After losing the AFC North to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013, the Baltimore Ravens seek retaliation as they host Marvin Lewis, Andy Dalton and company in their season opener.
Bengals vs. Ravens 2014 game preview: Early look at 2 potential AFC North champions
The last two AFC North division champs meet in one of the best Week 1 matchups of the NFL schedule.
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Cincinnati and Baltimore split their two games in 2013, each team winning on its home turf. However, the Bengals were an overtime score away from the season sweep.
The Bengals are riding high following back-to-back-to-back postseason appearances, the first such feat in franchise history. Working against them, though, are the coaching defections of play caller Jay Gruden and defensive guru Mike Zimmer. How well replacements Hue Jackson and Paul Guenther perform in their place will dictate whether Cincinnati makes a team-record fourth straight trip to the playoffs.
The Ravens, on the other hand, snapped a five-year postseason streak after struggling to adapt to a new roster and the spotlight that accompanies a Super Bowl title defense. Starting quarterback Joe Flacco took on heightened criticism for his regressed play and his hefty new contract, while the defense failed to stop anyone on the ground.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup below.
Meet the Bengals
While losing both coordinators will have the greatest impact on the Bengals in 2014, the biggest story out of Cincinnati this offseason was the long-term extension given to quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton’s win-loss success is inarguable; in his three years piloting the Bengals’ offense, the team has gone 30-18 and qualified for the playoffs each season. Dalton has averaged nearly 3,800 yards per year and has seen his touchdown figures grow annually.
However, Dalton is not held in the same regard as top passers Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers despite drawing a comparable paycheck. Dalton's contract has been criticized for hamstringing the Bengals without providing "elite" quarterback play. Even if the merits of debating that term aren't always clear, Dalton does need to continue improving to justify his new deal.
On defense, the Bengals may be without Zimmer, but they regain the services of All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins. The impact Atkins can have on a football game is nearly unmatched; had it not been for J.J. Watt's insane 2012 campaign, Atkins would have been the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Cincinnati also adds first-round cornerback Darqueze Dennard, who figures to carve out a role in the nickel and sub packages during the season. Lewis, who's coached defense in the league for years, has raved about the rookie Dennard.
The Bengals have lost their last two regular season openers, and opening on the road against Baltimore won’t be the easiest opportunity to snap that.
Meet the Ravens
Despite winning a championship just two seasons ago, the Ravens have experienced a near-complete turnover of their defense. Out of Baltimore's current defensive roster, only four players (Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Jimmy Smith and Courtney Upshaw) started or played a significant role in Super Bowl XLVII. That doesn't mean the Ravens' new defense won't be as effective or better than their old one, though.
Leading the wave of young talent is 2014 first-round pick C.J. Mosley. Mosley comes out of Nick Saban's Alabama football machine and should make an almost seamless transition into the NFL. Second-year safety Matt Elam may not possess the range that Ed Reed once had, but he's an intimidating force who can both make plays on boundary receivers and knock over running backs. The Ravens are also expecting big things from cornerback Jimmy Smith and new starting defensive lineman Brandon Williams.
Offensively, the Ravens are facing an uncertain future at running back. Ray Rice will only miss two games due to his domestic violence suspension, but he's coming off his worst season as a pro in which he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry and totaled 660 rushing yards. It was the worst rushing attack in the NFL. If neither he nor the similarly unproductive Bernard Pierce can establish the ground game, it's going to be a much more difficult season for quarterback Joe Flacco. To aid his plight, Baltimore added veteran receiver Steve Smith to try and serve in a similar capacity to that of Anquan Boldin in 2012.
The Ravens lost their regular season opener in 2013 but won the preceding five.
Injuries
Bernard Pierce, who’s being counted on to fill in for Ray Rice during the suspension, appeared on the Ravens official injury report this week with a mild concussion but is expected to play. Other than him, the only other banged up Raven is cornerback Ladarrius Webb, who’s expected to return from a back injury that kept him out the entire preseason.
For the Bengals, reserve running back Rex Burkhead and wideout Marvin Jones have been ruled out. Star linebacker Vontaze Burfict was limited in practice this week but should be ready to go.
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Odds
The Ravens are favored by 1.5 points over the Bengals.
Next Week
The Bengals' next game will be at home on Sept. 14 against the Atlanta Falcons. The Ravens next play at home in a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 11.
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