Ravens Secondary Will Be Deciding Factor vs Bengals

Last season, one of the excuses made for the Baltimore Ravens being swept by the Cincinnati Bengals was the fact that the team was never healthy in the secondary. Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb didn't play in the week 1 meeting last season vs the Bengals and cornerback Jimmy Smith was injured early in the 1st quarter in the second meeting against the Bengals.

Well, this time both Webb and Smith are relatively healthy and the rest of the secondary is healthy enough to go up against serious targets such Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert.

The Ravens have invested a lot of money into their cornerbacks in recent years, as they signed a 48 million dollar contract extension with Smith this past offseason and Webb was given a 50 million dollar contract in 2012. It's time for the Ravens to see consistent success from  their investments.

This Ravens team is not built for a shootout, despite the fact that the 33 points the Ravens put up in week 2 would say otherwise. While the Ravens offense has had their inconsistencies, the bread and butter of this franchise is still the defense.

The Ravens secondary will need to set the tone in this matchup against the Bengals, whether or not the Ravens front seven is able to generate a pass rush or not.