The Cincinnati Bengals knew they could rely on backup running back Bernard Scott to carry the load against the Oakland Raiders if running back Cedric Benson was unable to go.

Turns out they were right.

One week after scoring the game's lone touchdown on a 96-yard kick return in an 18-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, Scott recorded his first career 100-yard game in his first career game as a starter for the Bengals.

Unfortunately, Scott's performance wasn't good enough as the Bengals continued their struggles in Oakland: losing to the Raiders 20-17. He finished the day with 119 yards on the ground, including a 61-yard run in the third quarter. He also hauled in three receptions from Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer for 32 yards.

Scott showed the Bengals last week he was capable of handling the load at running back when he replaced Benson in the second half against the Steelers. The fact he was able to gain 33 yards on 13 carries against the NFL's No. 1 ranked rushing defense gave the team high expectations for him against the Raiders on Sunday.

The Bengals knew this would be the perfect week to rest Benson to provide him with extra time to recover from a hip injury he re-aggravated in the first half of last week's game against the Steelers. The Raiders rushing defense ranked 29th in the NFL entering Sunday's game; allowing 155.6 yards per game on the ground.

Even with Benson on the bench, the Raiders still allowed the Bengals to run for 177 yards on the ground and average 4.1 yards-per-carry. Along with Scott's performance, running back Brian Leonard contributed by running for 35 yards on 12 carries.

Still, the fact that the Bengals were unable to leave Oakland with a win after an impressive performance from the ground game has to be heart breaking, especially since they could have been closer to claiming their first division title since 2005.

After the Steelers 27-24 loss in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals failed to take advantage and increase their lead in the AFC North. With upcoming home games against the 2-8 Detroit Lions and 1-9 Cleveland Browns, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has to feel more comfortable knowing he can rely on Scott should Benson need more time to rest his hip injury.

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Despite making just 13 starts in his four-year career, Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski has recent success against the Cincinnati Bengals.

As a rookie in 2006, Gradkowski led the Bucs on a game-winning drive as he threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Clayton with 34 seconds left in the 14-13 win over the Bengals.

At first, the play was ruled incomplete as Clayton appeared to have fumbled before crossing the goal line. However, the replay showed he had control of the ball while crossing the plain, sending the Bengals to their second loss of the season.

That season, the Bengals finished the season 8-8 and fell one-game short of a possible wild-card berth. While it's difficult to apply the "what if" card in the NFL, the Bengals and their fans knew how different their season could have been had Gradkowski not led that game-winning drive.

Prior to the game, the Bengals were 3-1 and just one game behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. While there were a few games over the eight losses that season the team could look back and say they should have won, no loss may been more painful than the one against the Bucs.

At the time, the Bucs were winless with a 0-4 record. Gradkowski, a sixth-round pick from Toledo, was making his second career start in the NFL, replacing the injured Chris Simms at quarterback. Despite being heavy favorites, the idea of the 3-1 Bengals losing to the previously winless Bucs was heartbreaking.

While the circumstances are different this time around, there are a few current members of the Bengals who were on the team in 2006 and still remember that game-winning drive by Gradkowski.

Gradkowski will be making his first start of the season against the Bengals after Raiders head coach Tom Cable decided to bench quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

At 7-2, the Bengals travel to Oakland as heavy favorites against the 2-7 Raiders. They are in control of their own destiny in the AFC North and look to continue their success on the road after winning their fifth straight game against the Steelers.

However, they know this time around to be extra cautious about Gradkowski at quarterback.

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After straining his hip against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the status of running back Cedric Benson is still up in the air on whether or not he will start this week against the Oakland Raiders.

As tempted as Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis may be to start Benson, who has rushed for 859 yards and six touchdowns on the season, he might want to consider resting the league's sixth-ranked rusher against the Raiders.

Benson sat the second half Sunday against the Steelers and was replaced by rookie running back Bernard Scott, who scored the lone touchdown of the game on a 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.

