The regular season is here and the Baltimore Ravens are getting ready to play the Cincinnati Bengals on the road to get it going:

The Baltimore Ravens are looking to do something that they haven’t done since 2011. They’re trying to win a game in Cincinnati against the Bengals. Paul Brown Stadium, more commonly referred to as “The Jungle” has been a house of horrors for the Ravens. Last season ended in Cincinnati after a 24-16 defeat. For whatever reason, Marvin Lewis has had the Ravens number. The all-time running total between the two AFC North foes is tied at 21 wins a piece. However the Bengals have won six of the last seven games.

It’s hard to put too much stock in the Ravens week 17 battle against the Ravens from a year ago. They had just lost a brutal game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t care what anybody says, an eliminated and heartbroken team didn’t have their heart into that game. The overall trend against the Bengals is disconcerting. The weight of a season opener is heavy. The weight of a divisional match-up is heavy as well. There is a lot on the line and the Ravens have to reverse a pattern of getting beaten by the Bengals.

The Baltimore Ravens of 2017 are a much different team. Steve Smith has been replaced with Jeremy Maclin. Ryan Jensen and James Hurst are familiar faces but now they look to be new starters. Austin Howard is new to the Ravens as well. Defensively the Ravens have the most loaded front seven they’ve had since 2011. The secondary is better than it has been in a really long time as well. That’s where we begin. The first thing to look at in this rivalry, a rivalry that the Ravens hope is entering a brand new chapter, is the battle in the secondary.