The 2-2 Baltimore Ravens took the field at the Paycor Stadium on a hot day (83 degrees, sheesh!) to get some momentum going against the 1-3 Cincinnati Bengals who have looked a shadow of themselves this season.
The Bengals defense hasn’t been the most stout and they’ve been picked on pretty often this year. When you’re up against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, you’ve got to be on your toes and the Ravens stars ensured they didn’t make life any easier for Cincinnati early on.
Lamar Jackson thought he opened the proceedings with a five-yard touchdown but Sam Hubbard made sure he was short of the goal-line. In any case, Derrick Henry ensured he picked up his 100th career touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Henry headed into Week 5 as the league’s number one rusher and kept it going to put the Bengals under some pressure early in the first quarter. The Bengals were quick to respond, though, with Joe Burrow finding Tee Higgins on an 11-yard touchdown to even things out.
Rashod Bateman picked up the Ravens' second touchdown off Jackson.
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The Bengals saw that as a signal to pick things up, rattling off quick TDs to go into the break up 17-14. Burrow ended the first half with two TDs to Lamar's one.
If the first half was clinical, both Burrow and Jackson dialled it up in the second, turning this Ravens vs Bengals game into a good ol' fashioned shootout.
If we're being honest, this has been the best game through five weeks of football. Jackson and Burrow just willed their teams forward and the Ravens quarterback showed more than a few glimpses of just how much he has improved as a passer over the years.
It was a night of career-high TDs for Burrow with five in all, though his INT towards Marlon Humphrey meant a change of fortunes for the Bengals. The game's first turnover came after Burrow threw straight at Humphrey with three minutes left in the fourth.
The game eventually went to OT and after a kick fumble and a sizzling run from Derrick Henry, Justin Tucker ensured the Ravens left Cincinnati with a win.
Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals Box Score
Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals match player stats
The Bengals will now slide to 1-4 with a mixed bag for a schedule to pick things up.
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