NFL: Baltimore continue home winning streak with 44-13 win over Cincinnati Bengals

BALTIMORE, USA // Joe Flacco was the star as the Baltimore Ravens extended their winning streak at home to 11 games with a comfortable 44-13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Flacco threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns while the highlight of the night came when Ed Reed took an interception 34 yards for a score.

The Ravens were pegged back to 17-13 but they pulled away by scoring 26 unanswered points thereafter, with Ray Rice running in two short touchdowns.

Flacco and the offense worked this summer on running plays without a huddle, and when it came time to put the new scheme into action, the results were almost flawless.

The Ravens amassed 430 yards, didn't commit a turnover and punted only twice.

"That tempo really helped us out because those guys can really get to the passer and really create a lot of pressure," Flacco said.

"I think the fact that we were able to go up-tempo and kind of keep those guys on the field took its toll on them."

While the offence certainly was impressive, Baltimore's defence also excelled in its first game under coordinator Dean Pees. Playing without injured NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs - who had 14 sacks last year - the Ravens dropped Andy Dalton four times.

Not only that, but Baltimore turned two turnovers into touchdowns over a two-minute span. After Reed's touchdown return, 37-year-old linebacker Ray Lewis forced a fumble that was recovered by Lardarius Webb, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Rice to make it 41-13 with 13:41 remaining.

Reed's jaunt with a pass tipped by Cincinnati receiver Brandon Tate put the diminutive safety in the NFL record book. Reed has 1,497 yards in interception returns, eclipsing the previous record of 1,483 yards by Rod Woodson. It was Reed's seventh career score on a pickoff return.

Dalton went 22 for 37 for 221 yards, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 91 yards and a score in his Cincinnati debut. But the Bengals, who failed to beat a team that reached the postseason last season, once again came up short against a high-calibre opponent.

Dalton went 4 for 5 for 56 yards in the opening drive of the second half, and although the drive stalled at the Baltimore 1, Mike Nugent kicked a 19-yard field goal to get the Bengals to 17-13.

Flacco brought the Ravens right back, throwing a bit of Rice into the mix with excellent results. Rice caught a screen pass for 18 yards and ran for 13 more during an 89-yard drive in which Flacco went 5 for 7 for 73 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dennis Pitta.

After a 40-yard field goal by Ravens rookie Justin Tucker made it 27-13 with 1:13 left in the quarter, Reed struck exactly one minute later.

Flacco went 12 for 15 for 183 yards in the first half to stake Baltimore to a 17-10 lead.

Flacco set the tone for the shootout on the game's first offensive play, throwing deep to Torrey Smith for a 52-yard gain. That set up a 46-yard field goal by Tucker, who won the job in training camp from Billy Cundiff.

Baltimore quickly forced a punt, and Flacco went back to work. He completed a 16-yarder to Jacoby Jones on a third-and-15, tossed a 1-yard pass to Rice on a fourth-and-1 and watched from the backfield as Rice completed the 12-play, 63-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run behind a fine block by fullback Vonta Leach.

After Dalton got Cincinnati to 10-3 with a 76-yard march that ended with a field goal, Flacco capped an 82-yard drive by splitting two defenders with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin.

The Ravens finally punted with 6 minutes left in the first half, and Dalton used the rest of the time to move the Bengals to their lone touchdown. The Bengals twice converted fourth downs on the 81-yard march, the last one a 6-yard run into the end zone by Green-Ellis on a fourth-and-1.

"That certainly wasn't what we expected to have out there today," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after the game.

"We got outplayed and we got outcoached."