As the ball soared through the Baltimore sky, its destination was all but a foregone conclusion. The Ravens were trusting kicker Justin Tucker to win them the game, because their offense had done just enough and their defense had done just enough, and now they could trust the NFL’s most reliable player.
There are worse options than having Tucker end a game. His 43-yard field goal split the uprights, sealing a 19-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and ending another dramatic night in Baltimore. The kick ended the Ravens’ franchise-record five-game home losing streak and wiped away any momentum Cincinnati had earned in its comprehensive sweep last season.
With the win, the Ravens jumped into first place in the AFC North entering a return trip to New Jersey. There, the New York Giants will welcome them back to MetLife Stadium with a 4-1 record and a special blend of blitzes prepared by former Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was far from perfect, finishing 19-for-32 for 174 yards, a touchdown and an interception, But his running ability (12 carries for 58 yards) juiced the Ravens’ go-ahead drive, a seven-play, 50-yard drive into Bengals territory that erased Cincinnati’s short-lived advantage.
In a matchup of elite young passers, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow did not light the Ravens up as he did last season, when his record 941 combined passing yards powered a sweep of an overmatched defense. But he was good enough when he had to be. His 1-yard touchdown run capped a go-ahead 13-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that handed Cincinnati a 17-16 lead with 1:58 remaining. Against a Ravens defense that has struggled late in games, Cincinnati was rarely in trouble, converting both of its third-down opportunities easily.
Burrow finished 24-for-35 for 217 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Former Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst had six catches for 53 yards, while star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had seven catches for 50 yards. Running back Joe Mixon, who’d struggled all season, had 14 carries for 78 yards.
The Ravens (3-2) hung around long enough, showing the resolve they lacked in earlier losses to the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.
For much of Sunday, Jackson was uncomfortable against Cincinnati’s blitzes and imprecise on his deep throws. His struggles were best summed up in an opening third-quarter drive in which he missed two would-be touchdown throws.
On second-and-11, Jackson overthrew Devin Duvernay, who’d broken free on a deep shot down the middle. On third-and-11, he found tight end Mark Andrews (eight catches for 89 yards) for an eight-yard gain. On fourth-and-3 from Cincinnati’s 41-yard line, the Ravens went for it. Jackson had Andrews open in the flat for a first down. He also had wide receiver Tylan Wallace completely unmarked downfield.
Jackson turned down Andrews for the big-play potential. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the pass to Wallace had a completion probability of 65%, the highest odds for any pass over 40 yards by air distance since at least 2016. But the ball soared over Wallace’s head, and the Ravens trudged off the field with nothing.
The Ravens’ defense, even with safety Marcus Williams sidelined by a second-quarter wrist injury, bent but did not break. On fourth-and-goal from the Ravens’ 2 — the same scenario from which Jackson had thrown a game-changing late interception a week ago in their loss to the Buffalo Bills — Cincinnati couldn’t turn the 15th play of its eight-minute drive into a go-ahead score. Burrow’s shovel pass ended in the dirt, and the Ravens went 90 yards on the ensuing possession for a field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
The 16-10 lead could’ve been more. On fourth-and-1 at Cincinnati’s 3, the Ravens bluffed as if they’d go for it. Instead, Harbaugh yanked the offense on the field and sent Tucker on for the easy 25-yarder, perhaps soured by the Ravens’ recent string of aggressive play calls gone awry. That set the stage for the Bengals’ go-ahead drive, their first lead all game.
The Ravens’ first half had all the markings of another early runaway. On defense, they opened the game with a four-and-out, then forced three straight three-and-outs. At one point early in the second quarter, the Bengals had as many rushing yards (3) as the Ravens had hits on Burrow.
For a while, only one offense was working. The Ravens moved easily into Bengals territory on their opening drive, which ended with a 37-yard field goal by Tucker. Their next drive made it across midfield, too. On their third drive, the Ravens finally broke through.
On third-and-7, Andrews ran a crossing route against a Cincinnati pass defense he’d torched for 125 yards in their last meeting. The Bengals didn’t seem to notice him. Jackson found Andrews wide open, and he all but walked in for an 11-yard touchdown and 10-0 lead. It was only the second touchdown the Bengals have allowed since the first quarter of Week 2.
That was the Ravens’ high-water mark in the first half. Their next drive ended when Jackson’s overthrown pass to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson ended in safety Vonn Bell’s hands.
That was the spark Cincinnati needed. After totaling 22 yards on their first four drives, the Bengals went 83 yards on seven plays, reaching the end zone with the help of a fellow Raven. Hurst, who started his career alongside fellow first-round pick Jackson in 2018, scored on a 19-yard touchdown catch.
After a Ravens punt, Cincinnati needed just 1:50 to get into field-goal range with a 62-yard drive. Kicker Evan McPherson’s 40-yard field goal evened the score at 10 with just four seconds remaining, and by that point, the game itself was pretty even. The Bengals entered halftime with 172 yards and nine first downs. The Ravens had 165 yards and 12 first downs, respectively.
For the first time this season, the Ravens didn’t have a significant lead to protect. But when they lost it late, they got it back.
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