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NFL Week 2 Ravens at Bengals game preview: Elite statuses Week 1 of the NFL isn’t a great measuring stick for determining future success in a given season. Even so John Miller Jersey , there are valuable takeaways for both the Bengals and Ravens’ fan bases to cling to as their squads clash on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. The last time we saw the Ravens and Bengals face each other was on New Year’s Eve, 2017. Apparently, the Bengals have decided to become “The Cardiac Cats” once again as the calendar sniffed 2018. Nine months after dashing the Ravens’ playoff dreams in dramatic fashion, the Bengals overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to shock the Colts on their home turf. That kind of never-say-die attitude is what champions are made of.But, hey, it’s just one game from these new-look Bengals. Let’s pump the brakes a little bit. For instance, they let Andrew Luck throw for over 300 yards after his year-long hiatus from the game. Luck used nine different receivers on Sunday, including—you guessed it—three tight ends. Cincinnati also had other opportunities to either keep the score closer, and/or to ice it earlier. Three or four interception opportunities were dropped by Bengals defenders, not only breathing life back into the Colts’ offense, but forcing themselves to play catch-up most of the afternoon. On offense, the right side of the line had issues, particularly in pass protection, while Billy Price had some predictable rookie struggles. Despite that Alex Redmond Jersey , Andy Dalton, Joe Mixon and Co. scraped a win together in a comeback style in which has to be marveled. Because of some of the aforementioned issues, what’s difficult to decipher from these 2018 Bengals is just how much improvement they have made from last season. Their roster appears to be younger, faster and containing more depth, but familiar issues made the afternoon an uneasy one. One thing is interesting though, in terms of the needle ticking towards the positive. Four of their nine losses last year were determined by one possession—all of which they had some form of a late lead and blew it (Texans, Packers, Titans and Steelers). Maybe Week 1 of this year is pointing to a different trend.It’s only one game against an enigmatic Indianapolis team, but Cincinnati showed resolve on Sunday. Many of the players could have packed it in when they were down 23-10, but the team just continued to grind it out and make a handful of explosive plays to win the contest. As it is with Cincinnati, we’re not totally sure who the Ravens are either, at this point. They absolutely demolished the Bills in Week 1, but played against quarterbacks who combined for a stat line of 11-of-33 for 98 yards and two interceptions. Incredible defense, or a simple luck of the scheduling draw in getting a rebuilding team in the always-ambiguous opening week? A bit of both Bobby Hart Jersey , perhaps?Baltimore made a concerted effort to revamp their receiver corps this offseason. Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown were all added to their roster and all three hadtouchdown receptions last week. What’s also scary for the Bengals’ defense is the plethora of pass-catching tight ends the Ravens employ. Nick Boyle, Maxx Williams and Mark Andrews all logged stats last week, but Hayden Hurst also has the potential to be a powerful weapon in Joe Flacco’s arsenal. Regardless of the roller coaster of seasons we’ve seen from the Ravens in recent seasons, few head coaches have the respect that John Harbaugh does in this league. If he and Flacco have done their homework this week, which they undoubtedly have, they’ll look to decimate the Bengals’ defense with that tight end group using both critical chain-moving and red zone plays.But, we just can’t discount the Bengals’ deplorable performances in primetime. It’s been particularly bad since the team rebuilt itself back in 2011 and, unfortunately, it’s what a large amount of their reputation has been built upon in national circles.Remember the last time these two squared-off under the brightest lights? No, I’m not talking about the late afternoon game on New Year’s Eve last year. In 2012, Cincinnati headed to Baltimore for an opening week Monday Night Football clash. The Ravens stomped the Bengals 44-13 in embarrassing fashion. Sure, the Bengals have largely had their number since, but it is a stark wake-up call to Who Dey Nation about what this team has done on the biggest stages and against the best NFL teams. Even so Alex Redmond Jersey , that lingering feeling of hope is growing within the walls of Paul Brown Stadium. A near-perfect preseason record, followed up with an exciting come-from-behind Week 1 win and their home opener against a divisional foe on national television is a pretty solid script.Did we mention that Sam Wyche and his boys from the 1988 Super Bowl squad are being honored on Thursday night?For all of the struggles Marvin Lewis has had against one of his former employers—the Pittsburgh Steelers—since becoming the head coach of the Bengals, he has a pretty solid record against his other former AFC North employer in the Ravens. Since that shellacking on Week 1 of 2012, Cincinnati has posted an 8-3 record against the Ravens. Not too shabby against one of the teams always mentioned as an elite franchise. I want to believe in this year’s team. Maybe some of that 30-year old Super Bowl magic will rub off on them on Thursday night. We’ll see. Ravens 22, Bengals 24AC — Leave your cynicism at the door. CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Hart tops the Bengals‘ initial depth chart as the starting right tackle, but it’s more of a first draft than a final report.No part of the team will be under closer scrutiny than the offensive line when Cincinnati hosts the Bears on Thursday.The line became the offseason priority after the Bengals (7-9) finished last in the NFL on offense for the first time in franchise history. The line was the biggest problem, creating few holes for running backs and giving Andy Dalton little time to throw.Two weeks of training camp started sorting it out, with Hart listed as a starter for the moment. That could change quickly with a bad performance, dropping someone to the second unit.“There is not a ‘first’ offensive line,” coach Marvin Lewis said Tuesday.Hart was the first move in changing the line. The Bengals signed him Feb. 14 as a free agent from the Giants, where he started 21 games at tackle over the past three seasons. He’s competing with Cedric Ogbuehi at the spot.Ogbuehi was a first-round pick in 2015 when he was recovering from a torn ACL. He started 12 games in 2016 at right tackle and 13 last season at left tackle, but struggled at both spots. His competition with Hart at right tackle will come down to how they perform in the preseason games.Hart’s experience helped him get the early edge.“He’s got the experience and the chip on his shoulder,” Lewis said. “He’s a guy battling for a job, battling to be a starter. He’s still a very young player Bobby Hart Jersey , a good athlete, a big man, still has development ahead of him. That was the attraction to Bobby.”One of Cincinnati’s biggest moves in the offseason was trading first-round draft slots with Buffalo to obtain left tackle Cordy Glenn . He’s backed up by Jake Fisher, a second-round pick in 2015 who started seven games at right tackle last season before a heart condition required a procedure.Left guard Clint Boling is the main holdover on the line, entering his eighth season — the past six as a starter. Trey Hopkins returns at right tackle, where he started the last 11 games last season.The Bengals’ other big move to upgrade the line came in the draft. They took Ohio State center Billy Price in the first round and installed him as the starter. He had some problems with snaps early in camp.“Billy still has to go out there and earn the job,” Lewis said. “We are giving him the first crack at it.”The coaches would like to have the competition sort out so they can get their starters enough playing time together during the preseason.“That area has to play as one,” said Duke Tobin, director of player personnel. “You can’t have five individuals up there. There’s still a lot of work to find out who that five are going to be and get them playing as one unit.”DARK CLOUD OVERHEAD: A downpour 45 minutes into practice forced drenched players to head for cover at Paul Brown Stadium. Practice resumed about an hour later in a steady rain. The Bengals are the only northern NFL franchise without their own covered practice field.NO BURFICT: Lewis said Vontaze Burfict won’t play Thursday. The linebacker wasn’t cleared to practice until Monday because of a hamstring problem. Burfict is suspended for the first four games of the season because he violated the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.WHAT ABOUT EIFERT?: Lewis declined to say whether tight end Tyler Eifert will play against the Bears. He was held out of the start of camp as he recovers from chronic back problems that limited him to two games last season.