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Week 1 Game Recap: Baltimore Ravens 20, Cincinnati Bengals 27
What you need to know
| Baltimore Ravens |
Baltimore committed six turnovers and lost their starting QB and All Pro LT to injuries, but amazingly, they were one goal line catch from sending the game into overtime.
QB Steve McNair had a disastrous night, turning the ball over four times. He threw the ball accurately at times and directed three scoring drives, but it's impossible to say he played well given the turnovers. Backup QB Kyle Boller entered the game late in the fourth quarter after McNair was unable to continue. His passing was a little shaky, but he did throw two end zone passes to Todd Heap on the final drive, either of which could have tied the score.
RB Willis McGahee had a few decent runs (13, 11 and nine yards) but was only a little involved in the passing game. He was spelled briefly in the second quarter by RB Musa Smith, who scored a TD a few plays later. Smith served as McGahee's backup and ran impressively in limited duty. Rookie FB Le'Ron McClain had a crucial first quarter fumble that led to a Bengals FG.
WR Derrick Mason was the most targeted Ravens receiver and came up with a clutch fourth down reception to keep the final drive alive. WR Demetrius Williams was also active in this game and set up the Ravens' first TD with a nice 19 yard grab in the second quarter. TE Todd Heap had two chances to win the game late, but he committed a (very questionable) penalty on an apparent TD catch, and dropped a second chance in the end zone that resulted in a game-clinching INT for the Bengals.
PK Matt Stover was stellar as usual, converting all of his place kicks. The Ravens kick return unit also excelled, getting several fine returns from B.J. Sams (who eventually left the game due to injury) and a TD return by S Ed Reed, who replaced Sams. The Baltimore defense was stifling at times, particularly in the second half, and kept the Ravens in the game despite the rash of turnovers by the offense.
| Cincinnati Bengals |
The Bengals offense squandered several chances to put the game away early, but they survived a rash of injuries and did enough damage early and late to pull out the victory.
QB Carson Palmer threw two TD passes, but he was often hurried by the Ravens' rush and finished with below-average yardage totals (for him at least). This was due in part to injuries to the Bengals offensive line, which lost three starters in the first half. Nevertheless, Palmer took care of the ball (no turnovers), which cannot be said of his Baltimore counterpart.
RB Rudi Johnson ran hard and was pretty involved in the passing game, but he finished with modest totals. His fourth quarter fumble nearly cost his team the game, but the Bengals defense managed to hold on for the victory.
WR Chad Johnson promised a big show, and he delivered by catching a TD bomb in the first quarter (he then jogged to the sideline to don a large yellow sport coat that read: "Future H.O.F. 20??"). WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh was Palmer's favorite target and scored the game winning TD midway through the fourth quarter. WR Tab Perry did not have a reception but was thrown to four times.
PK Shayne Graham aggravated a hip injury when he missed a long first quarter FG. He left the game briefly but returned to finish the game. The Bengals defense pressured Steve McNair all night, sacking the Ravens QB twice and forcing six turnovers, one of which was returned for a TD.
What you ought to know
| QB Steve McNair, Pass: 20 - 34 - 203 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 |
McNair had a shaky first quarter, turning the ball over twice on fumbles. He also fumbled on the first possession of the second half, and threw a crucial fourth quarter INT with his team leading by a point. Playing behind a weakened offensive line (which got weaker when starting LT Jonathan Ogden left the game in the second quarter with a lingering toe injury); McNair struggled against a heavy pass rush most of the night. The Ravens QB was often hurried, and though he was dropped for a loss only twice, he fumbled the ball away on both sacks.
