Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs had successful surgery on his Achilles’ tendon, general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement Tuesday.

Suggs, 29, partially tore the tendon working out last week in Arizona, where he makes his offseason home, putting the Pro Bowler’s availability for the 2012 season in doubt.

Dr. Bob Anderson performed the surgery in Charlotte, N.C., where Suggs will rehabilitate.

“We know he will work hard to get back on the field with his teammates as soon as the doctors and trainers allow,” Newsome said. “We’re confident that he can make a full recovery.”

It’s not known when he will be able to suit up this year, but Suggs said he could be back by midseason after the injury happened. Achilles injuries often require many months of recuperation.

Suggs said he became aware of the injury during a “stop-and-go” exercise.

The Ravens are expected to line up second-round pick Courtney Upshaw at Suggs’ rush linebacker spot and have Paul Kruger take over at strongside linebacker, Jarret Johnson’s former position.

Suggs, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, told the Carroll County Times that he was doing “sweet, marvelous” after the surgery, saying he got good news but did not elaborate.

The nine-year veteran has been voted to five Pro Bowls and is the Ravens’ all-time sack leader with 82.5.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, one of the NFL’s top pass rushers and a five-time Pro Bowler, likely will not play the 2012 season after tearing an Achilles tendon, according to various news reports.

Although it was initially reported Suggs was injured while playing basketball, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports it could have taken place during a conditioning test. A torn Achilles tendon normally takes almost a year of recovery time, which means Suggs will likely be out for the season. The story was first broken by Vinny Cerrato on Baltimore radio station 105.7 The Fan.

The Ravens issued the following statement on Thursday morning: “We are in contact with Terrell. He will see a specialist early next week, and we’ll know more at that time.”

The Ravens drafted Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw ostensibly to play opposite Suggs, but now the team might need Upshaw to assume the primary pass-rush role.

Jarret Johnson, a longtime starter opposite Suggs, signed with the San Diego Chargers as a free agent this offseason.

Suggs had a career-best 14 sacks last season and has 82.5 in his career. He was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2003.

The loss of Suggs is a crushing blow to one of the AFC’s Super Bowl contenders, a team that lost in the AFC championship game last season. The Ravens now have a major void to fill, with the draft already over.

Not that Suggs can be replaced, anyway. He was the NFL’s defensive player of the Year in 2011, a relentless force as both a pass rusher and emotional leader.

Last season was the best of Suggs’ career. In addition to his AFC-leading 14 sacks, he had seven forced fumbles and two interceptions.

At age 29, Suggs is in the prime of his career, and his loss will put more pressure on the entire Ravens’ defense. Before each snap, every opposing quarterback looks for Suggs and tries to anticipate what he will do. The Ravens’ defense is unlikely to put the kind of pressure on quarterbacks that it could with Suggs in the lineup.

Suggs has missed only three games during his nine-year career, so the Ravens are not used to playing without him. Whether Suggs will be the same player after this injury remains to be seen.

But the injury is a devastating development for Suggs—and for the Ravens defense.

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The Ravens came tantalizingly close to a Super Bowl appearance in 2011, and several key players responded to the disappointment with determination.  Then came free agency, with starting guard Ben Grubbs and linebacker Jarret Johnson and other key contributors moving on.  The Ravens need to fill those holes and also to lay the foundation for a future without some of their star players.

Interior offensive line:  Grubbs chased the cash to New Orleans, where he’ll fill the vacancy created by the departure of Carl Nicks.  Unless the Ravens add a free agent, they’ll be relying on a young player to replace Grubbs.  The question is whether they go with one of the guys currently on the roster — or whether they fill the spot with a rookie.  The Ravens also need to be thinking about life without center Matt Birk.  Even though he plans to play two more years after pondering retirement, it would make sense to have his successor on the roster now, so that he can learn from one of the best centers of the past generation.

Linebacker:  Both on the outside and the inside, the Ravens need linebackers for the present and the future.  Johnson must be replaced in 2012, and Ray Lewis eventually will need to be.  Plenty of Ravens fans are fascinated by the possibility that their favorite team will take a shot on Arizona State’s Vontaze Burfict, who would benefit greatly from the direct influence of one of the greatest inside linebackers of all time.

Receiver:  With Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, the Ravens arguably have their best tandem of starting wideouts in franchise history.  Behind them, the Ravens don’t have much of anything.  A large-bodied, sure-handed player like Boldin would be a good addition, given that the 31-year-old Boldin will be hitting the end of the road long before Smith.

Safety:  Ed Reed has mused about retirement in the past.  He’s now creating the impression that he plans to keep going.  Either way, the Ravens need to be ready for the day when Reed is done.  It likely will come without much warning.

Left tackle:  Bryant McKinnie fell into their laps last year after the Vikings decided they’d had enough.  Pleased with performance but leery about his attitude and conditioning, the Ravens have decided to keep McKinnie for another year.  They need to have someone else ready to go, or they’ll be scrambling like the Vikings did once the Ravens decide they’ve had enough of McKinnie.

The Ravens have every reason to think they’ll get back to the playoffs in 2012, for the fifth straight season.  And they could win at least one postseason game, also for the fifth straight season.  But they still have some key areas of the roster that need to be addressed before they can take the next step and play for the team’s first Super Bowl win since 2000.

It has been more than two weeks since Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis has played a game because of an injured right toe, but no one needed the break more than the team’s 36-year-old defensive leader.

