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CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The Baltimore Ravens are not the only ones who can play defense. Clearly outplaying the record-setting defense of the Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals forced six turnovers en route to a surprising 21-10 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions. The Bengals hardly resembled a team that lost their last six games to Baltimore, including the last three meetings by an astounding 86-7 margin. "You're looking at these guys (Ravens) and they're looking at you like you don't belong," Cincinnati linebacker Steve Foley said. "They seem to say, 'let's fly in and get the win and get out of here.' "It was one of those things we're all excited and you're telling your friends, 'we're going to win,' and they don't believe you. Last year they didn't have any respect for us. Whatever their thoughts were coming into this game, they have to re-evaluate." Baltimore tight end Shannon Sharpe had praise for the Bengals. "The biggest thing is they believe," he said. "(Bengals coach) Dick LeBeau has them believing. In 12 years in the league, that's as good as I've seen a Cincinnati team look from top to bottom." But with a renewed enthusiasm after winning their season opener, the Bengals carried that momentum into this contest and repeatedly came up with big plays. Linebacker Takeo Spikes made the biggest defensive play of the game for Cincinnati, returning an interception 66 yards for a touchdown with 6:04 remaining that gave the Bengals a 21-10 lead. Cincinnati continually had pressure on Ravens quarterback Elvis Grbac, who went 33-of-63 for 326 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. The Bengals also recovered three fumbles, including one by Grbac at the goal line on the game's final play. "We got behind a little bit in the second half and had some turnovers" Grbac said. "I have to give our offensive line a lot of credit. They hung in and played hard. I didn't have my good game, today." Jon Kitna passed for a touchdown and ran for another for the Bengals, who scored all 21 of their points in the second half. After holding the Chicago Bears without a touchdown in their season opener, the Ravens looked to pick up where they left off. Baltimore smothered the Bengals for the entire first half, allowing just 65 total yards. But the Ravens' offense was unable to take advantage of the play by their defense and managed only a 38-yard field goal by Matt Stover with 4:22 left in the first quarter. Baltimore appeared poised to build on the lead, driving to the Bengals 6 with just over two minutes left in the first half. But on 3rd-and-6, Grbac had his pass intended for Patrick Johnson batted in the air twice before linebacker Brian Simmons intercepted the ball on the 3. "We just knew it was big for us," Simmons said. "When you come off the field with no points with that type of field position, we feel like we've won the battle." That defensive stand seemed to turn all the momentum toward the Bengals, who dominated the entire second half. On the second-half kickoff, the Bengals started the string of big plays as Canute Curtis ripped the ball out of Johnson's hands and Cincinnati took over at the Ravens 21. Six plays later, Kitna connected with Corey Dillon on a one-yard touchdown pass to give the Bengals a 7-3 lead. Moments later, the Bengals defense matched their special teams and made a huge play. Grbac found rookie tight end Todd Heap along the sideline, but Foley jarred the ball free and cornerback Rodney Heath recovered on the Baltimore 33. To make matters worse, Heap hobbled off with an apparent leg injury. Bengals coach Dick LeBeau thought those two turnovers was the turning point. "The way we started the third quarter," LeBeau said. "We got a couple of breaks and there were big plays by a lot of people." Kitna and the Bengals' offensive quickly made Baltimore pay for that miscue. After Dillon lost two yards on first down, Kitna completed three straight passes that moved the ball to the Ravens 4. After Dillon ran for two yards, Kitna scored on a keeper up the middle that extended the Bengals' advantage to 14-3 with 8:10 left in the third quarter. Kitna completed his first eight passes of the third quarter and finished the afternoon 19-of-30 for 154 yards and one touchdown. Dillon did provide a semblance of a running game, rushing for 57 yards on 18 attempts. In two games last season against Baltimore, he was held to 32 yards on 28 carries. The running game is still something the Ravens, who are without Jamal Lewis for the entire season due to a knee injury, are searching for. Veteran Terry Allen rushed for 61 yards on 17 carries, but 26 of them came on one play. Baltimore received a break early in the fourth quarter when Peter Warrick fumbled a punt and linebacker Brad Jackson recovered for the Ravens at the Cincinnati 17. Four plays later, Grbac found Johnson in the right corner of the end zone for a two-yard TD, pulling the Ravens within 14-10 with 13:40 remaining. Later in the fourth quarter, the Ravens were driving for the apparent go-ahead score, moving to the Cincinnati 27, when Spikes changed the entire game with one play. Grbac was looking for Sharpe, but Spikes stepped in front of the pass and raced 66 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-10 with 6:04 to play. "They came out in a formation that I knew they only run a few plays from," said Spikes, who is the Bengals' defensive captain. "I stayed in a zone but stepped in to tip the ball and I was off to the races. I saw all green. I caught myself looking at the "Jungle Tron" (scoreboard), that's how I knew someone was coming." Grbac completed passes to nine different receivers. Sharpe did the most damage with eight receptions for 84 yards. "(Takeo) Spikes made a great play," Sharpe said. "That's what happens when you let a team hang around. They start to make plays and feel good about themselves, and all of a sudden, they realize they have the world champions on the ropes. They went in for the knockout, and they did it."
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