, who tied a career high with 12 receptions last week, needs one more touchdown catch to surpass Carl Pickens for the franchise record. Each has 63. Terrell Owens has caught a touchdown pass in his past two games against Baltimore. Jordan Shipley (82 yards) and Jermaine Gresham (TD catch) each had impacts in their NFL debuts. Ravens LB Terrell Suggs has had at least half a sack in two straight games vs. the Bengals, and LB Jarret Johnson has 21/2 sacks in his last four against them.
When The Ravens Run
As a starter, Ray Rice is averaging 108 yards vs. AFC North opponents on the road (432 yards in four games). In the last meeting against the Bengals, Rice had 135 yards from scrimmage (48 rushing, 87 receiving) with a TD run. Since last season, Willis McGahee ranks fourth in the AFC and fifth in the league with 13 rushing touchdowns, including one last week against the Jets. The Bengals struggled with tackling last week and were dominated at the line on most running plays. LB Dhani Jones was the leading tackler with 13.
When The Ravens Pass
In six games vs. AFC North teams on the road, QB Joe Flacco has thrown for seven touchdowns against three interceptions. WR Anquan Boldin needs seven receptions for 600 in his career. He has caught TDs in his last two against the Bengals and recorded his 18th career 100-yard game in his Ravens debut last week. Derrick Mason has eight TD catches against the Bengals, his most vs. any opponent. TE Todd Heap needs 45 yards to reach 5,000 for his career. Bengals cornerbacks Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph have interceptions in their last two games against the Ravens. LB Brandon Johnson has three sacks in his career, which have all come against Baltimore.
Special Teams
Mike Nugent tied his career high with a 54-yard field goal last week. The coverage and return units struggled. Kevin Huber averaged 46.3 yards on three punts last week, but one of them was for a touchback when it should have gone out of bounds at the 7. Billy Cundiff held off a challenge from ex-Bengal Shayne Graham to win the Ravens' kicking job. Tom Zbikowski struggled returning punts. It's possible that Prince Miller, who was signed off New England's practice squad, could be active for today's game and be the returner.
FIRST DOWN
Takeaway terrors
Since 2003, the Ravens and Bengals are both in the NFL's top five in takeaways. The Ravens lead with 231, and the Bengals are fourth at 219. In points off turnovers since 2003, Elias Sports Bureau reports that the Ravens lead the NFL with 743, and the Bengals are fourth at 657.
Winning and losing
This is the first time in franchise history the Ravens have opened with back-to-back road games. With a win they would begin the season 2-0 for the third straight year and fifth time. The Bengals are looking to avoid their 16th 0-2 start in 43 seasons. They have started 0-2 under Marvin Lewis twice in seven years - 2003 and '08.
Series history
This is the 29th meeting with the Ravens with the Bengals leading 15-13. In four of the past five seasons there has been a series sweep - Bengals in 2005, '07 and '09 and the Ravens in '08.
At Cincinnati: The Bengals lead 8-6 and have a 6-4 advantage in games at Paul Brown Stadium since it opened in 2000.
Last meeting (Week 9, 2009): The Bengals scored on their first three possessions en route to 17-7 win over Baltimore at Paul Brown Stadium. Cedric Benson ran for 117 yards and the defense held the Ravens to 215 total yards.
The coaches
Bengals: Marvin Lewis (56-58-1 overall in eight seasons) is 9-5 against the Ravens, including wins in eight of the past 11 games. He needs nine wins to pass Sam Wyche as the franchise's winningest coach. He is tied with Wyche and Paul Brown for longest tenure.
Ravens: John Harbaugh (24-14) is in his third year and has a 2-2 record against the Bengals. Harbaugh is a graduate of Miami University and spent eight seasons as an assistant at UC.
Injury report
Ravens - Out: T Jared Gaither (back), WR Donte' Stallworth (foot); Questionable: LB Jarret Johnson (back), DT Terrence Cody (knee), LB Tavares Gooden (thigh), TE Todd Heap (shoulder), LB Ray Lewis (foot), LB Jameel McClain (knee); Probable: WR Anquan Boldin (thigh), WR Marcus Smith (knee)
Bengals - Out: DT Jonathan Fanene (hamstring); Questionable: LB Keith Rivers (foot), RB Brian Leonard (foot); Probable: RB Cedric Benson (shoulder), WR Andre Caldwell (groin), CB Brandon Ghee (head).
