BALTIMORE (AP) — Joe Flacco threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice ran 7 yards for a score to give the Baltimore Ravens a 17-10 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals at halftime Monday night.
The winner of the season-opening matchup between divisional foes gets first place in the AFC North.
After a 34-yard field goal by Cincinnati's Mike Nugent 8 seconds into the second quarter cut Baltimore's lead to 10-3, the Ravens responded by moving 82 yards in five plays and going up 17-3 on Flacco's touchdown pass.
Boldin split safeties Reggie Nelson and Taylor Mays to haul in the throw down the middle. The play withstood a prolonged replay review.
Flacco was 12 for 15 for 183 yards in the first half.
Late in the half, Andy Dalton drove the Bengals to the Baltimore 6-yard line, and on fourth-and-1, BenJarvus Green-Ellis bounced over the goal line for touchdown.
The Ravens scored on their opening drive, capped by a 46-yard field goal by Justin Tucker, the rookie who wrested the job from incumbent Billy Cundiff in training camp. Flacco's 52-yard pass down the middle to Torrey Smith on Baltimore's first offensive play of the season set up the kick.
After a three-and-out by the Bengals, Flacco moved the Ravens 63 yards in 12 plays, often employing the no-huddle offense. Rice capped the scoring drive with the 7-yard scamper with 6:03 remaining in the opening quarter.
Flacco was 6 for 7 for 49 yards on the march, finding Jacoby Jones for 16 yards on a third-and-15 and converting a fourth-and-1 with a 1-yard toss to Rice.
Before the game, a moment of silence was observed for former Ravens owner Art Modell, who died at 87 on Thursday. Baltimore players wore a decal honoring Modell on their helmets and T-shirts beneath their jerseys bearing the former owner's photograph.