Against the Steelers No. 1 ranked rushing defense, Scott managed to gain 33 yards on the ground on 13 carries. While these numbers may not seem spectacular, Lewis should consider the potential Scott has against the Raiders rushing attack.

The Raiders have the fourth-worst rushing defense in all of football, ranking ahead of only the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Buffalo Bills. In Week Seven, the defense allowed 316 rushing yards to the New York Jets, allowing running backs Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene to each finish with over 100 yards on the ground.

While he may not be as effective as Benson, Scott is capable of providing the Bengals with enough production at running back to help the Bengals leave Oakland with a win. If they can beat the Steelers with just 55 yards rushing behind Scott and Benson, there's no reason why they can't do that against the Raiders.

Benson's hip strain may not be that serious of an injury. However, the last thing the team needs is to play him while the injury is minor and make things worse.

Nothing against the city of Oakland, but the Raiders are the perfect team for the Bengals to play in this type of situation. Lewis should rest Benson to avoid the chance of losing him later on in the season--especially come playoff time.

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Imagine being a rookie running back on the Cincinnati Bengals drafted out of Abilene Christian in the sixth round of April's NFL Draft.

Now imagine being that same rookie playing in a game against the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and making a key play on special teams that would end up being a difference maker for the Bengals' victory?

After Sunday, Bengals rookie running back Bernard Scott is living that dream with his performance against the Steelers.

In a key game that would decide bragging rights for soul possession of first place in the AFC North, the rookie stepped up on offense and special teams to help the Bengals leave Heinz Field with an 18-12 victory, ending the Steelers 10-game win streak at home.

With the win, the Bengals improved their record to 7-2 on the year and 5-0 against teams in the AFC North. Not only did they beat the Steelers to take a one-game lead in the division, but for the first time in franchise history, they have won five games in a row on the road.

While this was a team victory with the offense managing to get down the field and displaying a stellar performance on defense, it's hard to imagine the Bengals pulling away with the victory without the help of Scott.

After Steelers kicker Jeff Reed nailed a field goal from 28 yards with just under five minutes remaining, Scott returned the following kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, the first one of his career. He took advantage of a weak Steelers special team unit that allowed their fourth kickoff returned for a touchdown on the year The return would give the Bengals a 6-3 lead and end up being the lone touchdown scored by both teams.

Not only did Scott help the Bengals on special teams, but he filled in for running back Cedric Benson, who strained his hip in the first half. He finished with 33 yards on just 13 rushes and picked up key first downs for the Bengals in the fourth quarter to help run the clock down.

When the Bengals defeated the Steelers, it was the late heroics of running back Brian Leonard that helped the team seal the victory.

This time, it was the help of a rookie running back named Bernard Scott that not only help them make a statement by defeating the Super Bowl Champions on their own turf, but inch them closer to their first playoff berth since 2005.

With a 7-2 record and a favorable remaining schedule, there's every reason to believe the Bengals will at least clinch a wild-card berth for the playoffs.

While most experts and analysts expected the AFC North to come down to a battle between the Steelers or Ravens, the Bengals are showing why they should have been at least considered all along.

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In one of the most anticipated matchups in Week 10 (along with the Peyton Manning going against Tom Brady in Sunday Night Football), the 6-2 Cincinnati Bengals and the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers both look to take control of the AFC North with a win today.

Here are live notes and updates from the first half between the Bengals and Steelers.

First Quarter

14:55—A nice opening kickoff by Bernard Scott for 21 yards to the Steelers 30. Let the battle for bragging rights in the AFC North begin.

14:44—Palmer looks for Laveranues Coles up the middle but William Gay does a great job breaking up the pass, nearly coming away with the interception.

14:37—What a play by Palmer, who finds Chad Ochocinco for 16 yards on a 3rd-and-10 to pick up the first down, the Bengals first of the day.

