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.

2. The Bengals are… Special.

Special. That’s a nice way to put it, right? The Bengals are 3-1, and short of a fluke play in Denver in Week One, they would be undefeated. Against the Broncos, Packers and Steelers, that’s impressive.

But the Bengals have also been, well, special. They’re three wins are by a combined 13 points. Their last two games were won by the same score, 23-20, and both with late game-saving touchdown drives.

Statistically, they’re completely average: 21st in total offense and 17th in total defense. Technically, that’s almost worse than average. And all despite starting “so strong” defensively.

Even Chad Johnson has been ‘special’ this season. Two touchdowns last week but just three total catches. He’s been in and out all season long.

So what does all this mean? Um… not sure. It means that the Bengals winning games the hard way, but they are still winning games. So take it easy.

3.The Ravens Rebound.

For the first time this season the Ravens are playing after a loss. They’re also playing after a bit of a sour loss. The Ravens generally held their own in New England, but plenty of short-comings were exposed.

A good Ravens victory this week should have a number of changes from last week… (1) more rushing, , (2) improved returns, (3) a terrorizing defense in-control of itself.

That last one is the one to really keep an eye on. Can the Ravens continue to harass quarterbacks while keeping control of the penalties? If they relent, will the defense still be able to control opposing offenses?

I guess the bottom line here is that we are still waiting for an absolutely complete game from the Ravens – against someone other than the Browns. The Bengals provide that opportunity. Can the Ravens take it?

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): Statement game by the Steelers… almost. The offense hit a new level on the back of Rashard Mendenhall. Proves that with a running game, every team looks better. Roethlisberger is still playing too well for his own good. But for another week the fourth quarter was trouble and the defense is not closing games out. Next Game: @ Detroit (1-3)

Cleveland Browns (0-4): The Browns showed some signs of life on Sunday, taking the Bengals to the wire. It was an unusual game: the Browns looked lost in the first half and then should have won in the second, but they let it slip away. This team will continue to struggle, but they aren’t the league’s worst. Next Game: @ Buffalo (1-3)

Thumbs Up:

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben threw for over 300 yards for the second time this season and didn’t throw an interception for the first time this season. He has been playing too well for the Steelers to be just 2-2.

Rashard Mendenhall: Mendenhall ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns, proving that the Steelers still have a running game (sometimes) and that Mendenhall deserves his carries (when he behaves).

Jerome Harrison: The Browns new starter in the wake of Jamal Lewis’ injury has been impressive in two starts. In Baltimore he broke 50 yards on limited carries, and against Cincinnati he topped 120.

Terrell Suggs: Played well, made a game-changing play for a touchdown in the Ravens loss to the Pats, and learned how to keep his mouth shut post game.

Thumbs Down

Ravens Receivers: After a stellar start to the game, including six receptions by Derrick Mason on the team’s first scoring drive, the Ravens receivers disappeared. Dropped passes galore.

AFC North Special Teams: Kickers, returners, punters… they’ve all been bad with few exceptions. This week it was Shayne Graham’s blocked extra point to send Browns-Bengals in overtime; Chris Carr fumbling on the opening kickoff in New England; and Stefan Logan’s fumble on a punt return. Oh, and that doesn’t include the Steelers botching an opportunity to recover an onside kick attempt by the Chargers.

Chad Ochocinco: Hard to give a thumbs down to a guy that caught two touchdown passes… but when you only catch three passes for 24 yards against a more than suspect pass defense, you’re not brag-worthy.

Three Issues:

Who’s Number One? The Bengals and Ravens face off for early supremacy in the AFC North. With the Bengals already having an edge on the Steelers, taking the one-game lead on the Bengals would be extra helpful for the Ravens. Meanwhile, the Bengals are trying to prove they belong in the conversation.

Is this division still about defense? The Ravens and Steelers are both turning heads for their offensive prowess and both have become suspect defensively. The Ravens are third in points per game and total offense, the Steelers sixth in total offense. And while Cleveland and Cincinnati have both had offensive struggles, they are both improving. For most of this decade, the AFC North was the hardest hitting division in the NFL… are they losing their edge?

Can they really win? The Browns go to Buffalo and have a chance at their first win of the season against a struggling Bills team. The Browns offense looked poised to break out against the Bengals and against a weaker Bills defense they might be able to. If the Browns get rolling on offense, they won’t be quite as much fun to play.