“The rest part is big,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “I’m hopeful. I think he’s got a real good chance (to play Sunday). We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

But Harbaugh made a point not to make any assurances of Lewis returning to face the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

“Ray is probably the guy that’s the furthest away (from returning), if you’re looking at all the guys,” Harbaugh told the team’s official website. “But then again, you never know. Ray has a sprained toe, a turf toe kind of thing, so those are a little more unpredictable.”

The Ravens (8-3) surprisingly have flourished without Lewis. The defense experienced its ups and downs during a 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, but Baltimore had nine sacks and yielded just two field goals in turning back the San Francisco 49ers 16-6 on Thanksgiving.

“They were two huge wins in five days. You can’t say enough about it,” Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson said. “It’s a tough thing to do. We played a really good game against the Niners, but we’re moving on. We need to get win No. 9, and we’re going to try and get it this week.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Baltimore’s three losses this season followed significant victories and occurred on the road against sub-.500 teams. The Ravens are determined to break the trend on Sunday at Cleveland (4-7).

“It doesn’t matter how many wins and losses they have,” linebacker Jarret Johnson said Monday. “They always play good against us. It’s going to be a dogfight, so we better bring it.”

Coach John Harbaugh believes the problem in Baltimore’s three defeats wasn’t so much mental as it was physical.

“What we didn’t do is, we didn’t play very well,” he said. “We certainly acknowledge that those three losses coming off big wins were not good performances. They’re there. They’re on the record. Now we face a similar challenge this week, but a tougher challenge, because now we’ve got to go play a team in our division.”

The AFC North is jammed at the top. The Ravens are tied with Pittsburgh for the lead and the Bengals are one game back.

“We expect it to be a tight race. We just want to uphold our end of the bargain,” Harbaugh said. “What you have to concern yourself with is winning. That’s the bottom line for us. We can’t be concerned what the others teams do. We have to be concerned with what we do.”

The Ravens couldn’t have asked for a better scenario entering the final five weeks of the season. Before facing Cleveland twice, winless Indianapolis and struggling San Diego, they received a lengthy break following a rugged 16-6 conquest of the 49ers.

“That was big to have,” defensive tackle Terrence Cody said. “We have a lot of guys banged up — nicks and bruises — and it was big to have (time off) at this point in the season.”

It’s been more than two weeks since middle linebacker Ray Lewis (sore right toe) has played a game, and no one on the team needed the break more than Baltimore’s 36-year-old defensive leader.

“The rest part is big,” Harbaugh said. “I’m hopeful. I think he’s got a real good chance” to play Sunday. “We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Fortunately for the Ravens, they have flourished without Lewis. The defense had its ups and downs in a 31-24 win over the Bengals, but Baltimore had nine sacks and yielded only two field goals in turning back San Francisco.

“They were two huge wins in five days. You can’t say enough about it,” Johnson said. “It’s a tough thing to do. We played a really good game against the Niners, but we’re moving on. We need to get win No.9 and we’re going to try and get it this week.”

Much will be written and said in the next few days about Baltimore’s tendency to stumble against sub-par teams. As far as defensive tackle Cory Redding is concerned, the toughest team the Ravens will face down the stretch will be … the Ravens.

“It’s not the Indianapolis Colts, it’s not the Cincinnati Bengals or anybody else that’s left on our schedule. It’s us,” Redding said. “As long as we continue to beat the negatives, beat the things that can hinder us from getting a win and overcome the mistakes we make on Sunday, we’ll get those victories. But we’ve got to beat the things that can hurt us, and that’s us. As long as we make our plays and not make any careless mistakes, then we’ll be great.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)—As a reward for playing twice in five days, the
Baltimore Ravens got the weekend off to collect their thoughts, get healthy and
ready themselves for a very important stretch run to end the regular season.

The Ravens (8-3) beat Cincinnati last Sunday and San Francisco on
Thanksgiving to ascend to the top of the AFC North. Their next four games are
against teams with losing records, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Baltimore’s three defeats this season come on the road against sub-.500
teams following uplifting victories. The Ravens are determined to break the
trend Sunday against Cleveland (4-7).

Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson(notes) said Monday, “It doesn’t matter how many
wins and losses they have. They always play good against us. It’s going to be a
dogfight.”

Joe Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards, and the Ravens (7-3) held off a late charge by the Bengals (6-4) to climb into a tie with Pittsburgh for the division lead.

Baltimore, however, owns the tiebreaker over the Steelers because it has beaten Pittsburgh twice.

“We’re the master of our destiny,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said.

That’s certainly worth savoring, but the Ravens will play their second game in five days on Thursday at home against San Francisco (9-1) in the NFL’s first matchup of head coaches who are brothers.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh was asked if he was thinking about facing Jim Harbaugh on Thanksgiving.

“It’s two really good football teams going at it,” Harbaugh said. “I think, for our parents, it’s good. But you look at what these players are going to have to do to in a four-day period to get past this game, and to me that’s the story.”

The Ravens would love to bask in the afterglow of their win over the Bengals, but there’s just no time.

“It’s going to be quick,” said running back Ray Rice, who ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns. “It’s so fast that you’re on to San Fran right now. I’m going to try to watch some film on San Fran tonight to get the jump start.”

Unfortunately for the Bengals, they will have to wait a full week before getting a chance to rebound from a disappointing defeat. Cincinnati trailed 31-14 early in the fourth quarter but drove to the Baltimore 7 in the final minute before being denied its bid to complete the comeback.

One week earlier, the Bengals rallied from a 14-0 deficit before losing to Pittsburgh.