13:32—Palmer finds wide receiver Andre Caldwell on 2nd-and-6 for an eight-yard gain and another Bengals first down. So far, they have opened the game with five straight passes against the Steelers No. 1 ranked rushing defense.

12:23—For the second time this drive, Gay nearly comes away with an interception off Palmer as he breaks up a pass intended for Coles.

12:17—What a catch by Coles, who brings down a 12 yard pass by Palmer in double coverage and manages to get his feet down before going out of bounds. However, the replay shows his feet weren't down in time, but Palmer manages to get the play off before Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin can throw the red flag.

10:53—Palmer needs to be more careful with his passes as Ike Taylor knocks down the third pass of the opening drive in on a 3rd-and-14 intended for Ochocinco. Let's see if Bengals kicker Shayne Graham can capitalize on the field goal.

10:49—The kick had the distance, but hits the right upright as Graham misses a 51-yard field goal. So much for the Bengals jumping out to an early 3-0 lead. The Steelers will take over on their own 33.

10:40—Steelers quarterback Ben Roethisburger drops a quick pass off to wide receiver Santonio Holmes, who moves down the right sideline for 11 yards and a first down. A nice opening play on offense for the Steelers.

8:52—On 3rd-and-1, Mewelde Moore breaks loose and runs for 12 yards and a Steelers first down. 1st-and-10 at the Bengals 27 yard line.

7:42—The Bengals defense gets to Roethlisberger for the first time today as Jonathan Fenene sacks him for a five-yard loss. Big third down coming up now for the Bengals

6:40—On 3rd-and-13, Roethisberger finds an opening and scrambles for a 15-yard gain to the Bengals 15 yard line. So much for the Bengals taking advantage of a 3rd-and-long situation.

4:46—Big play for the Bengals defense on 3rd-and-5 as Chinedum Ndukwe knocks down Roethlisber's pass. The Steelers are forced to kick the field goal as Jeff Reed nails one from 28 yards to give Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead.

4:26—Wow! Scott takes the kickoff by Reed and returns it 96 yards for the touchdown after a couple of nice moves to find an opening down the left side of the field. The rookie from Abilene Christian records his first career touchdown to give the Bengals the lead, leaving the fans at Heinz Field stunned. Lucky for them, the field goal attempt fails after Kevin Huber bobbles the ball. Instead of leading 7-3, the Bengals settle with a 6-3 lead.

3:36—The Bengals defense gets to Roethisberger for the second time today as Dhani Jones comes down with the sack, setting up a 3rd-and-14 for the Steelers.

2:57—Roethisberger finds Holmes down the middle and the refs appear to give him a generous spot for the first down. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis quickly throws out the challenge flag and it pays off. After further review, the refs spot the ball at the 40 instead of the 42, leaving the Steelers with a 4th-and-2 instead of a first down. Looks like the Bengals will be getting the ball back.

2:21—The announcers on CBS just informed the audience that Troy Polamalu will be out for the remainder of the game after tweaking his knee. This could have a huge effect on the outcome of today's game considering Polamalu is arguably the best safety in the league.

1:48—Benson runs for nine yards and a first down on a 2nd-and-8, his longest run of the day so far. The Steelers defense is showing him why they're the best in the league at stopping the run.

00:26—Caldwell hauls in a six-yard reception for the first down and the final play of the first quarter. After one quarter of play, the Bengals lead the Steelers 6-3.

Second Quarter

13:29—What a play by Coles on 3rd-and-3, who uses his quickness to pick up 25 yards down the left side of the field and another Bengals first down.

12:12—On 3rd-and-14, Palmer looks for Caldwell down the middle but fails to connect as he was in double coverage. Instead of a 53-yard field goal, Lewis decides the Bengals are safer punting the ball considering Heinz Field is always a difficult place to kick the ball.

11:55—On the first play of the drive, Steelers tight end Heath Miller breaks a tackle from Jonathan Joseph and gains enough yards for a first down at the Bengals 21 yard line. On the next play, Roethlisberger finds Holmes for an 11-yard gain and another Steelers first down.

