Bengals

Ravens 13, Bengals 7 Fourth quarter: 12:24 Cincinnati Touchdown - 11-yard pass from Carson Palmer to Jerome Simpson. (Clint Stitser extra point is good). Ravens 13, Bengals 0 Third quarter: 5:47 Baltimore Touchdown - 7-yard run by Ray Rice. (Billy Cundiff extra point is good). Ravens 6, Bengals 0 Second quarter: 4:46 Baltimore Field Goal - 47-yarder by Billy Cundiff. Ravens 3, Bengals 0 First quarter: 10:10 Baltimore Field Goal - 25-yarder by Billy Cundiff.

Before the Ravens opted to trade out of the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night, they watched their three AFC North rivals make moves that appear to make them better heading into the 2012 season. The Cleveland Browns were boldest. Less than an hour before the draft began, they engineered a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to move up one spot to pick No. 3. There they selected Alabama running back Trent Richardson, who some say is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson . He should be a significant upgrade over current Browns backs Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya and Brandon Jackson.

Kevin Cowherd Ravens 28, Bengals 10 Jekyll-and-Hyde Ravens revert to team that actually has a clue against a 4-3 defense. Edward Lee Bengals 19, Ravens 17 The Ravens need to rebound after that stunner to the Seahawks, but that won't happen Sunday. Mike Preston Ravens 20, Bengals 17 Ravens can beat the good teams, but struggle with the worst ones. Peter Schmuck Ravens 23, Bengals 17 The Bengals are a pretty good team and the game is at M&T Bank Stadium, so the real Ravens probably will stand up. Kevin Van Valkenburg Ravens 17, Bengals 13 If the Ravens continue to ask Joe Flacco to bail them out of games, they're going to remain inconsistent.

Jeff Zrebiec, reporter : Fretting over how difficult the Ravens' schedule could be in mid-April is a pretty pointless exercise when one training camp injury, extended holdout or botched first-round draft pick can significantly alter a team's fortunes for the 2012-13 season. Sure, the Ravens figure to have their hands full in 2013, but nobody knows if Peyton Manning will instantly make the Broncos an elite team or if the Bengals will continue...

Kevin Cowherd Ravens 20, Bengals 17 Driven by fear of tumbling in playoff seedings, Ravens overcome season-long road problems with workman-like win. Edward Lee Bengals 30, Ravens 21 With a first-round bye and at least one home playoff game at stake, the Ravens have plenty of motivation. But the Ravens have lost five of their last six in Cincinnati, and that trend won't end on Sunday. Mike Preston Bengals 21, Ravens 17 The Bengals have much more to play for, and the Ravens have not performed well on the road.

The stalemate in Cincinnati appears to be over. Multiple news outlets are reporting that the Bengals have finally agreed to trade away Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer , who was unofficially retired and officially sick of the Cincinnati circus . The Oakland Raiders, who were stuck with former Ravens whipping boy Kyle Boller as their starter after Jason Campbell shattered his collarbone, will reportedly pay a first-round draft pick...

The Bengals rode the Wayback Machine on Sunday, all the way to last season. Grumble about the tactics, if you want. The win looks the same. You say the offense looks dysfunctional. The victory says the offense was patient. You say Carson Palmer isn't using his new toys. The win says too much playtime isn't good for the bottom line. At least we can agree on the defense. The defense was magnificent. Having coached defense in Baltimore and faced the Ravens too many times to count as Bengals coach, Marvin Lewis knows how to beat Baltimore.

The Ravens aren't trying to fool anyone. They know they played a second-year quarterback in Mark Sanchez and faced a vanilla passing game in the season opener against the New York Jets on Monday night. The Ravens (1-0) will be in another stratosphere Sunday in Cincinnati when they face the Bengals (0-1). It's a first-class aerial show. "Obviously, they know us and we know them, having played them through the years," said Chuck Pagano, the Ravens' secondary coach. "Scheme-wise, we have a pretty good idea of what they are going to do. From a physical standpoint, they have a great group of receivers.

