Gauging grades from a game where Baltimore barely played its stars and the Bengals sat their primary offensive weapons for the second half should probably fall under incomplete, but a 23-17 came with bright spots on both sides of the ball. 

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Offense: D+

Andy Dalton, Andrew Whitworth and A.J. Green only played the first half, but the offense struggled even while they were in the game. The biggest beneficiary of Sunday's game was WR Marvin Jones. The fifth-round pick looks more and more comfortable as the team's No. 2 WR and scored his first career touchdown just before halftime. The running game didn't pick up with only 47 yards on 21 carries, though starter BenJarvus Green-Ellis didn't play with a tight hamstring. Previous game's grade: C+

Defense: B+

The Bengals struggled a bit with Baltimore Ravens QB Tyrod Taylor's scrambling, but to be fair, they didn't prepare for him this week. They allowed two touchdowns, but for the third straight week scored one of their own. This time, Carlos Dunlap tipped a pass to himself and went in for a pick-six. When Dunlap plays like the budding star he's believed to be, this defense looks as dangerous as any in football. Previous game's grade: A+

Special Teams: B+

Josh Brown hit all three field goals and has hit 11 of 12 since joining the team after Mike Nugent's injury. His only miss being the 56-yard debacle against Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Kevin Huber puts together a Pro Bowl-type punting season. He averaged 47.1 yards per punt and placed four of his seven kicks inside the 20. Previous game's grade: B+

Coaching: A

This was a tough spot for Marvin Lewis. He opened his postgame presser with a telling sentence: "I'm glad that's over." With nothing to play for, it's tough to figure out if he should play his starters. Only 46 players are active on gameday, so resting players isn't easy and hasn't worked out well for the Bengals in the past. To come away with a half of rest for his top players, a victory, 10 wins and relative health, it couldn't have worked out much better. Previous game's grade: C

Follow Paul Dehner Jr. for Bengals updates on Twitter @CBSBengals.