10:06—Roethlisberger appears to be sacked for the third time today, but he manages to find Hines Ward for a quick screen pass. Unfortunately, he only gets one yard out of it and the Steelers will face 3rd-and-6.

9:28—The Bengals defense comes through on third down as Roethlisberger fails to find Holmes across the middle of the field. The Steelers are forced to punt once again.

9:06—Ochocinco runs a beautiful route down the middle, but he fails to bring in the pass thrown by Palmer which would have given the Bengals a first down. A few plays later, Palmer overthrows a ball intended for Ochocinco again on third down, forcing the Bengals to punt to the Steelers.

8:05—Stefan Logan provides the Steelers with a nice 25-yard punt return to the Bengals 46 yard line. Should be interesting to see if the Steelers can take advantage of the great field position this drive.

7:41—Rashard Mendenhall opens the drive with a 10-yard run and a first down for the Steelers, helping them get closer to at least field goal range.

7:00—Roethlisberger may be one of the best quarterbacks in the league when it comes to scrambling around before throwing the ball down the field. In what appears to be a lost play, he finds Holmes for a 21-yard pass to move to the Bengals 15.

4:54—The Steelers get lucky as Roethlisberger looks for Holmes in the end zone and almost throws an interception with two Bengals defenders present. A big third down play coming up here.

4:46—Fenene comes up with his second sack of the day for the Bengals, preventing the Steelers from finding the end zone and settling for a field goal. With 4:13 left in the first half, this game has lived up to the hype so far with the Bengals and Steelers tied 6-6.

4:06—Another key injury for this game. This time, it's on the Bengals side as the announcers just told the audience that Benson is questionable to return with a hip strain.

4:02--Ok, so Benson already appears to be back in the game for the Bengals. It's obvious something is wrong with his hip and it shows in his run. If Benson is out, it will be a huge hit for the Bengals.

3:05—The Steelers defense applies the pressure to Palmer and brings him down for the 10-yard loss as James Harrison is credited with the sack. The Bengals are forced to punt again, giving the Steelers less than three minutes to move the ball down field before halftime.

1:55—Roethlisberger looks for Mike Wallace deep down the field, but the pass is incomplete. Along with the incomplete pass, Miller is called for offensive holding, pushing the Steelers back to their own 24-yard line.

1:44--The Steelers catch a huge break as Roethlisberger goes deep Wallace and draws the pass interference on Ndukwe. The gamble by Roethlisberger results in a 46-yard penalty and puts them deep in Bengals' territory.

00:59—Roethlisberger finds Ward in the middle of the field for another first down. Now the Steelers are looking at a 1st-and-goal at the Bengals 8 yard line.

00:50—What a big play for the Bengals defense as they get to Roethlisberger for the fourth time today. Robert Geathers records his first sack of the day for the Bengals.

00:16—The Bengals catch a break as Holmes is unable to bring the ball down in the end zone on third down, forcing Reed to kick another field goal. A field goal is better than a touchdown any time on defense, and the Bengals have to be pleased that the Steelers' lead in 9-6 instead of 13-6.

00:00—The Bengals decide not to risk anything and just kneel to run the clock out. At halftime, the Bengals trail the Steelers 9-6 in a battle for first place in the AFC North.

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Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis share something in common that no other player can say they accomplished.

Benson and Bettis are the only two running backs over the last 14 years to post two 100-yard rushing games against the Baltimore Ravens in the same season.

In Sunday's 17-7 win over the Ravens, Benson ran for 117 yards and a touchdown, his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Back in Week Five, he ran for 120 yards and a touchdown, ending the Ravens 39-game streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher.

In 1996, Bettis rushed for 116 and 105 yards in two games against the Ravens. Since then, no player has been able to accomplish what Bettis did—until Benson did on Sunday.

