The Bengals were set to take on the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup that would go a long way towards deciding the division. The Bengals were missing some key starters, including Logan Wilson, DJ Reader, and Riley Reiff. However, the Ravens were even more beaten up, missing guys like Marlon Humphrey, Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Ben Powers, and Devin Duvernay. It was one that the Bengals were expected to win, but as we learned in the game against the Jets, you don’t take anything for granted.
Things started out as you would have expected after looking at the injury report. Joe Burrow was carving through the Ravens secondary, and Tee Higgins already had 48 receiving yards by the end of the first drive. The Bengals drove down to the Baltimore 10, but the drive stalled out. Evan McPherson’s 30 yard field goal gave Cincy an early 3-0 lead.
The Ravens and QB Josh Johnson took command of their opening drive on offence. Johnson completed passes to Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, and Marquise Brown, all for over 10 yards. They continued to move down the field, converting two 3rd downs, including a 3rd & goal try that resulted in a 4 yard Bateman TD. The Ravens led 7-3.
Cincinnati was able to build on their early offensive momentum. Higgins added another 11 yards on the first play before Joe Mixon would get more involved. Mixon would rip off a 19 yard run to get into Baltimore territory. Intermediate passes to Uzomah and Chase also helped get the Bengals down the field. They eventually ended up on the Baltimore 3, but in three tries could not find the end zone. They went for it on 4th down and Joe Mixon was able to plunge in for the score, making it 10-7 Bengals.
The Bengals would force punts on their next two defensive drives, while their offence would add on two more TD’s. The team’s first of the two TD drives only lasted two plays. Burrow found Tyler Boyd, who had torched his opponent, deep down the middle for a 68 yard TD. The next drive was longer. Seven plays, to be exact. It started off with a few runs to Mixon before longer pickups by Chase and Higgins put the Bengals at the 10 yard line. On 2nd down, Burrow found Mixon for the 9 yard score, making it 24-7 for the home team.
Baltimore would not go down without a fight. They would answer with a 13 play drive that totaled 90 yards. Josh Johnson completed passes on 3rd & long on three occasions that drive, moving the chains on all of them. The latter was a 28 yard pass down the sideline to Mark Andrews. A few plays later, Baltimore had it on the Cincinnati 2 yard line. Devonta Freeman punched it in for the TD, shortening the Bengals lead to 24-14.
With only 1:38 remaining in the half, Joe Burrow went to work, completing passes to Uzomah and Chase, both for 1st downs. A sack then forced Zac Taylor to use the team’s final timeout. Facing 3rd & 16 on his own 45, Burrow evaded pressure and let one go deep down the field. Despite being double teamed, Tee Higgins elevated up and came down with the ball, showing why he is one of the best in contested situations. He was marked down at the 3. Burrow would actually throw an interception just a couple plays later, but a Baltimore penalty wiped it away. That allowed Burrow to get Higgins his TD, just a few plays after his tough catch put them in scoring position. It was 31-14 at the half.
Cincinnati would open the scoring in the 2nd half, through a McPherson field goal. The Bengals wiped 10 and a half minutes off the clock in the process. The 3rd quarter ended with Baltimore driving in Cincy territory. On the opening play of the 4th, Josh Johnson hit Mark Andrews for an 18 yard touchdown. At that point, the Bengals led 34-21.
The Bengals would add one more TD as they continued to melt down the clock. Chase, Higgins, and Boyd all padded their stats on this one, and it was Higgins who found the end zone for his 2nd TD of the game. That extended the lead to 41-21, which is how it would end. Cincinnati did get down inside the Baltimore 10 on the final drive, but elected to kneel down.
The Bengals strengthened their hold on the division with this win. They improve to 9-6 and will host the Kansas City Chiefs in a big AFC matchup next week.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)
