Bengals alone in first in AFC North

By David Ginsburg - ASSOCIATED PRESS

BALTIMORE (AP) � One year after starting 0-8, the Cincinnati Bengals are alone atop the AFC North.

It's quite an accomplishment, given the division contains the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, whom the Steelers defeated in the AFC championship game.

This season, however, the Bengals have already beaten them both. Two weeks after rallying to top the Steelers, Cincinnati used a 20-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Andre Caldwell with 22 seconds left to defeat Baltimore 17-14 Sunday.

The Bengals are receiving a fair share of acclaim now after stirring up little interest during the preseason.

"We didn't deserve to be talked about," Palmer said. "Pittsburgh and Baltimore were both in the AFC championship game, and they should receive all the attention. Sometimes it's good to be the underdogs. It takes the pressure off you."

Given that each of Cincinnati's games this season has been decided by seven points or fewer, Palmer and the Bengals (4-1) seem rather adept at dealing with pressure situations.

Against the Ravens (3-2), Palmer moved the offense 80 yards in the closing minutes � with the aid of three yellow flags.

An illegal contact penalty against Chris Carr and an unnecessary roughness call against Ray Lewis preceded the topper, a pass interference penalty against Frank Walker on a third-and-16 from the Baltimore 30 (although the infraction was called by the officials against Ed Reed).

On the next play, Palmer found Caldwell over the middle for the game-winning score.

"This is a big win for us, but it's still early," Palmer said. "We've got to play the Steelers and Ravens again, and I know they're going to be (ticked) off. Those games are going to be very tough."

Cincinnati's Cedric Benson ran for 120 yards, becoming the first player in 40 games to eclipse 100 yards against the Ravens. Palmer was 18 for 31 for 271 yards, and Chad Ochocinco had seven catches for 94 yards.

"We weren't as sound as we should have been. Offensively, and as a whole, we had a couple of turnovers," Ochocinco said. "But we were able to find some breaks and make our way. We were able to capitalize on the last drive."

Baltimore has lost two straight after starting 3-0 for the second time in franchise history. Last week, two roughing the passer calls played a key part in a 27-21 defeat at New England.

Against Cincinnati, the Ravens were penalized 10 times for 76 yards, with several of the infractions seemingly coming at the worst possible time.

"Some tough calls. But you can't leave it in their hands," Baltimore defensive tackle Kelly Gregg said.

It was a mantra repeated by several of his teammates.

"I'm not going there with you. I don't do the referee thing," defensive end Trevor Pryce said. "If you dominate, the calls don't matter."

The Ravens, quite simply, did not come close to dominating. They were limited to one offensive touchdown after averaging 32.5 points in their first four games, and the defense yielded 403 yards � including 142 on the ground.

Which is one reason why the Ravens weren't overly critical of the refs.

"The officials, they're just calling the game," Walker said. "These games are close because we let them be close."

Baltimore trailed 10-7 when Ray Rice took a screen pass from Joe Flacco, then turned upfield with several tacklers in his way. After ducking linebacker Brandon Johnson, the 5-foot-8 running back dipped his left arm and stayed upright by planting his fingers on the artificial turf before completing the 48-yard touchdown with 6:59 left.

Then it was Palmer's turn.

Notes: Reed took an interception return 52 yards for his 12th career TD. ... Larry Johnson of KC, in 2006, was the last RB to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens. ... Cincinnati is 4-2 in Baltimore over the last six years. ... The Bengals are 8 for 9 on fourth down this season.