It's a difficult statistic for other running backs to achieve considering the only chance a player has at playing the Ravens defense twice each season is if they play for the Bengals, Steelers, or Browns. However, it's an impressive statistic considering how great the Ravens defense has been throughout their history.

The Ravens have built a reputation as a team difficult to establish a run against. In fact, in the 216 games played in their 14 seasons as a franchise, including the eight from this season, they have allowed just 92.7 rushing yards per game. This season, they are allowing just 94.9 yards per game, which is seventh in the NFL.

With his fourth 100-yard game of the season, Benson has the second-most rushing yards in the league with 837, just 122 yards behind Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson.

The Bengals are averaging 130 yards per game on the ground, mainly because of Benson. Looks like the fourth overall pick from 2005 NFL Draft is finally living up to his potential.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry will most likely miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his left forearm Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, according to reports from James Walker on ESPN.com .

Henry hauled in his first reception of the day early in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Ravens on a 20-yard pass from Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. As soon as he hit the ground, he grabbed his left forearm and laid on the ground for a few minutes before being carted off the field by the team's medical staff.

Before he was carted off the field, Henry had an air cast placed on his forearm, which is never a good sign.

With Henry most likely out for the remainder of the season, it will be up to the rest of the Bengals wide receivers to step it up on offense. This could mean an increased role for second-year wide receiver Andre Caldwell, who has emerged as a solid option for Palmer this season.

In the first seven games this season, Henry had 11 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

He was expected to have a breakout season after an impressive offseason where he appeared to be more focused on turning his life around and making major contributions for the Bengals.

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Today the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals host the 4-3 Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium. After a 17-14 win for the Bengals in Week 5, the Ravens are looking for revenge and hope to get closer to the Bengals and Steelers in the AFC North standings.

With one of the most intense matchups in Week 9, here are live notes and updates from the first half between the Bengals and Ravens.

14:53—Wide receiver Andre Caldwell starts the game off with a 16-yard return to the 27-yard line.

13:45—Brian Leonard shows us why Marvin Lewis loves to use him on 3rd down as he finds him for five yards to get the first down.

13:15—Cedric Benson gets his first big-run of the game as he breaks for 12 yards to enter Ravens territory.

11:43—Ravens cornerback was applying the pressure to Palmer, who nearly found wide receiver Laveranues Coles on the sideline. Unfortunately, he caught the ball out of bounds, ruining the Bengals chances of a 3rd-and-short situation.

11:25—Palmer finds wide receiver Ochocinco for the first time as he catches the ball about two yards shy of the first down but fights for the extra yardage to give the Bengals a 1st-and-10. He did say the reason why he sent the Ravens defenders deodarant this week was because he made them sweat.

10:00—Benson finds a huge hole up the middle and breaks for a 21-yard gain to get inside the Baltimore ten-yard line. With that run, Benson has already surpassed his total rushing yards from last season.

8:55—Palmer finds Caldwell in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown, his third touchdown of the season. The Bengals could not have asked for a better opening drive, taking over six minutes off the clock on 12 plays. Bengals lead 7-0.

8:48—Ravens cornerback Ladarius Webb returns the kickoff to the Baltimore 36 after a few spins to avoid Bengals defenders. Let's see how quarterback Joe Flacco and the rest of the Ravens offense can respond down 7-0.

8:43—On the Ravens first offensive play of the day, running back Ray Rice is stopped for a loss of two yards by defensive tackle Tank Johnson. Great start for the Bengals defense.

8:11—Flacco's streak of 14 straight completions, which is a Ravens record, comes to an end early in the game on an incomplete deep pass to wide receiver Derrick Mason.

7:16—Bengals cornerback Leon Hall nearly picks off Flacco on 3rd-and-3, but can't hold on to the ball. The Ravens have no choice but to punt the ball, giving the Bengals the ball back with a 7-0 lead.

