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Since their arrival, the Baltimore Ravens have always been an oversized group of mongrels who produced wins in the most blue-collared fashion; slowly and painfully rolling over their opposition. á They have been the most sustained threat to Pittsburgh's divisional supremacy since the inception of the AFC North, and because of amenities like a general manager with a keen eye for talent and a top-ranked stadium, the Ravens have become one of ...

There is a lesson to be learned from all of this: never underestimate the will of a trapped animal, or in this case, a trapped color. á The Bengals barely escaped alive from the House of Brown, needing to go a few extra rounds to fully vanquish that desperate group of wild banshees in Cleveland, thanks in large part to the mistakes of long-snapper Brad St. Louis. But like a ...

Cleveland Brown Stadium may as well be perched along the River Styx these days with Charon himself there to escort Browns fans into the NFL netherworld. á Nothing is currently working for the organization the color of mud, and, like the recession, experts are forecasting that the situation will worsen before there's any hope of turning things around. á Cincinnati knows the feeling; it too was out to sea without a sail for countless ...

It's never been better to be wrong.á á Cincinnati is still elated after a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against the loathsome Steelers on Sunday in a game that truly typified the attitude of Marvin Lewis' newest breed of Bengal.á á His teams of the past lacked the emotional wherewithal and intestinal fortitude to scrape themselves off of the canvas and fight a tough last round against the defending champs, but this bunch rope-a-doped its way ...

Marvin Lewis should feel more at ease with the team he has reassembled; it's the kind he likes.   The Bengals caught Green Bay with a surprise left hook to the jaw on Sunday, leaving the Packers battered, bewildered and beaten on their own turf. The new program that Marvin now runs in Cincinnati is more fortified with brute strength and toughness, and is quickly shedding its finesse moniker by physically ...

The last time I remember the Bengals playing a regular season game at Lambeau Field, Brett Favre made his Packer debut and led Green Bay to a fourth quarter comeback win. It was early in the season, the Bengals were 2-0, the Packers were winless, Cincinnati was up 17-3 in the third quarter, the meltdown ensued and a legend was born. The Bengals lost 37 of their next 46 games after ...

Roy Williams prevents huge run on first play by Buckhalter.   Geathers on nice run stuff.   Marshall drops screen pass   No pass rush, nice coverage by Crocker.   First play of the year is a run up the middle for no gain.  Imagine that.   Second play is run off tackle for no gain.   Good pass protection; 18 yards to Slim over the middle.   Nice pass to Chad on medium slant route.   Benson shows nice vision by bouncing the run to ...

Roy Williams prevents huge run on first play by Buckhalter.   Geathers on nice run stuff.   Marshall drops screen pass   No pass rush, nice coverage by Crocker.   First play of the year is a run up the middle for no gain.  Imagine that.   Second play is run off tackle for no gain.   Good pass protection; 18 yards to Slim over the middle.   Nice pass to Chad on medium slant route.   Benson shows nice vision by bouncing the run to ...

After the stunned silence and the eruption of outrage, after the philosophical musings about the mysterious ways of the universe and after letting it go with a sigh and a beer, we can talk about what happened yesterday in a serious, analytical tone that has nothing to do with hexes or of team ownership.   Outside of the tip, that was brought on by natural defensive instincts and a hailstorm of bad ...

If the two main points of emphasis for the Bengals this offseason were improving the running game and the pass rush, then the Broncos are the perfect test to gauge how successful those two efforts have been. Denver is a new team in many ways. First, Josh McDaniels, 33, replaces longtime Bronco head coach, Mike Shanahan, and brings his New England-style offense and 3-4 defense with him.   Then there's the new quarterback, ...