Matchup: Not your opening match

Jones has had success against Suggs, the guy he used to duel daily during Arizona State practices. Suggs hasn't had a sack against the Bengals in the last five games.

"I think the Bengals have to be more patient with the run," The Guru says. "With the defense not being able to get the ball back, you're running into teams trying to shorten the game. I mean, 17 carries is OK for a half, but not for a game. It's going to protect Palmer as well. You can't give up on it too soon."

The reach? The 6-4 Henry is all over the 5-10 Martin.

The Ravens are third in the league in stopping teams on third down, so keep an eye on Houshmandzadeh, whose 16 third-down catches are fourth in the NFL.

Geathers had great success against right tackle Adam Terry the last time out with a career game. That will be a third-down matchup as Geathers tries to overpower a blocker that relies more on finesse than muscle.

"And of course the other thing is that they are so banged up at linebacker. They just really have a hard time holding up there. At some point, when you're playing with so may new guys, you have to look at injuries as the reason. And the secondary continues to be erratic with the young corners."

But Mason leads the NFL with 22 third-down catches and the Bengals are just coming off a brutal effort in Buffalo in which J.P. Losman sat back and threw eight third-down darts on 13 tries.

The last time we saw Heap, he felt he had been robbed out of a goal-line touchdown catch that would have sent the last game into OT when he was called for pushing off. But before that play, Williams and the secondary did a nice job on him, holding him to 29 yards on four catches. Heap has been struggling with a thigh problem and has just one touchdown this season, and the Bengals need to keep it that way.