6:47—The Ravens show us why they lead the league in penalty yards entering this game. After a 25-yard catch by Ochocinco, Dawan Landry forced a fumble that was recoverd by the Ravens. However, Landry was penalized for a pass interference call, giving the Bengals a second chance on the drive.

6:07—Once again, Palmer uses his legs to help the Bengals gain a first down on a 3rd-and-6. Unfortunately, two penalty calls that offset will cause a replay of the down.

6:00—Ochocinco makes an unbelievable grab between two Ravens defenders for a 17-yard gain and a first down at the Baltimore 47. The very next possession, he dives for another catch for an eight-yard gain, his fourth of the first quarter. This could be another big day for No. 85.

4:31—After an incomplete pass to J.P. Foschi on 3rd-and-2, the Bengals decide to go for it on fourth down. Palmer throws it deep down the right side of the field for Ochocinco, but Fabian Washington is called for the pass interference, giving the Bengals the ball at the Ravens' 15-yard line. What a huge play for the Bengals on fourth down.

3:35—The Bengals pull the reverse and hand the ball off to Coles. Instead of facing a 3rd-and-short, Coles breaks a tackle from Ed Reed and runs to the Ravens' two-yard line before getting pushed out of bounds. This Bengals offense is taking complete control of the Ravens defense in the first quarter.

2:23—Benson runs up the middle for the one-yard touchdown, his sixth of the season. On the first two drives of the game, the Bengals are able to find the end zone, increasing their lead to 14-0.

2:17—The Ravens will start from inside their own ten after a holding penalty on the kickoff. On the first posession of the drive, Flacco finds Clayton down the right side of the field for a 15-yard gain.

1:15—Flacco is forced to use the Ravens second timeout of the half on a 3rd-and-5. With the way the Bengals offense is playing, the Ravens offense needs to convert on this down more than anything to get back into this game.

1:08—Flacco finds Rice for the short pass, but he is tackled a yard shy of the first down. Once again, the Ravens are forced to punt.

0:37—The Ravens catch a huge break when Bengals linebacker Brandon Johnson is called for the offside penalty on 4th-and-1, giving them a first down and a second chance on the drive. It should be interesting to see if they can take advantage of the penalty and cut the Bengals lead down.

Second Quarter

14:54—On a 3rd-and-8, Flacco is forced to throw the ball away out of bounds. So much for taking advantage of the second chance given on the drive. Once again, the Ravens are forced to punt.

14:43—Wide receiver Chris Henry hauls in his first reception of the day for 20 yards on the Bengals first play of the drive. Unfortunately, he is slow to get up and may be injured. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his arm. Hopefully he is alright.

12:43—On a 3rd-and-10, Palmer finds Coles for a 14-yard gain and a first down. The Bengals now have converted three of five third-down conversions.

11:36—Once again, Palmer uses his feet to run for the first down as he scrambles to the Baltimore 29 for a 10-yard gain. Once again, the Bengals offense is dominating the Ravens defense.

10:03—J.P Foschi hauls in a pass from Palmer and breaks a couple of tackles for a 20-yard gain. Once again, the Bengals find themselves in the Ravens' red zone.

7:50—Coles makes a nice one handed grab on a pass from Palmer. Unfortunately, he was out of the end zone and the Bengals have to settle for a field goal from Shayne Graham, increasing their lead to 17-0.

7:30—Flacco has all of the time in the world to pass, but nobody seems to be open. Instead, he has to settle for a quick pass to Le'Ron McClain for five yards.

6:13—Once again, Flacco struggles to find a wide receiver open enough for a first down. He finds Heap on 3rd-and-5, but the Ravens are still two yards shy of the first down. Once again, they're forced to punt for the third time this game.

4:52—Foschi is wide open on the right side of the field and hauls in another pass from Palmer for a 12-yard gain. So far, he has two receptions for 32 yards.

