When it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, get ready for fireworks. After playing one of the season’s most exciting games in their first matchup, a 41-38 Ravens overtime win, a similar scene played out Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Again, it was the Ravens emerging victorious and capturing a key AFC North win to keep pushing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the division, coming back and holding off the Bengals 35-34 Thursday night.
With the win, the Ravens moved to 7-3 on the season. The Bengals pursuit of .500 again failed, dropping to 4-6 and delivering a blow to their playoff odds.
The Cincinnati Bengals got off to a hot start, taking the opening drive 70 yards on 12 plays. QB Joe Burrow hit completions to WR Ja’Marr Chase and WR Andrei Iosivas to march into Ravens’ territory. A holding call on 4th and Goal kept the team’s drive alive with RB Chase Brown taking a Burrow handoff over the goal line on the ensuing play to capture an early 7-0 lead.
Aggressiveness was the theme of the day for the Bengals who attempted and failed to convert on 4th down from the Ravens’ 41-yard line on their next drive, giving the ball back on downs. Baltimore capitalized for their first points of the game, QB Lamar Jackson executing an excellent fake to find a wide open WR Nelson Agholor for a 6-yard touchdown.
The teams traded punts throughout much of the rest of the half. But Burrow put together another long drive, 10 plays and 73 yards as Burrow found backup TE Tanner Hudson for a 3-yard score to take a 14-7 lead at the half. Not only did Baltimore lose the tie game, they lost S Kyle Hamilton who left and didn’t return with an ankle injury.
Cincinnati didn’t waste time or plays to add to their lead in the third quarter. Following a Ravens punt, Burrow hit Chase for a 67-yard score, out-running Baltimore’s secondary the final 50 yards into the end zone.
The Bengals seemed in control of the game until Brown fumbled in his own territory mid-way through the third quarter. That sparked Baltimore as Jackson made a vintage play, drifting and scrambling before tight roping the sideline down to the 1-yard line. RB Derrick Henry punched it in the following play to make it 21-14.
Getting the ball back after a Cincinnati punt, the Ravens found paydirt in one play just as the Bengals did earlier in the game. Jackson hit speedy WR Tylan Wallace, breaking a tackle and beating the safeties angle for an 84-yard score.
Wallace entered the game with only two catches and had 98 total yards through his first four NFL seasons. He finished the game with three catches, 114 yards, and that score.
But K Justin Tucker missed the extra point, preserving the Bengals’ one-point lead. It was his first missed extra point of the season and only the seventh of his career as his struggles continue this season.
Cincinnati again stayed aggressive. Facing 4th and 2 on the Ravens’ 35 yard-line with 9:29 to go, Burrow couldn’t connect with rookie WR Jermaine Burton as the Bengals again turned the ball over on downs. Taking over, Jackson heated up with TE Mark Andrews, completing the drive’s first and last passes to him. The latter went for an 18-yard score. To make up for Tucker’s missed extra point, the Ravens went for and converted the two-point try, going up 28-21.
But the Ravens’ shaky pass defense and fourth quarter woes continued to falter. Again, it was a one-play big play from Burrow to Chase, this time from 70-yards out. Chase split the corner and the safety as Burrow hit him in-stride for another massive play, one that took Chase over 200 yards receiving for the night.
The extra point knotted the game at 28.
Like their first meeting, the back-and-forth scoring continued. A Jackson interception was overturned upon review as he then hit WRs Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman for first downs. Baltimore moved deep into Cincinnati territory ahead of the two-minute warning.
Facing third and goal from the Bengals’ 5, Jackson scrambled left, kept his eyes downfield, and floated a pass to an open Bateman for his fourth passing score of the game. This time, Tucker’s extra point was true and the Ravens went ahead 35-28.
It marked the fifth time in the last six games Baltimore has scored 30 or more points.
Burrow got the ball back down seven with 1:49 to go and one timeout. He threw incomplete on the first three plays before finding WR Andrei Iosivas right at the sticks for the fourth down conversion. The play was reviewed but upheld. Baltimore hurt themselves with costly penalties. CB Marlon Humphrey was flagged for a facemask while DL Broderick Washington was called for roughing the passer as Burrow hit Chase for 21-yards, 15 more tacked with the flag.
Burrow hit Chase for their third touchdown of the day, a beautiful rainbow throw over two defenders to hit Chase in the back right corner.
Continuing their aggressive streak, the Bengals went for two and the win. Burrow’s pass along the goal line fell incomplete to TE Tanner Hudson, high and incomplete, and the Ravens stayed ahead 35-34.
Burrow finished the game 34-of-56 for 428 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson matched those touchdowns and completed 25-of-33 passes for 290 yards. Chase ended with 259 yards and three scores. Former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson caught just one pass for 6-yards, his lone reception having him unable to get out of bounds before the end of the first half.
Baltimore will travel to Pittsburgh next Sunday. Cincinnati will take on the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday night.
