MVN: Most Valuable Network

Next to the Detroit Lions, the Bengals may be the most hapless team in the NFL. Their star quarterback Carson Palmer is on the shelf, wide receiver "Ocho Cinco" is grumbling louder with each game, DE Robert Geathers, one of their better defensive players is out for the game, and head coach Marvin Lewis seems to have lost the team. Sounds like the Ravens should walk all over them doesn't it?

Don't count on it! These teams are familiar with each other and that will benefit the Bengals. The Ravens have dropped 3 of the last 4 games they've played in Cincinnati, and that's because the Bengals knew where to attack the Ravens on both offense and defense.

This one is anything but a sure bet.... 

I'm sure John Harbaugh has been stressing to his team the need to be focused going into the Bengals den. Human nature would make you think that the Ravens players might become a bit overconfident looking at the sorry state of the Bengals. That would be a huge mistake. Most times when teams are looking down the road instead of paying attention to the matter at hand they wind up stumbling. For the Ravens it could be more like a free fall. With the caliber of opposition the Ravens will face in the final 5 weeks this is one game the team has to win. A loss here could end any hopes of a play off birth and send the team reeling down the stretch.

The Bengals current starting quarterback, Harvard grad Ryan Fitzpatrick, has been knocked around pretty good, sustaining 28 sacks on the year. But, he has also thrown 6 TD's, so it's not like he can't get the job done if given time. Fitzpatrick can also use his legs, having rushed 31 times for 186 yards, a 6.1 yard average.  In the NFL there's no such thing as a bad player, it's just that some are better then others, but all know how to play the game.

Cincinnati's twin towers at receiver, the formentioned Chad Johnson, and the ever dangerousT.J.Houshmandzadeh, can burn any team with their quickness and leaping ability, something the Ravens secondary can have problems with. Containing them won't be an easy task and if Fitzpatrick can find them early the Bengals could take a quick lead which would bolster their spirits. Football is a game of momentum, and the key is to keep it on your side, and away from the other team. When any team gets that "Mo" going they can be dangerous, and the Bengals are no different in that regard.

The keys for the Ravens will be to pick up where they left off against the Eagles, playing sound in the secondary,  stuffing the run, and getting after the quarterback. If the Ravens can rattle Fitzpatrick then he will most likely make mistakes, as shown by his 7 interceptions to date. The health of the Ravens offensive line is also a worry for this game. Jared Gaither is playing with one arm, Adam Terry is coming back from a concusion, and Willie Anderson is nursing a injured foot, making it difficult for him to plant it firmly.  Rookie Oneil Cousins may once again find himself thrust into the action after getting the call two weeks against the Giants. Hopefully he can continue to make progress.

As a team Cincinnati only has 8 interceptions, but Joe Flacco will have to continue to avoid passing the ball into tight spots. Flacco had some difficulty agaist Philadelphia, but made just enough plays in the 2nd half of that game to come away with a win. This week he should see a little less pressure, and hopefully that will translate into scoring points early. That will be a top priority seeing as how the Ravens defense can be down right nasty when they're protecting a lead, and can snuff the life out of their opponent.

Key Matchups

T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs. Fabian Washington -  T.J.'s 71 receptions far and away make him the biggest threat the Bengals have on offense. Washington will no doubt find himself going one on one against Houshmandzadeh numerous times during the game. If Fitzpatrick can find him in those situations Washington may come out on the short end of the play. 

Willie Anderson vs. Jonathan Fanene - Anderson has been waiting for his chance to show his old team that he's anything but washed up. I'm guessing his foot may not bother him as much this week. 

Willis McGahee and Ray Rice  vs the Bengals defensive front -  Neither McGahee or Rice were impressive against the Eagles, and both of them need to get their game back on track. McGahee hasn't looked very good in the majority of games he's played this season, breaking the century mark only two times. It's time for him to start playing like a number one back, after all, he's being paid like one.