4:17—Another solid run by Benson, who gains 15 yards for another first down. He already has 73 yards on the ground, which is not a good sign for the Ravens defense. This shows how much the Bengals offensive line is dominating the Ravens defensive line.

3:04—Here's a fun fact for Bengals fans: Before this punt, the Bengals managed to score on 10 straight drives with Palmer under center. Thank you, CBS for that.

2:52—Flacco goes deep on the Ravens first possession of the drive and is picked off by Hall, his fourth interception of the season. The Ravens were desperate for a score before halftime to at least make it a two-possession game. Instead, the Bengals receive another chance to increase their lead before the half ends.

1:59—The Bengals fail to take advantage of the Ravens turnover and are forced to punt. Lucky for them, rookie lineback Maualuga downs the ball at the Ravens 1, which means the Ravens will most likely just run the clock out for safety precautions. With this field position, they can't afford another turnover.

As the first half comes to an end, the Bengals lead the Ravens 17-0 and have been nothing short of dominant. Here are a few quick notes from the first half:

• The Bengals already have 235 yards on offense, including 80 yards on the ground from running back Cedric Benson. The Ravens only have 44 yards on offense.
• The Bengals had the ball for 21:34 of the 30 minutes played in the first half. They are using the time of possession to wear down the Ravens defense and it's been working.
  
• The Ravens failed to convert a third-down conversion while the Bengals converted five of nine.

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Sunday's matchup between the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals and the 4-3 Baltimore Ravens has the potential to be one of the best games to watch in Week 9.

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is arguably coming off one of his best performances of his career, after throwing for 233 yards and five touchdowns against the Chicago Bears. The Ravens are coming off an impressive 30-7 win against the Denver Broncos, handing them their first loss of the season and ending their three-game losing skid.

A few weeks ago, the Bengals defeated the Ravens 17-14 after for their third-straight win against a division rival, to increase their AFC North record to 3-0. This time around, the matchup should be just as intense to watch, if not better. Here are a few factors to watch for in Sunday's game.

Ravens Want Revenge, But Bengals Have Won Seven of Last 10 Games

Sure, the Ravens may have swept the Bengals last season. In fact, the Ravens outscored the Bengals 51-13 in the two games they played against each other.

However, the Bengals are in a position to sweep the Ravens for the second time in three seasons. What's even worse for the Ravens is over the last 10 matchups between the two teams, the Bengals have won seven times.

Still, the fact that the Ravens were never losing until Palmer found wide receiver Andre Caldwell in the end zone with 22 seconds left in the game has to be frustrating. With the way Week 5 finished, why wouldn't the Ravens be hungry for blood against the Bengals this time around?

Despite the tough loss, the Ravens still believe they should have finished on the winning end against the Bengals a few weeks ago. They know how important it is to win Sunday and stay in the hunt for the AFC North title.

With the way the first meeting went, there's every reason in the world to believe Sunady's matchup between the Bengals and Ravens is going to be a dogfight and come down to who performs better in the fourth quarter.

Joe Flacco's Success on the Road

All the fans and analysts who said Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would fall under the category of "sophomore slump" in his second season in the league may want to consider a second opinion.

Flacco has fallen nothing short of spectacular as the leader of the Ravens offense this season. In seven games, he's completed 66 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,849 yards and 13 touchdowns, one shy of his total from last season.

In Week 5, Flacco struggled on offense, throwing for just 186 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions to Bengals cornerbacks Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. However, his success on the road this season may be a reason why the Bengals defense needs to be extra cautious towards him Sunday.

In each of his three road games; against the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Minnesota Vikings, Flacco has thrown for two touchdowns and is averaging 278.6 yards per game. The Bengals defense is allowing 253.4 yards per game, which ranks them 30th behind the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.

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Last May, I conducted an article discussing five factors for the Cincinnati Bengals to help reach the playoffs in 2009.

As we approach Week Nine of the regular season, the Bengals are in excellent shape to make a strong run at the playoffs with a 5-2 record, all while sitting at the top of the AFC North standings.

