BALTIMORE (AP) The Baltimore Ravens fully understand the ramifications of Sunday’s regular-season finale against Cincinnati.
”It pretty much lets us know if we’re going to be on the couch next week or on the field
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Beat or tie the Bengals (6-9), and the Ravens (9-6) end a two-year hiatus from the postseason. Lose, and Baltimore will need help (a loss or tie by either
Buffalo or Tennessee) to get in.
Article continues below ... So, the plan for the Ravens is to take care of business themselves.
”This is the most important game for us this season,” tight end Benjamin Watson said. ”We understand the urgency of it.”
This could be the final game for Marvin Lewis as Cincinnati’s head coach, now in his 15th season with the Bengals. Lewis brushed aside reports that he’s
preparing to move on, insisting that his future is secondary to guiding
Cincinnati to an upset.
”I’m not going to reflect if this is my last game or not
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His players aren’t sure what to expect.
”We don’t have enough validation as to whether or not that’s true. It’s all speculation,” defensive end Carlos Dunlap said. ”Come the new year, it may be a
new year. But right now we’re going to prepare for the Ravens as if we were
playing in Week One.”
Ah, Week One. This game is a rematch of the season opener, when the Ravens set the tone for Cincinnati’s season in a 20-0 rout.
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Some things to know about the Bengals-Ravens game:
LOOKING BACK: Lewis usually deflects questions about returning to Baltimore, but on this occasion he reflected on his time with the Ravens as a defensive
coordinator from 1996-2001.
”I have incredible memories
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Lewis earned a Super Bowl ring with the 2000 Ravens. He has enjoyed a good run with Cincinnati, and was asked if his players might want to send him out on
a high note.
”I don’t know where they are sending me to,” Lewis said coyly. ”They want to send themselves out with a high note.”
JUST CHILL: The temperature could be in the single digits, and the Ravens aren’t looking forward to it.
”If anybody tells you that they don’t think about it, they are lying,” Watson said. ”They are trying to be the `tough football player.’ We definitely think
about it
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Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said: ”I would rather play in 65 degrees and sunny, but it is what it is.”
Flacco has thrown eight touchdowns and only two interceptions over the past six games. Baltimore is 5-1 during that span.
SHOWING UP: The Bengals gave two uninspired performances in 33-7 and 34-7 losses to the Bears and Vikings before rebounding last week with a 26-17 win
over the Lions.
That seemingly ended the questions about whether they’d packed it in during their second straight losing season.
”We’re confident right now because the last few weeks had been pretty rough, almost demoralizing,” safety George Iloka said. ”When you start losing by 20
points, 30 points, it’ll do something to you as a player. But I’m happy how we
responded last week. I’d say right now
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SUGGS APPRECIATION: It’s been a heck of a season for 35-year-old Terrell Suggs, who has 11 sacks for a Baltimore team that leads the NFL with 33
takeaways.
”Obviously, there is no one that has seen Terrell more than I have, literally, since his pro day at Arizona State,” Lewis said. ”A physical
linebacker, defensive end
Kendall Wright Super Bowl LI Jersey , whatever you want to call it. He just produces year-in and year-out.”
Williams said: ”When you look at the outside linebacker position, that’s the first person you think of. He’s an X-factor. As long as he’s there, you have a
chance. It’s great to have him. Hopefully he has many more years to go.”
LINE SHUFFLE: The Bengals have lost left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and right tackle Andre Smith, forcing them to improvise for the last two games of the
season. Against the Lions, they moved left guard Clint Boling to tackle – he
hadn’t played there since college – and gave second-year guard Christian
Westerman his first NFL start. The combination worked well, but it should be
tougher against Suggs and the Ravens.
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AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this story.
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