Ravens Pass

Ravens run offense vs. Bengals run defense: The Bengals' front seven haven't held up the past two weeks, giving up 93 rushing yards to Pittsburgh's Willie Parker and 121 to Cleveland's Jerome Harrison. But it's unknown whether the Ravens will take advantage of Cincinnati's run defense. The Ravens' rushing attempts have decreased the past three weeks, dropping to a season-low 17 carries at New England. The Ravens are tied for third in the NFL with a 5-yards-per-carry average. Ray Rice has gained 100 yards twice this season, and Willis McGahee is tied for the NFL lead with five rushing touchdowns.

In a regular season that began with unexpected adversity, the Ravens ultimately passed the initial test. Joe Flacco threw for a career-high 307 yards and three touchdowns in lifting the Ravens to a season-opening 38-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs before an announced 71,099 at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. On a sun-splashed afternoon, Flacco and his teammates not only answered the critics, but they also responded to the pressure when it mattered the most. With the game tied at 24 late in the fourth quarter, Flacco stared down an all-out blitz and found wide receiver Mark Clayton for a 31-yard touchdown.

SAN DIEGO-- --Instead of physicals next season at the start of training camp, the Ravens might want to undergo eye examinations. They lost the best tight end in the NFL not once but twice yesterday. That's pretty remarkable. The San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates is 6 feet 4 and weighs 260 pounds. But yesterday, Gates had touchdown catches of 35 and 25 yards. How do you lose a man that big and that good? He was so open, he could have drunk a cup of coffee, eaten breakfast, completed a crossword puzzle and read the rest of the newspaper before hauling in the passes.

The reeling Ravens have to endure another quarterback controversy today, and it has nothing to do with Steve McNair. When the Cleveland Browns (5-4) play the Ravens (4-5) at M&T Bank Stadium, a sellout crowd of 71,000 will watch the quarterback it has clamored for all season (Kyle Boller) and the one it now wishes it had (Derek Anderson). Boller begins what could be a seven-game audition for next season's starting job now that McNair's run with the Ravens could be over.

Judging from practice, it appeared backup quarterback Kyle Boller would start tomorrow against the New York Jets after he ran the Ravens' first-team offense all week. But Steve McNair isn't counting himself out. JETS@RAVENS Tomorrow, 4:15 p.m., chs. 13, 9, 1090 AM, 97.9 FM Line: Ravens by 10

The Ravens' ongoing wait for Steve McNair continued as the 11-year veteran quarterback was unable to work out at the Tennessee Titans' training facility yesterday because he has to take a physical. McNair was informed by the Titans that he failed his exit physical at the end of last season so he needs to pass another one before he can work out at their training complex. Tennessee officials told McNair that no one could administer a physical until today or tomorrow. McNair won the right to re-enter the Titans' facility last week, when an arbitrator ruled Tennessee had no right to ban him from there.