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)

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2): The Steelers snuck by the Lions on Sunday. A lot of people are claiming it’s nothing to even think twice about because it looked like the Steelers we all know – the game looks close, but Pitt is always in control. But I’ve got to wonder how in control the Steelers really were. The defense is coming around, but still not entirely healthy – and they won’t be until Troy Polamalu returns. Meanwhile, Big Ben and his pick-six parties are getting old in Pittsburgh. Next Game: vs. Cleveland (1-4)

Cleveland Browns (1-4): For a long while on Sunday I thought I was watching the worst football game ever played (I was watching the Ravens). Then I happened to notice the Browns-Bills game. A game that finished 6-3 Browns and a winning quarterback who completed just 2 of 17 pass attempts. That’s right, the Browns totaled 23 pass yards on 2 completed passes the whole game. And won. Brutal. The NFL has some very, very bad teams right now. The Browns are among the worst of them. Next Game: at Pittsburgh (3-2)

Thumbs Up!

Chad Ochocinco: As much as I hate to admit it, the man was all over the field against the Ravens. His fumble and whining were silly, but he was beating the Ravens every play.

Ed Reed: That’s the Ed Reed we’re all used to seeing. Hope we see more of him too.

James Harrison: The Steelers pass rushing machine was off to a slow start. It might have been the Lions, but the three sacks still count.

Thumbs Down

Derek Anderson: Seriously, Anderson is supposed to be the improvement now? (This just in: Brady Quinn put his Cleveland home up for sale)

Ravens Secondary: Demolished for the third time this season and little hope in sight – except maybe for a Brett Favre bad day.

Brad St. Louis: The Bengals long-snapper botched two more snaps Sunday against the Ravens. Luckily for him only one really made a difference. He’s been cut.

Ben Roethlisberger: Up for playing well, down for throwing big interceptions. Against a better team, a pick-six costs more.

Three Storylines to Follow

Can the Bengals Keep It Up? Houston may not look like the biggest baddest opponent on the horizon, and I’ve never bought into any of the “this is Houston’s year” silliness we hear each fall, but they are not a team that’s easy to walk over. The Bengals defense will have their work cut out for them. I expect a shootout in Cincy.

Can the Ravens Rebound? It’s kind of funny to hear people ask if the Ravens can bounce back and say that John Harbaugh has never faced this situation before. Not quite. Last year, remember, the Ravens lost three straight to three very good teams before going 9-2 the rest of the season. The better question is WHEN will the Ravens rebound, because it’s not until they see the Browns in Week 10 that the Ravens get a reprieve (Minnesota is 5-0, Denver is 5-0, Cincinnati is 4-1).

Three Playoff Teams? It seems highly unlikely. In fact, it is highly unlikely. Incredibly improbably. But look around a bit. The AFC South and AFC West both appear to be one team divisions. No one else even looks competitive. Then in the AFC North and AFC East, you’ve got three competitive teams in each. It’s somewhat unknown just how good the Jets and Dolphins truly are this year – and they get to face the Bengals and Steelers, respectively. Could all three AFC North contenders find their way to the post season? With a little help from New England, maybe.

And not just once. Not just twice. But three times over in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. Surprising in part because just last year Rex Ryan and the Ravens dominated the Dolphins in Miami twice, and the Wildcat was declared extinct.

Everyone’s vulnerable. It’s about making adjustments. The Ravens problems, but they have plenty to work with. It’s just not guaranteed. It takes time, it takes effort. There is a learning curve. Have patience.

So far the most popular answer I’ve heard is the Ravens “weak” secondary. Just about everyone is pointing to a secondary that has allowed big numbers to big names. From Foxworth’s lack of physicality to Carr’s stumbles to Walker’s penalties.

In reality, we should be placing blame on every single Ravens player and coach that took the field on Sunday. They all failed. They all had opportunities and they all missed them. What we saw yesterday was exactly the opposite of the sharp, smart and dangerous Ravens teams we have come to know and love.

Following a nasty loss in New England last week, everyone expected the Ravens to bounce back with a vengeance and obliterate the Bengals. Instead, we got a lackluster effort. We got a team that looked too comfortable for its own good and then uncomfortable when it mattered most.

For me, it all starts with coaching. As a team, the Ravens were not ready to play yesterday. Whether it was complacency or disinterest or lack of focus, the Ravens did not walk into M&T Bank Stadium like a team that was ready to win that game. And that falls on the shoulders of John Harbaugh and his staff. No matter how good the Ravens may have looked in week’s past, it is the staff’s job to make sure they are ready to go on gameday. They weren’t.

You could tell on the first few series – the Ravens simply didn’t have their heads in the game. They looked bored.

But aside from the team’s overall lack of intensity, each unit lacked focus and discipline individually.

Offensively, the entire group looked disjointed. I am still unsure of any of Cam Cameron’s game plans. While the Ravens have been impressive at times, they don’t have an offensive identity. After criticism last week for being too pass-happy, it seemed that Cameron came down too far. The Ravens offense was predictable.

The Bengals defense is far improved from years past, but they are not spectacular. The Ravens should have been able to exploit some weaknesses, but they didn’t. That falls on Cameron.

Defensively, everyone is happy to point fingers at the Ravens secondary. And yes, the group has been a weak point this season. Unfortunately, mid-season, there is not a lot to be done about personnel. We’re stuck with who we’ve got. What bothers me more than our personnel failure has been Greg Mattison’s inability to adjust his defensive schemes to help his personnel.

