By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Bengals fell behind in their first eight games and won just three of them. They've scored first in the last four and have won all four.

Scoring first and playing with a lead Sunday at Baltimore will greatly enhance the Bengals' chances of winning.

The Bengals fell behind 7-0 to the Ravens in their first meeting, Oct. 19 at Paul Brown Stadium, but the home team quickly built a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Playing from behind, 24-7 at halftime, the Ravens turned one-dimensional on offense. Star tailback Jamal Lewis was held to 16 yards on six carries in the second half. Limiting Lewis' carries and forcing quarterback Anthony Wright to beat them with the pass would be a positive development for the Bengals.

The Bengals also can expect a hostile Baltimore crowd at M&T Bank Stadium. Fans voted the Bengals game Sunday the biggest in the franchise's eight years in a poll on the Ravens Web site.

But Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, the Ravens defensive coordinator for six seasons, has an answer to the crowd. "It doesn't matter," he said. "These people (fans) don't play. You are just playing the guys in the different colored helmets."

Lewis had his offense working against piped-in crowd noise this week in practice.

RUN AT RAY: Marvin Lewis drafted and coached Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis into the NFL's most dominating defensive player.

Ray Lewis' speed to the ball is one of his greatest assets, and Marvin Lewis won't say it, but one of the reasons the Bengals have had some success running the ball against the Ravens is their strategy of running at Ray Lewis. Running at Lewis neutralizes his speed, and the Bengals have done it as well as any team.

Though the Bengals had just 59 rushing yards in the first game, they sent rookie fullback Jeremi Johnson directly at Lewis on running plays between the tackles. Lewis had just five tackles and was a non-factor.

Dillon's recovered from his abdominal strain that reduced his effectiveness earlier, and he'll be looking for his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game at Baltimore. Dillon's 127 yards on Dec. 23, 2001, snapped the 50-game streak without a 100-yard rusher under coordinator Marvin Lewis' watch.

PROTECT THE BALL: In 2002, the Bengals finished 30th in the NFL with a minus-15 turnover differential. They turned the ball over 35 times.

Through 12 games, the Bengals have turned the ball over 13 times - tied for the league best with the Chiefs and Jets - a pace that would cut their 2002 total in half.

The Bengals must hold onto the ball Sunday against the Ravens. Not only have the Ravens forced 27 turnovers, they make the opposition pay. They have returned three of their 18 interceptions for touchdowns.

Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna, who enters the game with 114 consecutive passes without an interception, must keep that streak alive Sunday.

WATCH OUT FOR 3: The Bengals play poorly in the third quarter. They've been outscored 64-36 this season.

The Ravens are even in the third quarter at 64-64, but they have scored the most fourth-quarter points in the NFL this season - 119.

The Bengals also are winning the fourth quarter, with a 82-72 composite scoring advantage.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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