Cincinnati Bengals (4-1): Never thought the Bengals would be the first team talked about in this breakdown… but here we go. The Bengals are an anomaly right now. Their record says they need to be taken seriously (especially with wins over Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Green Bay, and a close loss to Denver). But their statistics say they are just another middle of the road team on all sides of the ball: 18th in total offense, 17th in total defense. The question is: will the record eventually match the stats or will the stats eventually match the record? One of the two is bound to happen. Personally, I’m betting on the latter – but I’ll let the season play that out. Next Game: vs. Houston (2-3)

Baltimore Ravens (3-2): The Ravens have had a pretty funky fall from grace in the last two weeks. They had a chance to win in New England on the final drive, but failed. They also had plenty of chances to close out the Bengals (in a game the Ravens had no business winning), but failed there as well. If the Ravens win either of these games, no one even gives a second thought to how “real” the Ravens are. But they didn’t win. And that’s all there is to it. The road ahead is no easier and the Ravens need to establish a team identity and fast. Even the Bengals have one right now, even if its as silly as “winning every game in the final minute.” Next Game: @ Minnesota (5-0)

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Three story lines to follow as the Bengals come to Baltimore on Sunday…

1. Carson Palmer can beat the Ravens.

The Carson Palmer of 2009 may not be in the same form we’ve come to know, but he is still Carson Palmer. And Carson Palmer has the ability to throw the ball all over the Ravens when he’s feeling good. He’s done it before.

Overall, in nine games against the Ravens, Palmer has a quarterback rating of 87.6 with 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Not outstanding, but not shabby either.

But those numbers are skewed a bit. Palmer either plays his best or his worst against Baltimore. Palmer has six games against the Ravens with a QB Rating over 90 – in four of those games his QB rating is well over 100. In the other three games, his rating is under 60. There’s no middle ground.

Again, this year’s Palmer may not be able to do that – the Bengals are not the offensive force they once were. But if he’s done it before, he can do it again.

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Baltimore Ravens (3-1): Tough loss in New England, but a good showing. Despite a number of problems and mistakes, the Ravens were just yards away from a victory in the game’s final moments. The defense did an acceptable job defending against Tom Brady and his receivers. Still waiting for and expecting this team to get back to its ground-game roots. Next Game: vs. Bengals (3-1)

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1): The Bengals barely escaped the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, winning in overtime on a Shayne Graham field goal. Still curious how the Bengals failed to run away with the game, though, as they had a big lead early following a series of Cleveland turnovers. Also wondering what kind of team lets the Browns back into it. Next Game: @ Ravens (3-1)

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): Read the rest of this entry »

Baltimore Ravens (3-0): The Ravens rolled against Cleveland, not even a hitch in the giddyup. The Ravens offense also continued to impress – scoring 30 points in three consecutive games is not easy, even if two opponents were a bit weak. More importantly for the Ravens, their defense seemed to find some renewed confidence and swagger. It may have only been the Browns, but the team’s four interceptions are nothing to laugh about. Heading to New England this week, however, you can’t exactly expect the same kind of mistakes from Tom Brady as from Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Put enough pressure on him, however, and you can never be sure. Next Game: @ New England (2-1)

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1): The Bengals pulled the upset at home as predicted here (and many other places). It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t even cute. For three quarters the Bengals were pretty well handled by the Steelers, and then the Bengals offense showed up and made some plays. But a win is a win, and the Bengals are second in the division. It’s hard to tell what to believe about the Bengals this season. Their defense was still stout against the Steelers, but the Steelers offense has struggled mightily this season. And the Bengals offense only came together at the end. What we do know is that with a re-energized Carson Palmer, they can be trouble. Next Game: @ Cleveland (0-3).

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2): Read the rest of this entry »

First, in case you hadn’t heard already… this blog has been nominated for a Mobbie! That would be a Baltimore Sun award a one of Maryland’s Outstanding Blogs. We are nominated both as a Sports blog and a Ravens blog. Click the link to the right to vote for us! You can vote once per day for the next two weeks. Show the world you love your ExtremeRavens and One Winning Drive.

But here are some other random thoughts …

–Steve Tasker brought up an interesting point from John Harbaugh during yesterday’s Ravens victory. Harbaugh said that he expects the Ravens defense to give up more yards as the team’s offense improves. It sounds a bit funky at first, but it seems somewhat valid. As the Ravens score more points, they are putting pressure on opponents to score more points as well. Which means instead of just trying to grind it out and not make mistakes against the Ravens, opposing teams are going to let loose.

