Ravens vs. Bengals: 5 Keys to the Playoffs for the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals control their own destiny Sunday when they welcome AFC divisional rival Baltimore to "The Jungle."

A win for the Bengals means Cincinnati will compete in the playoffs for only the third time in 21 years.

The Bengals and Ravens met once already this season on November 20th which resulted in a Bengals 31-24 loss. This time, the Bengals play at home where they are 6-2 against the Ravens under head coach Marvin Lewis.

Last time the teams met, the Ravens were without Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, and the Bengals were without Pro Bowl rookie receiver A.J. Green. Both are healthy and look to be major factors in the game Sunday.

So far, the Bengals have taken care of business by winning two must-win games in the past two weeks against St. Louis and Arizona. The Ravens are playing for the AFC North crown and the right to remain the two seed and a first-round bye.

Here are the keys to a Bengals victory and a rare postseason appearance:

Pressure Joe Flacco

The last time Cincinnati and Baltimore met, the Bengals only mustered one sack of quarterback Joe Flacco.

Flacco used this to his advantage by going 17-of-27 for 270 yards en route to a 105.5 rating. He was able to exploit the play-action easily without facing much pressure.

Last week, the Bengals sacked Arizona quarterback John Skelton five times. Carlos Dunlap is playing healthy again, and the unit as a whole has to pressure Flacco every time he drops back to pass.

Flacco doesn’t handle pressure well and could make big mistakes in a hostile environment if pressured consistently.

If defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer can send a variety of exotic blitzes Flacco's way, the Bengals can win.

Contain Ray Rice

Ray Rice is one of the best running backs in the league and simply tore apart the Bengals earlier in the season.

Rice carried only 20 times but had 104 yards and scored twice. His 5.2 average was helped by a 59-yard run, but either way, the end result was Rice manhandling an elite unit.

The Bengals pride themselves on stopping the run, but if Rice has his way again, it will open up the passing game for the Ravens which will allow them to exploit a questionable secondary.

Rice can also easily kill a team in the passing game. Rice has 74 catches for 696 yards this season. Rice had 43 yards in the last game against the Bengals.

Cincinnati struggled with containing Rice on running back screens, which could prove deadly this time around.

Cincinnati’s fifth-ranked rush defense will have to come up big if the Bengals want to slip into the postseason.

Shut Down Torrey Smith

Rookie receiver Torrey Smith was the main reason the Bengals lost to the Ravens earlier in the season. The rookie is having an amazing season with 45 receptions for 808 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has an outstanding 18 yards-per-catch average.

Smith is the main target on the Ravens besides Rice and is performing even better than fellow receiver Anquan Boldin.

Smith caught six passes for 165 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals in the last meeting. Keep in mind that’s 165 yards of the Ravens’ total 373.

With that being said, it’s quite simple really—shut down Torrey Smith, and Flacco will be forced to look elsewhere.

Flacco isn’t quick at going through his progressions, but if the Bengals make it easy on him by allowing Smith to run past everyone, the Bengals are in for a long day and a crushing defeat.

Andy Dalton Must Grow Up

In Andy Dalton’s first ever game in Baltimore, the rookie put up an impressive 373 yards along with a touchdown. However, Dalton was the main reason for the loss due to him throwing three interceptions. His 60.7 rating wasn’t all that surprising for a rookie’s first look at one of the elite defenses in the NFL.

Dalton has to grow up this week. The Dalton-led Bengals are 8-0 against teams under .500 while only 1-6 against teams above .500. Dalton has yet to defeat a team from the AFC North besides the mediocre Cleveland Browns.

The time is now for Dalton. He must show a progression against elite teams that he hasn’t shown yet. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the Baltimore defense certainly won’t make it easy on Dalton.

The rookie must not make any mistakes, and this time around, he won’t have to be leading a comeback victory.

Offensive Focus Must Be on A.J. Green

When the Bengals lost the first matchup with the Ravens, the team was without newly minted Pro Bowler A.J. Green.

Green has 63 catches for 1,031 yards and seven touchdowns.

Green’s availability for Sunday against the Ravens changes the complexion of the game drastically compared to last time.

Baltimore is weak at the cornerback position, and veteran Ed Reed will surely be glued to Green on every down. Green is no stranger to elite safeties after getting the best of Troy Polamalu.

Green’s presence will allow more lanes for running back Cedric Benson (who shouldn’t fumble if he wants to play in the league next year) and single coverage for Jerome Simpson. Simpson had 152 yards in Green's absence against Baltimore and should be more open than ever with Green on the field this time.

Green will find ways to get open despite his injured shoulder, and Green’s success will mean the team’s success as a whole. His ability to adjust mid-air to any pass has made Dalton look much better than he truly is right now.

Green is a game changer, or in this sense, a franchise changer.

Must-Win Game, the Finale

This is it.

This is the most meaningful game played in Paul Brown Stadium in quite some time. The team that was predicted to win no more than two games has turned the NFL on its head. The rookie-led Bengals, under the veteran leadership of coach Marvin Lewis are playing for the playoffs and a 10-win season.

If the Bengals defeat the Ravens Sunday, they will advance to play the Houston Texans in the wild-card round. By defeating the Ravens Sunday and entering the playoffs, anything is possible from there.

A sixth seed coming off a huge win and entering the postseason with momentum could ride the momentum all the way.

This young Bengals team has grown up before the eyes of the league, and more importantly, the eyes of Cincinnati. Regardless of the outcome Sunday, Andy Dalton and the Bengals have ushered in a new era of hope in Cincinnati.

The future is bright, but the time is now.