Bengals need to control the crazy at M&T
BALTIMORE – Welcome to M&T Bank Stadium, the Bengals’ personal house of horrors. They are 5-12 since the Ravens came to be in 1996, including 4-11 in the only stadium that has more purple than a Friday night at The Pit.
It’s not that the Bengals have a hard time winning in Baltimore; the Ravens have done a lot of winning there and everywhere else since winning their first Super Bowl title in 2000. It’s more about how they’ve lost games there and just how good the feeling has been the few times they’ve come out with a win.
A win Sunday at M&T Bank would leave the Bengals feeling good. Really good. Not only would it push them to 7-3 and further solidify their hold on first place in the AFC North but it would put the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens on the brink of irrelevance for the rest of the season. Baltimore is 3-5, having lost three straight, including a 24-18 loss at Cleveland last Sunday.
Which, of course, makes them a very dangerous team. The Bengals found themselves in the same spot last season but won seven of their last eight games to reach the playoffs.
“We were able to surge and come back and make the playoffs,” said left tackle Andrew Whitworth. “Some of these people are not out. The parity across the league is really strong. Probably the most I’ve seen in my eight years here. Every team no matter what the record is inches away from being the opposite. If Buffalo catches some breaks they could be 7-1 or 8-0. The last half of the year is about taking care of our business.”
With Baltimore this week and Cleveland at home next week, the Bengals will get that shot of taking care of business in the division.
The numbers, stats and analysis say the Bengals should win this one. They’ve had 10 days since losing at Miami, 22-20, on an overtime safety. They’ve had time to figure out ways to compensate for the loss of All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins. Baltimore hasn’t run the ball well and the Ravens’ passing game doesn’t have the multitude of weapons it has possessed in the past.
History says crazy happens at M&T. Snowballs have never been affected as heavily as they are at The Bank.
The Bengals have had some doozies when it comes to losing in Baltimore.
*They lost by shutout three straight games, from 1999-2001. Poor Akili Smith probably still has the indentation in his chest where Rob Burnett inserted the football when tacking him during a 37-0 rout in 2000. That was Bruce Coslet’s last game as head coach. He resigned the next day and Dick LeBeau replaced him.
*The Bengals had beaten Baltimore at Paul Brown Stadium in the first meeting of 2003, Marvin Lewis’ first season. The Bengals and Ravens were in a battle for first place in the division when they met on Dec. 7. Trailing 17-13 in the third quarter, the Bengals proceeded to turn the ball over on four of their final five possessions, leading to a 31-13 defeat.
*The 2008 season opener was also the first game in the careers of Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco. The Bengals were full of anticipation but lost 17-10 as the offense managed just 154 yards and the only touchdown of the day came when cornerback Johnathan Joseph returned a fumble 65 yards.
*The teams also opened the season in Baltimore last year. A Mike Nugent field goal early in the third quarter brought the Bengals to within 17-13 before the Ravens rolled off the next 27 points and embarrassed the Bengals 44-13. It’s the most points the Ravens have scored in the series.
Baltimore’s defense has always been its catalyst. The offense caught up, if not surpassed, the defense last year but for emotion and passion that surged through their home stadium the Ravens have always relied on the defense. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were at the heart of that defense. They are, however, never more with the Ravens.
Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata are that heart now. Elvis Dumervil and Chris Canty have fit right into what the Ravens like to do on defense, namely getting after the quarterback.
How well the Bengals protect quarterback Andy Dalton and how well they protect the football will determine if they can put the Ravens another game behind them in the AFC North chase. The Bengals have turned the ball over nine times in their three losses – at Chicago, at Cleveland and at Miami. They are a minus-7 in turnover margin in those games.
The Bengals have overcome crazy at M&T before. They trailed 20-3 in 2004 after Reed intercepted a Carson Palmer pass, returned it 24 yards before losing it himself only to have teammate Chris McAlister retrieve the ball and take it 64 yards for a touchdown. Palmer responded by throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Bengals won 27-26 on a last-second field goal by Shayne Graham.
The last time they won in Baltimore was Oct. 11, 2009. Three days prior, Vikki Zimmer, the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, passed away. The Bengals responded with a 17-14 victory.
Crazy doesn’t have to happen in Baltimore. It’s up to the Bengals to prevent it.