benjarvus green ellis

Breaking down who has the edge, and where, in Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

The Ravens once again were dealt a schedule that stacks three divisional opponents in the first three games, the third time that AFC North teams occupy the first three spots on their schedule in 10 years, and the team recognizes the stakes.

The rest of the AFC North all are planning to go with a multi running back attack. With Ray Rice facing a potentially lengthy suspension, the Ravens will probably have to do the same.

Breaking down who has the edge, and where, in Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

Now that the NFL season is here, I'm putting a twist on my weekly Blogger on Blogger series. Each week, I hope to enlist a blogger who regularly writes about the Ravens' opponent to help me break down the game. This week, I exchanged emails with Lindsay Patterson, who covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN 1530.

Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis taking similar approach to Ozzie Newsome's moves while he was defensive coordinator in Baltimore

Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec breaks down Sunday's game between the Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens have already seen how dangerous Cincinnati Bengals all-purpose rookie running back Giovani Bernard can transform a football game into an elaborate game of tag, eluding defenders with his unique set of cuts and moves.

The Bengals want to be balanced offensively. They run a single-back offense and often use two tight ends to create mismatches.

When the regular season started eight weeks ago, plenty of pundits labeled the AFC North one of the top divisions in the NFL. However, as the season reaches its midpoint this weekend, three of the four teams in the division find themselves headed in the wrong direction.

The Cleveland Browns sent shock waves through the NFL when they traded running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2014 first-round draft pick Wednesday.

Since the beginning of November, the unit is allowing 30 yards less per game on the ground

Jeff Zrebiec delivers his scouting report for the regular-season finale between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

With teammates Lewis, McClain injured, Dannell Ellerbe steps into starting role for Ravens

Baltimore Ravens have seven players listed as questionable on injury report, Ngata, Yanda regarded as doubtful to play

After stopping Ahmad Bradshaw and David Wilson, Baltimore Ravens defense turns attention to BenJarvus Green-Ellis

Breaking down the film from the Baltimore Ravens' 33-14 win over the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals' 13-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.

Running back didn't touch the football in the fourth quarter of loss to Pittsburgh

In their last three games, the Ravens allowed opponents to gain just 2.7 yards per carry, which partially explains why teams have resorted to exploiting them through the air. But Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, Jamaal Charles and the Kansas City Chiefs, who rank second in the NFL in rushing, hope to seriously test the notion that the Ravens have tightened up in the trenches.

Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec breaks down the Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns game at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday night.

Jeff Zrebiec breaks down each element of Sunday night's showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium.

Heading into a pivotal game Sunday night against the New England Patriots, the third-ranked defense from last season has plummeted to 27th overall. The Ravens already have allowed 808 yards of total offense, giving up an average of 5.6 yards per play.

The Ravens defense had a chance to silence the critics who questioned its performance against the run in last Monday's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead, the unit may provided more ammunition.

Jeff Zrebiec delivers his scouting report for the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ravens nose guard Terrence Cody is working in behind Ma'aeke Kemoeatu.

Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Jameel McClain was standing on the edge of the field, watching backup Dannell Ellerbe take the majority of the workload opposite middle linebacker Ray Lewis during a 44-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Baltimore Sun reporters break down the film from last week's games involving the Baltimore Ravens and their next opponent.

It's been a while since the Baltimore Ravens defense faced this many questions to start the season. One of the league's most established defenses suddenly has a new look.

Baltimore Ravens nose guard Ma'ake Kemoeatu gets start ahead of Terrence Cody

During the second quarter of the Ravens' 44-13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored a touchdown just before halftime.

Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec delivers his scouting report on the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Patriots running back now headlines Cincinnati's backfield, figures to be watched closely by Ravens defense

Every week, we hope to bring you a quick Q&A with someone who covers the Ravens' opponent that week. On Monday night, the Cincinnati Bengals come to Baltimore, so we're happy to start off the season off by chatting with Joe Reedy, who has covered the Bengals as The Cincinnati Enquirer's Bengals beat reporter since 2009. We discussed Andy Dalton, Ray Rice and 30 years of inconsistency in Cincy.

The glare hasn¿t gone anywhere. Even in training camp practices, Ray Lewis¿ scowl, which has almost dared opposing teams to run his way for nearly two decades in the NFL, remains omnipresent. But the long-time face of the Ravens¿ vaunted defense has a different look this summer.

Heading into the draft, it appears the Ravens, who were AFC North champions in 2011, haven't given much ground to their division rivals. Here's a quick look at what each of those three teams has done.

Ravens running back Ray Rice is scheduled to become a free agent, but the team will place the franchise tag on him by March 5 in the hopes of working out a long-term deal with the Pro Bowl back. That's a bummer for teams looking for an elite back as Rice would have been the best available runner.

If you can't make it to Foxborough, grab some friends and this drinking game to make Sunday's AFC Championship Game a little more interesting.

If you can't make it to Foxborough, grab some friends and this drinking game to make Sunday's AFC Championship Game a little more interesting.

Last week, we looked at the biggest surprises of the 2011 fantasy football campaign. This time around, we will hand out dishonors to the disappointing (non-injured) players who have torpedoed our seasons so far. Try not to cuss too much in the comments section below after receiving this list, OK?

The Ravens finished arguably their toughest five-game stretch of the season with a 4-1 record, so it's understandable to look ahead. ... John Harbaugh is concerned about the number of hits quarterback Joe Flacco took on Sunday. ... Here's a surprise: Harbaugh sided with his brother, Jim, after the 49ers coach got into a spat with Lions coach Jim Schwartz ... There is now an open competition among kickoff returners. ... The Orioles have been checking out players in Japan.