Ravens beat Bengals as Joe Burrow’s departure has main affect

BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Ravens hosted the Cincinnati Bengals on “Thursday Night time Soccer” in a key AFC North battle.

Sadly, the Ravens misplaced tight finish Mark Andrews to an ankle harm on their first drive and the Bengals misplaced quarterback Joe Burrow to a wrist harm on a landing move within the second quarter. Neither returned.

Baltimore scored three touchdowns within the first half and pulled away within the second half for a 34–20 victory. The Bengals drop to 5-5 and stay final within the AFC North. The Ravens prime the division at 8-3.

Baltimore Ravens

Whereas combating by way of a left ankle harm and with out two Professional Bowl teammates on offense, Jackson threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns. At 8-3, the Ravens now have a half-game lead over the winner of Sunday’s sport between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, who’re each 6-3.

It was an evening of perseverance for Jackson, who injured his ankle late within the first quarter and walked with a pronounced limp at occasions. Baltimore wanted Jackson as a result of the offense was with out left sort out Ronnie Stanley, who was inactive as a result of a knee harm, and tight finish Mark Andrews, who was dominated out after injuring his left ankle throughout the opening sequence.

This was a rebound sport for the Ravens. After a fourth-quarter collapse towards the Browns on Sunday, Baltimore was capable of put away the Bengals for his or her first win of the season towards Cincinnati since 2020.

Promising pattern: Baltimore continues to play its greatest towards the perfect. The Ravens improved to 4-1 this season towards groups that entered the sport with a successful document, which is an efficient signal for them going ahead. In response to ESPN Analytics, Baltimore had the hardest remaining schedule coming into Week 11. The Ravens’ remaining six video games will probably be towards groups which might be a mixed 31-23 (.574), together with December video games with present division leaders Jacksonville, San Francisco and Miami.

Eye-popping statistic: How unbelievable was huge receiver Nelson Agholor’s 37-yard landing late within the first half? In response to NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, the TD chance was 3.7%. A stunned Agholor caught a move that was deflected by Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt, which landed in his fingers on the 29-yard line and outpaced Cincinnati’s protection the remainder of the way in which. He capped his third landing of the season with a entrance somersault into the tip zone.

Silver lining: In an injury-riddled season, the Ravens suffered maybe their most important blow when Professional Bowl tight finish Mark Andrews was dominated out after the opening drive with a possible season-ending ankle harm. With out Andrews, Jackson relied extra on his exterior targets. Within the first half, Jackson threw landing passes to huge receivers Nelson Agholor and Rashod Bateman. This marked the primary time he produced a number of landing passes to huge receivers since Week 2 of final season. Jackson had a career-high 206 yards passing when concentrating on huge receivers.

Subsequent sport: at Los Angeles Chargers (8:15 PM ET, Sunday, November 26)

Cincinnati Bengals

Going into Thursday evening’s sport at M&T Financial institution Stadium, the consequence would have had the largest impact on Cincinnati’s probabilities of successful the AFC North. However when Burrow doubled down within the second quarter as a result of a proper wrist harm, that modified instantly.

With Burrow out of the sport, successful the division is now not the query for the Bengals. What issues is that we attain the play-offs for the third season in a row.

As of 2021, Cincinnati is assured in its skill to be a postseason contender so long as Burrow is on the sphere. When he chased away within the second quarter after being unable to throw the ball down the sideline, it instantly created uncertainty for the remainder of the season.

Backup Jake Browning, who received the job in coaching camp, will take cost if Burrow is out for an prolonged time period. Since 2020, the Bengals are 2-5 whereas somebody apart from Burrow has been the beginning quarterback. With him, Cincinnati is 29-21-1. If the Bengals need to make the playoffs, they’re going to must do one thing they have not accomplished since Burrow was drafted with the primary total decide in 2020: achieve success with out him.

Describe the sport in two phrases: Punishment night. In a single sport, the Bengals wanted to win to maintain their hopes of successful the AFC North, which turned a secondary storyline after Burrow left the sport and CB Cam Taylor-Britt additionally retired as a result of a quadriceps harm.

Purchase a Breakout Achievement: Tight finish Tanner Hudson has turn out to be the group’s simplest receiving possibility on the place. In his first 4 video games of the season, he had 14 catches for 126 yards. When Burrow was within the sport, he leaned on Hudson for a giant 21-yard completion on third down. It is the sort of play and confidence that exhibits Hudson deserves a much bigger position sooner or later.

Troubling pattern: Cincinnati got here into the sport ranked thirty first in defensive yards allowed per play. The Bengals continued to surrender massive performs towards Baltimore. Within the first half alone, the Ravens had six performs of 14 yards or extra, together with a 37-yard landing by Agholor on a missed sort out. That can proceed to be a supply of frustration for defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Subsequent sport: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, November 26)