“In my mind, we’re better than those teams,” tight end Jermaine Gresham said. “They’re great teams and everything, but I think big mistakes killed (us) in some areas. We just have to get better. We will get better.”

The need to play a full 60 minutes against elite competition was a constant refrain in a quiet Cincinnati dressing room, where players lamented their inability to compensate for untimely mistakes and voiced a sense that they could perform at a higher level.

“It comes down to the fourth quarter,” said rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, who threw for 373 yards but was intercepted three times. “That’s how every game’s been for us. We’ve got to start faster. We can’t wait around until the end of the game to pick it up, come out and get back in it. It’s definitely going to be a focus for us.”

Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko added, “We played a good game today, but we didn’t finish. Usually, we finish. We need to finish.”

Cincinnati next faces Cleveland at home Sunday.

Down 31-24, Cincinnati had a second-and-goal at the Baltimore 7 when Suggs collared Dalton, who was called for intentional grounding. On fourth-and-goal, Dalton was sacked by Pernell McPhee.

The Bengals needed seven points because on the previous series, an apparent 9-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Gresham was overturned by a replay that determined the receiver didn’t hold onto the ball at the end of a juggling catch. Cincinnati settled for a field goal with 5:32 remaining.

“When the receiver went to the ground, he had the ball in his right hand,” referee Ron Winter said. “The ball touched the ground and his hand came off the ball.”

Baltimore won despite playing without middle linebacker Ray Lewis, who was inactive with a toe injury. He had played in 57 straight games and hopes to return for the 49ers.

Smith, whose 165 yards were third-most by a receiver in Ravens history, might have had more if Adam Jones didn’t grab hold of Smith’s long dreadlocks at the end of a 28-yard completion in the second quarter.

Jones was initially flagged for a horse-collar tackle, but officials corrected themselves and did not mark off any yardage because it’s legal to tackle a runner by pulling his hair.

“I thought I was going to score,” Smith said. “Next thing I know, I’m getting pulled down by my dreads.”

Dalton went 24 for 45 with a touchdown. Cincinnati was without standout rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, who hurt his right knee a week earlier in a loss to Pittsburgh.

But the Bengals gave Baltimore all it could handle.

“We’ve won six games to this point and we’ll win some more,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons, lick our wounds and go.”

NOTES: Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. … Ravens LB Jarret Johnson made his 74th consecutive start, breaking the franchise record previously held by Michael McCrary and Jamie Sharper. … Baltimore has won seven straight at home and 15 of 16.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

BALTIMORE (AP)—The Baltimore Ravens had just left the field after an
important 31-24 win over Cincinnati when the grounds crew at their home stadium
began putting down a Thanksgiving Day emblem on the artificial turf.

The Ravens won’t have long to celebrate their ascent into first place in the
AFC North.

Joe Flacco(notes) threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Torrey Smith(notes) had
six catches for 165 yards, and the Ravens (7-3) held off a late charge by the
Bengals (6-4) to climb into a tie with Pittsburgh for the division lead.

Baltimore, however, owns the tiebreaker over the Steelers because it has
beaten Pittsburgh twice.

“We’re the master of our destiny,” linebacker Terrell Suggs(notes) said.

That’s certainly worth savoring, but the Ravens will play their second game
in five days on Thursday at home against San Francisco (9-1) in the NFL’s first
matchup of head coaches who are brothers.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh was asked if he was thinking about facing Jim
Harbaugh on Thanksgiving.

“It’s two really good football teams going at it,” Harbaugh said. “I
think, for our parents, it’s good. But you look at what these players are going
to have to do to in a four-day period to get past this game, and to me that’s
the story.”

The Ravens would love to bask in the afterglow of their win over the
Bengals, but there’s just no time.

“It’s going to be quick,” said running back Ray Rice(notes), who ran for 104
yards and two touchdowns. “It’s so fast that you’re on to San Fran right now.
I’m going to try to watch some film on San Fran tonight to get the jump start.”

Unfortunately for the Bengals, they will have to wait a full week before
getting a chance to rebound from a disappointing defeat. Cincinnati trailed
31-14 early in the fourth quarter but drove to the Baltimore 7 in the final
minute before being denied its bid to complete the comeback.

One week earlier, the Bengals rallied from a 14-0 deficit before losing to
Pittsburgh.

“In my mind, we’re better than those teams,” tight end Jermaine Gresham(notes)
said. “They’re great teams and everything, but I think big mistakes killed (us)
in some areas. We just have to get better. We will get better.”

The need to play a full 60 minutes against elite competition was a constant
refrain in a quiet Cincinnati dressing room, where players lamented their
inability to compensate for untimely mistakes and voiced a sense that they could
perform at a higher level.

“It comes down to the fourth quarter,” said rookie quarterback Andy
Dalton(notes), who threw for 373 yards but was intercepted three times. “That’s how
every game’s been for us. We’ve got to start faster. We can’t wait around until
the end of the game to pick it up, come out and get back in it. It’s definitely
going to be a focus for us.”

Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko(notes) added, “We played a good game today,
but we didn’t finish. Usually, we finish. We need to finish.”

Cincinnati next faces Cleveland at home Sunday.

Down 31-24, Cincinnati had a second-and-goal at the Baltimore 7 when Suggs
collared Dalton, who was called for intentional grounding. On fourth-and-goal,
Dalton was sacked by Pernell McPhee(notes).

The Bengals needed seven points because on the previous series, an apparent
9-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Gresham was overturned by a replay that
determined the receiver didn’t hold onto the ball at the end of a juggling
catch. Cincinnati settled for a field goal with 5:32 remaining.

