Postgame Observations: Bengals Beat Ravens 27-16 in Regular Season Finale, Secure Home Playoff Game

Cincinnati has won eight-straight games.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Jan 8, 2023 4:24 PM EST

In this story:

Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI — The Bengals needed a win to secure a home playoff game and they got it on Sunday by beating the Ravens 27-16 at Paycor Stadium.

It wasn't pretty, but the defense forced three turnovers and scored a touchdown to help Cincinnati secure their eighth-straight win.

The Bengals finished the 2022 regular season with a 12-4 record. They won the AFC North for a second-straight season.

The Bills beat the Patriots, which means Cincinnati will finish with the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Here are some postgame observations:

Lou's Crew

Lou Anarumo's defense carried Cincinnati to victory on Sunday.

They had four sacks, seven quarterbacks hits, two interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

The three first half turnovers helped Cincinnati build a 24-7 halftime lead.

Coin Toss

Joe Mixon scored the Bengals' first touchdown of the game. He pulled a coin out after his one-yard run and flipped it. He was joined by teammates to metaphorically kick the coin into the stands.

If the Bengals lose to the Ravens on Sunday, the NFL decided that a coin toss would decide homefield advantage if the two teams meet in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

The organization was "furious" about the NFL's decision to change the rule in the middle of the season.

Watch Mixon's Celebration Here

Offensive Struggles

The Bengals' offense struggled for most of the game. They scored on their first three offensive possessions, but only scored one more time in their final 10 possessions.

Joe Burrow finished 25-of-42 for 215 yards and one touchdown.

Key Injury

Bengals right guard Alex Cappa suffered a left ankle injury in the third quarter and didn't return.

The 27-year-old has been their best lineman all season. He gingerly limped off the field and was carted to the locker room. For more on Cappa, go here.

Chase Tops 1K

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had eight receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown. He needed 40 yards to hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark (1,046) for a second consecutive season.

Chase missed four games with a hip injury, plus the Bengals' Week 17 matchup against the Bills was canceled. Despite that, the 22-year-old had at least 1,000-yards receiving in each of his first two NFL seasons.

Up Next

The Bengals will host the fifth seed in the Wild Card round of the AFC Playoffs.

Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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