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(Sports Network) - Even though the Cincinnati Bengals turned in a surprise postseason appearance last season, the team feels it still has something to prove. Chris Culliver Jersey . Theyll get a chance to gain some early validation right out of the gates, making a visit to the harsh environment of M&T Bank Stadium for a primetime matchup with the defending AFC North Baltimore Ravens that will open up the NFLs Monday night schedule for the 2012 season. Watch the Monday Night Doubleheader on TSN starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. Cincinnati defied the experts by putting together a 9-7 record -- a five-game improvement from a forgettable previous season -- and reaching the AFC Playoffs as a Wild Card entry in 2011, with the heady play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and the game-changing skills of first-year wide receiver A.J. Green paving the way for the teams unexpected surge. With those two at the forefront of a strong collection of young talent the Bengals have assembled the past few years, expectations are quite high in the Queen City for 2012. But how much Cincinnati progresses during Dalton and Greens second season may depend how the team handles the tough opponents on the upcoming schedule. Counting their 31-10 defeat at Houston in the first round of the playoffs, the Bengals went just 1-7 against foes that finished .500 or better last year. That includes a pair of hard-fought setbacks to the Ravens, a 31-24 loss at M&T Bank Stadium and a 24-16 ousting in Cincinnati in the regular-season finale. "For us to play really good teams like that every year, twice a year, and for this team and this offense and everybody to get to where we want to be, weve got to find ways to beat those teams," said Dalton. Cincinnati will also be attempting to buck another negative trend, with the Bengals last reaching the playoffs in back-to-back years in 1981 and 1982. The Ravens had an even more bitter ending to an otherwise very successful campaign, coming up just short in a stinging 23-20 loss to New England in the AFC Championship Game best remembered for Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff misfiring on a 32-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds that would have forced overtime. Baltimore experienced another tough break during the offseason, with pass- rushing terror Terrell Suggs suffering a partial Achilles tendon tear that will sideline the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year for at least half the schedule, and the team will enter Mondays opener with some heavy hearts as well after former team owner Art Modell passed away on Thursday. The 87-year-old Modell relocated the original Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in 1996 and christened the franchise as the Ravens, and served as the teams patriarch until selling it to businessman Steve Bisciotti in 2004. One of the NFLs most active and influential owners during his time with the Browns and Ravens, Modell was also instrumental in the establishment of the hugely successful "Monday Night Football" program in 1970. "I told him that were playing Monday night and that he was going to be there watching the game and were going to fight for him," said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh about his visit to Modell in the hospital earlier in the week. "And that were going to play our best football for Art Modell." Baltimore is coming off a 12-4 regular season and brings an 11-game winning streak at M&T Bank Stadium, counting last Januarys 20-13 triumph over Houston in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, into Mondays tilt. The Ravens have also prevailed in eight consecutive non-postseason contests against AFC North members and are 19-1 in their last 20 overall outings at home. Chargers at Raiders (Sports Network) - That the Oakland Raiders will enter the 2012 season with a new head coach doesnt qualify as much of a surprise. The San Diego Chargers having the same one roaming the sidelines may have caught a few observers a bit off guard, however. Whats almost unanimously billed as a make-or-break year for Norv Turner begins Monday at the O.co Coliseum, where the embattled Chargers leader takes his team into a season-opening AFC West showdown with the rival Raiders in Dennis Allens first game as an NFL head coach. Turner was believed to be a goner as the 2011 campaign entered its final stages, with San Diego bringing a lackluster 4-7 record into the month of December. However, another customary strong finish by the Chargers granted the veteran coach a stay of execution after the team just missed out on a playoff berth. San Diego closed out with four wins in its last five contests, capped by a 38-26 besting of the Raiders at the Coliseum in which the Bolts erupted for 463 total yards. The victory denied Oakland the AFC West title and left both clubs in a three-way deadlock with Denver for the division lead at 8-8, with the Broncos granted a postseason invite on the tie-breaking system. The overall result was still considered disappointing for a San Diego squad thats now been left out of the postseason two straight years following a string of four straight AFC West crowns, placing both Turner and general manager A.J. Smith on notice if an improvement doesnt take place in 2012. "Theres definitely a sense of urgency," said Chargers tight end Antonio Gates. "One thing that we do know is we treat every day like its our last. We dont know what the future holds. And I think thats our goal, thats our motto. I think that reality has set in