Bengals @ Ravens: Keys to the Game

Week one of the NFL season got kicked off Thursday night, but there is nothing better than the first Sunday of NFL season, when you get to watch a day full of games, and then tap it off with a Sunday nighter. For the Bengals, this first game is huge. They are in Baltimore to face a Ravens team with a new head coach (John Harbaugh), a rookie quarterback (Joe Flacco), and an aging defense. If Cincy cannot find a way to pick up a win this week, Bengals' fans should buckle up for a long, frustrating season. In order for the Bengals to win, they must do a few things well;

1. Frustrate Flacco: Joe Flacco is the Ravens' first round pick this season, and he will be thrown right into the fire this week. Flacco is out of Delaware where he led his Blue Hens to the I-AA Championship before falling to Appalachian State. NOTE: (I know its the Bowl Championship Subdivision or something, but its I-AA to me.) Flacco has a banged up Willis McGahee running the ball behind him. If McGahee can't go, little rookie Ray Rice will be taking carries. Rice is a small back at only 5'8 200lbs, but he ran very well at Rutgers, and Baltimore likes what it has seen from him this preseason. Flacco also has few targets to throw to, meaning he will likely rely on tight end Todd Heap as his security blanket. The Bengals must mix up their defenses and throw a bunch of blitzes at Flacco to keep him confused and off balance in his first NFL start.

2. Run Efficiently: Last season, the Bengals had no success in running the ball consistently, and that affected them in other aspects of their offense as well (red-zone, 3rd down, play-action pass). With Rudi Johnson out and Chris Perry starting, the offensive line must do a better job of controlling the line of scrimmage. If they can do this, Perry has the ability to break the long run at any time. Kenny Watson will be used also to keep Perry fresh and give the Ravens a different look from time to time.

3. Ocho Cinco: Chad Ocho Cinco is more of a sideshow than an NFL player at this point. That being said, he is still an elite receiver when healthy and focused. He will be playing with a partially torn labrum, and he is planning to wear a shoulder harness to help support that injured shoulder. The Bengals need for him to be more consistent and to keep his head in the game at all times. In the past, he has had a tendency to lose focus, pout, and take himself out of games mentally when things haven't gone his way. He may not be back in rhythm with Carson Palmer right away, but he will need to keep working hard and running precise routes so that their connection is back in sync.

4. The Future is Now: The NFL is all about winning now, but the Bengals will be playing a lot of guys who are not to being in the spotlight. Stacy Andrews was franchise tagged following last season, and he will now be solely relied upon at right tackle after being a work in progress for several years. First round pick Keith Rivers will be starting at linebacker, and the Bengals will be counting on him to make an immediate impact on their much maligned defense. Leon Hall, Marvin White, and Jerome Simpson are all guys who have not had an incredible amount of experience (none for Simpson), but the Bengals will need them to step up if they want to compete.

Winning on the road in the NFL is tough, especially in week one, but the Bengals are set up nicely against a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach. I expect Cincy to struggle some in the first half, but score a pair of touchdowns in the second half to ice it. BENGALS 24-13.