Ravens vs Bengals

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4:05 p.m.: I'm heading down to the field for press conferences and to get news from the locker room.  We'll have a ton of exclusive video and articles up here on BR.com soon after the game, so keep it locked right here.  Thanks for sticking wiwth the gameday blog on this great day for football.

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3:56 p.m.:  It's getting dicey here at M&T.  You don't want to give Carson Palmer and Cincy an opening, and a 65-yard touchdown return of a Ray Rice fumble puts the Bengals within striking distance.  As the fourth quarter rolls on, the Ravens absolutely must get a stop and take the ball back.  There's too much time on the clock. 

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3:41 p.m.: A big "ooooh!" came out of the press box when Lorenzo Neal found some open field with a little screen pass from Flacco.  The 260-pound fullback lowered the boom on linebacker Corey Mays, delivering a huge blow. 

The Ravens also have just used their final timeout of the second half.  Cincinnati seems to be throwing a lot of different coverages at Flacco, so he might need some time to get things straight. 

A note on that Flacoo touchdown run:  It was the longest of his career.  His previous long run was 25 yards at the University of Delaware against James Madison.  It was not for a score.

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3:29 p.m.: I guess those cheers worked a little magic, because Flacco rolled out right on a naked bootleg and sprinted 38 yards to the end zone.  He was aided by key blocks from center Jason Brown, who was 15 yards down the field, and Mark Clayton, who laid the final block as Flacco lunged to the end zone.

On the TV broadcast, they showed Flacco's parents sitting in the stands, which drew cheers from the fans. 

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3:22 p.m.: The first "Let's go Flacco" Clap! Clap!.. Clapclapclap! cheers are raining out of the stands for rookie quarterback Joe Flacco.  They started with a small section in front of the press box and then spread around the entire stadium.  Must be a pretty cool moment for the signal-caller. 

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3:16 p.m.: Palmer's rattled, but not enough to find Chad Johnson over the middle for a 22-yard gain.  Still, the Ravens are getting after Palmer enough to where he had to toss away two consecutive passes as he was chased out of the pocket. 

Baltimore turned the ball over on downs also, but I like the fact that Harbaugh went for it.  The Ravens even called a timeout and took some time to think about it and still went for it.  Gutsy.  It would have been converted, too, but linebacker Brandon Johnson made a big defensive play and tipped the pass to Todd Heap.

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3:08 p.m.:  The Ravens are really marching, and Flacco is doing a good job of putting the ball in the right playmakers' hands.  Baltimore has been using an inbalanced line pretty often, moving right tackle Adam Terry over to the left side next to Jared Gaither.  On some snaps with that alignment, right guard Marshal Yanda pulled to take out a defender in the hole over left guard Ben Grubbs. 

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2:55 p.m.: Even though it might not be favorable, the Bengals were smart to challenge Ben Utecht's fumble that Samari Rolle returned 35 yards.  It wasn't a catch.  Utecht never had possession.

But, that forced the Bengals to punt to the Ravens, and Larson uncorks a beaut.  For the second time today, Joe Flacco will start within his own 5-yard line.

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2:39 p.m.: It's a 10-3 ballgame here at M&T heading into the half.  You have to be happy about some things if you're a Ravens fan, which I imagine you must be if you're reading this blog.  Joe Flacco looks to be comfortable in the pocket.  He's made some plays with his feet and been accurate with the football.  The offensive line is holding up.  Ray Rice is running hard and dragging tacklers at times.  He's got 10 rushes for 41 yards - a 4.1-yard per carry average.  And what about that defense?  It's really pinning its ears back on Palmer. 

Still, there whave been too many penalties, including one that took away a touchdown and two (on McAlister) that led to Cincy's 49-yard field goal.  That can't happen.   Head coach John Harbaugh is a stickler for details and discipline, so I imagine he'ss have a few choice words for his team in the locker room.

You have to ask, if this game gets tied up and we need a burst, do you risk putting in Willis McGahee, who is suited up, even though you're not confident about his knee? 

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2:28 p.m.:  Carson Plamer takes another his from Bart Scott and then another from Corey Ivy.  The Ravens are really getting gin the backfield, and it's good because Chris McAlister gets nailed with two pass interference penalties. 

Fans are keeping an eye on the clock as the Bengals use the penalties to march down the field. Cincy doesn't have any timeouts left, and are in field goal range with 35 ticks left.

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2:25 p.m.: Gasp from the crowd.  Todd Heap should have hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Flacco, but it bounced off his hands.  Matt Stover has to clean it up with a chip shot field goal. 

There have been three bad drops in this game.  Flacco hit Mark Clayton in the hands for what would have been a 40-plus gain, and then Ray Rice failed to hang on to a 10-yard screen pass.  The rookie quarterback has been accurate, his receivers just need to make some plays for him.

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2:16 p.m.:  Figurs makes up for his negated punt return with a great shoelace takedown of Bengals return guy Antonio Chatman on a 56-yard Sam Koch punt.