“When the receiver went to the ground, he had the ball in his right hand,”
referee Ron Winter said. “The ball touched the ground and his hand came off the
ball.”

Baltimore won despite playing without middle linebacker Ray Lewis(notes), who was
inactive with a toe injury. He had played in 57 straight games and hopes to
return for the 49ers.

Smith, whose 165 yards were third-most by a receiver in Ravens history,
might have had more if Adam Jones(notes) didn’t grab hold of Smith’s long dreadlocks at
the end of a 28-yard completion in the second quarter.

Jones was initially flagged for a horse-collar tackle, but officials
corrected themselves and did not mark off any yardage because it’s legal to
tackle a runner by pulling his hair.

“I thought I was going to score,” Smith said. “Next thing I know, I’m
getting pulled down by my dreads.”

Dalton went 24 for 45 with a touchdown. Cincinnati was without standout
rookie wide receiver A.J. Green(notes), who hurt his right knee a week earlier in a
loss to Pittsburgh.

But the Bengals gave Baltimore all it could handle.

“We’ve won six games to this point and we’ll win some more,” coach Marvin
Lewis said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons, lick our wounds and go.”

NOTES: Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover(notes) was inducted into the team’s Ring of
Honor during a halftime ceremony. … Ravens LB Jarret Johnson(notes) made his 74th
consecutive start, breaking the franchise record previously held by Michael
McCrary and Jamie Sharper. … Baltimore has won seven straight at home and 15
of 16.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Nov. 20, 2011

BALTIMORE — An uncharacteristic performance by the Baltimore Ravens defense was offset by an uncommonly effective outing by Joe Flacco and the team’s oft-criticized offense.

Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards, and Baltimore moved into first place in the AFC North with a nerve-racking 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Playing without middle linebacker Ray Lewis for the first time in 58 games, the Ravens (7-3) nearly blew a 17-point lead in the final 14 minutes, yielded 483 yards and let rookie quarterback Andy Dalton throw for 373.

But Baltimore got 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Ray Rice, and the defense made big plays when it counted most. After Rice was stuffed on a third-and-1 with just over two minutes left, he remained confident.

“I just looked at the clock and I said, ‘Our defense will get it done,’” he recalled. “That’s the faith I have in our guys.”

Even without Lewis, who watched from the sideline after being placed on the inactive list with a toe injury. The Ravens’ spiritual leader and leading tackler saw his unit pick off three passes and turn in a game-saving goal-line stand in the final minute.

Down 31-24, Cincinnati reached the Baltimore 7 before Terrell Suggs collared Dalton, who was called for intentional grounding. On fourth-and-goal, Dalton was sacked by Pernell McPhee.

The Bengals (6-4) needed seven points because on the previous series, an apparent 9-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Jermaine Gresham was overturned by a replay that determined the receiver didn’t hold onto the ball at the end of a juggling catch. The Bengals settled for a field goal with 5:32 remaining.

“When the receiver went to the ground, he had the ball in his right hand,” referee Ron Winter said. “The ball touched the ground and his hand came off the ball.”

Baltimore is locked in a first-place tie with Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but the Ravens own the tiebreaker by virtue of their two wins over the Steelers.

“No. 1 in the division, that’s huge,” Suggs said. “Now we’re the master of our destiny.”

Even though it wasn’t a banner day for the defense, the three interceptions set up two touchdowns.

“Whenever we can get turnovers, it definitely makes everybody’s job easier,” cornerback Cary Williams said. “It’s just being able to capitalize on opportunities, and we did that today.”

Dalton went 24 for 45 with a touchdown. Cincinnati was without standout rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, who hurt his right knee a week earlier in a loss to Pittsburgh.

But the Bengals gave Baltimore all it could handle.

“We’ve won six games to this point and we’ll win some more,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons, lick our wounds and go.”

One week earlier, the Bengals came up short in rallying from a 14-0 deficit against Pittsburgh. It was more of the same against the Ravens.

“It comes down to the fourth quarter. That’s how every game’s been for us,” Dalton said. “We’ve got to start faster. We can’t wait around until the end of the game to pick it up, come out and get back in it. It’s definitely going to be a focus for us.”

Baltimore took a 24-14 lead on a 2-yard run by Rice late in the third quarter. The score came after Ravens rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith picked off a pass and returned it 16 yards before fumbling. The loose ball was recovered at the Cincinnati 2 by teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo in a pile that included Winter.

The Bengals’ following possession ended with an interception by Lardarius Webb. On the next play, Torrey Smith split the Bengals’ two-deep zone and caught a 38-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to make it 31-14.

The Bengals responded with a five-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Andre Caldwell, who slipped behind Jimmy Smith down the right sideline.

But the Ravens held on, rebounding after a 22-17 loss at Seattle last week. Baltimore has won 12 straight following a defeat.

“It’s good to bounce back,” Suggs said, “but let’s not take any more steps back.”

The Bengals punted six times in the first half, two short of their season high for an entire game. Cincinnati’s offense managed only 143 yards before halftime, 47 of those on one play.

On the Bengals’ second possession, wide receiver Jerome Simpson made a juggling catch for a 47-yard gain to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Cedric Benson.

The Ravens didn’t get past midfield until early in the second quarter, following a 15-yard punt by Kevin Huber. Starting at its 45, Baltimore picked up a first down before Flacco tossed a short pass to Anquan Boldin, who ran the final 20 yards for a 35-yard touchdown.

