Bengals erase 13-0 deficit, rout Jackson-less Ravens 35-13

Bengals erase 13-0 deficit, rout Ravens 35-13

Cincinnati beat Baltimore 35-13 on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, turning a scoreless first half into a blowout by scoring touchdowns on five straight possessions after the break. The Bengals improved to 4-2, 3-1 in the AFC North. The Ravens fell to 4-3, 1-2, their second straight divisional loss.

Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes in the second half alone, finishing 22 of 30 for 292 yards. He hit Mike Gesicki from 6 yards, Tee Higgins from 13, Ja'Marr Chase from 2 and Drew Sample from 16. Higgins led all receivers with 6 catches for 148 yards. Samaje Perine added a 1-yard touchdown run.

Ravens led 13-0 at the half, then had nothing left

Baltimore controlled the first 30 minutes, holding the ball for 22:20 in the first half and building a 13-0 lead on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Huntley to Zay Flowers and two Tyler Loop field goals, from 34 and 24 yards. The Ravens had the game in hand at the break.

Then Cincinnati took the opening drive of the third quarter 66 yards for a score, and Baltimore went three-and-out on its own first second-half possession. The Ravens never scored again. Huntley finished 23 of 34 for 298 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Derrick Henry ran 17 times for 45 yards. Flowers caught 8 passes for 137 yards and the one score.

On fourth-and-2 from the Cincinnati 12 late in the game, Huntley's pass fell incomplete, and the Bengals answered by driving 88 yards to Perine's go-ahead touchdown run, putting it away at 21-13 before the two late scores.

Numbers that explain the collapse

Cincinnati finished with 357 total yards to Baltimore's 359, and actually had fewer first downs, 21 to 17, than the total-yardage gap suggests the game was that close statistically. The separation came in penalties and discipline: the Ravens were flagged 10 times for 57 yards against a single Bengals penalty for 15 yards, and Baltimore turned the ball over once while Cincinnati had none.

Baltimore's defense held up for two quarters, then couldn't get off the field. Roquan Smith led the Ravens with 8 tackles and Mike Green had a sack, but Cincinnati's offense scored on its first five possessions after halftime.

Jackson's absence and the Ravens' injury list

Lamar Jackson did not play because of an ankle sprain on his left side, leaving Huntley to start at quarterback. Baltimore was also without defensive lineman Broderick Washington Jr. (ankle) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins (knee), while guard Olaivavega Ioane was questionable with a knee issue.

Cincinnati was missing safety Kyle Dugger (left quadriceps) and had tight end Erick All Jr. questionable with a right knee injury. Tight end Tanner Hudson (pectoral strain) and offensive lineman Swayze Bozeman (forearm fracture) remain on injured reserve for the Bengals.

Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.