that we have to make the most out of this year." Oakland did make a change in command after stumbling down the stretch of last season, with new GM Reggie McKenzie releasing Hue Jackson of his duties after only one year in charge following a sequence of four losses over the final five weeks. McKenzie tabbed the 39-year-old Allen, who spent last year as Denvers defensive coordinator, to be the Raiders seventh head coach over a 10-year dry period in which the Silver and Black have failed to qualify for the playoffs each time. One of those failed hirings was Turner, who managed just nine wins in two seasons with Oakland from 2004-05. Allen takes over a roster that was partially gutted by McKenzie out of necessity with the Raiders entering the offseason well over the salary cap due to the frivolous spending of the late owner Al Davis. Among those cut loose were linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, running back Michael Bush, cornerback Stanford Routt and tight end Kevin Boss, all of whom were useful contributors to last years near-playoff appearance. Bush, now with Chicago, compiled nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage while filling for Darren McFadden, Oaklands exceptional but incredibly brittle offensive catalyst who sustained a season-ending sprained foot just seven games in. McFadden has been healthy this preseason and displayed the form that enabled the 2008 first-round pick to pile up 1,157 rushing yards and 507 more receiving while scoring 10 touchdowns in just 13 outings in 2010. As long as he can maintain good health, Allen plans on riding the big-play back as much as need be. "Were going to do whatever it takes to win a lot of football games, so if that means playing Darren a little or a lot, thats what were going to do," Allen said. Ronnie Lott Jersey . The draw is enough to move Canada into the quarter-finals. Canada fell behind after two first-half Swedish goals. Aldon Smith Red Jersey . Tate is expected to miss 4-6 weeks and will be added to the one-game injury list. Prior to the MRI, the Stampeders feared that Tate may have required surgery and been out for the remainder of the season. http://www.shop49ersfans.com/aldon-smith-jersey . Patrick Gonzalez was suspended for a day from Woodlake Hills Middle School because the district deemed his US$75 haircut a distraction. He returned to class Thursday after reluctantly shaving his head. Gonzalez says Bonner is his favourite player, noting theyre both redheads. Patrick Willis Pink Jersey . Thats a career in itself for many fighters. So he was less than happy with his decision loss to fellow Canadian Mark Bocek upon his return at UFC 145 in April. Frank Gore Youth Jersey . The decision was announced Monday and will reduce downforce by about 9 per cent. IndyCar vice-president of technology Will Phillips says reducing the downforce makes the cars difficult to drive, and most of the drivers have been asking for that challenge.Some quick thoughts from the NHL on TSN Panel on Saturday night. This years playoff failure for the Washington Capitals is a little bit different from years past, because expectations for the team were tempered after such a bad regular season. Head coach Dale Hunter did a magnificent job of pulling this group together in short order in the playoffs and the Capitals played terrific. But they found themselves in an unenviable position in Game 7. For the first time they found themselves trailing going into the third so the big guns like Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin started to play a lot more. They had a great opportunity midway through the third, but Ovechkin was taken down by Michael Del Zotto after shooting the puck wide. Away went the New York Rangers with Del Zotto following up the play and getting the goal to make it 2-0. After the Capitals got to within one goal, Washington finally got their only power play of the third period and it was dreadful. The big stars did a terrible job with the man advantage culminating with Backstrom taking a penalty, nullifying the power play and putting his team into a deeper hole than they already were. While everyone made a big deal about how much Hunter let Ovechkin and Backstrom play in the series, Hunter turned them both loose in the third periiod of Game 7. Justin Smith Camo Jersey.   Both players had over 20 minutes of ice time and Ovechkin played more than eight minutes in the third period alone. Backstrom was a minus-1 on the day and so was Ovechkin. Semin was minus-2 and didnt have a very good game at all. When the Washington Capitals, this tight-knit group that had done so much in these playoffs, found themselves down in the third period they didnt have the offensive kick that theyre supposed to have. A Different Challenge for New York The New Jersey Devils, while somewhat similar to the Capitals, will present a slightly different challenge for the Rangers. The Capitals had game-breaking players, like Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin, but New York controlled those players in crunch time in Game 7.  Now theyre about to get a dose of Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and the rest of the Devils. New Jersey is a much better offensive team than most people think. Adam Henrique has been a good player for them at both ends of the ice.  There will be no surprises when the series opens on Monday.  The Devils know theyll be up against a shot-blocking machine in the Rangers, while the Rangers know that theyre facing a rival from across the river that does have the ability to generate more offence than what were used to from previous Devils teams. ' ' '