Cincinnati Bengals

C'mon Teddy. You've got two games in five days. Let's get both of them right -- starting with this Sunday's game again the Bengals. The Ravens have been foiling the prognosticators left and right over recent weeks. The dog -- like everyone -- has made some wrong choices. But, who didn't? Hopefully Teddy will be back on track, leading to ... ice cream! If Teddy the Pigskin Picking Pup ends the season with a winning record (or probably, at least close to one) the folks over at Frosty Paws promised to throw an ice cream party for the needy pups at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter.

Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith has joked about cutting off his dreadlocks before but never  followed through with it. Even getting pulled down to the ground by his hair two seasons ago by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones wasn't enough to convince Smith that he needed to get rid of them. However, Smith apparently has had a change of heart. He joked on his Twitter account earlier today that he was thinking about cutting his "locs. " When asked why, he wrote that he was "getting tired of them.

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.

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston answers a selection of reader questions on the Ravens' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Francis: Why did they even bother to play the game against the Bengals? It was a travesty from the fans' point of view. If I had paid to watch this game, I'd be asking for my money back. Don't the fans count anymore in the NFL? Mike Preston: Francis, the only fans that really count in the NFL are the ones who pay for commercials, the corporate suites, and put logos all over complexes.

Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith has joked about cutting off his dreadlocks before but never  followed through with it. Even getting pulled down to the ground by his hair two seasons ago by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones wasn't enough to convince Smith that he needed to get rid of them. However, Smith apparently has had a change of heart. He joked on his Twitter account earlier today that he was thinking about cutting his "locs. " When asked why, he wrote that he was "getting tired of them.

The Cincinnati Bengals' offensive production won't rest on Akili Smith's arm, but his confidence. Smith has completed 64.9 percent of his passes, throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions on 74 attempts in the preseason. He's seemingly found a comfort level in the pocket and has been sacked only once. Still, the Bengals are thrilled beyond the numbers he's stacked up in the preseason. "We haven't had this type of direction in a while," offensive tackle Willie Anderson said. "I'm not saying we're going to be great or go to the Super Bowl or anything, but it's been a while since we've had that type of direction at the quarterback position."

Bryan Robinson, who has been there before, wants to show his new Cincinnati Bengals teammates how to make the playoffs this season. "If I can just share some of my knowledge, it would be that playing defense is an attitude," the ninth-year veteran said. "It's wanting to stop that other team, not panicking when you're in certain situations, but overcoming those situations and learning from them." Robinson, 31, signed a three-year, $6 million free-agent contract with the Bengals in March as a run-stuffing tackle who could push the defense to a new level.

With the release of inside linebacker Odell Thurman yesterday, the Cincinnati Bengals' 2005 draft can officially go into the books as one of the worst in franchise history - not that it wasn't already pretty clear. The conventional wisdom is that you can't tell the true quality of an NFL draft until three or four years down the road. But that Bengals' 2005 draft began revealing a lot about itself soon - partly because of bad luck and partly because of bud judgment by the Cincinnati organization.

Chad Johnson isn't worried about Carson Palmer's inexperience as a first-time starting quarterback in the NFL. That's because he knows what Palmer is working with on the Cincinnati Bengals' offense. "I doubt if he struggles, not with the receiving corps we have," Johnson said early in training camp. "Struggling is when you have nobody to get the ball to." Johnson is the cocky, fourth-year wide receiver whose breakout season in 2003 coincided with the Bengals' rise to 8-8 after a decade of ineptitude.

A week ago, the Ravens' top two tight ends returned to the team's practice field for the first time in almost a month, reducing doubt that Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta would be unable to suit up for the regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 10. Since that Saturday, Dickson - who sprained his right shoulder while catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Flacco in the second quarter of an eventual 31-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 9 - and Pitta - who broke a bone in his right hand during practice July 30 - have increasingly raised their level of participation in practice.

The Ravens' starters that did suit up for Sunday's regular-season finale, began heading to the sidelines about midway through the first quarter. Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice went first, pulling on a winter cap and a black jacket. Quarterback Joe Flacco followed him a couple of minutes later after playing two uneventful series. By the early stages of the second quarter, they were joined by wide receiver Torrey Smith, center Matt Birk, cornerback Cary Williams and safety Ed Reed. With an AFC North title and a home playoff game next weekend already secured, the Ravens treated their regular-season finale at Paul Brown Stadium like a preseason game.

