BENGALS

CINCINNATI -- After he got over the shock of being released by the Bengals and signing with the rival Baltimore Ravens , Willie Anderson was struck by a few things: Ray Lewis is as big a personality in the locker room as he appears from across the field, Ed Reed is more talkative than he seems, and there are veteran leaders at every position. "Ray is the spiritual backbone of the team, but each group has two or three leaders in the group," Anderson said. "That way, team Football is enforced, because there is no one guy carrying everyone's burden." During much of his 12-season tenure with the Bengals, Anderson was the locker room leader on teams that often were eliminated from the playoffs before Thanksgiving, as the current Bengals were. In recent months, the Bengals began leaning more and more on young players, asking young veterans such as Andrew Whitworth and Domata Peko to become leaders off the field and filling out the roster with rookies such as Anthony Collins, Andre Caldwell and Corey Lynch. Anderson, a former Pro Bowl tackle, running back Rudi Johnson and cornerback Deltha O'Neal were cut at the end of training camp. Anderson, understandably, believes the Bengals would benefit from more veterans. "Kids can't teach kids," he said. But coach Marvin Lewisbelieved a younger team would be less prone to injuries and have a greater potential to improve through the season. Results have been mixed. Injuries have ravaged the defense, which Lewis has praised for its improvement in technique and mental toughness. The offense has struggled, and a petulant Chad Ocho Cinco was benched last week. "It's important that all of us put together a better Football team," Lewis said. "We're going to continue to work at it these last five games, try to win these last five Football games and end the season with a better taste in our mouths than we have right now." Lewis believes there is an important foundation being laid, but on the surface the house appears to be crumbling, particularly in comparison with today's opponent: The Ravens are in playoff contention with a veteran defense and a young, improving offense. "This group of guys is a special group," said backup quarterback Troy Smith, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State. "Regardless of if the season ends with us winning a championship, it's a very special team, from the starters down to the scout team. Anything I can do to be a part of it, I'm all for it." Smith has been used in a small package of plays built around the single-wing formation. It is a far cry from three months ago, when he appeared to have won the starting job until a tonsil infection caused him to lose 20 pounds. "The support of my teammates willed me back," Smith said. "I'm very, very grateful." Anderson praised first-year coach John Harbaugh for striking a balance between pushing players and allowing them to lead. "There is no compromise with him," Anderson said, "but at the same time he gives the players a lot of leeway to discipline yourself and act as men." spriestle@dispatch.com Box Story: Bengals (1-9-1) VS. Ravens (7-4) * Kickoff: 1 p.m. today * Line: Ravens by 7 * TV: None * Radio: WTVN-AM (610) * Forecast: Mix of snow, rain; high of 44 \ Story line The Bengals have been reduced to auditioning young players for next season and trying to spoil their opponents' playoff hopes. The next three opponents -- Baltimore, Indianapolis and Washington -- have a decided edge in talent and experience, so the Bengals will be hard-pressed to do more than scare them for a couple of quarters. \ Key matchup Bengals QB Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Ravens S Ed Reed Reed, like Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh, is given freedom to roam the field in search of big plays. He intercepted two passes last week and returned them a combined 151 yards. "And he's harder to find, because he doesn't have that long hair like Polamalu," Fitzpatrick said. \ Numbers and such With Bengals guard Andrew Whitworth on IR and tackle Levi Jones unavailable because of injuries, rookies Nate Livings and Anthony Collins will man the left side of the offensive line again. ... The Ravens ran the ball 46 times in the teams' previous meeting. ... The Ravens have occasionally used backup quarterback Troy Smith, a former Ohio State standout, in the single-wing formation. He has thrown two passes and carried the ball six times for 77 yards. \ Bengals win if ... The defense shuts down Baltimore's running game, and the offense produces a big play or two. The Ravens remain committed to the run as long as the game is close, which means the Bengals must hold strong for 60 minutes. But an early lead could put a little pressure on rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. \ Bengals lose if ... The offense produces only three points, as it did in the teams' first meeting. If the Cincinnati offense cannot generate yards and points, the Baltimore offense will wear out the Bengals defense with run after run after run. \ Prediction Ravens 17, Bengals 6 -- Scott Priestle