With two minutes left in the game, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was having a chat with Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, whose Bengals had the ball at their 33-yard line.
"He was chuckling with me, and I told him, 'Look, man, we got you exactly where we want you,' " Marvin Lewis said.
He was right. Ten plays later, Andre Caldwell caught a 20-yard pass over the middle for the game-winning touchdown as the Bengals upset the Ravens, 17-14, at M&T Bank Stadium.
It was the fourth time Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer had rallied the Bengals (4-1) this season with game-winning drives, and it showed a glaring problem that continues to haunt the Ravens (3-2).
Forget all this talk about a change in defensive scheme from a year ago. Cincinnati left a lot of points on the field because the Ravens don't have any cornerbacks who can cover man-to-man.
Nickel back Chris Carr? Too soft. Starting cornerback Domonique Foxworth? He has no physical presence and has lost his confidence. He can't find himself or the ball. Fabian Washington? He might be the best on the roster after rookie Lardarius Webb, and that's not saying a lot.
During the offseason, the Ravens signed Foxworth to a four-year contract worth $16.5 million in guaranteed money, and Carr to a two-year deal estimated at $5 million.
It might be time to ask for a refund or a rebate.
In training camp, Ravens coach John Harbaugh bragged about the speed of his cornerbacks, and that speed is apparently used to catch up with the other team's receivers after they catch long passes.
No griping about officiating
There can be no whining from the Ravens this week about officials. They had 10 penalties for 76 yards, three of them on the Bengals' game-winning 80-yard drive. They were justified.
It's time to shut up and play ball.
The Ravens need to blame themselves, especially middle linebacker Lewis, who was hit with a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness call with 50 seconds remaining on a pass across the middle to Chad Ochocinco that moved the Bengals to the Ravens' 35-yard line.
It was apparent that Ochocinco got into Lewis' head this week with the comment about punching Lewis in the face during the game. Ochocinco couldn't have caught that pass if he had had a step ladder.
It was a boneheaded move by Lewis.
"It was an uncatchable ball," Marvin Lewis said. "If Ray was my guy, I would have to have a little talk with him after the game about that one."
Palmer adjusts, excels
Palmer won his chess match with the Ravens' defense. After his interception by Ed Reed led to a touchdown in the second quarter, Palmer often stayed away from Reed and threw to the other side of the field.
When the Ravens overloaded one side during the pass rush, Palmer went to his running backs or tight end to the other side. For the first time in three years, Palmer was agile and showed quick feet.
He appears completely healthy after past knee and ankle injuries.
Receiver threat neutralized
The Bengals did a good job of taking away the Ravens' vertical threats, especially wide receiver Derrick Mason. They bracketed Mason and cut off his famed comeback routes and double moves.
Cincinnati gave up the short stuff over the middle and out in the flats but did a good job of tackling after the reception was made except for the short pass to running back Ray Rice, which turned into a 48-yard touchdown.
The Ravens certainly didn't challenge Cincinnati deep down the middle of the field except once. It's one of the few times in two years Cam Cameron, the Ravens' offensive coordinator, has let an opposing team dictate terms without challenging them. The Bengals were inspired by defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer coaching on the sideline even though his wife, Vikki, died this week.
"We had to do what New England did last week and make them one-dimensional," Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga said.
In search of urgency
Mentally and emotionally, it didn't seem like the Ravens were prepared for Cincinnati. There wasn't a sense of urgency the way there was in the locker room the week leading up to the Patriots game.
The Bengals out-hit the Ravens, including the smackdown of tight end Todd Heap early in the third quarter. Heap almost became the first headless football player. Neither the Ravens' offense nor defense was in sync. For the second straight week, the Ravens got out-coached.
