Hump Day Headlines: Well Played, Ozzie

Props to the Ravens’ brain trust. Not only did they sign former Bengals RT Willie Anderson just before opening day, and then install him among the defensive coaching staff on the sideline, but they spent the week prior to the game pumping former Bengals TE Nate Lawrie for info as well. And now that the game’s over, Lawrie is unemployed again.

After Sunday’s game, Anderson denied contributing to the loss, claiming that the Ravens already had the Bengals’ number because the Cincy squad is so uncreative on offense. But if that’s true, where was this knowledge over the last two seasons, when the Bengals lost just one of four games against the Baltimore team? I call BS. Not that there’s anything wrong with that — signing players from the opposition, pumping them for information, then discarding them after the game is hardly an unknown technique, and the Ravens clearly took advantage of their opportunities before last weekend’s game. So: well played.

That isn’t to excuse the Bengals’ poor performance on offense. But even if Willie’s and Lawrie’s aid only cost the Bengals offense a couple of plays, that could have been the difference in a game that was never really out of reach, despite the Bengals’ bungling.

Oh, well. Last week is last week. Moving on, the faltering economy and the loss last Sunday have combined to depress the prices of tickets to this weekend’s home opener at PBS.

Muckraker Mike says the NFL and NFLPA are haggling with Reebok about the Ocho Cinco jerseys.

The Chickster thinks the Titans game is a must-win.

Former Bengals LB David Pollack has a new gig on an Atlanta sports talk radio station.