Cincinnati (4-10) made it inside the Ravens’ 30-yard line on each of the first two drives and couldn’t come up with any points, and Joe Burrow threw a redzone pick-six midway through the fourth quarter to seal the shutout.
A win likely only would have delayed the inevitable. The Bengals’ playoff chances already were unlikely after last week’s heartbreaking defeat at Buffalo guaranteed a losing record, but now the best they can finish is 7-10. Cincinnati finished 9-8 the previous two seasons.
Baltimore improves to 7-7.
The Bengals were playing without wide receiver Tee Higgins, who returned to concussion protocol this past week after hitting his head on the ground at Buffalo. He had missed the Thanksgiving win at Baltimore because of a concussion.
Several players suffered injuries in cold conditions Sunday, including Charlie Jones, Samaje Perine and Kris Jenkins with ankle injuries and Amarius Mims with a right knee injury. The temperature recorded at kickoff was just 10 degrees and minus-10 with the windchill factor.
The Ravens took a 14-0 lead into halftime after a sloppy first two quarters for the Bengals.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Cincinnati was nearing the red zone its first two drives and got nothing out of those opportunities. Burrow took a 15-yard sack on third-and-4 at the Ravens’ 25-yard line the first drive, and then he was intercepted the next possession when a pass sailed high to Ja’Marr Chase and off his hands. Marlon Humphrey picked it off at the Baltimore 14-yard line.
Meanwhile, the Bengals defense got stops the first three drives, including Jordan Battle’s interception of Lamar Jackson at the Cincinnati 27-yard line after the ball popped out of Zay Flowers’ hands.
The Bengals ended up with a three-and-out after Andre Iosivas lost control of a catch as he hit the ground on a deep ball on second down, and the Ravens scored each of their next two drives, in just five plays each for about 80 yards.
Rasheen Ali caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to get Baltimore on the board with 4:35 left in the second quarter, and Flowers caught a 28-yard strike to the end zone with 23 seconds left in the half.
Cincinnati moved down the field with the help of a 34-yard reception by Chase on the opening drive of the second half, but Mike Gesicki couldn’t make a play on a deep pass into the endzone on fourth down and the Ravens extended their lead with a 27-yard field goal from Tyler Loop.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Bengals had been held without touchdowns through three quarters three other times this season, but none of those ended in shutouts. Their best chance to prevent that came in the fourth quarter when Burrow was picked off at the Baltimore 5-yard line. Kyle Van Noy came up with the interception, returned it 11 yards and lateralled to Alohi Gilman to set up his 84-yard return for a touchdown, and those were the final points of the game.
Derrick Henry, who had just 17 yards in the first half, took off for 78 yards on his first four carries of the second half and finished with 100 yards on 11 attempts, while Jackson completed 8 of 12 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Burrow finished with 225 yards passing and his seventh career pick-six. Chase led the receivers with 10 catches for 132 yards.
About the Author