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Ravens 19 Bengals 17
Justin Tucker booted a game-winning 43-yard FG at the gun as the Ravens rallied to beat the Bengals 19-17.
The Bengals had taken their first lead of the game on the drive prior, when Joe Burrow's QB sneak TD gave them a 17-16 lead with 1:58 left.
The Bengals fall to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the division. All three defeats have come on FGs as time expired. That's 12 consecutive road losses in primetime, the longest streak in NFL history, per Elias Sports Bureau.
Late game turning point: Trailing 16-10 with 9:42 left in the game, the Bengals marched 13 plays/75 yard to take their first lead on a Burrow 1-yard QB sneak that consumed 7:45 of the clock. They led 17-16 with 1:58 remaining. But the Ravens turned around and drove 7 plays/50 yards to win it. It was the Lamar Jackson show on the final drive with his arm and legs (19 yard run). The drive was aided when the Bengals were called for 12 men on the field with 1:10 left.
1st half turning point: Down 10-0, Von Bell picked off Lamar Jackson and the offense turned it into a TD. Burrow found Hayden Hurst for a 19-yard catch/fight/dive to the endzone to make it 10-7. The drive (7-83-4:24) was boosted by Mixon runs of 9-9-12 and a Mike Thomas 33-yard catch. At the time of the Bell pick, the Ravens had run 26 plays to the Bengals 13. The Bengals added a FG and it was 10-10 at the half.
2nd half turning point. Trailing 13-10 and facing 1st and goal at the 2 late in the 3rd, the Bengals got cute and failed on four consecutive..... pass plays.
1st and goal at 2: Incomplete to Hurst.
2nd and goal at 2: Philly Special....a pitch to Chase...who pitched to Boyd....who was sacked for a 12 yard loss with Burrow out in the pattern as a wide receiver? No idea why Boyd didn't just throw it away to avoid the sack.
3rd and goal at 14: Completion to Chase, 12 yards.
4th and goal at 2: Shovel pass incomplete to Stanley Morgan?
It was a 15 play/73 yard drive that took 8:04 off the clock and go squat.
No Mixon runs...despite averaging 5.4 yards per carry to that point. My head hurts. The Ravens then marched 15 plays (8:03) for a FG to make it 16-10.
Offense:
Unacceptable: The #Bengals are T-16th in NFL in points per game (21.6)....behind teams like Jacksonville 22.2, Jets 23.2 and Falcons 23.6.
Yards per play this season:
28. Carolina 4.86
29. Colts 4.85
30. Steelers 4.83
31. Bengals 4.81
32. Rams 4.80
Slow to get started: After the mini-bye of 10 days to prepare.....1st quarter: 3 drives, 10 plays, 14 yards....including 11 yards on first play (Chase catch) and 3 yards on next 9 plays. No rush yards. Their first four drives: 4-3-3-3 plays = 27 yards. Then: 7 plays-83 yards for TD, 11 plays/62 yards for FG to tie the game at the half....totaling 145 yards. They outgained the Ravens 172-165 in the first half.
Drive time: From 10:49 left in the 3rd quarter to the end of the game the Bengals had two possessions the rest of the way.
15 plays/73 yards, 8:04: 0 points......13 plays/75 yards, 7:44: TD
Burrow: 24 of 35, 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks. QB rating 82.7. He was forced to check it down a lot, with one completion longer 19 yards....the Thomas 33 yard catch vs the worst passing defense in the NFL. He was picked by college teammate Patrick Quenn and sacked by former Bengals teammate Josh Bynes. Jason Pierre-Paul swatted down back to back pass attempts. Burrow had three passes knocked down on the night. Lowest passer rating since Week 1.
There it is: Joe Mixon's first run went for -2 yards. But he broke off a 12 yard run and starting feeling it...He finished with a season high 78 yards on 14 carries (5.6).....6-34 (5.7) in first half. Perine added 3 carries for 17 yards. Team total: 21-101 4.8.
MIA: Tee Higgins (ankle) was in on the first four series (10 snaps), but reaggravated the ankle and missed the rest of the game. Chase 7-50. Boyd 3-32.
Nice: Samaje Perine ripped off a 15-yard gain on a 3rd and 10 screen. He had a sweet leaping grab and 2nd effort to convert a 3rd and 6. 4 targets/4 catches/39 yards.
Out, back in: Jonah Williams left late in the first half with a leg injury, but returned in the 3rd quarter. Hakeem Adeniji replaced him. Tackles Jackson Carman and D'Anti Smith were both inactive.
I like it: The athleticism, wingspan, tenacity, awareness and football IQ of Hurst is impressive. 6 catches on 7 targets for 53 yards and a TD.
Defense:
One TD, one takeaway, one sack. No 2nd half TD for 5th consecutive game. But they have given up the game-winning points on the final drive of all three losses.
Hold I: Ravens opening drive included gains for 6-7-9-12 and 17. But Dax Hill's 3rd down tackle stopped the drive and forced a FG.
Hold II: The defense forced a 3 and out after the Burrow INT gave the Ravens the ball at the Bengals 46. But Tucker still delivered a 58-yard FG for a 13-10 lead.
Missed hold: The Ravens went 7 plays/50 yards in the final 1:58 to win the game on a Tucker FG.
What? Who? How? The Bengals lost track of top target Mark Andrews (TE) on an 11-yard TD pass to make it 10-0 Ravens.
Tripped up, tracked down: Trey Hendrickson had a shoestring grab of Jackson to halt a 3rd and 15 scramble. Germaine Pratt tracked down Jackson for a sweet open field sack. Sam Hubbard's 3rd & 10 sack of Lamar Jackson was wiped out by a Chido Awuzie holding, his 6th penalty of the season (2 declined). Zach Carter got him with a foot tackle after a one yard gain.
Ring it! Vonn Bell picked off his 3rd pass, all in the last two weeks. He had 2 career picks in 6 seasons, entering the year.
Big breaks/misses: Jackson missed deep ball to Duvernary when he got behind everyone in the Bengals secondary. Then he missed a wide open WR Tylan Wallace on a 4th and 3 pass. Both were sure TDs on opening drive of 2nd half.
Special Teams:
Coming up short: Kevin Huber had punts of 28 and 34 yards.
Feels like the first time: Chris Evans finally got to return his first kickoff of the season: 29 yards.
Really? Evan McPherson miss hit the 2nd half kickoff out of bounds and the Ravens started at the 40-yard line.
Cal Adomitis had another high snap that was handled by Huber, but created drama as the go-ahead PAT sailed over the very top of the upright.