More of the same since the overflow thread. Flacco tries that "deep throw" thing, but Leon Hall covers D. "you can't cover me 1-on-1" Mason and takes the ball away. Bengals hand to Cedric Benson, who gains his 80th rushing yard in the first half, but no more points resulted. Kevin Huber decided he wanted to punt it to the 1-inch line, and the Ravens ran out the clock to get to the half with a giant goose egg on the board, honestly, lucky that they weren't down 20, 23, 24, or even 31.
Some numbers...
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Goal of 20 minutes of first-half possession, achieved.Possession: Baltimore: 8:26 Cincinnati: 21:34 .
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Will you take it? I'll take it. Domination!Total Plays: Baltimore: 18 Cincinnati: 42 Total Yards: Baltimore: 44 Cincinnati: 235
Now, the Ravens are getting pressure on Carson, but it doesn't seem to matter. Cedric Benson has 18 first-half carries for 80 yards, which is kind of good against the Baltimore rush defense. Carson has been efficient and mistake-free, Ed Reed and the Ravens' defense looks uninspired. Joe Flacco posted a first-half QB rating of 12.0 (ouch) on 3.0 yards per atempt. The Ravens have 9 rushes for 17 yards (1.9/carry), and "dangerous" Ray Rice has only 10 yards on 2.5 yards per carry.
Good things happened, good things need to keep on happening. 17 points is great, but this team needs to NOT let up. Toward the end of the first half, the offense suffered from bad playcalling (broken screen) and bad play (low snap on a 3rd down blitz didn't give Carson a chance). If the Ravens clean up penalties, the Bengals will have to take this one away. Don't count on Baltimore to roll over.
Win it for Slim Henry!