After two weeks of play, we can assuredly say that the Baltimore Ravens have started the season impeccably. After two weeks of play, the Cincinnati Bengals surely cannot say the same.
The Ravens Flock flew all the way up to Cincinnati and defeated the Bengals 27-24 in Week 2 to go 2-0 (nearly clinching a postseason spot already) and leave the supposed AFC North favorites sitting at the bottom of the division--and the NFL--with an ominous 0-2 record.
Of course, the Bengals will keep bringing back better recent but past times when speaking about their rivalry with the Ravens. They will tell you about their back-to-back victories over Baltimore last January. They will remind you that the Ravens crashed out of the 2023 postseason via Wild-Card fumble-and-loss in the Jungle.
Turns out the tide has changed in favor of the dudes rocking purple and black uniforms.
First things first, the Ravens are a classy organization so before speaking about their Week 2 win and their opponents, they showed some respect and admiration for the Bengals faithful (h/t Aron Yohannes of The Baltimore Banner). Quoth Roquan Smith: “It was an exciting atmosphere for sure."
With that out of the way, though, Cincinnati got what they deserved.
#Ravens LB Roquan Smith on winning at the Bengals: "It was an amazing victory coming in here, taking over their place. Obviously, the guys talk a lot, don't have a lot of respect for a lot of individuals. You take that stuff personal."
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 17, 2023
"It was an amazing victory coming here," Smith continued. "Taking over their place... Obviously, the guys talk a lot, don’t have a lot of respect for a lot of individuals. You take that stuff personal.”
Smith explained that the Bengals didn't have "a lot of respect" for the Ravens in the lead-up to the game following their back-to-back wins last season, and that Cincinnati's players were "saying a lo tof things about this and doing the stuff after they won last year in the playoffs and things of that nature."
Smith and the Flock had the last laugh: "Revenge is best served as a cold dish. It’s great to come in here start their year off 0–2 in the division, too."
Fellow inside linebacker and Smith's partner in crime in the middle of the Ravens defense, Patrick Queen, also had something to say following Sunday's triumph.
"We definitely had more motivation in this one,” Queen told The Baltimore Banner. “We had a couple of players out each time (last January). Not trying to make any excuses--we were still in those games, we still could have won those games, we still should have won those games."
Good for the Ravens, the losing streak against the Cats is already over and the season couldn't have gotten to a better start for the lads hailing from Baltimore, Md. They made it 2-0, dropped the Bengals to a ridiculous 0-2 record for a "favorite," and could go up 4-0 if they conquer the beatable Colts (1-1) and Browns (1-0, playing on MNF later today) next.
Exciting times ahead!