Ravens-Bengals Preview

[redlegsfan21]

By CHRIS ANTONACCI
The Baltimore Ravens have additional motivation to unseat the Cincinnati Bengals as the AFC North champions. It's just that the Ravens don't need further inspiration to try to disprove wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh's claims the Bengals are the better team.

The Ravens can clinch their second AFC North title in the franchise's 11-year history Thursday night if they can defeat the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.

Locking up a division title would enable the Ravens (9-2) to focus on their pursuit of securing one of the conference's two first-round byes for the postseason as well as home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

"We're not going to limit ourselves to just winning the division because if you do that, you set yourself up to lose in the playoffs," Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "We have bigger aspirations and bigger goals than winning the division."

Houshmandzadeh and the Bengals (6-5), though, will not concede the AFC North so easily. The wideout, who felt his team was still better than the Ravens after a 26-20 loss to them Nov. 5, refused to back down from his earlier comments but did temper them by saying the Bengals must play better this time.

"I still feel that way, but it doesn't matter what I say, we still have to play," Houshmandzadeh said. "I think we're better than them. We'll find out."

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who threw for only 194 yards and was intercepted twice in the first meeting between the teams, has vowed to have a better performance after watching film of the contest.

"When I say it hurts, I mean it literally hurts watching what we did against them the last time," said Palmer. "We didn't play well at all. I feel we've come a long way and made a lot of progress offensively. They'll be seeing a different unit, a unit they've seen in years past but not in this past game."

Baltimore has won five in a row - coinciding with coach Brian Billick's decision to fire offensive coordinator Jim Fassel and assume play-calling duties - and is coming off a 27-0 rout of Pittsburgh last week in which the Ravens defense registered nine sacks, tying a single-game franchise record.

The Ravens, whose other division title came in 2003, are enjoying their longest winning streak since closing out 2000 with seven straight victories en route to their Super Bowl title.

With a comfortable lead atop the AFC North, the Ravens have been able to put aside Houshmandzadeh's comments ahead of this game.

"Keep your mouth shut, man," Ravens safety Ed Reed said. "Play football. I heard it. It is what it is. The game speaks for itself. If you think you're a better team, then come out and let's play football, man."

Ravens running back Jamal Lewis - who had 66 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers - will try to continue his strong play against the Bengals, who have allowed 361.7 yards per game as the NFL's second-worst defense. Lewis has 1,182 yards, nine TDs and eight 100-yard games in 10 lifetime contests versus the Bengals.

He had 72 yards and a score in the first game this season.

Palmer and the Bengals are trying to win a third straight game and are coming off their most complete game of the season, a 30-0 rout of the Cleveland Browns in which they rolled up 388 yards and forced five turnovers. Palmer threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, while the Bengals yielded just 203 total yards and recorded their first shutout in 17 years.

"The big thing is our offense got on the board right away," said safety Kevin Kaesviharn, who had two interceptions last week. "Once you get a team in the hole, they can't run the plays that they were going to run, and you're able to keep them there."

The Bengals, who led the NFL in turnovers forced last season, have nine takeaways in their last two games after forcing just three in their previous six contests.

Palmer has thrown nine TD passes in the last three games, and Chad Johnson has been his favorite target during his recent surge. Johnson has 24 receptions for 573 yards and five TDs in that span, the second-highest three-game yardage total in NFL history.

With 123 yards against the Browns, Johnson topped the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth straight season. He has 53 catches for 831 yards and six TDs in 11 games against the Ravens but was held to four receptions and 31 yards in the previous game this season.

Baltimore has not swept the season series from Cincinnati since winning twice in a three-week span during the 2002 season.

http://sports.myway.com/news/11292006/v8164.html

[redlegsfan21]

CINCINNATI (AP) -Playing with a chance to win a title, the Baltimore Ravens crossed midfield once in the first three quarters. Their fearsome defense got caught flat-footed by a sandlot play.

Maybe T.J. Houshmandzadeh is right after all.

Houshmandzadeh caught a 40-yard touchdown pass on a flea-flicker Thursday night, sparking the Cincinnati Bengals to a 13-7 victory that kept the AFC North title up for grabs.

