2. The Bengals laid a blueprint for beating the Ravens:
The purple and black looked invincible in week 1. Yes, they were playing a bad Buffalo Bills team, but it was a great win. 47-3 is an accomplishment in the NFL against any team. The Ravens came into this game feeling great, and they left looking very vulnerable. The Bengals constructed the blueprint for making this team have a bad day. By attacking the right side of the line of scrimmage, the Ravens run game was stifled. That in concordance with the interior pressure of Geno Atkins gave Joe Flacco a rough day.
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The Bengals also made the defense look foolish. With a great game-plan that mixed tempo and quick strikes in the passing game, Andy Dalton didn’t see the dominant pass rush that sacked the Bills quarterbacks six times. Jimmy Smith was absent because of his suspension and the Ravens didn’t have an answer to anything in the secondary. Without a pass rush disrupting the timing of the Bengals’ offense, Dalton sliced and diced Baltimore. Marlon Humphrey got picked on for his inability to turn and look for the ball, which opened up easy chances for A.J. Green. The Bengals strategically took the pass rushers out of the game and the defense played softer than Charmin.
Let’s flip this around though. The Bengals also showed the Ravens offense what it needs to do. In week 3 the Ravens face the Denver Broncos, who have Von Miller and an explosive pass rush. The offensive line doesn’t seem equipped for this match up. The Ravens have to use the strategy that Cincinnati employed against them. Marty Mornhinweg would be wise to use double tight end sets to add an extra blocker to protect Flacco. He should work with tempo and Flacco should use a hard count. Flacco should also have high percentage pass plays lined up for him, to get the ball out quick.