For the second straight week, a team successfully removed Ravens running back Jamal Lewis from the offensive equation.

Lewis rushed for 36 yards on 12 carries in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, 2 more yards than he gained the week before against Pittsburgh.

In both games, the Ravens fell behind in the first half by multiple touchdowns and were forced to throw downfield behind backup quarterback Jeff Blake.

Though Lewis got just five second-half attempts, coach Brian Billick said his team was able to make up the lost yardage in other ways, including a 39-yard reverse to Travis Taylor and 27 yards rushing from fullback Alan Ricard.

Blake also had five runs for 22 yards.

"We had 153 yards rushing," Billick said. "Which of those reverses do you want to hand back to Jamal? We can give him Ricard's touchdown. Or we can take the [three] reverses we ran; we can take those back and give it to Jamal.

"The nature of the game, they made it clear all week long that they were going to try and stop Jamal; that was the key. So they were stacked in there a little bit different than what they've shown in the past to stop Jamal. As is typical, if you want to put those kind of assets into one aspect of stopping a team, you're going to leave other things vulnerable, and we took advantage of that to a certain degree."

Lewis' combined 25 rushing attempts the past two games are three fewer than he got Oct. 20 against Jacksonville, a game in which he rushed for 119 yards in a Ravens win.

He ran five times in the Ravens' opening drive against Atlanta, including the first three plays of the game for 15 yards. But the Ravens turned to Blake in the second quarter, especially during a nine-play touchdown drive in which every call was a pass (the Ravens attempted one Lewis run, which was wiped out because of penalty).

Blake hit Taylor for a 64-yard completion on that drive.

"Now the next teams we will play have to take into account - we have to stop Jamal but better watch that reverse," Billick said. "We better watch that bomb, and we better watch the intermediate stuff to [Todd] Heap. So hopefully we'll present the full package. Yes, we need to get the ball to Jamal more, but the game plan dictates that to a degree.

"It's not like we threw the ball 60 times and Jamal only got 12. We were balanced with a different type of run, but we were balanced from the pass."

Parker gets to play

Defensive end Riddick Parker played close to 30 snaps as a reserve against the Falcons, his most action since signing with the Ravens on Oct. 15.

Parker started the second defensive series and finished the game with one tackle.

"I know what they expect of me," Parker said. "I just try to do all I can to be accountable. I think for the most part, I've done that. Of course there have been a few plays here and there that I'd like to have back. But there is a learning curve as far as being a professional athlete; it's just a matter of limiting those mistakes."

Stokley bides his time

Despite his seemingly secondary status to Taylor now that Blake is starting, Brandon Stokley is not viewing his role as such.

Blake and Taylor have hooked up for 209 yards on 11 catches and a touchdown the past two games, and Stokley has 61 yards on six catches.

"I don't think Jeff is looking for one guy more than the other," Stokley said. "You go where the coverage gives you, and that's what he's been doing."

Blake said teams may start scheming to take away Taylor, which would give his other receivers opportunities to make plays.

"I'm looking for Stokley, too," Blake said.

End zone

The Bengals (1-7) have the NFL's worst record but proved they were not the most terrible team with a five-touchdown thrashing of expansion Houston on Sunday. Cincinnati coach Dick LeBeau had guaranteed a victory heading into that game. "They are a very talented team," Billick said. "They're a team that totally annihilated a Houston Texans team that is older, has more experience and has more veteran starters we do. So that's our challenge." ... Linebacker Ed Hartwell passed Ray Lewis on Sunday for the team lead in tackles (74).