Ebony Bird
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Baltimore Ravens: 5 things we learned against Bengals

By Jake McDonnell

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 10: C.J. Mosley
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 10: C.J. Mosley /
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CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 10: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens calls a play at the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 10: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens calls a play at the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The Baltimore Ravens are now 1-0, but what did we learn?

After a hectic training camp filled with injuries, the Ravens needed to come out strong. On Sunday, they did just that, shutting out the Cincinnati Bengals 20-0 on the road. It marks the first time since 2011 that the Ravens emerge victorious at Paul Brown Stadium, and the first shutout since Nov. 16, 2009 against the Cleveland Browns.

The game may be over, but what did we learn? Here are five takeaways from the shutout victory.

#1 – The offense still needs time to gel 

This goes without saying. Joe Flacco did not practice until last weekend. His chemistry with Jeremy Maclin and Breshad Perriman, who also missed a big chunk of training camp with an injury, is an on-going development. The starting five on the offensive line played their first game together today. The running back position does not feature a three-down talent.

With all of that said, it will probably take a few weeks for this offense to really kick off. A lot of players missed significant time in training camp, and starters barely played in the preseason games. Teams do not go all out until week 1, but the Ravens’ offensive outlook left a lot to be desired going into Cincinnati.

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The results may not look great, but given the circumstances, they passed the eye test. This game reminded me a lot of last year’s season opener against Buffalo. The total yardage (268) was low, but they broke a big play and put some solid drives together. The 50-yard catch-and-score by Jeremy Maclin highlighted the day. Terrance West and Buck Allen combined for 151 yards on the ground. Joe Flacco did his best game-manager impression.

Speaking of Flacco, he completed just nine passes (17 attempts) for 121 yards. That stat line sucks, but Flacco did not need to air it out all day. The defense terrorized Andy Dalton. The Bengals could not move the football. All the Ravens’ offense needed to do was run the ball and the clock. That’s exactly what happened.

Look, if the Ravens want to beat teams like the Steelers and Raiders, the offense needs to be better. But, with how injury-riddled training camp became for Baltimore, fans will gladly take the offensive effort the Ravens gave on Sunday.

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