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Scott Garceau: Why Ravens Win Sunday

I don't have a problem with most of the "experts" picking Cincinnati to win the AFC North. They're a talented team and the defending division champs. In Cincinnati I got a feeling the fans don't much care if the Bengals are the choice to win the division until they get something done in the playoffs.

Who knows who gets hurt, who gets hot and how it all plays out? If it was that easy figure out the NFL wouldn't have that must see TV aspect. I might give the Bengals a slight edge over the Ravens and Steelers but I wouldn't be surprised if any of the 3 won the division or 2 of the 3 made the playoffs.

For a lot of years this division was easier to handicap, it was a two team race won by either the Ravens or the Steelers. Marvin Lewis and his guys have changed that, no longer the Bungels they've made the playoffs three straight years and have won the division two of the last five years.

Top 4 Reasons Ravens Win Sunday
1. Home Sweet Home! The Ravens have won 8 straight home openers (6-0 with John Harbaugh), they've won 14 straight at home in September. M&T Bank Stadium is the best home field advantage this side of Seattle.
2. A new and improved offensive line. This group was terrible last season; they couldn't protect the quarterback and were dead last in the NFL running the football.
3. Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. These 3 Pro Bowl veterans will have fresh legs to start the season, all three are game changers who were up and down last season. This trio should bring it Sunday.
4. Flacco, Smith, Pitta, Kubiak, Smith Sr. There's a nice mix of old and new in the Ravens offense. Flacco has more to work with and should rebound from a bad season with a new system refined by OC Gary Kubiak. Torrey Smith gets better each season, Dennis Pitta is rock solid and Steve Smith Sr., while no longer an elite receiver, brings a competitiveness and toughness that Anquan Boldin took to San Francisco.

4 Reasons I Might Be Wrong
1. A.J. Green, the best player on the field. His 1,426 receiving yards were 6th best in the NFL last season.
2. The Ravens secondary. Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb form a top notch corner combo but have battled injuries and haven't been on the field much, the same for corner Asa Jackson. Can Matt Elam and Darian Stewart cover on the back end?
3. Giovani Bernard had over 1,200 combined yards his rookie season, adding 8 TDs. The Ravens need to limit his big plays.
4. Like "the experts" often I am.
Last December the Bengals knocked the Ravens out of the post-season picture with a 34-17 win in Cincinnati. In a wild November game in Baltimore the Ravens survived an Andy Dalton Hail Mary pass to beat the Bengals in overtime.
My Pick
Bengals 20 Ravens 24

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