The Bengals didn’t just flip the game in Baltimore on Sunday - they flipped the mood in the locker room first, and Ja’Marr Chase was at the center of it.
Cincinnati stormed back from a 13-0 halftime hole to beat the Ravens 35-13, piling up five second-half touchdowns as Joe Burrow and the passing game finally found their rhythm. But after the win, Chase made it clear the spark didn’t come out of nowhere. It started with a blunt, emotional halftime message.
Chase said he was “screaming” at teammates as the Bengals regrouped after a rough opening half.
"I came in here screaming, saying, 'Somebody's got to make a play for us, somebody got to make a play,'" Chase said. "And I told our offense we can't look at our defense the whole time. We've got to step this s- up and make something work."
He doubled down on that message in a postgame account shared on social media, saying: “We gotta step this shit up.” He added, “I was pretty angry coming into halftime.
I didn't like how we played. You know what I'm saying?
We had 15 plays, maybe two or three possessions, and it didn't go our way at all. We had opportunities to get the ball out our hands.
Joe was getting too much pressure, and I came in here screaming, saying ‘we got to somebody got to make a play for us, and somebody got to make a play.’ And I told our offense, we can't look at our defense the whole time.
We gotta step this shit up and make something work. I've done it before, and I cried last time, but I didn't cry this time.”
The first half was ugly in every direction for Cincinnati. The Bengals were shut out, and Tyler Huntley threw for more than 200 yards while Baltimore controlled the clock. Chase said the offense never got comfortable.
"I didn't like how we played," Chase said. "We had [19] plays, maybe two or three possessions.
And it didn't go our way at all. We had opportunities to get the ball out of our hands, and Joe was getting too much pressure."
Chase also said this kind of halftime outburst wasn’t new for him.
"I've done it before, and I cried last time," Chase said. "But I didn't cry this time."
The Bengals would probably rather avoid needing that kind of emotional reset in the middle of a divisional game, but they got the result they needed in Baltimore. And with Chase helping light the fuse, Cincinnati left with a comeback win that sent the Ravens to last place in the AFC North.
In Other News...
Ravens Need Tyler Huntley To Hold Up In Their Toughest Spot Yet
Tyler Huntley is set to take the Ravens offense into another division test in Week 7, with Lamar Jackson still sidelined by the high ankle sprain that has kept him out for two straight games. Against a Bengals defense that has been a sturdy run unit, Baltimore will need Huntley to keep the offense on schedule and avoid putting the game in a position where every snap feels heavier than it should.
The matchup also brings a few layers beyond the quarterback spot, with Baltimore eyeing how it can attack Cincinnati while managing the other side of the ball. Trey Hendrickson is in line for his first game against the Bengals since leaving the team, adding another edge to a matchup that already asks plenty of the Ravens as they try to navigate a tricky road in the AFC North. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens O Line Has Another Injury Concern Fans Will Hate
The Ravens offensive line took another hit in Week 7 when rookie guard Vega Ioane went down with a knee injury, adding to a season-long run of up-front concerns. Ioane has been a key player for Baltimore, and losing him in the middle of a game only adds more pressure to a unit that has already had to shuffle through injury trouble.
Ioane exited during the Ravens third drive and was replaced by Emery Jones Jr., leaving Baltimore to adjust on the fly again. His status to return was listed as questionable, and for a team that has already spent plenty of time managing its line depth, this was the kind of scare fans did not want to see. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Collapse Put One Late Decision Under The Microscope
The Ravens had an early lead and looked capable of riding out Lamar Jacksons injury with backup Tyler Huntley under center, but the game slipped away in a hurry against the Bengals. Baltimore was outscored badly after halftime in a 35-13 loss, a result that left the whole afternoon feeling like a missed chance long before the final whistle.
What drew the sharpest scrutiny was a late fourth-down call from Jesse Minter, one that ended without a payoff and seemed to swing momentum squarely to Cincinnati. With the Ravens already trying to survive without Jackson, the decision became a focal point in a game where every possession mattered, and it only deepened the frustration around a collapse that had been building for much of the second half. [Read more 🡒]