After a somewhat flat preseason, the Ravens take the field at Paul Brown Stadium tonight against the Bengals. 

Bring it!

This will definitely be a good game and I do not doubt that Paul Brown Stadium will be rocking!  Division rivals butting heads on the greatest football stage apart from the Super Bowl.

Key matchups as I see them:

Bengals WRs vs. Ravens DBs:  Ed, Samari, Chris, Dawan and the gang will have to be on top of thir games tonight.  Chad and TJ are two of the best WRs and one of the best WR tandems in the NFL.  Both men have the capability to break big plays, so Ravens DBs can't be caught snoozing.

Ravens DL and LBs vs. Bengals OL: I have lumped the Ravens' defensive line and linebackers into the same general space, because they are two cogs in the great sack machine.  And the blitz will be a key tonight:  if the Ravens can't get pressure on Carson Palmer, then the night might be a long one, especially if he has time to throw long to Chad and TJ.  The OL-DL contest will definitely be one of those in-the-trenches slugfests.  

Carson vs. the blitz:  After reading an article by Sun reporter Jamison Henley (article dated September 7th), in my mind's eye, Carson Palmer becomes a factor in his own right. Yes he may be the only quarterback in the AFC North who doesn't quake in his cleats at the thought of facing the Ravens' D but Rex and the D have at least got to find ways to throw him off his rhythm!  As I stated above, if the D can't throw Carson off his rhythm then the night will be a long one.

 Palmer's strength is refusal to be intimidated

 Anyway, this will be a great way for the Ravens to begin their season!  GOOOOOOOOOOOO RAVENS!