Bengals hold on to beat Ravens 17-7

CINCINNATI - No last-minute comeback needed this time. With Cedric Benson topping 100 yards again, the Bengals got ahead early and ground one out.

Cincinnati scored on its first three possessions Sunday, then spent the rest of its time chasing Baltimore's Joe Flacco around the field, setting up a 17-7 victory that kept the surprising Bengals unbeaten in AFC North games.

The Bengals (6-2) can take control of the division by winning next Sunday at Pittsburgh; the Steelers (5-2) play Denver on Monday night. Cincinnati has won all four games in the division, including a sweep of the Ravens (4-4), who started fast but have self-destructed into mediocrity.

They've been at their worst against the Bengals, who took advantage of three Ravens penalties to pull off a winning drive in Baltimore on Oct. 11 for a 17-14 win.

The rematch had very little drama. Benson and the Cincinnati defense made it that way.

Benson was coming off the best game of his career: 189 yards against his former Bears team, a dominating performance that sent Cincinnati into its bye on an upbeat note. Refreshed by a weekend off, he was at it again, running for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Up 17-0 at halftime, it was only a matter of holding on. The Bengals did, with a lot of help from the self-destructive Ravens, who had 80 yards in penalties and missed a field goal. Their last chance slipped away when Flacco was sacked on three consecutive plays.

Last season, the Ravens went 11-5 and made the playoffs as a wild card, losing to Pittsburgh in the AFC title game. They opened this season 3-0 with Flacco showing growth in his second season.

Now, Baltimore has dropped four of its last five, making it a long shot to win the division.

Cincinnati scored on its first three possessions — touchdown, touchdown, field goal — against a defense that has struggled against the run lately, a surprising change. The Ravens hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher for 39 consecutive games, a streak that Benson broke by piling up 120 in that win at Baltimore.

The Ravens have allowed a 100-yard rusher in three of the last four games. They've also hurt themselves on big plays — two pass interference penalties extended Cincinnati's second touchdown drive.

That's not all.

Ray Rice's 1-yard touchdown run cut it to 17-7 early in the fourth quarter, the Ravens' only drive of the game. They got their chance to make it close when Ed Reed stripped Chad Ochocinco after a catch at midfield, but Steve Hauschka hooked a 38-yard field goal try with 6:12 left.

Bengals receiver Chris Henry broke his left forearm in the second quarter, when he made a catch and was immediately tackled. He ranks sixth on the team in receiving.