Tale Of The Tape
NFL rank in parentheses
Bengals Category Ravens
0-1 Record 1-0
24.0 (7) Points for 10.0 (T26)
428.0 (3) Total offense 282.0 (23)
87.0 (23) Rush offense 49.0 (T29)
341.0 (3) Pass offense 233.0 (13)
38.0 (T31) Points allowed 9.0 (T3)
376.0 (T25) Total defense 176.0 (3)
118.0 (T21) Rush defense 116.0 (20)
258.0 (T24) Pass defense 60.0 (1)
-2 (T30) Turnover differential -2 (T30)
FIVE KEYS FOR THE BENGALS
1. Be balanced on offense: The Ravens have a stingy run defense, which means the Bengals are going to have to stretch the field with wide receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens in order to open things up for the running game. The Bengals also must convert on third downs and keep the chains moving.
2. Contain Ray Rice: The third-year running back has burned the Bengals in the past with big plays, whether on runs or screen passes. The Bengals did a better job of bottling him up last year, which was a key to them sweeping the season series.
3. Survive the barrage: The Bengals' offensive line had fits of inconsistency last week. The Ravens could bring a lot of blitzes with linebackers and safeties, creating even more pressure to keep a clean pocket.
4. Three by three: This will be a vital game for Bengals kicker Mike Nugent, since points should be hard to come by. If the Bengals get to the Ravens 30, Nugent has shown he has the range to make long kicks.
5. Nothing downfield: Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Derrick Mason ran plenty of deep routes Monday for the Ravens and drew six pass interference or defensive holding penalties. The Bengals' secondary has more experience but must be more disciplined than it was against the Patriots.
ONE ON ONE: THE KEY MATCHUP
Bengals CB Johnathan Joseph vs. Ravens WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh
What to watch: They opposed each other for three years in practice, and now they get to do it from opposing teams in a game. Joseph and the rest of the Bengals secondary struggled in the loss to the Patriots while Houshmandzadeh caught one pass for 25 yards in his Ravens debut. Houshmandzadeh did draw a pass interference penalty in the end zone that set up the Ravens' lone touchdown.
The skinny: Joseph and the rest of the secondary need to atone for last week's struggles, especially against a top receiving trio.
Quotable: "He's going to do his talking. He's going to do his part of playing. It's always a great competition. Whether it's talking or playing, he's all up for it. We're up to the challenge as well." - Joseph on TJ
The Baltimore Ravens' physical defense was at its bone-jarring best in a successful season opener, ruining the home debut of a 2009 AFC playoff team.
There's not much different about Baltimore's blueprint for Week 2.
A short week could make for a stiffer challenge Sunday in Cincinnati, along with a Bengals team that swept the division rival Ravens last year and is eager for redemption after a miserable opening-week effort.
Baltimore (1-0) opened the season with question marks in the secondary, where star safety Ed Reed (hip) is set to miss six weeks, Dominique Foxworth (torn ACL) is out for the season and fellow cornerback Lardarius Webb is recovering from a similar knee injury.
The Ravens' defensive backfield offered a pretty convincing answer Monday night. Baltimore suffocated the New York Jets' passing attack, holding Mark Sanchez to 74 passing yards and allowing six first downs in a 10-9 victory.
The Jets went 1 of 11 on third down and only spent 21:28 on the field.
"It was the best defensive performance I've seen here," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Everyone wants to talk about the secondary. How'd they play?
"The D-line lived up to its billing. Terrell Suggs just jumped off the field. Ray (Lewis), his performance speaks for itself. You can name guy after guy. Haloti Ngata was dominant. ... He just took over the game."
Baltimore's defense could get better this week. Webb may return, while rookie tackle Terrence Cody could make his debut.
Bengals receive the kickoff
Carson got lucky that pass was not picked
12 men on the field is a terrible penalty in football
What a wasted first series
wow, that looked like a block in the back by the Ravens
Horrible tackling last week, starting this week on thefirst drive
Rice is getting 4 yards on every carry
Where is the Bengals pressure. Terrible
Bengals hold, but the Ravens should be able to put the pun inside the 10
Gresham gets them their first 1st down
well, another WASTED 3rd down!
Thats the first play Odom has made all year
Bengals force another punt. Is that because the D is playing good, or are the Ravens that bad of an offensive team
Benson with 23 yds on 4 carries, he is on pace for another 100 yd game
2nd stupid penalty on the Bengals
There is the Bengals Wes Welker, Shipley is going to be AWESOME
Badly overthrown by Carson
0-0 at the end of the first Quarter with the Bengals inside the Redzone
Carson tries to throw into triple coverage???
Maybe not a wasted drive, but close to it.
Bengals FG gives them a 3-0 lead
WOW Pac Man with the PICK............