"It's huge," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "We're rolling now. Hopefully we'll wind up getting a spot in the playoffs."

A surprisingly stout Bengals defense is keeping them in contention.

Coming off a 30-0 shutout in Cleveland, one of the NFL's lowest-ranked defenses held Baltimore (9-3) scoreless until Steve McNair threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason with 1:01 to play.

Even though it missed out on a second straight shutout, the defense did something that no other Cincinnati unit has done: go seven straight quarters without allowing a point.

"We've put a couple of complete games together," coach Marvin Lewis said.

The Ravens had won five in a row and were coming off their most complete game of the season, a 27-0 victory over Pittsburgh. With a chance to win the AFC North title outright, Baltimore's offense came apart, crossing midfield only once in the first three quarters. Keiwan Ratliff clinched it by recovering the onside kick after Baltimore's late score.

"It's a lost opportunity," tight end Todd Heap. said. "We had a chance to come in here and win the division. Give them some credit. A lot of things went their way tonight. We just never got in the groove."

All of it supported Houshmandzadeh's main point: Right now, Cincinnati (7-5) just might be the better team.

"I still feel the same way," he said.

After the Ravens won 26-20 on Nov. 5, the long-haired receiver insisted that everyone knows the Bengals are better. He repeated it again this week, getting a rise out of some of the Ravens. Safety Ed Reed suggested that Houshmandzadeh should just shut up.

The Ravens were in no position to argue after Houshmandzadeh caught 10 passes for a season-high 106 yards, including the trick-play touchdown that made it 13-0 early in the second half and allowed the defense to dig in on a rainy night.

"I thought we played great in every area tonight," Palmer said. "They didn't do a whole lot different. We just played better."

So, did the win prove that Cincinnati is better?

"In a sense," said Bengals receiver Chad Johnson, who had eight catches for 91 yards. "We're 1-1. We'll see who's the better team if we have to face them again in the playoffs."

The Ravens would love it.

"I'd play them every day of the week," linebacker Bart Scott said. "We missed an opportunity, but our destiny is still in our hands. We might see them again. We might not."

The Bengals don't usually resort to trick plays - their offense has enough firepower to beat teams straight-up. They did something different against one of the league's nastiest defenses.

On their first drive of the second half, Palmer handed off to Rudi Johnson, who then flipped the ball back to him. Houshmandzadeh was well beyond the coverage when Palmer let fly with the flea-flicker pass.

Reed was the only player close to Houshmandzadeh when he caught the ball at the 12-yard line and ran untouched into the end zone.

Palmer had a solid showing against a defense that led the league in interceptions, ranked second in sacks and was third in points allowed. The Ravens rarely got to Palmer, who was on the mark on a rainy night - 21-of-32 for 234 yards with only two sacks.

More stunning was the Bengals' defense.

Cincinnati's defense plummeted to last in the league rankings after giving up 42 second-half points to San Diego and nearly 600 yards to New Orleans. The defense got itself straightened out during the shutout in Cleveland, its first in 17 years.

It was even more impressive against Baltimore.

Baltimore crossed midfield only in the first half, and came away empty when Matt Stover missed a 29-yard field goal in the closing seconds. He made the kick on his first try, but the Bengals strategically called timeout just before the snap.

On the second try, holder Sam Koch struggled with a bad snap and the kick went to the left, only Stover's second miss in 21 tries this season.

The Ravens knew then that it wasn't their day.

By contrast, Shayne Graham connected from 23 and 27 yards in the first half, giving the Bengals an early lead and a chance to relax.

Baltimore played the second half without returner B.J. Sams, who broke the fibula in his lower right leg while returning the kickoff. His right foot twisted awkwardly, and he was taken off the field on a cart with his right ankle in a protective brace.

Notes:

Ravens FB Justin Green hurt his right ankle in the third quarter and didn't return. ... Bengals second-string center Eric Ghiaciuc sprained his right knee late in the first half and didn't return. Center Ben Wilkerson made his NFL debut in the second half. ... Palmer's passer rating was 97.7, ending his streak of three straight games above 120.

http://sports.myway.com/news/12012006/v4725.html