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Another step toward the playoffs

By Scott Priestle, CNATI.com Posted November 8, 2009 6:38 PM ET

Laveranues Coles caught a short pass for a first down, shook off All-Pro Ed Reed and raced down the field. Chad Ochocinco threw a block for him, underscoring just how much has changed for the Bengals and Ravens this season.

The Baltimore defense looked old and the offense out of sync Sunday, and the young Bengals played with passion and poise for a 17-7 win. It will keep them in first place for at least another week, and it should leave no doubt that they belong in the discussion of the league's best teams.

If they benefitted from some good fortune and good timing in the early weeks of the season, they have simply been a good team in the past two games, a 45-10 win over the Chicago Bears and a decisive -- if not lopsided -- win over the Ravens.

At 6-2, the Bengals are a half-game ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, two games ahead of the Ravens and well on their way to another playoff berth, however unlikely it seemed in August.

"There's a certain maturity that we're slowly gaining over time," linebacker Dhani Jones said. "Guys who are in their first or second year are progressing forward, they're thinking ahead, they're doing the things necessary to win in terms of studying and paying attention.

"Whatever happened today, going into the game next week we'll still be underdogs. It's still inch by inch moving forward and gaining more and more respect. But at the same time, it doesn't matter, because we know when we go into practice, we're just focused on our work."

Their patience is paying off in ways big and small.

The coaches stuck with the running game through frequent failures earlier this season, and it wore down the Ravens for a second time; Reed missed multiple tackles Sunday. The defensive backs, who were beaten by poor communication and missed tackles at times earlier this season, blanketed Baltimore's receivers. Coles, who is among the league leaders in dropped passes, had his best game as a Bengal, and quarterback Carson Palmer was sharp for a second straight game.

Then there are the less-tangible signs of growth: After years of clamoring for the ball and pouting when he didn't get it, Ochocinco has been a willing blocker as well as a dangerous receiver.

"Around here, nobody's too big," center Kyle Cook said. "There are no big-timers here, no egos or alternate agendas. Everybody here is part of the team. That's the biggest thing that has helped."

The offense set the tone Sunday by scoring on its first three possessions: a 12-play drive to a touchdown, a 10-play drive to a touchdown and a 12-play drive to a field goal. Dating to the start of the Chicago game, the Bengals scored on 10 straight possessions with Palmer at quarterback.

On the three scoring drives Sunday, they converted 5 of 7 third-down plays into first downs and converted a fourth-down play. Palmer completed 11 of 17 passes for 125 yards, and Cedric Benson ran 14 times for 54 yards.

The defense allowed only two first downs in the first half, and one came on a penalty (the Ravens had a third first-down courtesy of a special-teams penalty). The Ravens managed only 98 yards through three quarters and topped 200 for the game only because the Bengals sat back and let Ray Rice gain 35 yards on the final play of the game, when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Baltimore's offense averaged 236 yards and seven points per game in the two losses to the Bengals, 399 yards and nearly 30 points per game in the team's other six games.

"I don't think there is a guy in that room who didn't think we were going to win," Palmer said. "There was a quiet confidence we had coming into this game. I don't think anyone even talked about it. It's a confidence we have that's not cocky or arrogant. We just expect to do certain things against certain teams. We are going to go into Pittsburgh and expect to beat them, too."

That quiet confidence -- particularly the quiet part -- is what sets the 2009 Bengals apart from the 2005 Bengals, the only Bengals squad in the past 18 years to qualify for the playoffs. "We were a good team back then, but we were young and kind of dumb," Palmer said.

The combination of maturity and skill sets the 2009 Bengals apart from most of their recent history. A franchise that has been known for dysfunction and disappointment is driving toward the postseason.

"If I was on an opposing team," safety Chris Crocker said, "I think I would probably be a little skeptical. `Oh, these guys got the same guys in the locker room, same coordinators, same head coach. How can they go from that to this?' They are right for thinking that way, but that's OK. They look like fools now if they really believe that."

More from Sunday's game
Offense: Another 100-yard game for Benson
Defense: Hall, Joseph shut down Ravens
Notes: Henry breaks forearm
Photo gallery

Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories, News

Tags: Bengals, Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Chris Crocker, Dhani Jones, Ravens