Baltimore Ravens: Game balls vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens dominated in their 20-0 shutout over the Cincinnati Bengals. Here are the game balls from Sunday.

The Baltimore Ravens are riding high off of their 20-0 shutout over the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday. It was a solid performance, led by a dominant defense that’s made themselves known to the rest of the NFL. Andy Dalton had one of the worst performances of his career, turning the football over five times. The Bengals had no answer on either side of the football and continued their struggles from last season.

Now that we’ve had more than a day to digest the win, it’s time to hand out the first game balls of the season. There’s plenty to go around, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but we’ve got to show love for the entire team.I include three game balls, with an honorable mention.

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Maclin

Welcome to Baltimore Jeremy Maclin.

While the Ravens pass game was limited on Sunday, Maclin was one of the main offensive contributors. He finished with 2 catches for 56 yards  and a 48-yard touchdown right before halftime. Flacco found Maclin across the middle on a great pick play by tight end Ben Watson. Maclin had no Bengals defenders in front of him and had a clear path to end zone.

After missing most of last season with a groin injury, Maclin seems back to his old ways. He’s been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL when healthy and gives the Ravens a dangerous offensive threat. Targeted just four times, he took advantage of his opportunities and impressed in his debut performance.

Going forward, we shouldn’t expect the passing game to be as limited as it was on Sunday. Coming off just one week of practice, Joe Flacco wasn’t held back, but you could see the focus on the ground game. There were some miscues between Flacco and Maclin, but that chemistry comes with time. We’ll see even more production from the two as the season goes on.