FanHouse Preview: Bengals at Ravens

Cincinnati (3-1) really could be 4-0 and would be, if not for the Madden-esque TD reception by Denver's Brandon Stokley in Week 1. Since that game, the Bengals traveled to Green Bay and beat a heavily-favored Packer team, took down world champion Pittsburgh at home, and just barely survived a letdown game in Cleveland last week.

Baltimore (3-1) feels like they should be 4-0, victimized by an iffy penalty in last week's game at Foxboro (if the game was at home, are the Ravens not penalized?). With Pittsburgh lurking, each of these Cincinnati-Baltimore games are critical in battling for a playoff spot. Most people see the Ravens as a contender, but the Bengals as a pretender.

Is that fair?

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Three Key Questions:

1. Can Baltimore rookie Michael Oher transition smoothly to the blind side in replacing Jared Gaither, and will Marshall Yanda be able to slip right in on the right side?

2. Will Cedric Benson find any room to run against the No. 1 rushing defense in the league, one that allows less than 60 yards on the ground per game?

3. How many game-day tweets will we see from Chad Ochocinco?

Player in the Spotlight: Antwan Odom. After totaling a whopping seven sacks in the first two games of the season, Odom was held to just one sack combined against Pittsburgh and Cleveland. With Oher drawing his first start on the left side of the offensive line, it will be on Odom to create consistent pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco. The Bengals can't afford to blitz Flacco too often, as the Ravens have displayed the ability to hit any number of offensive weapons during a drive. The less people in coverage, the easier it will be for Flacco to find the open man. Odom's final line should be a reflection of the game result, when all is said and done.

Cincinnati's Path to Victory: The Bengals will try to establish a running game, but the deck is stacked against him. We know the Ravens' defense will be gunning for Ochocinco, so it's up to Carson Palmer to consistently find his secondary options in the passing game. If Laveranues Coles and Chris Henry turn in performances in line with their first four games, then the Bengals have no shot. So these secondary receivers will have to step up and come through on the road in a hostile Baltimore environment. It will be nearly impossible to play successfully from behind, so expect Palmer to try and get everyone involved early. If they can manage a halftime lead, allowing them to keep feeding Benson the rock, then they have a good shot at pulling off the win.

Baltimore's Path to Victory: Both Oher and Yanda are great run blockers, so Baltimore's prospects will be tied tot he ground game. The dynamic duo of Willis McGahee (255 yards, seven TDs) and Ray Rice (429 yards, one TD) should expect double-digit touches yet again. The Cincinnati defense features a pair of up-and-coming young cornerbacks, but the secondary has been susceptible to big games from little-known receivers (Cleveland's Mohamed Massaquoi and Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace) in recent weeks. Sure, they have to contain veteran Derrick Mason, but former Bengal Kelley Washington can be just as dangerous to this team.

Prediction: In order for Odom to work his magic, Cincinnati has to jump to an early lead. Expect a few shots down the field by Palmer in the first quarter. Baltimore will counter with a steady dose of Rice in between the 20s and McGahee in the red zone. If Bengals defensive tackle Tank Johnson isn't 100% over his foot injury, which held him out of the Browns game, the Ravens should have no problem moving the ball on the ground. Once the Bengals offense gets desperate, that's when the Ravens defense attacks. Baltimore should have no problem with Cincinnati in the second half, which should lead to an easy win for the Ravens. Baltimore 31, Cincinnati 16.