Loss to Bengals still stings for Ravens

CINCINNATI — Andy Dalton’s 49yard touchdown pass in the closing seconds last season knocked the Baltimore Ravens out of the playoffs and helped Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis get a two-year extension. That pivotal play is in the back of so many minds as the two teams prepare for a rematch Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium.

The decisive play — on fourth and 12 with 70,507 fans at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium cheering for a defensive stop — saw Dalton hitting Tyler Boyd in the middle of a pack of defenders at the 23-yard line.

Boyd made the catch, slipped through two defenders and ran into the end zone, completing a play that would redirect both franchises.

The Ravens were out of the playoffs for the third straight year; Buffalo got its long-awaited chance instead.

And when the Bengals returned to Cincinnati after a second straight losing season, owner Mike Brown decided to give Lewis a two-year extension based in part upon the Bengals’ 31-27 win that day.

The Ravens (1-0) opened Sunday with a 47-3 win over the Bills and turned their focus to that one play from December that lingers in the back of their minds.

“If I were to say ‘no,’ I’d be lying,” Ravens cornerback Brandon Carr said. “We’ve still got that bitter taste in our mouths.”

The Bengals (1-0) haven’t forgotten about it, either. The final game of a

7-9 finish became the start of an overhaul for their offense that finished last in the league. They changed four of their five starters on the line, and they looked better during a 34-23 win at Indianapolis on Sunday.

For them, the last-minute touchdown in Baltimore became a starting point.

“I think from last season, winning the last two games gave us momentum,” receiver A.J. Green said.

The Ravens retooled their receiving group to give Joe Flacco a better chance to shine, and the results last week were profound. Flacco threw three touchdown passes, one to each of the newcomers: John Brown, Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead.

Overall, Flacco completed 25 of 34 passes for 236 yards with three touchdowns in little more than a half. His passer rating of 121.7 was his highest since 2014. He’s fit in smoothly with the new trio of targets.

Dalton is coming off one of his worst seasons, tied largely to the offensive line’s failures. Working behind a revamped line, he completed 21 of 28 for 243 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 109.7 at Indianapolis, a notable improvement over last season.

“Andy played unbelievable,” said Green, who caught a 38-yard touchdown pass.