Notes

• Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony.
• Ravens LB Jarret Johnson made his 74th consecutive start, breaking the franchise record previously held by Michael McCrary and Jamie Sharper.
• Baltimore has won seven straight at home and 15 of 16.

Playing without middle linebacker Ray Lewis for the first time in 58 games, the Ravens (7-3) nearly blew a 17-point lead in the final 14 minutes, yielded 483 yards and let rookie quarterback Andy Dalton throw for 373.

But Baltimore got 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Ray Rice, and the defense made big plays when it counted most. After Rice was stuffed on a third-and-1 with just over two minutes left, he remained confident.

“I just looked at the clock and I said, ‘Our defense will get it done,’” he recalled. “That’s the faith I have in our guys.”

Even without Lewis, who watched from the sideline after being placed on the inactive list with a toe injury. The Ravens’ spiritual leader and leading tackler saw his unit pick off three passes and turn in a game-saving goal-line stand in the final minute.

Down 31-24, Cincinnati reached the Baltimore 7 before Terrell Suggs collared Dalton, who was called for intentional grounding. On fourth-and-goal, Dalton was sacked by Pernell McPhee.

The Bengals (6-4) needed seven points because on the previous series, an apparent 9-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Jermaine Gresham was overturned by a replay that determined the receiver didn’t hold onto the ball at the end of a juggling catch. The Bengals settled for a field goal with 5:32 remaining.

“When the receiver went to the ground, he had the ball in his right hand,” referee Ron Winter said. “The ball touched the ground and his hand came off the ball.”

Baltimore is locked in a first-place tie with Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but the Ravens own the tiebreaker by virtue of their two wins over the Steelers.

“No. 1 in the division, that’s huge,” Suggs said. “Now we’re the master of our destiny.”

Even though it wasn’t a banner day for the defense, the three interceptions set up two touchdowns.

“Whenever we can get turnovers, it definitely makes everybody’s job easier,” cornerback Cary Williams said. “It’s just being able to capitalize on opportunities, and we did that today.”

Dalton went 24 for 45 with a touchdown. Cincinnati was without standout rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, who hurt his right knee a week earlier in a loss to Pittsburgh.

But the Bengals gave Baltimore all it could handle.

“We’ve won six games to this point and we’ll win some more,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons, lick our wounds and go.”

One week earlier, the Bengals came up short in rallying from a 14-0 deficit against Pittsburgh. It was more of the same against the Ravens.

“It comes down to the fourth quarter. That’s how every game’s been for us,” Dalton said. “We’ve got to start faster. We can’t wait around until the end of the game to pick it up, come out and get back in it. It’s definitely going to be a focus for us.”

Baltimore took a 24-14 lead on a 2-yard run by Rice late in the third quarter. The score came after Ravens rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith picked off a pass and returned it 16 yards before fumbling. The loose ball was recovered at the Cincinnati 2 by teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo in a pile that included Winter.

The Bengals’ following possession ended with an interception by Lardarius Webb. On the next play, Torrey Smith split the Bengals’ two-deep zone and caught a 38-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to make it 31-14.

The Bengals responded with a five-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Andre Caldwell, who slipped behind Jimmy Smith down the right sideline.

But the Ravens held on, rebounding after a 22-17 loss at Seattle last week. Baltimore has won 12 straight following a defeat.

“It’s good to bounce back,” Suggs said, “but let’s not take any more steps back.”

The Bengals punted six times in the first half, two short of their season high for an entire game. Cincinnati’s offense managed only 143 yards before halftime, 47 of those on one play.

On the Bengals’ second possession, wide receiver Jerome Simpson made a juggling catch for a 47-yard gain to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Cedric Benson.

The Ravens didn’t get past midfield until early in the second quarter, following a 15-yard punt by Kevin Huber. Starting at its 45, Baltimore picked up a first down before Flacco tossed a short pass to Anquan Boldin, who ran the final 20 yards for a 35-yard touchdown.

NOTES: Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. … Ravens LB Jarret Johnson made his 74th consecutive start, breaking the franchise record previously held by Michael McCrary and Jamie Sharper. … Baltimore has won seven straight at home and 15 of 16.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SEATTLE (AP) — Joe Flacco needed one more possession to try to rally the Baltimore Ravens with another memorable comeback.

The Ravens’ defense couldn’t give Flacco that chance.

And for the third time this season, Baltimore was left explaining another flop against a losing team.

“Despite everything that happened early, late we still had an opportunity to come back and win the game and we didn’t get it done,” Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “I take a lot of responsibility, me, myself and the rest of the defense. I’m just disgusted to lose like this.”

Flacco completed 29 of 52 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown, but the Ravens couldn’t overcome three turnovers, two missed field goals and a big day from Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch in the Seahawks’ 22-17 win on Sunday.

A week after staking claim to the lead of the AFC North with a thrilling last-minute win at Pittsburgh, the Ravens lost in the Pacific Northwest in an all-too-similar fashion this season.

After routing Pittsburgh in their opener, the Ravens (6-3) were dominated in a loss at Tennessee. Just a few weeks ago, after an impressive win over AFC South-leading Houston, the Ravens were beaten by Jacksonville.

Go ahead and add Seattle (3-6) to the list.

The magic Flacco had in last week’s win over the Steelers was gone. He was rarely able to challenge the Seahawks secondary downfield due to strong coverage that forced him to throw underneath. When he did have opportunities to pick up big yards, Flacco missed open receivers.

Ray Rice had only 27 yards rushing and David Reed fumbled twice on kickoff returns leading to six points for Seattle.

