Ravens Snap Losing Streak, Roethlisberger Shoots Down Trade Rumors
It took the Baltimore Ravens (4-5) until overtime, but they got a 20-17 win over division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals (6-4), 20-17 on Sunday. With the victory, they snapped a three-game losing streak.
But it didn’t come easily as the Ravens had a 17-0 lead at halftime and watched the Bengals fight back in the second half, including the tying touchdown in regulation time as the clock ran out.
Joe Flacco
The Ravens also incurred three turnovers with 189 offensive yards for the day. Quarterback Joe Flacco went 20 for 36, 140 yards (a 3.9 yard average passing), two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also sacked five times and said of the game via CBS Sports, “We’re not playing great right now but we’re doing the best we can to win.”
Running back Ray Rice had 18 carries for 30 yards (1.7 yards per run).
With the win, the Ravens are now tied for second place in the AFC North and sit a game behind the Bengals for the loss column. Whether they can rebound for a sixth consecutive postseason run remains to be seen but things could be worse: they are not the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) in last place.
If history repeats itself, November could be good for the Ravens: they sit at 9-1 in the month for home games since 2008. For Week 11, they will travel to play the Chicago Bears (5-4).
For now, the Ravens need to focus on the short term but they sit at 50/1 to win this year’s Super Bowl.
As for the Bengals, they entered the season as a potentially top team but lately they’re not appearing as one. They’ve lost two straight games (both in OT) and while they sit at the top of the division, running away with the title has become more challenging. Their win 1-2 record versus AFC North teams leaves them in a position that needs them to win all of its division games for the rest of the season and look for help from other teams as well.
Quarterback Andy Dalton’s play has fallen off lately and in Sunday’s game, he went 24 for 51, 274 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. This represented his fourth game with three picks and a first time in his NFL career to have two consecutive games to have three interceptions per game.
Can Dalton turn it around? The Bengals will play division foe, the Cleveland Browns (4-5), on Sunday. They beat the Bengals 17-6 in their first meeting this season but this week the Bengals will get the win (-6, 42 o/u).
Roethlisberger Disputes Trade Rumors
In Week 10, the Steelers defeated the Buffalo Bills (3-7). This snapped a two-game losing streak and attempted to erase its historically horrible loss, 55-31 to the New England Patriots (7-2) from the previous week.
Ben Roethlisberger
While a win was nice for Steelers Nation, rumors about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger exploring trade options after the season ends due to being “incredibly frustrated” has dominated headlines. For 2014, he is set to make $12.1 million with a high cap number so restructuring could be an option.
As for the trade rumors, Roethlisberger called it “ridiculous” and said via USA Today, “I don’t know where that came from. It is one of the most (untrue) stories that I’ve ever heard of. I’ve always said that I want to be a Steeler for life. I love it here. I’m happy here.”
In addition, his agent, Ryan Tollner, has disputed the the story while Steelers president Art Rooney II also shot down the story and said, “The Pittsburgh Steelers have not explored trading quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and have no plans to do so.”
Change needs to come for this team but it may not be with its quarterback. This week, the Steelers will look for a second straight win in its matchup vs. the Detroit Lions (6-3) but it won’t happen (-1, 47.5 o/u).