I’m not entirely sure how much I buy it, mainly because I don’t buy that other teams weren’t trying to get yards against us before. But additionally, I think when opponents really press to move the ball against this defense, they will force themselves into mistakes and ultimately hurt their own cause. But there may be some merit to the view that with a good offense, its hard to keep defensive numbers perfect.

–I don’t mean to hate on Rex Ryan and crew, but I’m not buying the Jets quite yet. They’ve won some great games and looked pretty strong… but I just don’t buy that their defense is the league’s best. And I really don’t buy that their offense can win games for them when necessary. The Jets beat the Patriots and Titans, both formidable opponents, but both at home. And both with glaring weaknesses.

First, the Titans, for as good as they “should” be, were 0-2 heading into New York. They lost a close game to Pittsburgh in overtime, giving up well over 300 yards passing to Big Ben and company. Then in Week 2 they gave up 34 points to the Texans. The Texans, people. The Titans are not the force they were last year, and they ran all over the Jets.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are a big question mark right now. Maybe I’ll change my mind after the Ravens game this weekend, but for now, they are a question mark. The Pats defense has been suspect since last season – and the Jets weren’t exactly able to exploit that weakness. Meanwhile, the Pats offense lacks a running game in any way, shape or form. Which opens up all kinds of opportunities for Rex Ryan and his pass rush madness.

Bottom line… the Jets have been playing well, but I think there are weaknesses that will be exposed. The Titans were able to run on the Jets, they just weren’t able to hold the ball. There are paths to glory here.

–The AFC North will be a lot of fun this season… short of the Browns. The Bengals late upset of the Steelers yesterday not only put a twinkle of great hope into the eyes of all Ravens fans (a two game lead on the Steelers?!) but also solidified the Bengals as true contenders. Perhaps what is scariest about the Bengals is that they have been successful despite mediocre play from Carson Palmer. If (when?) Palmer finds his way back to the star he once was, that team will be scary. Meanwhile, the Bengals-Ravens match-up two weeks away looks stellar – it may prove to be the Ravens first true test offensively (depending on the Pats game).

Baltimore Ravens (2-0). The Ravens offense appears for real. For the second straight week, the unit put up more than 30 points (all by the offense alone) and is now second in the league in points scored. In fact, if not for Drew Brees and the Saints, this team would probably be #1 overall. With the Browns coming to town, another 30 point week doesn’t appear out of the question. The question appears to be when this defense will show signs of the dominant force it once was. The Ravens are a popular pick for number in power polls across the country, but even local fans know there are signs that might not last long. This Week: vs. Browns (0-2).

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1). The Steelers lost a brutal defensive battle in Chicago to fall to 1-1. The defense was dominant throughout most of the game, but it was the Steelers offense that struggled. For the second straight week (and beginning the second straight season), the Steelers seem to have lost their rush attack. With an embattled offensive line as well, offensive production is falling to Big Ben, whose body can only take so many poundings. The Steelers had many opportunities to win this game, including a pair of Jeff Reed field goal misses, but never closed the door. Unlike last week, this is un-classic Steelers football. This Week: @ Cincinnati (1-1) Read the rest of this entry »

Not too many surprises in the AFC North in Week 1… but here’s the breakdown…

Baltimore Ravens: W (1-0) against Chiefs (0-1). The Ravens aired it out and totaled more than 500 yards of total offense – good for best in the AFC and second best in the NFL. But we didn’t really learn too much about this Ravens team. Beating up on what may be the league’s worst team, and giving up some big plays at crucial times, doesn’t bode well. In short, the Ravens are still a mystery. Don’t bet on 500 yards against the Steelers. This Week: at San Diego (1-0).

Pittsburgh Steelers: W (1-0) against Titans (0-1). Classic Steelers football on Thursday. The defense took a few drives to find its feet, but shut the Titans down later in the game and never let things get out of hand. Big Ben and the offense took a few shots, but made the plays when they had to. Many fans had to be wondering why the Steelers were even in the game in the third quarter – but that’s how good football teams play. This week: at Chicago (0-1).

Cleveland Browns: L (0-1) against Vikings (1-0). The Browns introduced themselves as the division whipping boys this season with a blowout loss against Minnesota. The Vikings proved they are deserving of mentions as Super Bowl contenders, running and throwing all over the Browns. Brady Quinn and the offense showed some signs of life, but never made it count against a tough Vikings defense. This week: at Denver (1-0). Read the rest of this entry »