Burrow and Chase get the Ravens defense going, but the Bengals fall to 4-6

BALTIMORE – It looked like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase got something done Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

During the prime-time game against AFC North rivals, Cincinnati’s star quarterback and wide receiver came together for plays when the Bengals needed them most, including a late touchdown that put Cincinnati in position to win the game.

But in the end the Bengals were one play short and lost to the Ravens 35:34. A failed two-point conversion with 38 seconds left led to Cincinnati ultimately wasting outstanding performances from both players.

Burrow finished the game with 428 yards and four touchdowns on 34 of 56 passes. Chase had one of the best performances of his career – 11 catches, three touchdowns and 264 receiving yards. However, the effort wasn’t enough to stop the Bengals from losing their second and final regular season game against the Ravens this season.

“They are the best duo in the league right now and they show it every week,” Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said. “We just feel like we have to stick to our goal and things could turn out very differently. But things just didn’t go our way this season.”

The Bengals (4-6) were leading 21-7 midway through the third quarter when Baltimore (7-3) got a big break to get back into the game. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey ripped the ball out of the hands of Bengals running back Chase Brown. The Ravens got the ball back and then took the lead with a 21-0 run in the fourth quarter.

But Burrow and Chase did almost everything they could to keep the Bengals in contention. One play after the Ravens took the lead, Burrow immediately responded with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Chase that tied the score at 28-28.

When the Ravens retook the lead with 1:49 left and Cincinnati needed a touchdown, Burrow leaned on Chase. At one point, Chase matched his career high of 266 receiving yards in 2021. However, a defensive penalty that Cincinnati accepted negated the play.

A few snaps later, Burrow found Chase for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the final minute. Cincinnati’s two-point attempt at potentially game-winning points failed when a Burrow pass to tight end Tanner Hudson sailed a little high. Burrow had no qualms about going for it.

“We knew what situation we were in,” Burrow said.

Burrow and Chase, who have played together for six of the last seven seasons since their college days at LSU, put together one of their best performances together. Chase was willing to defer to reporters when asked if Thursday night was at the top of that list.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Burrow and Chase had “incredible” performances.

“I thought Ja’Marr took a big step forward,” Taylor said. “Any time we could find ways to get him the ball, I thought Joe did a great job. And Ja’Marr finished a lot of those plays for us. I thought they played brilliantly.”

But what happened Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium was a microcosm of the season.

Entering Week 10, Burrow and Chase were having two of their best seasons of their respective careers. Burrow was second in Total QBR, trailing only Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, who finished the game with 290 passing yards and four touchdowns. Chase was second in the league in receiving yards, behind Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, her former teammate at LSU.

And with that in mind, the fact that the Bengals are still under .500 through 10 games this season was confusing to Chase.

“It’s crazy to say that,” Chase said. “I would never in a million years expect me to play this well and him play this well and we still have a record like this.”

In addition, the NFL’s leading sack leader, defensive end Trey Hendrickson, also played in Cincinnati on Thursday night. This also increased the frustration.

“If you look at the way we play and you look at Trey Hendrickson the way he plays, that’s a tough pill to swallow,” Burrow said after the game. “But we had our chances.

“Of course it’s difficult when you feel like you’re playing well enough to win and that’s not the case. But there is still more to do.”