The Cincinnati Bengals weren’t going to give Lamar Jackson a shot to beat them in overtime.
After Ja’Marr Chase scored his third touchdown of the game with 38 seconds left during a monster night for him and Joe Burrow, Bengals coach Zac Taylor didn’t hesitate to call for the 2-point conversion. Jackson was awesome on Thursday night, as he has been all season. The Bengals would take their chance on one play from the 2-yard line rather than whatever might happen in overtime.
It was probably the correct call, but it didn’t work out. Burrow threw incomplete to Tanner Hudson on the 2-point conversion and the Ravens held on to a thrilling 35-34 win. That’s two tough losses for the Bengals against the Ravens this season, to go with a 41-38 overtime loss back in Week 5.
Burrow was great, Ja’Marr Chase was unstoppable but the Bengals couldn’t close the door on a much-needed win in Baltimore. Burrow has been a slight step short of Jackson, who threw four touchdowns including a go-ahead score with less than two minutes remaining, and the Bengals haven’t been good enough to outlast the Ravens. That might cost them a playoff spot.
Burrow had 428 yards and three touchdowns, Chase had 264 yards and three touchdowns but it wasn’t enough. The Bengals are 4-6 this season after a tough loss in which they led by 14 points in the second half. They can’t blame that on Burrow or the offense. The Ravens have just been better.
They’ve done everything against the Ravens this season but win.
Live82 updates
This is going to be something worth talking about. The officials missed some blatant stuff on the game-deciding two-point conversion attempt.
Lamar Jackson was at his best in the second half of the Ravens’ comeback win over the Bengals, generating +18.0 expected points added on dropbacks after halftime, the 2nd-highest mark by a QB this season.
Lamar Jackson: 25-of-33 for 290 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He now holds the NFL lead in TD passes with 24.
Derrick Henry: 68 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown. He remains the NFL leader in rushing yards and touchdowns.
Ja’Marr Chase: 11 catches, 264 yards and three touchdowns on 17 targets. A monster game that moves him into the NFL lead in receiving yards and keeps him ahead in receiving touchdowns.
Joe Burrow: 34-of-56 for 428 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He once again feasted on a limited Ravens secondary.
FINAL: Ravens 35, Bengals 34
The Ravens get the kick and this game is over. Baltimore wins a wild one to move to 7-3, while the Bengals fall to 4-6. Lamar Jackson has now won 10 of his last 11 games against the Bengals.
Mike Gesicki was upset after the refs missed what looked like pretty clear defensive holding.
NO GOOD: Bengals still a point short
Joe Burrow didn’t even look at Ja’Marr Chase on the left side of the field and instead threw to Tanner Hudson, who didn’t get it. It was some physical defense on both Hudson and Mike Gesicki, but no penalty on the play.
Ravens can now win here by catching the onside kick.
The Bengals lined up to go for two, but Zac Taylor runs in to call timeout
TOUCHDOWN: Ja’Marr Chase gets his 3rd TD
Who else could it be? Joe Burrow finds an open Ja’Marr Chase and now the Bengals are going for two.
On a sloppy night for the Ravens defense, they saved their sloppiest for last. They get called offsides after a Bengals incompletion and Cincinnati is at the 7. Bengals still have one timeout.
Ja’Marr Chase is up to 10 catches, 259 receiving yards and two touchdowns tonight. God help you if you’re facing him in fantasy.
And now a roughing the passer penalty that turns an 18-yard Ja’Marr Chase catch into a 32-yard gain. They’re at the 12-yard line now.
Marlon Humphrey gets called for the Ravens’ ninth penalty of the night. This time it’s a facemask that moves the Bengals to the Ravens’ 45-yard line. 1:11 still left.
The call stands and Bengals still have 60 yards to go with 1:36 left and one timeout remaining.
The Bengals juuuust get the conversion after Burrow weathers a blitz and finds Andrei Iosivas right at the first-down line. Refs are reviewing the first-down call and it’s hard to see any reason to overturn it.
Oof, looks like the refs missed a facemask on Nnamdi Madubuike on a Joe Burrow incomplete pass. The next falls incomplete too, and now the Bengals face 4th-and-10.
TOUCHDOWN: Ravens move ahead on Lamar Jackson’s 4th TD of the night
Jackson goes back to Bateman and it’s a touchdown this time. The Bengals will get the ball back with 1:49 remaining and one timeout. With how quickly they’ve scored tonight, this game is nowhere close to over.
Huge break for the Bengals after the Ravens opt to throw on 2nd-and-goal. Lamar Jackson’s pass to Rashod Batemen falls incomplete and stops the clock.
This game has reached the two-minute warning, with the Ravens on 2nd-and-goal at the Bengals’ 5. Cincinnati has only one timeout remaining, and won’t have much time if they hold the Ravens to a field goal here.
The Bengals use their first timeout with 2:16 left and the Ravens having 2nd-and-10 at the 24.
