This rematch is in Cincinnati and the Ravens look to be the spoiler in this game. Ravens fans and players were not happy with the way the first match up ended in Baltimore just a few weeks ago. The Bengals drove down the field on the final drive and Ray Lewis was flagged for hitting receiver Chad 85 knocking his helmet off. After the hit by Lewis the defense surrendered TD in the closing seconds. The Bengals O-line pushed the Ravens around a bit and Cedric Benson ran for over 100 yards in that game as well. The Ravens will be motivated while having regained some confidence after last week’s performance.

OFFENSE: QB Carson Palmer continues success this season making good decisions and consistently connecting passes to his talented wide receivers. The offensive line featuring three new starters with Left tackle Andrew Whitworth, Bobbie Williams and Kyle Cook are progressing well. Wide receivers Chad Ohcocinco and WR Andre Caldwell are getting plenty of opportunities and both have had game changing catches. There is depth at the receiver position with Laveranues Coles and Chris Henry. Tight End J.P. Foschi is has moved up in the depth chart. Running back Cedric Benson continues to prove he is a legitimate running back and is consistently running the ball well.

Lately: The Bengals dismantled the Chicago Bears before their bye week. QB Carson Palmer was stellar attacking the secondary with his talented receivers. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has only given up one sack this year. The offense remains a challenge for any defense, the unit is well balanced.

DEFENSE: Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer motivates his unit each week to play at a high level. Linebackers Rey Maualuga (rookie), Dhani Jones (65 tackles) and Keith Rivers (61 tackles) have improved this defense. A key injury since the last meeting with the Ravens is Defensive end Antwan Odom who is out for the season. Cornerbacks and Johathan Joseph and Leon Hall are making plays, sometimes however giving up too many yards with the mid to deep pass. The secondary has eight interceptions, three for Jonathan Joseph and three for Leon Hall along with two by Chris Crocker.
Lately: Overall the defense getting pressure upfront and is getting the job done. If there is any weakness with the secondary it is that they are giving up some passing yardage.

MATCH-UPS: Chalk it up!

Ravens Defense: The unit is coming off an excellent defensive game and will have to step up again in order to slow down RB Cedric Benson. With QB Carson Palmer and the deep threat the defense will not be able to keep the safeties up in the box as they did against Denver. Receivers Chad 85 and Andre Caldwell must me kept in check. The Ravens blitzing schemes and movement at the line was a welcomed sight against Denver and they will need to remain committed to pressuring QB Palmer in order to be effective.

Cedric Benson vs. Ray Lewis: Round 2. Ray Lewis and teammates will be motivated to contain RB Cedric Benson. The Ravens linebackers will have to stay true to their form and relay on shutting down any running lanes Benson has available.

Chad 85 vs. Secondary: You might think that the Ravens will double team Chad 85, however, a new target has emerged for Palmer in WR Andre Caldwell. The Ravens secondary covered and tackled well last week, they must continue to be aggressive in order to cover the Bengals receivers. Ed Reed scored a pick 6 against Palmer the first match up.

Ravens offensive game plan: Ravens offense mustered only one TD in the last meeting. In their first match up the Ravens offense failed to make big plays downfield and in this game Flacco will need to throw into tight windows to have success. The running game with Ray Rice is starting to take on consistency and the offense will need to have big day on the ground in order to open up the passing game. Hopefully, we’ll see McClain and McGahee get a few more touches.

Ray Rice vs. Bengals LB’s: Ray Rice should be starting to draw attention from opposing defenses. Rice is a threat when the ball is in his hands and it will be interesting to see how the Bengals try to slow him down. It will also be interesting to see if Cam Cameron mixes it up with McGahee and McClain to throw off the Bengals who are preparing for Rice.

Bengals Defensive line vs. Ravens Offensive line: In game one Michale Oher was forced to start in the Left tackle position, with Jadred Gaither back it will be a positive factor for the O-line in this game.

Division Game: The Bengals sit atop the Ravens and this match up is crucial. The Ravens offense had a chance to finish the Bengals off a few weeks ago and this game if the opportunity arises they must execute. The Ravens offense had a spectacular drive to finish off Denver which will give the unit momentum heading into to Sunday’s match-up. The Defense must keep the mindset of attacking every team they play; priority number one is continuing the intensity from last week.