Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
Burrow throws 4 TD passes as Bengals storm past Jackson-less Ravens in 2nd half of 35-13 win
BALTIMORE -- — For 30 minutes, it was hard to tell which team was playing its backup quarterback, Cincinnati or Baltimore.
Then the best version of Joe Burrow arrived, and the second half wasn't close.
Burrow threw four touchdown passes, and the Bengals rebounded from a desultory first two quarters to beat Baltimore 35-13 on Sunday, handing the Ravens a second straight divisional loss with Lamar Jackson sidelined.
Baltimore (4-3) dominated the first half but led only 13-0 after settling for a couple of short field goals. Then the Ravens blew a double-digit second-half lead for the second straight week and 10th time since the start of the 2022 season.
Cincinnati scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the second half.
“Just took a deep breath, kept their composure, led,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And went out there and put together as good of a second-half performance as I've ever seen.”
The Bengals (4-2) were shut out in their second meeting with Baltimore last season, and were scoreless through two quarters this time before going 66 yards on the first drive after halftime, capped by Burrow’s 6-yard TD pass to Mike Gesicki.
Baltimore, which held the ball for 22:20 in the first half, went three-and-out on its first possession of the second. Burrow’s 13-yard scoring pass to Tee Higgins put Cincinnati ahead to stay.
“That second half is who we have to be,” Burrow said. “Our defense played well in the first half in limiting the points on the board and keeping us in it. We were able to make those plays down the stretch, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can do that for a full game.”
The Ravens put together one more decent drive, but on fourth-and-2 from the Cincinnati 12, Tyler Huntley threw incomplete.
The Bengals then showed why Baltimore decided to be so aggressive, driving 88 yards and going up 21-13 on Samaje Perine's 1-yard run. Burrow added a 2-yard scoring pass to Ja'Marr Chase and a 16-yarder to Drew Sample.
“Right now, we’re too much of a momentum team,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. “We’re riding the wave when it’s good, and we’re riding the wave when it’s bad. I think that’s a main focus for us to be able to stay a little bit more even-keeled and continue to make plays and do things.”
The Ravens became the first team in 76 years to lead by at least 13 points at halftime and lose by at least 20, according to Sportradar. The Baltimore Colts were up 20-7 on the New York Giants on Nov. 19, 1950, before losing 55-20.
Jackson missed a third straight game with an ankle injury, and the Ravens are 1-2 without him. After a loss at Cleveland last weekend, he practiced in a limited role during the week but was inactive again.
Baltimore's running game wasn't much of a factor without him, but Huntley threw for 215 yards in the first half — 120 of them to Zay Flowers. The shifty Flowers opened the scoring with a 48-yard catch-and-run.
Cincinnati kept pouring it on after erasing the 13-0 deficit. Former Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco relieved Burrow late, closing out the Ravens' fifth loss in their past six home games.
Baltimore has outscored opponents by 65 points in the first half this season, while being outscored by 70 after the break.
Trey Hendrickson, the pass rusher who went from the Bengals to the Ravens in free agency, was credited with two quarterback hits but no sacks or tackles.
“We have to continue to rely on the technique that we’ve been coached and not make the moment bigger than it is. It’s just the details that win games,” he said. “Going through the process one play at a time will result in the way we want it to go.”
The Ravens outgained Cincinnati 258-59 in the first half, but the Bengals had a 298-101 advantage after halftime. In first downs, it was 12-3 Baltimore in the first two quarters, then 18-5 Cincinnati.
Higgins had all six of his catches for 148 yards in the second half, and Chase finished with five catches for 62 yards.
“We just started calling some of our base stuff, O-line protected great,” Burrow said. “Really, we just got the ball in Ja'Marr and Tee's hands as many times as we could.”
Bengals: S Kyle Dugger injured his quadriceps, and TE Erick All Jr. hurt his knee.
Ravens: Rookie G Vega Ioane (knee) exited in the first half.
Bengals: Tennessee at home next Sunday.
Ravens: At Buffalo next Sunday.
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