McNair suffered a groin injury early in the game and played valiantly despite being in obvious pain. Early on, he went to the sidelines to be re-taped, which seemed to help for awhile. But by the fourth quarter, McNair was limping and grimacing noticeably, and he eventually turned the reins over to backup QB Kyle Boller with less than five minutes remaining. While he was in the game, McNair spread the ball around, throwing to eight different receivers. His favorite targets were WR Derrick Mason and WR Demetrius Williams. TE Todd Heap was targeted a handful of times, but WR Mark Clayton was almost a forgotten man (though he did get one end zone look). RB Willis McGahee had his three receptions in the third quarter; his involvement in the passing game was limited because he frequently had to stay in to protect McNair.
| QB Kyle Boller, Pass: 2 - 6 - 19 - 0 TD / 1 INT |
Boller entered the game with less than five minutes to play and his team trailing by seven points. A few of his passes were inaccurate, but we can't find much fault with his performance given he was thrown in the game with little warning and nearly led his team to the tying score. In fact, he completed a pass to TE Todd Heap in the end zone for an apparent game-tying TD, but the play was nullified by a very questionable penalty. Shortly afterward, Boller again threw to Heap in the end zone for what would have been another game tying TD catch, but the ball bounced off Heap's shoulder and was intercepted to end the final Ravens threat.
| RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 19 - 77 - 0, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (3 targets) |
McGahee performed reasonably well in his first start for the Ravens, though his owners were likely expecting better production given the propensity of the Bengals defense to surrender lots of yards on the ground. The Bengals attacked the line of scrimmage all night, and the average Ravens offensive line frequently did not have an answer. McGahee was stuffed for two yards or less on eight of his 19 carries, but he did make some nice gains when he was able to escape initial contact. His involvement in the passing game was limited to three receptions in the third quarter, largely because he was forced to stay in pass protection for much of the game to protect McNair from the ferocious Ravens pass rush. One of McNair's fumbles was partly McGahee's fault, as the running back apparently forgot to receive the handoff on a first quarter sweep.
| RB Musa Smith, Rush: 5 - 30 - 1, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Smith filled in for Mike Anderson as McGahee's primary backup, and he ran impressively. Smith caught the only ball thrown his way and scored the Ravens' first TD on a six yard run.
| RB LeRon McClain, Rec: 3 - 13 - 0 (4 targets) |
McClain started at fullback and did not have a rushing attempt. The rookie from Alabama caught the ball well (was overthrown by Boller on his only miss); however, he coughed up a crucial fumble near midfield as he was struggling to gain extra yardage. The first quarter turnover led to a Cincinnati FG.
| RB Justin Green, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) |
Green was on the field for a few plays and had one catch.
| RB Mike Anderson |
Anderson is normally McGahee's backup, but he missed the game due to personal reasons.
| WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 7 - 76 - 0 (12 targets) |
Mason was McNair's favorite receiver. He was targeted three times in the first Ravens drive, which set the tone for the game. On his only red zone look (from Kyle Boller), Mason came up with a clutch 14 yard grab on fourth down that set up a first and goal with less than four minutes remaining in the game. While Mason has some upside in PPR leagues, he is primarily a possession receiver.
| WR Demetrius Williams, Rec: 3 - 55 - 0 (9 targets) |
The Ravens seemed intent to get the ball in Williams' hands, but they were successful on only three of the nine passes thrown his way (they did throw to him on two other plays that were nullified by a penalty). Williams did make nice yardage (and first downs) on all three of his catches, and he was targeted three times in the red zone.
| WR Mark Clayton (2 targets) |
Clayton was nearly a forgotten man in this game, finishing with no catches. McNair did give him an end zone look in the fourth quarter, but the pass was overthrown. Clayton has been struggling with an ankle injury but came into this game as probable and did not seem limited.
| TE Todd Heap, Rec: 4 - 29 - 0 (6 targets) |
Heap had a fairly quiet game for him. He had a chance to finish with a bang, but he committed pass interference that nullified one TD catch, and the final pass of the game from Kyle Boller bounced off Heap's shoulder in the end zone and resulted in an INT.
| PK Matt Stover 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points |
Stover was perfect, converting both of his FG attempts (36 and 23 yards) and both extra points. He also put three of his five kickoffs into the end zone.
| BAL Rush Defense |
The Ravens rush defense, led by a game (and hurting) Ray Lewis, bottled up Rudi Johnson for most of the night, limiting the Bengals starting RB to two yards or less on 11 of his 18 carries. They also forced Johnson to fumble at a crucial point in the fourth quarter, which nearly led to a game-tying TD. Lewis's performance (seven solo tackles, four assists) was inspiring considering he played most of the game with a painful triceps injury he suffered very early in the game.