If the Ravens wish to leave Cincinnati with their 11th win of the season and a hope of leapfrogging the New England Patriots for the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, they need to find a way to neutralize Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins. In just his third year in the NFL, the 6-foot, 300-pound defensive tackle leads all interior linemen in sacks with 13, which ranks fifth in the league behind the likes of Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (20½ sacks), San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith (19½)

Hours before being named to his second Pro Bowl in as many years, Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins took a moment to reflect on his first trip to the star-studded event in Hawaii. After completing a sophomore season that included tying Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Tommy Kelly for the most sacks by an interior lineman and returning one fumble for a touchdown, Atkins was looking forward to basking in the sun and the spotlight that accompanies being named one of the top players in the NFL. But long before he was to go, his coach gave him an assignment.

The Ravens run defense stiffened against the New York Giants' duo of Ahmad Bradshaw and David Wilson, limiting that pair of running backs to a combined 56 yards and just one touchdown on 12 carries Sunday. But considering that the Washington Redskins' Alfred Morris and the Denver Broncos' Knowshon Moreno had gained 129 and 118 yards, respectively, in back-to-back weeks, the Ravens know their No. 24 ranking in the NFL against the run still leaves a lot to be desired. Next up is the Cincinnati Bengals' BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who posted 91 yards and one score on 18 attempts in the Ravens' 44-13 rout in Week 1. With 1,094 yards this season, Green-Ellis has already surpassed his previous career-high total of 1,008 in 2010 when he played for the New England Patriots.

Kevin Cowherd Bengals 21, Ravens 17 Ravens are still banged up with nothing to play for except momentum going into the playoffs. Same situation for Bengals, but they're at home. Edward Lee Bengals 21, Ravens 20 Only the Ravens have something to play for - a remote chance to move up to the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs. But they haven't dispelled their history of lackadaisical showings on the road, and Cincinnati Bengals are an emerging team that is still rolling from knocking the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the postseason.

The last time Ed Dickson tangled with Taylor Mays, the Ravens tight end was on the receiving end of a blow from the Cincinnati Bengals strong safety that an official called “helmet-to-helmet with a defenseless receiver.” The two will meet again Sunday, but Dickson said he has no beef with Mays, who was fined $21,000 for the infraction. “I'm actually really cool with Taylor Mays off the field,” said Dickson, who has been friends with Mays since Dickson played at the University of Oregon and Mays played at USC. “I know what type of player he wants to be. He wants to be a hard-hitting safety and stuff like that.

The last time Ed Dickson tangled with Taylor Mays, the Ravens tight end was on the receiving end of a blow from the Cincinnati Bengals strong safety that an official called “helmet-to-helmet with a defenseless receiver.” The two will meet again Sunday, but Dickson said he has no beef with Mays, who was fined $21,000 for the infraction. “I'm actually really cool with Taylor Mays off the field,” said Dickson, who has been friends with Mays since Dickson played at the University of Oregon and Mays played at USC. “I know what type of player he wants to be. He wants to be a hard-hitting safety and stuff like that.

Quarterback Joe Flacco has completed 14 of 17 passes for 92 yards and one touchdown en route to helping the Ravens take a 17-7 lead against the Philadelphia Eagles at halftime. Flacco, who is enjoying a 108.8 rating and has connected with eight different receivers, was a topic of discussion on two pre-game shows earlier in the morning. On ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, the analysts were asked whether Flacco is ready to be an elite quarterback. Here is what a few of them said: Former Denver Broncos linebacker Tom Jackson: “(The)

When the Ravens visit Paul Brown Stadium Sunday, they will serve as a visible reminder of the Cincinnati Bengals' worst loss of the season. The Ravens walloped the Bengals, 44-13, in the first of two Monday night games on Sept. 10, one of two times this season that Cincinnati lost by 10 points or more. (The Cleveland Browns beat the Bengals, 34-24, on Oct. 21.) The 31-point rout was Cincinnati's worst result since Jan. 3, 2010 when the New York Jets beat them 37-0. That's why defensive tackle Geno Atkins didn't disagree with the notion that the 9-6 Bengals owe the 10-5 Ravens one. “Oh yeah,” Atkins said during a conference call with Baltimore media Wednesday.

It took just one big turnaround performance by the Ravens - and the fact that they finally clinched the AFC North title - to spawn a debate over how they should approach their final regular-season game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Should they go all out to win on the off chance that the New England Patriots lose a home game against the Miami Dolphins and squander the No. 3 conference playoff seed? Or should they take the pedal off the metal and try to make sure they are as healthy as possible for their home playoff opener the following weekend?