“We understand that we are going to be a target of a lot of criticism right now. We understand that, we understand that it’s
going to be local, it’s going to be national,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We understand the fans are very disappointed in the game, we’re very disappointed in the game. We had an opportunity here to do something to separate ourselves a little bit in our division and we didn’t finish.”

These types of losses by the Ravens are rare occurrences since Harbaugh took over in 2008. Sunday’s defeat was the fourth loss by the Ravens against a sub-.500 team since Harbaugh took over, and two of them have been after Week 2 — Sunday’s loss to Seattle and three weeks ago against the Jaguars. And some of the Ravens offensive decisions may be questioned after this loss.

Rice, who was visibly upset after the Ravens had to settle for a 35-yard field goal from Billy Cundiff late in the third quarter, had just five carries for 27 yards. The Ravens had eight total carries by their running backs. Rice did catch eight passes for 54 yards, but receivers Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin had five combined catches.

“They are big guys, their corners, and they were pressed on us most of the day. They kind of went into a two shell a lot of the second half and forced us to do some of those things,” Flacco said. “But I felt like we moved the ball pretty well on offense when we had the ball, obviously we didn’t take advantage of some things and we did make some mistakes.”

Steven Hauschka matched a franchise record with five field goals, but it was those five kicks that gave Baltimore hope late.

After Lynch’s 1-yard TD run on Seattle’s second possession, the Seahawks got inside the Baltimore 25 on five other occasions, settling for field goals each time.

Baltimore had a chance with a 10-play, 65-yard drive, helped along by two defensive penalties and capped by Flacco’s 11-yard TD pass to tight end Ed Dickson with 5:52 remaining, cutting the lead to 22-17.

Flacco set a career high in attempts, while Dickson had a career high with 10 catches and two touchdowns, including a second-quarter TD catch from Rice.

But Flacco and the Ravens never got the ball back. Following the score, Seattle immediately got a pair of penalties and started with a first-and-20 at its 10. They got back to a manageable third-and-5 at its 25 and Tarvaris Jackson found Golden Tate for 24 yards with 4:37 left.

Then Seattle got a highlight reel moment from Lynch. He caught a short pass 3 yards short of a first down and faked out both Ray Lewis and Jarret Johnson to get the needed yards. Seattle ran out the clock, finally taking a knee at the Ravens 17 as the final seconds ticked away.

“Coaches love nothing more than to get that situation in the fourth quarter and run the clock out,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “And think about who you did it against. That’s really cool that happens.”

Along with Reed’s two fumbles, Cundiff missed field goal attempts of 52 and 50 yards in the first half.

Seattle also forced a turnover when rookie K.J. Wright dropped off the line, batted Flacco’s pass for Boldin into the air and into the arms of David Hawthorne, who returned the interception inside the Ravens 10 to lead to another Hauschka field goal in the third quarter.

Baltimore goes home to face Cincinnati (6-3) with a chance to move back on top of the AFC North.

“It’s pretty high, we had a long trip out here, feeling confident and to come in here and not be able to get that game
separation from everyone else in your division when you really had a good shot to do that, it doesn’t feel good,” Flacco said.

“But we know that we have to improve, and we have a couple of good games coming up in a short time and we have to be able to rebound and comeback strong, and it starts with Cincinnati.”

Notes: Seattle lost G John Moffitt (knee), WRs Sidney Rice (concussion), Doug Baldwin (concussion), DB Atari Bigby
(hamstring), DE Anthony Hargrove (hamstring) and SS Kam Chancellor (concussion) during the game. None returned. Baltimore gave up just one sack of Flacco despite 52 pass attempts. Baltimore’s offense didn’t have a play for longer than 19 yards.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Joe Flacco needed one more possession to try to rally the
Baltimore Ravens with another memorable comeback.

The Ravens’ defense couldn’t give Flacco that chance.

And for the third time this season, Baltimore was left
explaining another flop against a losing team.

“Despite everything that happened early, late we still had an
opportunity to come back and win the game and we didn’t get it
done,” Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “I take a lot of
responsibility, me, myself and the rest of the defense. … I’m
just disgusted to lose like this.”

Flacco completed 29 of 52 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown,
but the Ravens couldn’t overcome three turnovers, two missed field
goals and a big day from Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch in the Seahawks’
22-17 win on Sunday.

A week after staking claim to the lead of the AFC North with a
thrilling last-minute win at Pittsburgh, the Ravens lost in the
Pacific Northwest in an all-too-similar fashion this season.

After routing Pittsburgh in their opener, the Ravens (6-3) were
dominated in a loss at Tennessee. Just a few weeks ago, after an
impressive win over AFC South-leading Houston, the Ravens were
beaten by Jacksonville.

Go ahead and add Seattle (3-6) to the list.

The magic Flacco had in last week’s win over the Steelers was
gone.

He was rarely able to challenge the Seahawks secondary downfield
due to strong coverage that forced him to throw underneath. When he
did have opportunities to pick up big yards, Flacco missed open
receivers.

Ray Rice had only 27 yards rushing and David Reed fumbled twice
on kickoff returns leading to six points for Seattle.

“We understand that we are going to be a target of a lot of
criticism right now. We understand that, we understand that it’s
going to be local, it’s going to be national,” Ravens coach John
Harbaugh said.

“We understand the fans are very disappointed in the game, we’re
very disappointed in the game. We had an opportunity here to do
something to separate ourselves a little bit in our division and we
didn’t finish.”