Then, the Ravens get a forced fumble from Ray Lewis, who stripped Chris Perry on a 5-yard gain.  Chris McAlister picks it up and takes off, getting 14-yards before getting knocked out of bounds.  See what a solid special teams play can do for momentum?  This team is fired up.

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2:10 p.m.: We're at 6:00 in the second quarter, and Palmer has thrown at Housh only twice, and hasn't even gone to Ocho Cinco yet.  Wow.  It's a combination of a ferocious pass rush and great covereage by the corners.  I can't believe the Bengals aren't using their top weapons at all. 

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2:04 p.m.: I'm sorry, but that was a weak call for illegal block in the back on Yamon Figurs' punt return for a touchdown.  Frank Walker shoved punter Kyle Larson in the back near the sideline, but it wasn't as if Figurs really needed the block. 

Yamon's only going to get credit for a 35-yard return.  You could see the play develop from the press box, however.  Totally a returnable ball, and Yamon toook three steps to the right to let his wall set up. Then, he dropped a gear and took off up the left sideline. 

Also, a quick note about the last defensive stand:  The Ravens are using seven defensive backs on the field during some third-down situations.  Ed Reed, Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle and Dawan Landry are joined by Tom Zbikowski, Jim Leonhard and Corey Ivy.

It paid off the last time when Zbikowski rushed from his safety position to drill Palmer and create a jump ball for Leonhard. 

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1:50 p.m.: There's Bart.  The Ravens needed a stop on the Bengals' first possession of the second quarter, and Scott gave it to them.  Cincy was facing third-and-2 when the "MadBacker" sliced through the offensive line and swallowed up Chris Perry with a huge hit. 

By the way, Antewan Barnes is going to block a punt soon.  Maybe not in this game, but soon.  He's been around the punter twice tonight and just needs another second to tip a kick.

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1:39 p.m.: As the teams switch sides of the field for the quarter, the Ravens get a standing ovation from the capacity crowd.  Then the cheerleaders come out in daisy duke cutofffs and western bandannas to dance to Kid Rock's new song.  They get a big applause, as well. 

Random jersey sighting: A blue Flacco Delaware jersey.  I'm pretty sure we're going to see a lot of them in years to come. 

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1:31 p.m.:  The Ravens are getting in a rhythm, as Flacco is running a no-huddle offense pretty smoothly.  He's finding Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason on timing routes, releasing the ball before the wideouts are even getting out of their breaks.

Oh!!  And then the score!  Flacco throws a key block downfield on a double-reverse that allowed Clayton to get through the defense for a 42-yard rushing touchdown.  The play took some time to develop.  Flacco faked a handoff to Rice, then got the ball to Mason coming from left to right.  Mason just got rid of the ball in time before he was tackled, and Clayton was off to the races.  7-0 Ravens.  You really have to give a lot of credit to Flacco for his block.  Flacco also finished 3-of-4 for 28 yards on the scoring drive. 

On the ensuing kickoff, free agent kicker Steven Hauschka comes in to boot it, but he doesn't get to the end zone.

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1:25 p.m.:  Pick!!  It was third down, and the Bengals were driving.  If there was a time for a much-needed stop, it was now, and Ed Reed made a huge play.  He popped T.J. Houshmandzadeh over the middle as he hauled in what would have been a first-down reception.  The ball tipped loose and Mcaliste was there for the interception.  As is the custom, the defense immediately goes on the offensive, and CMac gets a 16-yard return. 

Let's see how Flacco responds to the momentum.  The Ravens come out in their jumbo package with Le'Ron McClain and Lorenzo Neal.

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1:14 p.m.: Here's a statement from the NFL regarding Ocho Cinco:  He's not allowed to wear his new name on the back of his jersey - yet.  "Certain issues have to be resolved before Ocho Cinco will be permitted to wear his new surname on his jersey." 

Phew.  I really didn't want to have to type that all day long.  He's wearing a Johnson jersey now.

The Ravens have done a solid job in coverage on Johnson, too.  Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister have seen some time marking him, and the pass rush is keeping things uncomfortable for Palmer, so they don't have to cover too long. You're just not going to be able to run against the Ravens, so the Bengals will have to get it done through the air. 

A quick thought about the last Ravens offensive series: Ray Rice absolutely punked cornerback Leon Hall with a big stiff-arm that sent Hall to the ground.  The diminutive Rice gives up three inches to the 5-foot-11 Hall. 

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1:10 p.m.: The Ravens are really bringing the heat to Palmer, forcing a punt when Antwan Barnes chased the quarterback out of the pocket on third down.  Palmer slipped on the turf and then was put away by Jarret Johnson, who was mobbed by teammates. 

But, Flacco's going to have a tough go of this possession.  A great Kyle Larson punt pinned the Ravens back on the 1-yard line.  Le'Ron McClain in to try to bull out of the end zone.

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1:03 p.m.: Say what you want about Ray Lewis' dance.  It's a little contrived, considering they actually bring out a swath of grass for Ray to kick and start Nelly's "It's hot in here," but it really gets the crowd pumped up.  M&T was absolutely nuts as No. 52 did his thing.

