No drama this time around. This one was over in the first quarter. Not since the Giants game last year have I seen the Ravens just bend over and take it like they did yesterday. The sky isn’t falling quite yet but a couple more performances like the one they gave yesterday and the they can forget being part of the postseason conversation.

The Bengals are certainly more legitimate than I thought. I have always thought Carson Palmer, when healthy, is one of the better quarterbacks in the league and yesterday he showed the type of poise and talent he’s capable of. Having said that, I think the loss was the result of a floundering Ravens squad rather than a shining Bengals performance. Flacco was under throwing everything, the Ravens receivers weren’t stepping up to passes, the offensive line was ineffective, and the defense was inconsistent.

What went right? The telling stats in this game were the Ravens going 1-10 on third down conversions and possessing the ball a mere twenty minutes. They were dominated on all fronts. Now they are 4-4 and going into Cleveland on Monday night. Even with the Browns coming off a bye and being at home on national TV, this will be the easiest opponent the Ravens face for the next month. This game has become a must win and with I have to admit that my confidence is pretty low.

I’m tired of the inconsistency. You can’t tell which team is going to show up from week to week and it’s getting out of control. I don’t like pointing fingers at anyone in particular but I think some heat has to be applied to John Harbaugh. I know, he can only coach, he can’t play the games for his players. But somehow he has to do a better job of motivating this team. He has his work cut out for him.

We have all seen it happen before, the Ravens lose a couple and then, as the team begins to feel sorry for themselves, it spirals out of control. If they go 4-5, then there may be no turning back. The season is halfway over but the way I see it, this coming game could spell the end.

But who knows? The Ravens could lose to the Browns and then mop the floor with Indianapolis. You just can’t tell anymore.