These types of losses by the Ravens are rare occurrences since
Harbaugh took over in 2008. Sunday’s defeat was the fourth loss by
the Ravens against a sub-.500 team since Harbaugh took over, and
two of them have been after Week 2 _ Sunday’s loss to Seattle and
three weeks ago against the Jaguars.

And some of the Ravens offensive decisions may be questioned
after this loss.

Rice, who was visibly upset after the Ravens had to settle for a
35-yard field goal from Billy Cundiff late in the third quarter,
had just five carries for 27 yards. The Ravens had eight total
carries by their running backs. Rice did catch eight passes for 54
yards, but receivers Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin had five
combined catches.

“They are big guys, their corners, and they were pressed on us
most of the day. They kind of went into a two shell a lot of the
second half and forced us to do some of those things,” Flacco said.
“But I felt like we moved the ball pretty well on offense when we
had the ball, obviously we didn’t take advantage of some things and
we did make some mistakes

Steven Hauschka matched a franchise record with five field
goals, but it was those five kicks that gave Baltimore hope late.
After Lynch’s 1-yard TD run on Seattle’s second possession, the
Seahawks got inside the Baltimore 25 on five other occasions,
settling for field goals each time.

Baltimore had a chance with a 10-play, 65-yard drive, helped
along by two defensive penalties and capped by Flacco’s 11-yard TD
pass to tight end Ed Dickson with 5:52 remaining, cutting the lead
to 22-17.

Flacco set a career high in attempts, while Dickson had a career
high with 10 catches and two touchdowns, including a second-quarter
TD catch from Rice.

But Flacco and the Ravens never got the ball back. Following the
score, Seattle immediately got a pair of penalties and started with
a first-and-20 at its 10. They got back to a manageable third-and-5
at its 25 and Tarvaris Jackson found Golden Tate for 24 yards with
4:37 left.

Then Seattle got a highlight reel moment from Lynch. He caught a
short pass 3 yards short of a first down and faked out both Ray
Lewis and Jarret Johnson to get the needed yards. Seattle ran out
the clock, finally taking a knee at the Ravens 17 as the final
seconds ticked away.

“Coaches love nothing more than to get that situation in the
fourth quarter and run the clock out,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll
said. “And think about who you did it against. That’s really cool
that happens.”

Along with Reed’s two fumbles, Cundiff missed field goal
attempts of 52 and 50 yards in the first half.

Seattle also forced a turnover when rookie K.J. Wright dropped
off the line, batted Flacco’s pass for Boldin into the air and into
the arms of David Hawthorne, who returned the interception inside
the Ravens 10 to lead to another Hauschka field goal in the third
quarter.

Baltimore goes home to face Cincinnati (6-3) with a chance to
move back on top of the AFC North.

“It’s pretty high, we had a long trip out here, feeling
confident and to come in here and not be able to get that game
separation from everyone else in your division when you really had
a good shot to do that, it doesn’t feel good,” Flacco said.

“But we know that we have to improve, and we have a couple of
good games coming up in a short time and we have to be able to
rebound and comeback strong, and it starts with Cincinnati.”

Notes: Seattle lost G John Moffitt (knee), WRs Sidney Rice
(concussion), Doug Baldwin (concussion), DB Atari Bigby
(hamstring), DE Anthony Hargrove (hamstring) and SS Kam Chancellor
(concussion) during the game. None returned. … Baltimore gave up
just one sack of Flacco despite 52 pass attempts. … Baltimore’s
offense didn’t have a play for longer than 19 yards.

___

Follow Tim Booth on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/ByTimBooth

SEATTLE – Marshawn Lynch caught the pass and was a few yards short of a critical Seattle first down late in Sunday’s game against the Ravens. The only guys standing between Lynch and the line were Ray Lewis and Jarret Johnson.

He left Lewis and Johnson grasping at air and all but sealed the Seahawks’ surprising victory.

Lynch finished with 109 yards rushing and Seattle’s lone touchdown, Steven Hauschka matched a franchise record with five field goals, and the Seahawks forced three turnovers in a 22-17 win.

“He made like he was out there in the backyard playing against some of his cousins or something,” Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. “He made a great move.”

Seattle added yet another flop to the Ravens’ resume that already included slip-ups earlier this season at Tennessee and at Jacksonville, all three losses coming after important wins for Baltimore (6-3).

And Seattle (3-6) gave coach Pete Carroll a perfect final drive to use in his teaching.

“Coaches love nothing more than to get that situation in the fourth quarter and run the clock out,” Carroll said. “And think about who you did it against. That’s really cool that happens.”

Seattle’s lead had been trimmed to 22-17 after Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco hit Ed Dickson on an 11-yard TD on his 52nd pass attempt of the night. The Seahawks took over at their own 20 with 5:52 left and immediately picked up two penalties to back them up to the 10, creating a first-and-20 situation that in the past would lead to a short series and a punt.

Not this time. They worked to a manageable third-and-5, and Jackson connected with Golden Tate for 24 yards. A minute later, they faced the same down and distance from the Baltimore 46. Jackson threw short for Lynch, who slipped ahead for 8 yards and another clock-churning first down.

“I’ve said it before: The man walks aggressively. Everything about him is moving forward aggressively and trying to gain yards. You’ve got to love that,” Seattle fullback Michael Robinson said.

Lynch added four more runs that ensured all Jackson had to do was take a knee twice inside the Baltimore 20 to close out the victory. For a drive that produced no points and started with a pair of penalties, it couldn’t be more valuable for the young Seahawks.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a four-minute drill quite like this before,” Seattle centre Max Unger said. “I couldn’t tell you a time that we had that much time left on the clock with the lead and ran the ball out like that.”