| BAL Pass Defense |
The Baltimore pass rush kept steady pressure on Carson Palmer throughout the game, and often forced Palmer to unload before he was ready. Still, they were able to sack Palmer only once, which was a disappointment considering the Bengals lost three offensive line starters to injury in the first half. The Ravens secondary also put some hard licks on the Bengals receivers, though they were unable to come up with any INT's.
| QB Carson Palmer, Pass: 20 - 32 - 194 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0 |
Considering the defense he was facing and the injuries to his offensive line (three starters lost in the first half), Palmer's performance was fine. He hurried his throws at times, especially in the first half, but he was sacked only once, had no turnovers, and threw two TD passes (including the game winner), so he definitely took care of business. Palmer is not lightning quick, but he has a knack for evading the rush, which was quite evident in this game. The well-designed TD bomb to Chad Johnson was a thing of beauty and is something we're likely to see often this season. Palmer's favorite target was T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who received mostly short passes.
| RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 18 - 50 - 0, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) |
Johnson was bottled up by the stout Ravens defense for most of the game and was limited to one yard or less on ten of his eighteen carries. He was fairly active in the passing game, catching three of four balls sent his way (he was targeted two other times on plays that were negated by penalties). Johnson had two red zone carries and the two point conversion run. On the down side, he coughed up the ball late in the fourth quarter when all the Bengals had to do was not fumble, providing the Ravens an opportunity to tie the game. Johnson's mediocre stat line was fairly predictable given the opposition, but his owners can take heart because he is so the man in this offense and will definitely have better days against lesser competition.
| RB Jeremi Johnson, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) |
The veteran fullback Johnson came up with a short fourth quarter catch and had one carry for three yards.
| RB Kenny Watson (1 targets) |
Watson barely saw the field in this game. One ball was thrown his way in the fourth quarter (incomplete), and he did not have a rushing attempt.
| WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 9 - 50 - 1 (12 targets) |
Houshmandzadeh was Palmer's favorite target and caught nine of the 12 passes thrown his way, an excellent percentage. Most of the passes were of the short variety, as the Bengals attempted to control the clock. Houshmandzadeh had one red zone look, the fourth quarter TD catch that won the game. He is an obvious stud in PPR leagues, and like Rudi Johnson will have better yardage days against weaker opponents.
| WR Chad Johnson, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 5 - 95 - 1 (9 targets) |
Johnson had two receptions of 30+ yards, including the first quarter catch that put the Bengals on the scoreboard. He did not exactly go off, but as with the other Bengal starters, this was due in part to the strong Raven defense. Johnson had one rushing attempt for two yards. He limped off the field at one point, but there are no worries as it was only his standard "limp off the field with a cramp" he does every game.
| WR Tab Perry (4 targets) |
Perry did not have a reception, though all four of his targets came on third down plays. Perry fumbled on the final play of the first half (kickoff), but the turnover did not hurt the team since the clock ran out.
| TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) |
Kelly also started at TE (the Bengals opened with a two TE set but frequently used three WRs) and caught the only pass thrown in his direction. Kelly was also called for holding in the first quarter.
| TE Dan Coats, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Coats started at TE but was not very involved in the passing attack. He caught the only pass thrown his way.
| PK Shayne Graham 2 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points |
Graham struggled in the preseason with a hip injury, and he aggravated the injury in the first quarter when he badly missed a 53 yard field goal. Graham was not able to kick the PAT after the first Bengals TD, but he was able to return and finish the game.
| CIN Rush Defense |
The Bengals are notorious for surrendering rushing yardage, but they kept Willis McGahee under control in this game and prevented the Ravens from controlling the clock. The Bengal defenders, led by S Madieu Williams (seven solo tackles, two assists, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery), attacked the line of scrimmage and helped to force four of the six Ravens turnovers. If they continue their aggressive ways, the Bengals defense may be a fantasy surprise this year.
| CIN Pass Defense |
Helped by a strong pass rush, the Bengals defenders prevented any of the Ravens receivers from going off or getting in the end zone. They also came up with two INT's by defensive linemen --one by DE Robert Geathers (who also forced a fumble that was returned by LB Landon Johnson for a TD) and another INT by DT Michael Myers, which sealed the win with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
