The Ravens' offensive line, which had a tackle playing guard and could have had a tight end playing lineman if another injury had occurred in the team's 13-12 win over the Tennessee Titans, likely will be back at full strength for Sunday's game in Cincinnati.

Edwin Mulitalo and Casey Rabach exited the Titans game early - Mulitalo before the first offensive play from scrimmage when he aggravated a back strain while blocking on the Ravens' extra-point attempt after a defensive touchdown.

Rabach filled in for Mulitalo but left with a burner (temporary nerve injury) midway through the third quarter and was replaced by tackle Jason Thomas. Mulitalo and Rabach are expected back this week.

With Damion Cook and Mike Collins inactive Sunday, the Ravens would have had to move tight end John Jones to the offensive line if someone else got hurt.

"[Mulitalo] had a sore back coming out of the Miami game, nursed it through the week, felt pretty good, got the rehab on it," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "We felt good enough about it based on the practices all week that we actually went into [the game] with seven linemen, as we'd done. Normally, we'd go eight if there is any tenuousness there.

"Fortunately, Casey Rabach, who's played very well for us, jumps in. Casey was playing well but got a severe stinger. Both should be in pretty good shape this week, but it did leave us vulnerable. Had one more guy gone down, that's where it gets dicey, and that's the game you play with this 45-man roster."

McAlister on way back

As has been the case since the onset of Chris McAlister's ankle injury, the Ravens are beginning the week optimistic the cornerback will play against the Bengals.

McAlister has missed the past three games.

"I would be surprised if Chris is not available this weekend, but there again, it's not my ankle," Billick said.

Linebacker Ed Hartwell, playing with a hurt knee that had him listed as questionable heading into Sunday's game, said he was sore yesterday but expects to practice this week.

Quarterback Chris Redman, out the past five games with a herniated disc, also might move up to be the backup, though Billick said Redman still cannot bend down far enough to touch his toes.

"He is progressing," Billick said. "I think they are past the point right now where they think anything surgically needs to be done. They are very pleased with the progress, the way it is going, but the old toe test is my barometer. So right now, at best, he would be No. 2."

Nobody to blame

A day after deflecting attention about his struggling offense after the Ravens' win, Billick still did not provide much insight into how his team managed 199 total yards.

Quarterback Jeff Blake was sacked four times, the Ravens were 2-for-13 on third-down plays and the offense turned the ball over twice while reaching the Tennessee red zone only twice - ending in a field goal and a lost fumble.

"What you all want right now is for me to point to an individual and sell them out and say this is the problem, and I'm not going to do that," Billick said. "I'm not going to do that with coaches, I'm not going to do that with players. We certainly have to play better offensively. The bottom line for us is that we won the game.

"We will take care of the execution thing across the board. That doesn't give you the answer you particularly want or will satisfy a lot of people, but that is where our focus is."

What's the rub?

For the second straight week, Billick is being accused of taunting.

Last week, Miami Dolphins cornerback Sam Madison accused Billick of bragging about his Super Bowl ring after the Ravens fell hopelessly behind, and a story in the Nashville Tennessean yesterday said Billick was "rubbing it in" with some of the comments made after his team's win.

"I've gone out of my way for quite a while to express my respect for [Titans coach] Jeff Fisher and that organization," Billick said.

"The way what I said was characterized by the Tennessee media, to me, was disappointing. They took some comments in which I was really trying to be complimentary and respectful, and they took it in bits and pieces and approached their players in a vein that it was not intended, and they did so willfully."

Billick called holding the Titans without a touchdown as impressive defensively as anything the Ravens have done, and it was taken as a backhanded jab at the Titans' offense.

End zone

Players Sam Gash, Chester Taylor and Ed Reed and director of player development Earnest Byner will be in Howard County this week delivering 200 turkey dinners. Alan Ricard and Dameon Hunter will be in Dundalk delivering turkey dinners to families of Police Athletic League participants, and McAlister also will deliver turkeys in Baltimore. ... Ravens players were given yesterday off.