Bengals

When backup center Gino Gradkowski walks into M&T Bank Stadium for his first regular-season game as a member of the Ravens, he will have about 20 family members in the stadium. His big brother will be there, too, but he will be standing across the field on the Cincinnati Bengals' sideline. Bruce Gradkowski is the lone backup quarterback for the Bengals and a six-year NFL veteran. “We talk all the time,” said Gino Gradkowski, a fourth-round pick in April's draft. “He's a big shoulder for me to lean on. It helps me out a lot to have him. He's always helping me out and telling me what to expect and how to handle myself on and off the field.

RAVENS PASSING GAME: The Ravens will unveil their new-look, up-tempo with quarterback Joe Flacco who had his best preseason as a pro. The Ravens finished 19th in the league in passing yards last year, but the addition of Jacoby Jones and maturation of Torrey Smith have them believing bigger things are ahead. (EDGE: EVEN) RUNNING GAME: Ray Rice had two of his best games last season against the Bengals, totaling 295 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He should be extra fresh having carried the ball just 10 times in the preseason.

En route to a 12-4 record and the AFC North title in 2011, the Ravens demonstrated a knack for overwhelming their opponents early. The offense outscored opposing teams 95-42 in the first quarters and 110-86 in the second periods. The unit scored a touchdown on its opening possession in five contests and added field goals in two more games. While jumping on opponents early and often is a priority for many teams, the Ravens also want to improve their ability to finish drives with touchdowns.

Kevin Cowherd Ravens 27, Bengals 17 Joe Flacco loves the no-huddle offense - let's see if it scores points. Ray Lewis looks like the "after" shot in a Medifast ad, but the defense is still plenty good enough to intimidate opponents. Edward Lee Ravens 21, Bengals 17 The Bengals are rising, but they won't take off on the primetime stage in Baltimore. With the Bengals lacking a dangerous No. 2 receiver, the defense will contain A.J. Green, and Ray Rice will continue his success against the AFC North rivals.

In the NFL, there's a general rule of thumb that it takes a wide receiver three years to reach his potential. As with almost every rule, there are exceptions, and the Ravens will meet one of those exceptions Monday night when the Cincinnati Bengals visit M&T Bank Stadium. A.J. Green forged a record-setting campaign in 2011 after being selected fourth overall in the NFL draft earlier in the year. Following a path blazed by Randy Moss formerly of the Minnesota Vikings and Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans, Green headlined a strong group of first-year receivers that included the Ravens' Torrey Smith and the Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones.

Stopping second year quarterback Andy Dalton is a major key for the Ravens if they are to beat the Cincinnati Bengals Monday in the season opener. As a rookie last season, Dalton engineered four fourth quarter comeback victories. He set a Bengals rookie record with 3,398 yards passing, one of only five rookies in NFL history to top 3,000 yards. Can Dalton get better even if this is supposed to be the year for the sophomore jinx? “A lot better, if we work at it the right way, and I know we will,” said Dalton.

The Cincinnati Bengals may have jettisoned Cedric Benson, but the running back filling the void is a familiar face to the Ravens. BenJarvus Green-Ellis left the New England Patriots for a three-year, $9 million contract with the Bengals. Green-Ellis has scored a touchdown in each of two meetings with the Ravens, including a 7-yarder in the Patriots' 23-20 win in the AFC championship game in January. “He's a hard-nosed runner,” inside linebacker Ray Lewis said of Green-Ellis, who rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries in January.

Every morning, Monday through Friday, blogger Matt Vensel will hook you up with reading material -- mostly on the Ravens but with some other Baltimore sports stuff, too -- to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday. That way he'll have an excuse to do the same to start his workday, too. In between the preseason and the regular season is prediction season in the NFL. Many of the pigskin pundits are picking the Ravens to return to the playoffs and some -- including ESPN's Bill Polian and Antonio Pierce -- have picked them to win the Super Bowl.

Ray Rice likened the Ravens' home game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night to the first day of school. And like an eager student, the running back is looking forward to the regular-season opener after getting just 10 carries in the preseason. “Ten carries in the preseason didn't [account] for the many reps I had in practice. I got the reps I needed,” Rice said Thursday. “We played the game in practice. If you've been to our training-camp practices, they were pretty intense, and we played the game in practice.

Every week, I hope to bring you a quick Q&A with someone who covers the Ravens' opponent that weekend. On Monday night, the Cincinnati Bengals come to Baltimore, so I'm happy to start the season off by chatting with Joe Reedy , who has covered the Bengals as The Cincinnati Enquirer's Bengals beat reporter since 2009. MV: Andy Dalton was a pleasant surprise last season, becoming the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw 20 or more touchdown passes while starting in eight or more wins.