The Cincinnati Enquirer

You never really know about Corey Dillon, who likes the media as much as torn knee ligaments. As a rule, Dillon doesn't talk unless he's complaining about something or Marvin Lewis makes him.

So here's what you think you know about the erstwhile Dillonator, Cincinnati's lone star of the last seven, sad seasons. Here's what you guess, after watching Dillon's entire career:

He's best when he runs mean. He's most dangerous when he feels put-upon angry about something. The always sizeable boulder on Dillon's shoulder doesn't weigh him down. He uses it as a battering ram. When Dillon and his Chip are pounding opposing safeties, the running game is working. This should be a good Sunday for him.

It can be a mad, mad, mad, mad world for CD. He was mad about the grass at Paul Brown Stadium. He was ticked at suggestions that six-plus years of collisions are denting his armor permanently. An Enquirer story last week suggesting he could be released in a money-saving move after this year apparently didn't thrill him, either.

He had to listen to rumors of a trade to Dallas. (Dillon and Bill Parcells: Who wouldn't pay to watch that?) He hasn't played much in three weeks. He has had to hear about the emerging greatness of Jamal Lewis, who swiped Dillon's single-game rushing record a month ago. On Monday, he told reporters to "beat it." What it all means is, if Dillon has two loose, happy groins Sunday, he will make the Ravens pay.

As quarterback Jon Kitna said, "I think he always has a chip on his shoulder. That's the way he plays. That's his personality."

If Dillon is Dillon, the Bengals can beat Baltimore. If they can beat Baltimore, they can contend for the division title. This isn't crazy or wishful. It's a bad division. It's the fact that the Bengals have closed the mediocrity gap significantly.

The Ravens? Please. They lead the AFC North with only one gear on offense. Rookie QB Kyle Boller has a rating so low (48.9), he qualifies for the Witness Protection Program. But Jamal Lewis is averaging 148 yards a game, even as teams play kill-the-man-with-the-ball defense against him. And Baltimore's defense is fifth-best in the NFL.

"They've found their niche," Marvin Lewis said. "They're riding their horse. When you run the way they do, you control the game."

The Ravens are who Lewis would like the Bengals to be, when the Bengals grow up: Run-wrecking defense, low-risk offense, lots of first downs.

Lewis can have that in this division. But only if Dillon is Dillon.

The Bengals are in a telling half-empty/half-full part of the schedule. They can win four of their next five and converse with success. Or they can do something less, and be the Bengals everyone has come to expect.

Rich Braham, who has seen a lot of the good, mean Dillon, calls him a "groove" runner. When Dillon gets on a roll, he and his Chip aren't being tackled until they come upon an opposing safety. On the days Dillon does his best work, safeties tire of the collisions with Corey and his Chip. Those are the really big days.

It could be time for Dillon to stick his Chip in some Raven ribs. If he comes up big Sunday, he'll probably thank the heathen media for fueling him. Or maybe not.

E-mail pdaugherty@enquirer.com