Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI -- A season filled with hope began with the Ravens grimacing in pain. The unsettling combination of injuries and turnovers was too much to overcome for the Ravens last night in a 27-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, a troubling first impression in front of a sold-out Paul Brown Stadium and a national television audience. JETS@RAVENS Sunday, 4:15p.m., Ch. 13, 1090 AM, 97.9 FM Line: Off the board

Will there be repeat performances of the "Baltimore Bomb" or will it be Baltimore just bombing?Last Sunday the Ravens unveiled the "Baltimore Bomb" dance celebration after each of four interceptions in a 31-8 victory against the New Orleans Saints at PSINet Stadium.The Ravens are at home again today, but the opposition isn't the hapless Saints. It's the Cincinnati Bengals (4-10), who have one of the hottest offenses in the NFL, averaging 36.5 points during the past four games, including a three-game winning streak.

It was during the third quarter of a football game in 1983 that Bob Leffler decided what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.He had just seen the Baltimore Colts defense run Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway out of that steamy September game. But Leffler had also seen an amazing unity among the Baltimore fans, still seething from Elway's earlier proclamation that he would not come play here -- a move that local fans interpreted as a slam against the city."It was a galvanizing day," recalled Leffler, founder and president of the Leffler Agency Inc., a Baltimore-based advertising and public relations/marketing agency.

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals had just finished giving up 31 consecutive points to see a 14-point lead become a 17-point deficit with less than 20 minutes to play against the NFL's top-rated defense.Many Bengals fans were unwilling to hang around for what had become the seemingly inevitable outcome. They left Cinergy Field and missed what most believed to be the impossible.Cincinnati sandwiched two long scoring drives around a Craig Yeast 86-yard punt return for a touchdown to fe's pass to tight end Tony McGee at the back of the end zone was ruled incomplete when McGee failed to handle it cleanly and free safety Rod Woodson popped him just to make sure.

CINCINNATI -- The Ravens have only a 19-37-1 record since they moved from Cleveland to Baltimore nearly four years ago, but even the Ravens might be overconfident in today's game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Cinergy Field.The Bengals haven't won a game in 13 months at Cinergy, losing 10 straight. Cincinnati has a 2-19 record in its past 21 games overall and has allowed 302 points this season, most in the NFL. Fans are wearing bags over their heads, and coach Bruce Coslet might be fired at the end of the year.

The Cincinnati Bengals were victims of self-inflicted wounds yesterday."We shot ourselves in the foot," said offensive tackle Jamain Stephens, who came into the game when Willie Anderson was injured in the second period and was guilty of a false start two plays later that wiped out what would have been Jeff Blake's 63-yard touchdown pass to Darnay Scott.That set the tone for the Bengals in their 22-0 loss to the Ravens, a team they played down to the final buzzer in Cincinnati on Nov. 21 before losing, 34-31.

There is little at stake for the Ravens except pride and another possible embarrassing third straight last-place finish in the AFC Central Division.The Ravens (3-7) travel to Cinergy Field today to play the Cincinnati Bengals (2-8) in the Basement Bowl. The Bengals have lost five in a row and the Ravens five of their past six, but who's counting? The Ravens have the league's No. 21-ranked offense and No. 19 defense, and the Bengals have the 30th-ranked defense and the 20th-ranked offense.

Opponent: Pittsburgh SteelersWhen: Sunday, Sept. 6Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: at N.Y. JetsWhen: Sunday, Sept. 13Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: at Jacksonville JaguarsWhen: Sunday, Sept. 20Time: 4:15 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: Cincinnati BengalsWhen: Sunday, Sept. 27Time: 8:20 p.m. TV: ESPNOpponent: Tennessee OilersWhen: Sunday, Oct. 11Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: at Pittsburgh SteelersWhen: Sunday, Oct. 18Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: at Green Bay PackersWhen: Sunday, Oct. 25Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: Jacksonville JaguarsWhen: Sunday, Nov. 1Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: Oakland RaidersWhen: Sunday, Nov. 8Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: at San Diego ChargersWhen: Sunday, Nov. 15Time: 4:05 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: at Cincinnati BengalsWhen: Sunday, Nov. 22Time: 4:15 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: Indianapolis ColtsWhen: Sunday, Nov. 29Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: at Tennessee OilersWhen: Sunday, Dec. 6Time: 4:15 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: Minnesota VikingsWhen: Sunday, Dec. 13Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 45Opponent: at Chicago BearsWhen: Sunday, Dec. 20Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 13Opponent: Detroit LionsWhen: Sunday, Dec. 27Time: 1:01 p.m. TV: Ch. 45Pub Date: 7/20/98

The last time they played the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens rushed for a season-high 181 yards on 35 attempts, led by halfback Priest Holmes' 173, in a 31-24 win that amounted to the team's best offensive showing of the year.The Ravens (3-7) would like to see the same game plan Sunday when they travel to Cincinnati's Cinergy Field in a rematch with the Bengals (2-8)."Hopefully, we don't do anything differently, that we come in with the same game plan and we attack," said Ravens center Wally Williams.