As the team gets ready for a home matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, I thought it would be fun to conduct a five-part series with five more reasons why the Bengals have been successful this season (including a few factors from the original article).

The first factor behind the Bengals early success is the return of quarterback Carson Palmer, who appears to be at full strength again and better than ever.

One of the main reasons why the Bengals finished 4-11-1 last season was because of the absence of Palmer, who was limited to playing in just four games because of a torn ligament and tendon in the elbow of his throwing arm. Without him, the Bengals struggled to get anything going on offense, finishing dead last in total yards per game (245.4) and points per game (12.2).

With a healthy Palmer back in the lineup, the offense is back where it should be. The passing game (224.7 yards per game) and running game (134.7 yards per game) both rank the Bengals in the top 10 for each category.

Palmer is arguably coming off one of the best performances of his career after finishing 20-of-24 for 233 yards and five touchdowns in a win against the Chicago Bears. For the year, he's thrown for 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns, all while displaying the type of leadership skills the Bengals needed to get where they are now.

Three of the Bengals five wins have come from game-winning drives on the team's last offensive possession of the game, which would not have been possible without Palmer.

Not only did he manage to direct the Bengals offense through the air, but he did it on the ground with his feet.

In an overtime win against the Cleveland Browns, Palmer scrambled 15 yards on a 4th-and-11 to help set up the game-winning field goal. The following week, he found himself in a similar situation against the Baltimore Ravens.

On a 4th-and-1 with less than two minutes to play and the Bengals down 14-10, Palmer scrambled up the middle for six yards to keep the team's hopes alive. Eight plays later, he threw the game-winning touchdown to wide receiver Andre Caldwell to give the Bengals a 17-14 lead and eventually, the victory.

Without a healthy Palmer, it's difficult to imagine the Bengals coming off the bye week with a 5-2 record. He's been a major factor in the team's success this season and without him, these "Cardiac Cats" would not be where heading into the second half of the regular season.

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Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis appeared to be on the hot seat prior to the start of the 2009 season.

As the Bengals enter the bye week in first place of the AFC North with a 5-2 record, Lewis' hot seat seems to have cooled down and he has his team in the perfect position to make a strong run at the playoffs.

Throughout his career as head coach with the Bengals, Lewis has been criticized for his lack-of-discipline towards his players. The team has built a reputation over the last couple of years for all of the trouble their players have seen with the law. Even cornerback Leon Hall was arrested last April for driving under the influence.

Ever since Lewis took the Bengals to the playoffs in 2005 for the first time in 15 years, the team's gone 19-28-1 the three seasons since. Part of the reason why the seventh year head coach seemed to be on the hot seat so much was because of the type of talent he had on offense each season, which was similar to the same one from a few years ago.

Quarterback Carson Palmer was the leader on offense. Chad Ochocinco was the top target at wide receiver. Even T.J. Houshmandzadeh was a solid option as a No. 2 wideout.

Now, Palmer and Ochocinco are currently with the team, but Houshmandzadeh parted ways after signing with the Seattle Seahawks during the offseason. However, the Bengals wasted little time finding his replacement after signing Laveranues Coles from the New York Jets.

It may be just seven games into the 2009 season, but this Bengals offense already has the potential to be just as good, if not better, than the same offense from the 2005 season. Not to mention they have to be satisfied with the way their defense has performed thus far, allowing just 18.3 points per game this season.

At 5-2, the Bengals are in solid shape to make a strong run at the playoffs with a favorable schedule. Of their nine remaining games, they still have to play the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs, who have a combined record of 5-22.

As long as the "Cardiac Cats" can continue finding ways to win with an offense and defense both ranking in the top 10 overall in the NFL, it's safe to say Lewis' hot seat has cooled down in Cincinnati. Lewis knew how well his team was capable of performing. After a few seasons of frustration, he's finally got his team right where he wants them and feels much better about his job security.

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