At 1-9-1 and the only AFC team officially eliminated from postseason contention, the Bengals will play host Sunday to division rival Baltimore. The Ravens are 7-4 and in second place in the AFC North behind 8-3 Pittsburgh.

The Bengals have nothing to play for. The Ravens have everything on the line.

"Whoever we have, I want us to come back for Baltimore as a better, stronger team," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said after the Pittsburgh game, a 27-10 loss. "And I am very confident this is a team that will not be throwing in any towels."

Against the Steelers, the Bengals opened without nine injured starters. The list grew to 11 -- a full unit -- when defensive ends Frostee Rucker (hamstring) and Robert Geathers (knee) were sidelined early and unable to return. They were since placed on the injured reserve.

Six of the 11 injured starters are lost for the season. Three -- cornerback Johnathan Joseph (foot), Geathers and Rucker -- were lost for the season in the past week.

They joined the previously sidelined linebacker Keith Rivers (jaw), safety Dexter Jackson (hamstring) and fullback Jeremi Johnson (knee). Johnson was waived Wednesday off the injured reserve list.

Still hurting but not completely gone are quarterback Carson Palmer (elbow), defensive end Antwan Odom (shoulder), left tackle Levi Jones (leg), guard Andrew Whitworth (ankle) and safety Chinedum Ndukwe (foot). Only Palmer has been ruled out as Wednesday for the Ravens by Lewis.

The next three weeks will see the Bengals facing teams that are all currently 7-4 and pursuing playoff berths. After the Ravens, the Bengals will go to Indianapolis and come home for the Washington Redskins.

"We aren't going to the playoffs," Lewis said, "but we obviously can have our say about who does and doesn't go. We are looking forward to that opportunity."

The offense has been the bigger problem through the lost season than the Cincinnati defense, which has improved steadily under first-year coordinator Mike Zimmer.

The Bengals have managed 300 yards of net offense in only two games, and the 208-yard total at Pittsburgh was the team's sixth under 225. The Bengals are last in the NFL in net offense (239.5) and 31st in scoring (13.5).

"We started out with a good rhythm (at Pittsburgh)," said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who led a 62-yard, 11-play drive for a 7-0 lead with 3:08 left in the first quarter. Fitzpatrick this week will start his eighth game, including the last seven, in place of Palmer.

The Bengals faced the NFL's top-rated defense last week at Pittsburgh. Baltimore is ranked second.

SERIES HISTORY: 26th regular-season meeting. The Ravens lead 14-11 overall in the division series against the Bengals. But the Bengals lead 7-5 as the home team. The Bengals were 2-2 against the Ravens at Cinergy Field (from 1996-99) and are 5-3 against Baltimore at Paul Brown Stadium. The Ravens won the last meeting, 17-10 in this year's season opener at Baltimore, but the Bengals have won six of the last eight games, including three straight in Cincinnati. Baltimore's last road win against the Bengals was a 23-9 decision in 2004.