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CINCINNATI (Ticker) --
Jamal Lewis
had no problems with Marvin Lewis' defensive schemes last season.
Jamal Lewis
will look to get untracked Sunday when the
Baltimore Ravens
visit the
Cincinnati Bengals
in an AFC North Division matchup.
Last season,
Jamal Lewis
rushed for 2,066 yards, the second highest total in NFL history. He rushed for 281 yards and three touchdowns in two meetings last season against the Bengals, who are coached by Marvin Lewis - the former defensive coordinator of the Ravens.
But through two games this season,
Jamal Lewis
has carried 44 times for 119 yards, a 2.7 average. He rushed for 364 yards on 45 attempts through two games last season.
"Jamal is the kind of running back where, if you let him get rolling and he puts his pads down, he can just rip your arms out of their sockets," Bengals linebacker
Kevin Hardy
said. "When he has momentum, and he's running downhill, look out. Man, he's tough to tackle."
Jamal Lewis
could be even bigger for the Ravens in this contest since two-time Pro Bowl tight end
Todd Heap
is sidelined two to four weeks with an ankle injury. Heap had seven catches for 129 yards in a 34-26 loss here last October. The Bengals forced three turnovers in that contest.
In the second meeting between the teams last season,
Jamal Lewis
rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns as the Ravens coasted to a 31-13 victory.
It has been a slow start for Baltimore's
Kyle Boller
, who has completed 32-of-56 passes for 289 yards with two interceptions in two games.
Boller went just 10-of-18 for 98 yards in last week's 30-13 victory over Pittsburgh. He was helped by a running game that racked up 172 yards and a defense that forced three turnovers.
The Bengals have split their first two games and are coming off last week's 16-13 victory over the
Miami Dolphins
.
Making just his second career start,
Carson Palmer
directed the game-winning drive against one of the NFL's better defenses by completing 7-of-8 passes. The drive resulted in
Shayne Graham
's 39-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.
Palmer went 21-of-38 for 147 yards with an interception. He gets another test against an even better defense in the Ravens, who are led by linebacker
Ray Lewis
and cornerback
Chris McAlister
.
Matchup to watch: Bengals wide receiver
Chad Johnson
, who has eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown in two games, vs. left cornerback McAlister. McAlister returned a touchdown 51 yards for a touchdown last week.
Series: Baltimore leads, 11-5.
Next week: Cincinnati visits Pittsburgh, October 3 Baltimore hosts Kansas City, October 3
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