One week after clinching back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in 30 years, the Cincinnati Bengals will do something else they haven’t done since 1982.

The Bengals (9-6) will wrap the regular season Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens (10-5), the same team they faced in the season opener.

The last time Cincinnati opened and closed the season against the same team was 1982, when they swept the Houston Oilers.

And even though nothing will be on the line in terms of standings or seedings, the Bengals are determined to play much better against a Baltimore team that routed them 44-13 in front of nationally televised audience on Monday Night Football on Sept. 10.

“They are a good team that just won our division, and a team that beat the snot out of us in the first game,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “We have to get ready to go.”

When asked what there is to play for with the team already locked in as the No. 6 seed, Lewis said:

“Improvement. Each and every time we go out. That’s what we have been doing since Nov. 4, working to play better every time we had an opportunity to play. We’ve done that. We need to keep doing that. We’re finishing off the month of December, and we need to have a better January than we did December. If we do that, February will be very nice.”

Here is an early look at the Baltimore Ravens:

OFFENSE

The recent struggles that led to the Dec. 10 firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron seemed to be solved last week in a 33-14 thrashing of the New York Giants.

Quarterback Joe Flacco threw for more than 300 yards (309) for the first time in five games and only the third time since September. He also tossed multiple touchdown passes without an interception for the first time since the season opener against the Bengals.

Baltimore ranks 15^th in total offense (352.5 yards per game), including 15^th in rushing (113.0) and 13^th in passing (239.5).

Running back Ray Rice ranks 11^th in the league with 1,138 rushing yards. He has topped 100 yards twice in the last three games after doing so only twice in the first 10.

Anquan Boldin leads the team with 50 receptions for 669 yards, while Torrey Smith has a team-high 699 yards on 39 catches.

DEFENSE

These Ravens are a far cry from the unit that built its reputation on punishing, bruising defensive play.

Baltimore ranks 20^th in total defense, allowing 361.7 yards per game, including 24^th in rush defense (127.9). Five times this year the Ravens have surrendered more than 400 yards in a game.

Ray Lewis has missed nine games with a torn triceps, and the various other injuries have forced the Ravens to shuffle their lineup from week to week. They rank 17^th against the pass (233.9), but they are still having success turning teams over with a plus-10 margin, which ranks eighth.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Justin Tucker has been one of the best kickers in the league this year, converting 29 of 31 field-goal attempts, including 4 of 4 from beyond 50 yards. And punter Sam Koch ranks seventh in the NFL with a 48.1-yard average and eighth with a 41.3-yard net average.

Jacoby Jones has emerged as one of the most explosive return men in the league, averaging 32.1 yards on kickoff returns with a pair of touchdowns, and 9.3 yards per punt return with another score.

SERIES

The Ravens lead 19-14 and have won four in a row. But the Bengals are 9-7 in games played in Cincinnati.