Sunday, November 21, 1999Who's got the edge
QUARTERBACK
• Bengals: Silver Lining Dept: If Jeff Blake averages 18.6 yards rushing over final six games, he'll break Ken Anderson's 1981 team record for most running yards by QB
• Ravens: Tony Banks has rifle for arm, but no moving targets at receiver in completing just 48 percent of his passes and none longer than 28 yards
EDGE: Bengals
RUNNING BACK
• Bengals: Since leading NFL in rushing two straight weeks last month, Corey Dillon has 153 yards on 50 carries for 3-yard average, 1.4 below his career average
• Ravens: Errict Rhett has four 100-yard games — only Edgerrin James (6) and Duce Staley (5) have more in the NFL — behind an offensive line that pushes people off the ball
EDGE: Ravens
< RECEIVERS
• Bengals: Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott are better than the Ravens $400,000 club. Still, Pickens and Scott pull in about $11 million this season and have fewer yards per catch than three Baltimore wideouts
• Ravens: Dept. of You Get What You Pay For And What You Don't. Ravens barely have yard-per-attempt of 5 and big-money, big-play receiver Jermaine Lewis averages just 7.6 yards per his 11 third-down catches
EDGE: Bengals
OFFENSIVE LINE
• Bengals: They are coming off their rudest day with seven sacks allowed and just 3.5 yards per rush. Now they play NFL's No. 1 defense
• Ravens: Ho-hum. Ravens lose their right tackle for season and then go out and grind away for nearly 5 yards per play against Jacksonville's No. 1 defense
EDGE: Ravens
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Bengals: Kickoff returner Tremain Mack (46.7-yard per return last week) only guy keeping this unit from being an Arena League expansion franchise. With four Bengal punts blocked or deflected, Ravens returner Jermaine Lewis senses first big return of year
• Ravens: Lewis lit Bengals for 82-yard return last year, but hasn't busted one longer than 28 this season, the kiss of death for Bengals. Punter Kyle Richardson leads NFL with 26 punts inside 20
EDGE: Ravens
DEFENSIVE LINE
• Bengals: They have just six sacks in last five games, a stretch they are all owing four yards per rush, 4.7 the last three games
• Ravens: Ravens are only team this season not to allow a 100-yard receive r or runner, in large part because of this deep unit rotating huge tackles
EDGE: Ravens
LINEBACKERS
• Bengals: The four starters have combined for 5.5 sacks while Ravens strong-side backer Peter Boulware has rung up 7.5. Not to mention three Pro Bowl berths for the Baltimore backers
• Ravens: Middle backer Ray Lewis is immense from sideline-to-sideline with 127 tackles. Toss in Boulware's pass-rush skills and weak-side backer Jamie Sharper's speed and t ey should be allowed to play only with two of them
EDGE: Ravens
SECONDARY
• Bengals: They were pleased this battered group gave up just 98 yards passing last week to Kevin Dyson et al. But the Titans only had to throw 25 times and the quarterback was Steve McNair, not Steve Young
• Ravens: Memo to Bengals draft room: This is how you build a secondary. Two first-round cornerbacks, a second-round cornerback and a veteran free safety to keep it all together
EDGE: Ravens
COACHING
• Bengals: Ravens coach Brian Billick called out players by name after last week's loss. If it works today, Bengals coach Bruce Coslet should be taking notes
Ravens: Q: How did Billick go from coaching one of greatest offenses of all-time in Minnesota last season to coaching one averaging 15 points per game? A: It's a long fall from Cris Carter and Randy Moss.
• EDGE: Even
THE PICK
You get the feeling this one isn't exactly going to be filed next to the 1958 championship game in the archives at NFL Films. RAVENS, 17-6
Bengals Stories
UC 94, Youngstown State 67
UC foe falls short only on scoreboard
UC NOTEBOOK
Memphis 21, UC 13
Xavier 96, Maryland-Eastern Shore 52
XAVIER NOTEBOOK
PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Michigan 24, Ohio State 17
Season of perspective for OSU fans
Miami 43, Buffalo 0
Tennessee 56, Kentucky 21
Highland' Smith excels in 1st UK start
SI all-century team needs second look
NKU 64, Wisconsin-Stevens Point 60
Stuff 107, Trenton 100
OHSAA strikes up the bands
Cyclones 5, Cleveland 1
Miami hockey team sweeps No. 3 MSU
Mighty Ducks 5, Saint John 4
NKU advances in NCAA volleyball
Thomas More women undaunted
Who's got the edge