The Chiefs deemed Jeremy Maclin expendable this offseason and that decision worked out pretty well for the Ravens in the second quarter of their season opener against the Bengals.
Joe Flacco hit Maclin with a short pass and the veteran wideout turned it into a 48-yard touchdown that marked both his first score since coming to Baltimore and the Ravens’ first touchdown of the season. Justin Tucker’s extra point made the score 10-0 and put the ball back in the Bengals’ hands with a chance to do something before halftime.
The Bengals did something, but it wasn’t what they hoped. Andy Dalton threw a pass that was tiped by Terrell Suggs and snatched out of the air by Lardarius Webb. Terrence West ran the ball in for a touchdown on the next play and the Ravens took a 17-point lead into the locker room.
It was the third interception of the first half for Dalton. Two were off of tipped balls and the third came when C.J. Mosley read a pass into the end zone perfectly to end Cincinnati’s best scoring chance of the first 30 minutes. Dalton is 7-of-14 for 72 yards overall and also missed an open Cody Core on a third down pass that would have extended a driveB.
Flacco is 9-of-14 for 121 yards after returning to practice this week following a summer spent resting his back. The Ravens offense scuffled for much of the first half, but the big play by Maclin and the play of the defense leave them with a comfortable lead after the first 30 minutes of the 2017 season.
