Ravens Focused On Finishing Season Strongly, Not Getting Blown Out By Bengals

Bengals dominated Ravens in Week 16.

CINCINNATI — With a 20-point lead and two minutes remaining, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw a 52-yard pass to Joe Mixon against Ravens. 

Cincinnati aggressively attacked Baltimore's injury-marred secondary even when a victory was all but secured.

The Bengals scored on seven of their nine possessions and might have ended Baltimore's playoff hopes with a dominant 41-21 victory in Week 16. 

Cincinnati was unapologetic about pouring it on the Ravens in a reversal of roles. 

"Why not? Over these past few years, people have been doing that to us,” Mixon said. “It's a great feeling that roles are reversed."

The Ravens did not appear upset that the Bengals kept throwing with the big lead.

It was their job to stop them ... and they couldn't. 

"They called their plays and we call our plays," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. 

Burrow threw for a franchise-record 525 yards and four touchdowns. It was also the fourth-most passing yards in NFL history. 

Cincinnati had two players with 100 yards receiving — Tee Higgins (194, 2 touchdowns) and Ja'Marr Chase (125 yards).

“Try and pick it off." safety Tony Jefferson said. "I really don’t honestly care what they’re calling on the other side. If they’re throwing it in the air, that’s an opportunity for us on defense to get a turnover. So, I don’t care what the score is or what time was left. They’re going to do what they do on their side, we’re going to do what we do on our side – and that is defend the ball.”

Linebacker Patrick Queen added: “It’s football. We’re on the field playing football. So, [if] they’ve got a chance to do something … I know if I was on the other side, and I had a chance to do something, I’d try to do it. So, it is what it is, and we’ll see them again soon.”

The Ravens will have to win their final two games against the Rams and Steelers to have any chance at the playoffs. Even if they win those games, they will still need some help to get into the postseason.

“We still got to win two games to get in [the playoffs], and we have two more at home,” linebacker Josh Bynes said. “So, we’re in a perfect scenario to get in. All that matters is getting into the playoffs. We know that eight years ago when we went to the playoffs, we stumbled in, we lost four out of our last five [games]. But once we got in, we got rolling. And that’s all that matters is just getting in the playoffs, and it starts next week. We have to win these next two starting with the Rams.”