I’m not buying the Cincinnati Bengals hype this season. They seem to put together 8-10 good games of football every two or three years and then fell flat down the stretch. Why should 2011 be any different?
With that said, I still think this week’s battle will be hard fought. Say what you will about Marvin Lewis’ team, he has had success against the Ravens and specifically against Joe Flacco. As Ravens fans know, the Bengals split their series with Baltimore last year. But, did you know that under Marvin Lewis the Bengals are 10-6 against the Ravens? The guy knows how to beat his former team.
The Ravens also might want to consider a few more than five running plays this week and not just because the entire team has complained about Cam Cameron’s play calling. In Joe Flacco’s last four games against Cincinnati he has thrown two touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Ouch. The Ravens are 1-3 in those games.
If Baltimore starts slow this week, they will have a much more difficult time climbing themselves out of hole against the Bengals. I think the Ravens are a much better team then Cincinnati, but the AFC North rivalry and history of these two teams certainly has me concerned.
