By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Bengals' special teams have played a major role - some good, some bad - in each of the past three games.

On Nov.10, in their first game against Baltimore, a 38-27 loss, the Bengals special teams provided a boost with big plays - namely Brandon Bennett's 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that answered the Ravens' opening score.

But the kick and punt coverage teams also allowed two too many long returns. Baltimore rookie Lamont Brightful returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown. And his 54-yard kickoff return set-up a Ravens field goal after the Bengals had tied the game at 14.

Today, in the rematch, the Bengals have to stop Brightful and find someone to replace Bennett. He is likely to miss the game against the 5-6 Ravens after being downgraded Friday to doubtful with a hyperextended right knee.

Second-year wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh will return kickoffs and punts if Bennett can't play.

Houshmandzadeh atoned for a fumbled punt last week at Pittsburgh with a 44-yard kickoff return that put the Bengals in position to tie the score late in the fourth quarter.

The lost fumble, though, was Houshmandzadeh's second in as many weeks in close games.

He needs to shake the self-doubt he said affected him against the Steelers. Houshmandzadeh and his blockers have to continue to give the offense good field position.

HOLD THAT LINE: The Ravens offense is struggling. It has just one touchdown in its past 27 possessions and has slipped to No.31 in the league rankings.

The Bengals defense can't let quarterback Jeff Blake (pictured) and his offense score early and gain confidence. The game will be Blake's first in Cincinnati since he left as a free agent following the 1999 season. He started 66 games in six seasons for the Bengals.

HOLD THAT LINE, II: Last week, other than one Jerome Bettis run and a couple of trick plays, the Bengals' front seven did a respectable job against the Steelers' ground game.

The Ravens are coming off consecutive games in which they failed to gain 200 yards of offense. They're going to go to running back Jamal Lewis early and often.

Baltimore is 5-0 this season when he rushes for 78 or more yards. The Ravens are 0-6 when Lewis rushes for 75 or fewer yards.

Three weeks ago, Lewis had 135 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns against the Bengals. A repeat performance would be fatal to the Bengals' chances of winning.

Bengals coach Dick LeBeau is a bit worried, based on how Baltimore's offensive line played in the first game.

"We have to keep from getting blocked like we did over there," LeBeau said. "I still feel they gave us the toughest time in that phase of the game this year, particularly as the game got later. That is definitely one of our focal points for this week. We must play (Lewis) better than we did over there."

BREAK THAT PLANE: The Bengals will look to control the ball with their suddenly productive offense.

But they need to score points when they get inside the 10-yard line. Three times in the past five games, the Bengals have been stopped just short of the goal line when a touchdown would have tied or given them the lead late in the fourth quarter - against Tennessee and Cleveland and at Pittsburgh.

The Bengals have 26 possessions inside the 20-yard line and have scored 11 touchdowns, a 42.3 percent success rate that is 29th in league rankings.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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