The Bengals didn’t just beat the Ravens in Week 7. They left Baltimore with questions everywhere.
Cincinnati rolled to a 35-13 road win, and the aftermath has been messy for the Ravens in more ways than one. Lamar Jackson missed a third straight game, Joe Burrow put himself firmly in the MVP conversation with 292 yards and four touchdowns, and Baltimore’s collapse added another brutal chapter to a growing list of blown leads.
That’s the part that stings most. The Ravens were up 13-0 at halftime and still ended up getting steamrolled from there.
As Josh Dubow noted on X, Baltimore has now blown nine double-digit second-half leads over the last five seasons, with the Eagles next on the list at six. He also pointed out that the Ravens became one of only three teams to lead by at least 13 points at the half and lose by 20 or more, joining the 1950 Colts and the 1941 Eagles.
Meanwhile, Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase kept taking apart Baltimore’s defense.
The quarterback situation only adds to the noise. There’s still uncertainty about Jackson’s status, and the Ravens now head into Week 8 with a huge road trip to Buffalo to face Josh Allen looming.
There’s also tension around whether Jackson’s absence on Sunday was expected inside the building. A report said it was definitely a shock to the Ravens that he didn’t play, and when coach Jesse Minter was asked if that was inaccurate, he answered, "a little bit."
That kind of answer doesn’t calm anything down. It only feeds the sense that things aren’t exactly smooth in Baltimore right now, especially with the contract situation still unresolved.
The Ravens also made a move to patch up the back end of the defense. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Monday that Baltimore signed veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins to the practice squad.
Jenkins has now played for a third different AFC North team since 2025, and while the move may offer some experience and leadership, it also tells you how urgent the Ravens feel this situation is. Baltimore didn’t wait long to make a change after getting shredded.
And on top of all that, the Bengals were doing this in full view of the home crowd.
If Jackson isn’t back soon, this season could get ugly in a hurry for Baltimore.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow And Bengals Weapons Flipped Everything In Baltimore
For a half at M&T Bank Stadium, it looked like Cincinnati was in danger of wasting a golden chance against a Baltimore team missing Lamar Jackson. The Bengals were blanked before halftime, but Joe Burrow and the offense came out transformed after the break, turning a flat first half into a lopsided 35-13 win that pushed Cincinnati to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the AFC North.
The second-half surge was driven by Burrow and the group around him, with the passing game suddenly finding the rhythm it lacked early. Baltimore got a huge performance from Tyler Huntley, who set a career high with 298 passing yards, but the Ravens could not keep pace once Cincinnati started landing big plays and flipping the games momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Have A Mike Gesicki Problem After Ravens Shootout
Mike Gesickis day in Cincinnatis wild comeback against Baltimore looked productive on the scoreboard, but the fuller picture was a little more complicated. The Bengals were forced into a shootout and leaned on several different targets as they battled back, with Gesicki showing up in the end zone in a game that featured plenty of offensive fireworks across the league at tight end.
The concern for Cincinnati is that the box score may flatter the usage more than the role itself. Gesickis impact came without a steady stream of catches, which leaves the Bengals with a familiar question about how much of his value is tied to timely finishes rather than a consistently involved passing game. In a week when several tight ends around the NFL either popped for big production or faded quiet, Cincinnati may have uncovered something useful and still not fully solved it. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Sent A Loud Message In Baltimore After Halftime Frustration
The Bengals walked into Baltimore with plenty to prove after a first half that left them scoreless, but the trip turned quickly once Zac Taylors halftime adjustments took hold. Cincinnati looked nothing like the team that had been stifled early, coming out with a sharper pace and a more decisive attack against a Ravens group that had controlled the opening 30 minutes.
Joe Burrow was central to the turnaround, with Tee Higgins and JaMarr Chase helping the passing game find its rhythm in a 35-13 win. The second-half surge served as a loud reminder of how dangerous this offense can be when it settles in, and it left Baltimore with plenty to sort through after Cincinnati flipped the script in emphatic fashion. [Read more 🡒]