A first half that looked broken turned into a Cincinnati avalanche in Baltimore, and the Bengals left with a 35-13 win over the Ravens that flipped the whole afternoon on its head. Joe Burrow threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns, and by the time Joe Flacco was in with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter, the game had long since slipped away from Baltimore.
The biggest reason Cincinnati walked out with so much to celebrate was Burrow. On his first two touchdown throws, it was clear on the live broadcast that he checked into both plays.
He spotted Mike Gesicki with the matchup he wanted and put the ball exactly where it needed to be near the boundary of the end zone. Burrow then saw something pre-snap and recognized Tee Higgins had the right leverage on the next one.
Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase made sure the offense never stayed stuck in neutral for long. Higgins finished with six catches for 148 yards and a touchdown, and his play helped wake up the entire unit after a sluggish start. Chase delivered too, ripping off a crucial 30-yard gain when the score was 21-13, then making it 28-13 on a 3rd and goal corner route touchdown after shaking Nate Wiggins out of his shoes.
Cincinnati also got a major boost from Dexter Lawrence, who was all over the Ravens’ backfield. Derrick Henry finished with 17 carries for 45 yards, and while Baltimore’s offensive line was banged up, Lawrence was a huge part of why that ground game never really got going.
He also drew a holding penalty and kept living in the backfield as the Bengals turned the screws. He even got his moment of flair, too.
The game turned on the Bengals’ side in a huge way after halftime, and Zac Taylor deserves plenty of credit for that. At one point, it looked like he might be on the ropes at the break.
Instead, Cincinnati came out and scored 35 unanswered points. Taylor had already shown some edge in the first half when he burned a timeout to yell at the refs after Boye Mafe drew a 15-yard penalty on a blown call, and whatever he said at halftime clearly landed.
The Bengals played like a team that had been shot out of a cannon.
On the other side of the ball, Al Golden had a rough first half. The Ravens converted six of their first seven third downs before Cincinnati stiffened up with a couple of short-yardage stops and caught a break when Matt Hibner false started on 4th and 1 in the red zone, forcing Baltimore into a field goal for a 10-0 lead. Golden’s defense also gave up a 3rd and 16 to Rashod Bateman after multiple Ravens penalties, then surrendered a free 16-yard gain to Zay Flowers after a blitz left him uncovered.
Golden did make some adjustments later, including one snap where Lawrence dropped into coverage on a simulated pressure and Cashius Howell got his first sack. But the early damage was real, even if Cincinnati’s offense and Lawrence’s disruption helped cover it up.
Not every Bengal had a clean afternoon. Dohnte Meyers hurt the offense with a critical drop on third down near midfield in the second quarter, and he also muffed a return without losing it. He did finish with some solid returns, including a 31-yard punt return, but his day still left plenty to be desired in the passing game.
Still, this was Burrow’s show from start to finish once Cincinnati found its rhythm, and the rest of the offense followed his lead. By the end, the Ravens were the ones scrambling, and the Bengals had turned a rough opening half into one of their cleanest wins of the season.
In Other News...
Bengals Have One Awkward Roster Decision Before Ravens Showdown
The Bengals head into their showdown with the Ravens in unusually good shape on the injury front, with no one carrying an injury designation into game day. Baltimore, meanwhile, will again be without Lamar Jackson, who is set to miss a third straight game with an ankle sprain, leaving Tyler Huntley to handle the quarterback duties in a matchup that still carries plenty of AFC North weight.
That leaves Cincinnati with one of the quieter but still important pregame questions: who gets left out of the active roster picture. A few of the newer and deeper reserves are in the mix as possible scratches, with recent signee Jack Kiser among the names worth watching as the Bengals sort through the final cutdown for this one. Backup offensive line depth is also part of the equation, and with the roster otherwise healthy, those decisions are where the only real pregame suspense seems to be. [Read more 🡒]
Tee Higgins Gives Bengals A Needed Boost Entering Ravens Showdown
Tee Higgins gave the Bengals exactly the sort of midseason lift they needed last week, pushing through an adductor injury and taking the field in the win over the Miami Dolphins. He handled 69.2 percent of the snaps in that game, and his presence mattered for an offense that can look very different when one of its top targets is unavailable.
Heading into Week 7 against Baltimore, Higgins is no longer listed on the injury report and has been a full participant in practice. For Cincinnati, that sets up a healthier receiving corps at an important point in the schedule, with Higgins already up to 27 catches for 423 yards and a touchdown this season as the Bengals prepare for a rivalry game that rarely comes without pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Huge Week 7 Opportunity They Cannot Waste
The Bengals head into Week 7 coming off their bye with a chance to reset their season in one of the AFC Norths most familiar pressure points. A trip to Baltimore on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS is the kind of divisional test that can quickly change the mood around a team, especially one that needed the extra week to regroup and get ready for a stretch that can shape the rest of the fall.
Cincinnati also arrives with some encouraging health news, which matters when the margins in a division game are usually slim. The Ravens are waiting, the stage is set, and the Bengals have an opportunity they can ill afford to let slip if they want to leave October with real momentum. [Read more 🡒]