Cincinnati @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2012 ) Baltimore 17, Cincinnati 23

The Cincinnati Bengals will have had nine full days to stew over a difficult loss when they visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday for a big AFC North matchup. A safety in overtime was the difference in Cincinnati's 22-20 loss at Miami on Halloween night, a setback that also saw the Bengals lose another starter on defense in standout tackle Geno Atkins to an ACL tear. The Ravens can close within a game in the loss column with a victory on Sunday.

However, the defending Super Bowl champs have been sinking since a 3-2 start, dropping three in a row, including a 24-18 decision at Cleveland last Sunday. It marked the fifth time this season that Baltimore - which ranked 10th in the league in scoring last year - has been held to 20 points or fewer. This contest begins a string in which the Ravens play four of five games at home, where they have won 18 of their last 21 games dating back to 2010.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bengals -1.5, O/U: 44

ABOUT THE BENGALS (6-3): The Atkins injury is a massive one for a team that entered the season with a formidable defense but has slowly seen several key parts suffer season-ending injuries. That may place more of an emphasis on an offense that followed up a 49-point effort against the New York Jets on Oct. 27 with a stinker versus the Dolphins, turning the ball over four times and registering just three points until late in the third quarter. Andy Dalton threw for 300-plus yards for the fourth straight time but threw three interceptions.

ABOUT THE RAVENS (3-5): It will be interesting to see how Baltimore attacks the Cincinnati defense without Atkins in the middle, considering that the Ravens have not been able to generate much at all on the ground this year. They are averaging only 2.78 yards per carry, which would be the worst mark in the league since 1953 if it holds up. Joe Flacco, not the most mobile of quarterbacks, led Baltimore with 25 yards rushing in the loss to the Browns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Flacco needs 200 passing yards to reach 20,000 for his career.

2. Bengals WR A.J. Green is aiming for his fifth straight 100-yard game.

3. Baltimore has won four of the last five meetings.

PREDICTION: Ravens 23, Bengals 21