The fourth quarter was finally Baltimore’s time with a 35-34 victory over Cincinnati

by Junna Base November 8, 2024

BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens shook off their fourth-quarter woes in a big way.

More than half of Baltimore’s yards — and 21 of its 35 points — came in the final third Thursday night as the Ravens rallied to beat Cincinnati 35-34. Baltimore trailed by 14 points heading into the third, a rare but clearly surmountable deficit for this team.

“It’s huge,” tight end Mark Andrews said. “A lot of teams can just go into the tank and switch off when things aren’t going their way and we fought an uphill battle for most of the game. Again, just the belief and the fight and the resiliency that the guys showed for four quarters and just the understanding that we have no giving up.”

It’s very hard to significantly outscore the Ravens (7-3). They have not trailed by 14 points in a game against Minnesota since November 7, 2021, as Jackson was healthy and playing.

The bigger problem was completing games. Before the game against Cincinnati, Baltimore was down 93-61 in the fourth quarter. The Ravens blew a 10-point lead to the Raidersalmost lost a bigger advantage in Dallas and gave up three fourth-quarter touchdowns in a win in Tampa Bay.

On Thursday, they outscored the Bengals 21-13 in the fourth quarter and gained 231 yards in the quarter.

What works

It was another sensational game for Jackson, who threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns. He has an NFL-high passer rating of 123.2, a 24-to-2 touchdown/interception ratio and a league-best 9.3 yards per attempt average. And that’s before its ongoing production is taken into account.

A third MVP award is definitely in play.

What needs help

The secondary went haywire again – and lost star safety Kyle Hamilton to an ankle injury. Ja’Marr Chase had 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns for Cincinnati. Chase has served the Ravens well throughout his career, and the absence of injured Bengals receiver Tee Higgins hasn’t helped Baltimore much.

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey had a lot to say after the game.

“Because of what we do in pass defense, it’s getting harder and harder to enjoy these wins,” he said. “Something has to change. We just have to play better. I have to play better. We all have to play better. We have to play as a unit and we just can’t do that. Actually there is nothing more to say. We have to keep working.”

Stock up

Even though Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns, the Ravens put a lot of pressure on him. Nnamdi Madubuike had three sacks after only having two earlier this season.

“Feels good,” Madubuike said. “This year there are definitely more double teams and stuff like that, and I could easily get frustrated, but I decided to just stay balanced and focused.”

Inventory reduced

For much of the game, Baltimore’s top offense looked out of shape. Penalties were an issue, and the Ravens went three-and-out on four of their first six possessions.

Baltimore was also held under 100 yards for the first time in 43 games. Derrick Henry had just 68 yards on 16 carries and the Bengals had 75 total plays while the Ravens had 58.

Injuries

Hamilton sprained his ankle and didn’t return. Running back Keaton Mitchell returned to action for the first time since his knee injury in December and had a 30-yard kickoff return.

Key number

98 – The total number of receiving yards for Tylan Wallace in his three-and-a-half-year career before reaching 115 on Thursday. In the fourth, Wallace converted a short pass into an 84-yard touchdown.

Next Steps

The Ravens have a little more free time before playing at AFC North leader Pittsburgh on November 17th. Last year, Baltimore won the division despite being defeated by the Steelers.