Game Recap: Ravens Win Thiller Over Bengals on 'Thursday Night ...
The Ravens erased a 14-point deficit to win an AFC North shootout over the Bengals on "Thursday Night Football," 35-34.
A 5-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Rashod Bateman in the final minutes put the Ravens up seven, but the Bengals went down and scored with 38 seconds remaining. Cincinnati elected to go two, but Joe Burrow's pass fell incomplete, giving the Ravens the win.
Jackson threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns as he continues to look like the best quarterback in the NFL.
The win gave Baltimore (7-3) the season sweep over the Bengals, dropping them to 4-6 and furthering their hole in the division race.
Here's how it happened:
Turning Point
With the Ravens trailing by 14, Marlon Humphrey made the play of the game. On a run from Chase Brown, Humphrey stripped the ball from Browns' chest to force a fumble. Roquan Smith recovered it, and the Ravens erupted from there.
Baltimore scored on its next three drives, taking a 28-21 lead with less than six minutes remaining. On the Bengals' first play of the next drive, however, Joe Burrow delivered a bomb to Ja'Marr Chase for a 70-yard score, but the Ravens made enough plays in the end to secure the win.
Top Play
The sideline was Baltimore's friend Thursday. Trailing in the second half, the Ravens had two iconic plays teetering the boundary.
The first came with the Ravens down by 14 when Jackson backpedalled 20 yards with two Bengals in his face. He beat defensive tackle B.J. Hill around the edge and toed the sideline, taking the ball to the 1-yard line.
On the 10-yard run, Jackson traveled 58.1 yards, according to Next Gen Stats. The ridiculous play set up a touchdown run from Derrick Henry on the next play.
On the ensuing drive, wide receiver Tylan Wallace made just his third catch of the season, but it was huge. Wallace went 84 yards down the sideline, breaking three tackles on his way to the end zone. He avoided stepping out a handful of times to bring Baltimore within one.
Scoring Summary
Statistical Breakdown
Stock Watch
DT Nnamdi Madubuike
Madubuike had two sacks this season, but he topped that number in just three quarters Thursday, setting a career-high with three sacks. His final sack halted a Bengals drive and helped the Ravens keep momentum. He finished with five tackles in what was his best game of the season.
CB Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey has been the Ravens' playmaker on defense this season, and Thursday was no different. His strip of Brown changed the game and helped invigorate the M&T Bank Stadium crowd.
WR Tylan Wallace
Wallace set a career-high with 31 receiving yards in Week 5 against the Bengals, and he demolished that Thursday. His 84-yard touchdown will be replayed for years, but he didn't stop there, finishing with 115 yards.
Baltimore's Secondary
Despite wide receiver Tee Higgins being out, the Bengals diced the Ravens' secondary. Chase finished with 264 receiving yards and three touchdowns, giving him the only 200-yard receiving game in the NFL this season. Joe Burrow went 34-of-56 for 428 yards and four touchdowns.
Up Next
The Ravens travel to Pittsburgh for a big-time showdown with the Steelers next Sunday. The Steelers lead the AFC North at 6-2 but play the red-hot Washington Commanders (7-2) this Sunday.
It will be the first Ravens-Steelers game of the season as the two teams fight for the division crown. With Cincinnati 4-6 and Cleveland 2-7, the Ravens and Steelers have separated themselves early in the second half of the year.
