The Bengals (off last week) head to PSINet Stadium as Ravens are in position to sweep this series for the second straight year.

Five weeks ago at Cinergy Field (Week 11), Brian Billick's team spotted the Bengals a 14-0 first-quarter lead but the Ravens responded with 31 straight points to take a 31-14 lead late in the third quarter. Cincinnati rallied to tie the score, but Ravens PK Matt Stover boomed a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give Baltimore a hard-earned 34-31 triumph.

The Ravens now own a 4-3 edge in this short-lived rivalry that dates back to 1996.

As for the Bengals' last appearance at PSINet Stadium (Week 4 of '98), Ravens WR Jermaine Lewis caught four passes for 122 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, and returned a punt 87 yards for a score in the third quarter while RB Priest Holmes rushed for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Baltimore held off the Bengals, 31-24, in a Sunday night affair (ESPN).

The Bengals have dropped two straight and are 1-2 lifetime on the road in this series dating back to 1996.

Numbers: In 64 career starts with the Bengals (1994-99), Bengals QB Jeff Blake is 25-39, throwing 90 touchdown passes and 56 interceptions while being sacked 155 times in those 64 contests. The Bengals have allowed 30 or more points in 8-of-14 contests in '99. The Bengals have allowed 30 or more points in 12 of their last 19 games dating back to Week 13 of '98. Bengals RB Corey Dillon has rushed for 100 or more yards in three straight games. WR Darnay Scott has scored at least one touchdown in five straight games. The Bengals have forced two or more turnovers in four straight games.

In his last five games (4-1), Ravens QB Tony Banks has thrown 14 touchdown passes (2 or more TD passes in each of those contests) and just 5 interceptions, his scores totaling 448 yards (2, 25, 20, 3, 76, 6, 1, 39, 54, 59, 76, 34, 6 and 47 yards), an average of 32.0 yards per scoring pass. After scoring just 95 points in their first seven games (2-5), the Ravens have scored 204 points in their last 7 games (5-2). The Ravens have scored 359 points in 13 wins, 209 points in 17 losses dating back to '98. They have scored 31 or more points in three straight games. WR Qadry Ismail has totaled 100 or more yards receiving in three straight games.

Things to look for: As has been the case for most of the 90s, the Bengals start playing their best football when there's nothing on the line. Brian Billick's squad has rebounded from a dismal start and while their playoff chances are slim, they at least still have them-hard to believe considering how this team looked at mid-November. Look for another big day from Ravens' QB Tony Banks.

Etc.: The Bengals have won three straight games. They are 21-34 under Bruce Coslet dating back to '96.

Since entering the NFL in 1996, the Ravens are 11-22 vs. AFC Central rivals (4 of those wins vs. the Bengals) and 12-16-1 vs. the rest of the league. They have won three straight games.