The Sports Xchange

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals are afforded a rare opportunity to bury a division rival on Sunday when they face the 0-2 Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

“We’re not really in the business of gauging urgency,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh via conference call. “We just try to be as urgent as we can every single week and play the best football we can every week.”

Well, you can’t get any more urgent than 0-3, which historically is the death-knell for playoff hopefuls. It would mark the first time in Ravens franchise history they’ve started a season with three straight losses.

But, you won’t see the Bengals signing any sympathy cards.

“We know what we’re up against,” said quarterback Andy Dalton. “Can’t look at the record and take them lightly. They’re still a very good team.”

Dalton and crew are doing what they’ve typically done in recent years: Own September, during which the Bengals are 10-3 since Dalton’s second season.

Except a win on Sunday would signify more than just a three-game winning streak. It essentially would knock the popular pick to win the AFC North division from playoff consideration, at least for a while.

The Ravens have won 13 of 19 meetings in Baltimore, although the Bengals won 23-16 at M&T Bank Stadium in last year’s season opener.

Only three teams since 1990 have started a season 0-3 and ended it in the postseason.

“They’re not desperate, it’s a long football season,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “They’ll be ready to play whether we’re both 0-2, 2-0, or 1-1. It’s the same football game it was going to be.”

–Running back Jeremy Hill lost just two of five fumbles last season, but he was benched in the third quarter last week after fumbling a pair. With Hill on the bench for most of the second half, Gio Bernard rolled to a 123-yard day. “Gio was carrying the ball (well), but we can’t have a back fumbling the football either,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “Jeremy’s a talented young player, and we’ve got to keep the football. That wasn’t part of his deal last year, and we can’t let it creep in.”