Quarterback D Joe Flacco threw four interceptions. Enough said. Running backs A Halfback Ray Rice ran 16 times for 87 yards, but he touched the ball only 8 times per half. When Flacco is having a bad day, Rice, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain need to carry the load. Rice was the Ravens' offense. Offensive line C- This group is good when the Ravens run the ball and use a lot of play action.

Trio well past prime Dan Pompei Chicago Tribune Signing Terrell Owens gives the Bengals a very good group of wide receivers. But best in the NFL? Maybe Owens, Chad Ochocinco and Antonio Bryant would have formed the best receiving corps two or three years ago, when each was really humming. But T.O. is 36 now, Ochocinco is 32 and Bryant was allowed to leave the Bucs because his knee was in bad shape, and there are indications it still might be a problem.

Here's a look at what other media outlets are saying about the Baltimore Ravens as they head into the NFL scouting combine, which starts on Wednesday in Indianapolis, and free agency, which begins on March 13. Peter King of Sports Illustrated is “hearing” that Ravens running back Ray Rice is eyeing a nine-figure contract : “Ray Rice might be disappointed. I'm hearing Rice wants an Adrian Peterson-type of contract; Peterson signed a seven-year deal worth up to $100 million last September, with the major provision that he'll make $40 million in the first three years.

Dear Joe Flacco, It's been a bizarre week, hasn't it? You're one win away from playing in the Super Bowl, and I think I've read approximately 11 million articles -- written primarily by people living outside the Baltimore metro area -- that seem eager to inform me just how truly terrible you are at playing quarterback in the NFL. Seriously, if I hadn't actually watched you play football the past four years, if I'd been locked in someone's windowless...

OK, it's a Postseason Prediction Friday. We have a little Purple Geazus behind the bar. I'll set you up with a to-go flask later. The Ravens and I finished the regular season on a winning note - they beat the Bengals 24-16 and I almost nailed it, with a 24-14 call. But that was so two weeks ago. The slate is clean. We are finally talking playoffs (Playoffs??) The Ravens have to beat the Houston Texans for a second time this season at M&T Bank. I believe they will.

The Houston Texans are, in many ways, a different team than the one the Ravens prepared for when they hosted them back in Week 6. But the fact that the Texans will return to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 15 for an AFC Divisional Round game speaks volumes about their depth — and determination. When the Ravens defeated the Texans, 29-14, back in October, Houston had already lost its top pass rusher (Mario Williams) to a season-ending pectoral injury and its dangerous wide receiver (Andre Johnson)

The reward that Ray Rice cared about after the Ravens' 24-16 victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals was the AFC North title, a first-round bye, and a second-round home playoff game. However, Rice's performance got him a personal honor as well as the running back was named today the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after he rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and caught two passes for eight yards. Rice got the Ravens started with a 70-yard touchdown run on their fourth offensive play from scrimmage.

Cary Williams wasn't sure he'd be able to play, much less start, in the Ravens' regular-season finale because of the concussion he sustained in the Christmas Eve win against the Cleveland Browns. “It was up in the air,” the cornerback conceded. “It depended on whether or not the doctors wanted to release me. But I definitely wanted to play and not let my teammates down this week.” That turned out to be a fortuitous decision as Williams led the defense with three pass breakups and tied for third with six tackles in the Ravens' 24-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday.

Live chat: Ravens vs. Bengals

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked to comment on Ed Reed's recent tackling issues, which the Pro Bowl free safety acknowledged Sunday after he was unsuccessful in his attempt to bring down Cincinnati running back Bernard Scott with an arm tackle during Scott's third-quarter touchdown run. Harbaugh wouldn't say if Reed was playing injured and told reporters to ask Reed personally. “I've got a lot of confidence in Ed Reed and I'm sure everybody else does,” he said Monday at his weekly press conference.

Right guard Marshal Yanda is active and expected to start when the Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the teams' regular-season finale at Paul Brown Stadium. Yanda had missed the previous two days of practice after suffering ribs and thigh bruises in Saturday's 20-14 win against the Cleveland Browns, but returned to practice Friday on a limited basis. Yanda, who was listed as doubtful, has not missed a start since Nov. 22, 2009. Cornerback Cary Williams is also active and in line to start.