The Ravens shifted their secondary personnel over the last two seasons – away from physicality and towards speed. That’s okay, actually. But you can’t expect a speedy corner to play like a physical corner. Washington, Foxworth and Carr cannot just overpower good receivers, they have to outsmart them. All three corners (four including Frank Walker) have done a fine job running with their man most games – but they have failed at making plays. Foxworth tried his best on Sunday, mauling Chris Henry to draw a pass interference call, and Henry still made the catch and ran 50 yards.

It is up to Mattison and his staff to find a scheme that works for these defensive backs. That’s going to mean teaching them how to find and play the ball, not the man. The Ravens will lose 9 times out of 10 if their DBs try to play the man. And up front, Mattison needs to find a scheme or a personnel package that is able to pressure the quarterback and assist the secondary.

On all three levels of the coaching pyramid the Ravens looked outmatched. It’s not a nice feeling, nor one I want to get used to. The Ravens have the talent – on the field and on the sidelines – to win every game they play. Both sides need to work to make that real.

There’s just hours left to vote for One Winning Drive. Click the link above and get your vote in! We can win!! (and there’s nothing up for grabs but the title of Maryland’s Best Sports Blog).

Ravens Rush vs. Bengals Defense

The Bengals rush defense ranks 14th in the league allowing just over 100 yards per game. The Ravens rushing attack is 5th in the league topped 100 yards against the Patriots on just 17 carries. The real question is whether the Ravens will run or not. The Ravens lack of rushing attempts has hurt them several times this season (even in victories). And in limited attempts, stuffing the box on short yardage is that much easier (as the Pats showed). Edge: Ravens +1

Ravens Pass vs. Bengals Defense

The Bengals pass rush has been excellent this year, especially from newly signed Antwaan Odom, who leads the NFL with 8 sacks. As a team, the Bengals have 12 sacks, putting them close to the top of the league. With Jared Gaither unlikely to play for the Ravens, rookie Michael Oher will move to the left side and handle Odom. If the Ravens can contain Odom, they have a good shot. Despite all the pressure, the Bengals have just two interceptions and are 24th in the league in pass defense. Edge: Ravens +1

Bengals Rush vs. Ravens Defense

Cedric Benson has been one of the league’s strongest runners for the last 10 weeks. No, really. Cedric Benson. But even so, Benson is no match for the Ravens top-ranked rush defense, which is showing true signs of greatness (under 60 yards on the ground per game). The Ravens will have to work to contain Benson and the Bengals, but not too hard. Edge: Ravens +1

Bengals Pass vs. Ravens Defense

The Bengals passing attack is not the monster it once was, but it is still a weapon. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are a dangerous combination when they get on the same page. Lucky for the Ravens, their defense has shown the ability to shut down a single big receiver when necessary. The Ravens will double Johnson and minimize his impact… they hope. The bigger question is can the Ravens force Palmer into making mistakes? He’s not a mistake-prone kind of guy. Edge: Even

Special Teams

Both units have been pretty sad. The Ravens have improved their kick coverage dramatically and their punt game is fantastic, but their returns have been weak and costly. The Bengals bring one of the league’s worst return defenses to Baltimore, opening up the possibility for some big plays. Edge: Even

Intangibles

The Ravens are great at home… the Bengals have been good at coming from behind and closing out games late, and they’ve done it before against the Ravens… the Ravens are hot after last week’s close loss to the Pats… the Bengals have been winning games they don’t deserve to win… Hmmm Edge: Ravens (+.5)

Prediction

My edge game has the Ravens +3.5… which, using this entirely not scientific or even empirical method, should mean a big win for the Ravens. The Ravens look to be the better team in every facet of their game. That might be purely based on match-ups (maybe the Bengals just match-up better against the Steelers for some reason?) or it might be that the Bengals don’t fit my match-ups mold. I don’t think the Bengals fit anyone’s molds. Their so close to 4-0 and in such crazy ways. That scares me.

Ravens 37, Bengals 13

With the Texans heading to Arizona this weekend to play the Cardinals, there’s been a popular storyline emerging about a match-up of the league’s best receivers. The Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald is the current ‘it’ receiver after his ridiculous playoff streak last season, while Andre Johnson has been considered one of the league’s best players on a bad team.

So who’s the best receiver in the league?

As always, for me, it depends on how you define best.

Statistically in their career? Randy Moss. In the last three seasons? Probably Fitzgerald, with Terrell Owens and Reggie Wayne close behind. Biggest play maker over their career? Probably Moss again.

Biggest play maker right now? Probably a guy that’s been overshadowed by Fitzgerald recently, his teammate Anquan Boldin.

Boldin’s attitude and history of injury take him out of the equation for some, but his natural ability is freakish. He averages more yards per game than Fitzgerald and more yards after catch (far more in fact, 5.4 to Fitzgerald’s 3.6). The argument could be made that Fitzgerald has simply stolen the spotlight thanks to Boldin’s injuries.

Personally, Andre Johnson hardly figures into the equation. Johnson has made some spectacular plays and long been the Texans lone shining star. But a league star he is not. And that is taking nothing away from his monstrous season in 2008, when he averaged nearly 100 yards per game and scored eight touchdowns.

But, if you were to ask me who I would want on my team right now to build an offense around, it would be Fitzgerald. No questions asked. Raw talent, speed, smart, great route runner and little attitude to boot. Tell me I’m wrong.

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?