Tale of the tape
Week 1: Baltimore Ravens Vs. Cincinnati Bengals
| Joe Flacco rarely gets categorized with the top quarterbacks in the game, but what he lacks in notoriety he makes up for in guts. Flacco has a plus arm, is usually at his best in big games and his teammates believe in him. | Quarterback | Andy Dalton developed into one of the league’s most surprising up-and-coming players last year. Look for more improvement from Dalton because he sees the field well, makes good decisions and he takes care of the ball. |
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| Few NFL teams can get the explosive plays out of their running game that the Ravens get with speedy Ray Rice. Anquan Boldin is a tough guy who will make plays, and Torrey Smith will not drop the ball. | Offense | The most exciting player on the offensive side of the ball is wide receiver A.J. Green. Look for hard-working BenJarvus Green-Ellis to take advantage of a solid offensive line and give the Bengals a credible ground game. |
| The Ravens won't have Terrell Suggs to rush the passer for a while, but they still have Ray Lewis to run the show. Yes, he has slowed down but he’s still a leader. Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard are a joy to behold. | Defense | Mike Zimmer has done an excellent job turning the Bengal defense into a fast-moving and hard-hitting bunch. The Bengals ranked fourth in yards allowed per play last season. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins destroys the interior run. |
| Billy Cundiff paid the price for missing the game-tying field goal in the AFC Championship game when he was cut in training camp. (Later signed by Washington.) Rookie Justin Tucker of Texas takes over and he has a big leg for kickoffs. | Special Teams | The Bengals like Mike Nugent at placekicker. He returned from ACL surgery to make 33-of-38 field goals last season. Kevin Huber is an above average punter who has good directional skills. |
The winner is
The Bengals usually struggle when expectations are anything but a losing season. Andy Dalton must pick up from where he left off and Marvin Lewis must shepherd the team along. The Ravens are perennial contenders and last year’s painful AFC Championship game loss to New England may spur them this season. Baltimore controls the season opener.
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