Baltimore Ravens Pick Up Eventful Thursday Night Football 34-20 Victory Over Cincinnati Bengals
The Baltimore Ravens took it personally.
Baltimore completed a sweep of its annual divisional couple against the Cincinnati Bengals with a 34-20 victory on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Thursday's win, paced by two short scores for Gus Edwards, served as de facto revenge for the Ravens (8-3), who saw their prior season end in the Wild Card round at the hands of the eventual finalist Bengals. Baltimore earned its first sweep in the annual AFC North pair since 2020.
The early stages of Thursday's primetime tilt were eventful for all the wrong reasons, as both Ravens tight end Mark Andrews and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow were each lost to injuries. Ravens passer Lamar Jackson was likewise forced to visit the medical tent but proved capable of returning.
Neither Andrews nor Burrow joined him but the former's Ravens proved capable of overcoming the lost production.
Cincinnati (5-5) countered Edwards' first end zone visit with a 50-yard field goal for Evan McPherson before embarking on a 12-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Burrow's four-yard scoring pass to Joe Mixon. That, however, proved to be Burrow's final official pass of the evening: almost immediately after the lengthy drive, he retreated to the visitors' locker room, where x-rays ruled him out for the remainder of the contest.
Even with Andrews out, the Ravens proved well-capable of keeping their offensive production up. Down 10-7 with just under six minutes remaining in the second period, Baltimore put into two quick scores from the arm of Jackson: Nelson Agholor took a tipped pass 37 yards for a score that gave Baltimore a permanent lead before Rashod Bateman scored on a 10-yard throw after the defense forced a three-and-out.
The Bengals mustered another McPherson field goal on their opening drive of the latter half-hour, but the Ravens' defense slammed the door shut after that. Little-used backup Jake Browning was granted a rude welcome to major NFL action with three sacks, though he managed to somewhat beautify his box score with a scoring drive on his last go-around, throwing a two-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase.
All the Ravens needed was a couple of Justin Tucker field goals to fortify its multi-possession lead but Edwards sealed the deal with one last tally. With Jackson somewhat hobbled after a first-half takedown by Logan Wilson, Baltimore rushers put up 134 yards in the second half after earning just 23 over the first 30.
The Ravens will return to primetime airwaves on Nov. 26 when they face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12's Sunday nightcap (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