Things didn't start out well for the Ravens' offense, however.   On Joe Flacco's first pass, he had ample time and stood up to the rush to find tight end Todd Heap for a first down.  But, Heap was upended by Frostee (awesome name) Rucker, who knocked the ball loose.  Bengals football.

Still, the crowd is really into it now that the Ravens' defense is on the field.  Defensive tackle Justin Bannan gets the first sack of Carson Palmer, which nearly blows the roof - if there was one - off the stadium.  Then, on third down, Palmer is forced to call a timeout.  See, the fans can be a 12th man.

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12:35 p.m.: OK, we're about 30 minutes from kickoff, and I'm going to head down to the field for the pregame intros, etc.  M&T is starting to fill up, but it seems like this is a late-arriving crowd.  Hopefully the stands get packed with the Ravens faithful because rookie quarterback Joe Flacco is going to need all the help he can get in his first-career start.

Don't forget to checkthe Gameday page for all your in-game and post-game coverage.  I've got a video with my Bengals counterpart, Geoff Hobson, that we shot in the press box going over some of the issues of todays game.

Here are some more notes from pregame:

- Cincy linebacker Keith Rivers changed his number to 55.
- The Marching Ravens Band has new uniforms.  All black.  That must be pretty hot out there on tthe turf. 
- The Ravens waived tight end Edgar Jones to make room for Willie Anderson. 
- Wideout Chad Johnson is now known as Chad Ocho Cinco.  Seriously.
- Tight end Daniel Coates will start in place of Bengals fullback Jeremi Johnson.

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12:22 p.m.: Willis is playing.  He's out on the field right now, catching passes from Casey Bramlet.  But, it looks like he's going to be on the second string while the Ravens continue to monitor his right knee that recently required surgery. 

Rookie Ray Rice will start.

One notable addition to the field is a big black oval with the initials G.U. inside of it.  That's for former NFLPA head Gene Upshaw, who unfortunately passed away two weeks ago. 

He was remembered by kicker Matt Stover here.

Oh, and in addition to Carmelo ANthony, I'm hearing rumors that former 98 Degrees singer and Jessica Simpson husband Nick Lachey is in the house.  He's a huge Bengals fan.  I actually saw him in a bar in Cincinnati one year the Ravens played up there, and he seemed like a cool enough guy.  At least the ladies that surrounded him thought so.

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12:09 p.m.:  I was just headed down to the field to check out pregame warmups, but good thing I waited around with my coffee for a few minutes.  Carmelo Anthony - Baltimore native, Denver Nugget and Olympic gold-medal winnner - ran through the press box to grab a credential with his entourage.  He is in town to stop by his community center and serve as an honorary captain for the pregame toss. 

Melo was very gracious and gave media a chance to grill him about his job as captain today and his Olympic experience.  Oddly enough, he's never been to a Ravens game, but admits he is a big fan.

"I've been here since I was eight and have never been to a game.  It's a great honor.  I've come a long way," he laughed.  "You can't ask for nothing better than that."

Anthony said he was going to unveil the medal on the field when he heads out in front of the capacity crowd.  It's a pretty huge thing for him considering he was on the 2004 squad that only came home with bronze.

"It was a big deal to go over there and fight for my country and play with those guys and go through what we went through for the past four years to get a gold medal," Anthony said. 

Anthony is actually the second-most famous Olympic medal winner from Baltimore, after swimmer Michael Phelps brought home a record eight.  Melo said that he attended a few of Phelps' races in Bejing. 

"But, I couldn't get to eight, because we had a shoot-around," he noted.

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12:00 p.m.:  It is a beautiful day for football here in Baltimore, where the Ravens are ready to kick off the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s a big game for AFC North fans, as the winner of this one can garner a head start on the division race.

Driving in, it was evident that the fans are excited, as well. To be honest, it was tough stopping the urge to pull over and grab a brat and a beer with some of the Ravens tailgaters, a ton of whom came out to the parking lots en masse.

Right now, there is a slight breeze blowing through M&T Bank Stadium, and a few early arrivers are filtering through the stands. Punters and kickers are now on the field warming up.

I’ve just been told that the Ravens are going to introduce the defense first, with Ray Lewis backing up the crew. I bet this place is going to absolutely explode when No. 52 comes out of the tunnel.

Notable for pregame - I noticed that Willis McGahee is suited up, and it looks like he’s going to play. We’ll be monitoring the situation.

And, stop the presses! The Ravens are wearing white jerseys with black pants. That’s right: white and black. The pants are just straight black with a little birdie head on the hips. It looks like 1996 in here. Cincy is donning black jerseys and white pants.

Here’s a list of inactives:

Baltimore

QB Troy Smith will serve as the third quarterback.

CB Evan Oglesby (who switched jersey numbers from 24 to 25)

OT Oniel Cousins

OT Willie Anderson

G David Hale

WR Marcus Smith

DT Kelly Gregg

LB Tavares Gooden

Cincinnati

QB Jordan Palmer will be the third quarterback

FB Jeremi Johnson

S Chinedum Ndukwe

G Frank Davis

DT Pat Sims

WR Andre Caldwell

DT Jason Shirley

S Corey Lynch

FB Reagan Maui’a