By Jeff Zrebiec, Paul Dehner Jr. and Amos Morale III
Joe Burrow made his first start since Week 2 and led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 32-14 win against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving.
Burrow missed nine games with a toe injury but seemed ready to go from the opening series Thursday, passing for 261 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The only issue the Pro Bowler and the Bengals struggled with in the first half was finishing drives in the red zone. Cincinnati held a 12-7 lead at the half thanks to four Evan McPherson field goals, but were just 0-for-4 in the red zone.
That changed in the third quarter, when Burrow capped a 10-play 61-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Hudson. He threw another touchdown pass to Andrei Iosivas later in the third that gave the Bengals a 26-14 lead.
Burrow and the Bengals offense were aided by a pilfering Cincy defense that forced five turnovers against the Ravens.
The Bengals (4-8) moved to 3-0 in games Burrow started this season, while the Ravens dropped to .500 at 6-6.
Right to work
There was no easing Joe Burrow back into action. He threw the second-most first-half passes of any game in his career (32) and the most by any quarterback this season. The work before halftime knocked the rust off, though, as he connected on impressive touchdown passes to Hudson and Iosivas, offering up big reactions with the competitive juices fully flowing in the second half. Burrow still often showed hesitation going off-script outside of the pocket, but was comfortable moving and hopping around while inside it. Timing routes were off, specifically inside the red zone, where the Bengals kicked three field goals, endured a goal-line stand and saw Burrow finish 2 of 12 for 18 yards and one touchdown. Still, the Bengals only punted twice all night and scored 17 points on their first three possessions after halftime to put the game away. When Burrow is playing, the energy and belief level rise for this club, and that proved true again in this game. — Paul Dehner Jr.
Defense shows up
While all the attention focused on Burrow’s return, it was instead the return of turnovers and an opportunistic Bengals defense that altered the dynamic of this game. The Bengals came into the game having forced just 10 turnovers all season, yet walked away with five against the Ravens.
This collection of young players, which has put together the worst first 11 games of any defense in history by DVOA, made hustle and splash plays that suggest real growth. Jordan Battle hustled after getting beaten to strip Isaiah Likely just before he crossed the goal line. Myles Murphy chased down Derrick Henry on a 43-yard reception, then blew up the pocket with a batted pass for a Demetrius Knight Jr. interception. Joseph Ossai broke free for two sacks, including a strip sack. This was the first time the Bengals allowed less than 26 points since the season opener. Hard to know how much of this correlated to Lamar Jackson’s struggles versus the Bengals’ improvement, but it has felt all year like a performance of this nature was impossible. Maybe the tide is finally turning for the Cincinnati defense. — Dehner
What this means for the Bengals
Is hope alive for Cincinnati? Easy on that thought. The Bengals are still two games back of the Ravens and need a Steelers loss Sunday against the Bears, but they aren’t dead. The AFC North tiebreaker would be a necessity, and they are 3-1 in the division this year with home games against the Ravens and Browns remaining. Again, the percentages are minuscule as they head to see Josh Allen and the Bills next week, but they still have a glimmer of hope. And they have Burrow. — Dehner
Lamar Jackson, Ravens offense look broken
The Ravens have been expressing confidence for weeks that they are going to fix their struggling offense, but Thursday has to be rock bottom for Jackson and this group. After scoring their first first-possession touchdown since Week 4, the Ravens went six consecutive drives (not including a late second-quarter kneeldown) without scoring any points against the league’s 32nd-ranked defense. Included in that stretch were two Jackson fumbles deep in his own territory and an Isaiah Likely fumble as he was about to go in for a touchdown. The Ravens were able to mount a few drives in the second half, but the damage was done. Their turnovers (three by Jackson) were one more than they had during their entire five-game winning streak. Jackson looks like a shell of himself. Beyond the turnovers on Thursday, he missed several open receivers. The Ravens aren’t running the ball consistently well, and their offensive line has struggled all year. Struggling in back-to-back games against the Jets and Bengals defenses doesn’t suggest a quick fix. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer
Ravens are on the brink again
Despite a five-game winning streak and their ascension into a first-place tie in the AFC North, the reality for these Ravens was that the 1-5 start left them with little margin for error, and they were always one loss away from being in trouble again. That the loss came Thursday to a divisional foe makes things even tougher. Obviously, it would really help the Ravens’ cause if the Steelers (6-5) lose Sunday to Buffalo. But regardless of that result, the Ravens probably are going to need to win their next two divisional games — home vs. Pittsburgh in Week 14 and at Cincinnati a week later — to remain in the playoff mix. They probably can’t afford another divisional loss over the next two weeks. — Zrebiec