CINCINNATI -- For the first time this season, there actually were jokes being told in the Ravens' locker room after a game.Team vice president David Modell was going around shaking hands, reserve Ben Cavil was bragging about how well his fellow offensive linemen played, and defensive tackle Tony Siragusa had become a comedian."

Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis has heard some of the complaints about the Ravens' defense, and he chuckles. The Ravens are ranked No. 8 in the NFL, but some question whether they are getting enough pressure on the quarterback. Or whether they are creating enough exotic blitzes, compared with last season. "The only changes in our defense are the interchangeable pieces," Lewis said. "We've had so many people rotating in and out. But the personality and schemes remain basically the same.

If Ravens left tackle Jared Gaither can't play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals - and right now, it looks like a long shot, considering that he wore a neck brace during walk-throughs and didn't practice Wednesday - it will probably affect the continuity of the offensive line in one of two ways. Either the line will struggle with matchups, forcing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to scale back what he wants to do, or there will be virtually no change in the game plan and the Ravens' high-powered offense will keep rolling.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- On a day when the Ravens could have laid claim to being the best team in the NFL, they let the opportunity - and the ball - slip through their grasp. Wide receiver Mark Clayton's dropped fourth-down pass at the New England 8-yard line ended the Ravens' last-minute comeback bid in a 27-21 loss to the Patriots and finished off a mistake-filled game for the NFL's second-ranked offense. "It was a perfect ball. I dropped it," Clayton said after the Ravens came up 14 yards short of the end zone.

The Ravens are unbeaten in three games and ranked No. 1 in several NFL power polls. They are scoring touchdowns and compiling yards in record numbers, and their defense continues to dominate every running game it faces. It's a great beginning to a possible championship season, and we all know the Ravens are a good team, but how good? Are they capable of taking that next step from a year ago, from the AFC championship game to the Super Bowl? Some answers will come in the next three weeks.

NBA Guards Lawson, McKee to work out for Wizards Former North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson of Clinton will attend a pre-draft workout with the Washington Wizards today at Verizon Center. Lawson averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 2.1 steals his junior season in helping lead the Tar Heels to a national championship. Former Coppin State standout Tywain McKee will also attend. McKee averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists his senior season and was named to All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference first team.

The Ravens' passing offense has made strides all season, and there was significant progress Sunday in the Ravens' 34-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. But rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and his fleet of possession receivers haven't played a secondary as talented and deep as the one they will face Sunday night when the Ravens host the Washington Redskins. Everyone connected with the Ravens' offense nods in agreement. This is an excellent group, with starting cornerbacks Fred Smoot and Carlos Rogers and safeties Chris Horton and LaRon Landry.

CINCINNATI - No NFL record-setting interception return for a touchdown. No multisack performance. And that's just fine with the Ravens' defense. The defense played a starring role in the Ravens' convincing 34-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium yesterday, but the effort did not rely on an individual star. Five players recorded at least a half-sack, but only linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo was credited with a full sack. Strong safety Jim Leonhard returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, but the score occurred with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter when the Ravens had a stranglehold on the game's outcome and the quarterback was a Palmer not named Carson.

CINCINNATI - Beneath the rubbish known as the Cincinnati Bengals and buried underneath a 31-point victory yesterday at Paul Brown Stadium was the continued improvement of the Ravens' offense. This is the time of year when you want to see certain things, such as a dominant running game and an improved passing game, and you saw some of that yesterday. Of course, you have to preface it by saying these were the Bengals, but the Ravens are getting better and are possibly about to peak at the right time.

The Cincinnati Bengals are last or near the bottom of the NFL in almost every important offensive category. Their franchise quarterback, one of the five best in the league, isn't expected to throw for another two weeks and could have surgery on his throwing elbow. But the Ravens aren't going to have any letdowns Sunday in Cincinnati, especially against the Bengals' passing offense. As far as Ravens coach John Harbaugh is concerned, Cincinnati still has one of the most explosive receiving corps in the NFL with Chad Ocho Cinco, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry.

The Ravens are optimistic that starting offensive tackles Adam Terry and Jared Gaither will be able to play against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. Terry suffered a concussion late in the first quarter of Sunday's 36-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and did not return. Terry, who started at left tackle, was replaced by Gaither, who finished the game despite a badly injured right shoulder. "We're not ruling them out at this stage," coach John Harbaugh said. "We think there's a good chance they'll be able to play."