CINCINNATI — Let the conspiracy theories begin again.
The Ravens fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, 15-10, on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, where a controversial penalty hurt them in the second half.
A questionable roughing-the-passer flag on Terrell Suggs allowed the Bengals to get into range for the game-winning, 38-yard field goal by Mike Nugent with 4:34 left in the game. It appeared like Suggs wrapped up Carson Palmer and simply fell on top of him.
The Bengals (1-1) then sealed the win when they intercepted Joe Flacco deep in Ravens territory after tipping his pass at the line of scrimmage. It was Flacco's third interception of the game. Later in the fourth quarter, Flacco was intercepted again, setting a career high with four picks in one game.
That turnover led to Nugent's 25-yard field goal.
It was the sixth time the Ravens (1-1) have lost to the Bengals in the past eight meetings.
Like the season opener, the Ravens fell behind 6-0 in the first half. And like the season opener, Flacco helped the other team's offense.
His interception led to Cincinnati's second field goal of the game. Adam Jones jumped in front of Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin and set up the Bengals at the Ravens' 35-yard line.
Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer nearly gave it right back to the Ravens, but safety Dawan Landry let the pass hit off his left arm. Mike Nugent's 30-yard field goal put the Bengals up, 6-0, midway through the second quarter.
The first half was a disaster for the Ravens offense, who had 77 total yards. Flacco was 5-for-17 for 23 yards.
The Ravens turned it around on the first drive of the second half behind a new-look Flacco. Completing four of five passes on the drive, he hit wide receiver Derrick Mason for a 31-yard touchdown to put the Ravens ahead, 7-6.
But that lead was short-lived because of a controversial call. Late in the third quarter, Palmer went down after Ray Lewis' legs undercut the quarterback. Lewis was flagged for tripping (which turned a would-be sack into an automatic first down), but the linebacker was just rolling forward after getting taken down himself on a cut block.
Cincinnati eventually settled for a 46-yard field goal to put them back ahead, 9-7.
The Ravens answered back in the fourth quarter, when Ray Rice started the drive with a 30-yard run. He limped off the field in the middle of the series, which ended with a 38-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff to put the Ravens up, 10-9.
jamison.hensley@baltsun.com
twitter.com/jamisonhensley
Advertisement