Hauschka kicked field goals of 22, 38, 39, 35 and 30 yards. Jackson was 17 of 27 for 217 yards and Lynch had another five receptions and 58 yards receiving as Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak. The Seahawks also picked up their second victory over a division leader this season after beating the New York Giants in early October.

Lynch became the first Seattle running back to record consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Julius Jones early in the 2008 season, following up on his 135 yards rushing last week against Dallas. Lynch carried a career-best 32 times, and most of those equaled short gains, but the types of yards Seattle needed against Baltimore’s defence.

After Lynch’s 1-yard TD run on Seattle’s second possession, the Seahawks got inside the Baltimore 25 on five other occasions, settling for field goals each time.

That proved to be enough thanks to Seattle’s stout defence and special teams mistakes by the Ravens. David Reed fumbled twice on kickoff returns, leading to six points for Seattle. Flacco’s lone interception was returned by David Hawthorne inside the Ravens 10 and eventually led to another field goal from Hauschka. Along with Reed’s two fumbles, Billy Cundiff missed field-goal attempts of 52 and 50 yards in the first half.

The magic Flacco had in last week’s win over the Steelers was gone. He was rarely able challenge the Seahawks secondary downfield due to strong coverage that forced him to throw underneath. When he did have opportunities to pick up chunks of yards, Flacco missed open receivers.

Flacco was 29 of 52 for 255 yards. Ray Rice, who was visibly upset after the Ravens had to settle for a 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter, had five carries for 27 yards. He caught eight passes for 54 yards. Carroll said he hoped Baltimore would abandon the run and try to throw its way past the Seahawks.

“We understand that we are going to be a target of a lot of criticism right now. We understand that. We understand that it’s going to be local; it’s going to be national,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We understand the fans are very disappointed in the game. We’re very disappointed in the game. We had an opportunity here to do something to separate ourselves a little bit in our division and we didn’t finish.”

Notes: Seattle lost G John Moffitt (knee), WRs Sidney Rice (concussion) and Doug Baldwin (concussion), DB Atari Bigby (hamstring), DE Anthony Hargrove (hamstring) and SS Kam Chancellor (concussion) during the game. None returned. … Even with Baltimore throwing so much, Seattle had just one sack of Flacco. … Baltimore entered this week with just one loss to a sub-.500 team after Week 2 since Harbaugh took over in 2008. … Flacco’s 52 attempts were a career high.

___

Follow Tim Booth on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ByTimBooth

“What are you going to say after a half like that?” said linebacker Jarret Johnson

The Ravens responded to the adversity in the best possible manner, scoring 24 second-half points and beating the Arizona Cardinals, 30-27, on Sunday when Billy Cundiff booted a 25-yard field goal as time expired.

The emotion of the announced crowd of 71,022 went from anger and frustration to exhilaration as the Ravens, who trailed 24-3 with less than four minutes left in the second quarter and 24-6 at halftime, completed their biggest comeback in team history to improve to 5-2 on the season.

“We woke up, plain and simple,” said Anquan Boldin, who Coach John Harbaugh called the catalyst of the comeback after the wide receiver caught seven passes for 145 yards and drew a couple of key pass interference penalties that led to touchdowns against his former team.

“We know we played poor as an offense in the first half, and we felt like this team wasn’t better than us, point-blank. Even though they were up 24-3, we felt like we were able to go out and put drives together and put points on the board.”

Cundiff’s decisive three points were set up by quarterback Joe Flacco’s 36-yard pass down the right sideline to rookie Torrey Smith with just 48 seconds to play. Smith, who beat Richard Marshall, had bobbled a pass in the second quarter that was intercepted by Marshall, leading to Early Doucet’s 10-yard touchdown catch and the Ravens’ 21-point deficit.

The play represented redemption not only for Smith, but also for Flacco, who shook off a shaky first half and a consistent Cardinals pass rush to complete 31 of 51 passes for 336 yards. Operating in the no-huddle offense for the majority of the second half, Flacco directed scoring drives on four of the Ravens’ seven second-half drives.

Running back Ray Rice ended three of those with touchdowns, getting in from the 1-yard line twice, and from the 3 once. Along with his career-high three touchdowns, Rice, who had only eight carries in the Ravens’ dreadful 12-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last Monday, rushed 18 times for 63 yards and caught seven passes for 36 yards.

It was his three-yard touchdown run five seconds into the fourth quarter that gave the Ravens’ 24 consecutive points and a 27-24 lead. Jay Feely tied the score with a 45-yard field goal with six minutes remaining, but after getting the ball at midfield in Cardinals’ territory with less than a minute to go, the Ravens answered with the game-winning field goal.

“We just kept believing, kept believing,” said Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis who said that he had no problem with the booing from the home crowd. “They are the same fans that are going to switch around and start cheering as soon as we put some points on the board. And it happened. You have to truly respect them for saying, ‘This ain’t what we’re used to,’ and it’s not.

“For us to come out and give the ball away and let a team get up on us, that’s just not us. For them to show their displeasure, that’s okay. We’re man enough to come back and say, ‘We know how to come back and get you back in the game.’ That’s to drive and create spots and put points on the board, and we did that.”

But after taking the 24-3 lead late in the third quarter, the Cardinals, who have now lost six in a row to fall to 1-6, managed only three points the rest of the game.

— Baltimore Sun