Ravens Loss to Bengals: How Baltimore Blew a 13-0 Halftime Lead and Lost 35-13
Did the Ravens win? No. Baltimore led the Bengals 13-0 at halftime and lost 35-13 at home. Cincinnati scored touchdowns on five straight possessions, and the Ravens’ offense was shut out in the second half for the second straight week. Baltimore is 4-3, 0-2 in the AFC North, and still without Lamar Jackson.
Here’s how it happened, what the fourth-down decision cost, and why the popular take about Jackson misses the point.
The First Half Was Real
The Ravens controlled the game for 30 minutes. They held the ball for 22:20 to Cincinnati’s 7:40. Tyler Huntley threw for 215 yards in the first half, including 120 to Zay Flowers, who opened the scoring with a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Tyler Loop added field goals of 34 and 24 yards.
The defense was just as good. Joe Burrow was 6-of-12 for 43 yards, the Bengals had 59 total yards, and Tee Higgins didn’t catch a pass. It was the kind of half that makes fans believe.
It also had a flaw. The Ravens got into the red zone twice and settled for field goals both times. At 13-0, that mattered less. By the end of the game, it mattered a lot.
The Second-Half Collapse
Then it flipped. The Ravens went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half. Burrow led a 66-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki. A few minutes later, he hit Higgins for a 13-yard score to put the Bengals ahead 14-13.
They never gave the lead back. Cincinnati scored on five consecutive possessions, and Burrow finished 22-of-30 for 292 yards and four touchdowns, all four in the second half. He went 16-of-18 for 249 yards after halftime. Higgins had six catches for 148 yards, and Ja’Marr Chase added a touchdown too.
In the second half, the Ravens allowed 298 yards and 19 first downs. That’s a defense that stopped getting stops.
The Fourth-and-2 Decision
This is the moment people are arguing about.
Trailing 14-13, the Ravens drove to the Cincinnati 12-yard line, and the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter, they faced fourth-and-2. A short field goal would have given Baltimore a 16-14 lead. Jesse Minter kept the offense on the field.
Huntley threw a crossing route to rookie tight end Josh Cuevas, who was contacted before he could get to the ball. The pass fell incomplete, and the Ravens turned it over on downs. Huntley said Cuevas “got ran into,” according to BaltimoreRavens.com.
The Bengals answered with an 88-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown from Samaje Perine. The Ravens never crossed midfield again.
Critics pointed to two things. CBS Sports questioned why Derrick Henry didn’t get the ball on a two-yard play. Pundits, including former defensive lineman J.J. Watt, said the decision to skip points was the defining moment. A later Huntley sneak on fourth-and-1 at midfield was stuffed too, so Baltimore was 0-for-2 on fourth down.
This section is our take. Going for it is defensible. A coach who wants to be aggressive isn’t wrong to try. But the play call is harder to defend. With a two-yard gain needed and Henry in the backfield, handing him the ball would have been the safer choice. And the field goal would have given the Ravens the lead back and put the pressure on Burrow. One decision didn’t cause a 22-point loss, but it was the turning point.
The Offense Went Silent Again
The Ravens scored nothing in the second half for the second straight week. Against Cleveland, they scored 10 points in the first quarter and none after. Against Cincinnati, they scored 13 in the first half and none after.
After halftime, Huntley went 8-of-13 for 62 yards with a fumble and an interception, according to Russell Street Report. The interception was tipped and led to a short field for Drew Sample’s 16-yard touchdown. The Bengals sacked Huntley four times, and the Ravens committed 10 accepted penalties for 57 yards. The run game wasn’t a factor, with 27 carries for 83 yards.
It’s also the third time this season the Ravens failed to score in the second half with Huntley at quarterback, including the Titans game after Jackson got hurt. That isn’t a coincidence anymore.
Minter named the problem himself. He said the Ravens are “too much of a momentum team,” riding the wave when it’s good and when it’s bad. He also said the team needs to go into games with enough adjustments to have a great second-half plan. For more on the previous collapse, read our Ravens loss to the Browns analysis.
The Lamar Jackson Take
Here’s a line making the rounds: if your team is trash without one player, aren’t they trash with him too?
It sounds smart, but it isn’t. Here’s why.
Through four games, Jackson had a 119.6 passer rating, completed 70.8% of his passes, and threw for 967 yards on 96 attempts, about 10.1 yards per attempt. That isn’t a quarterback hiding a bad team. It’s a quarterback lifting a good one.
Russell Street Report counted the Ravens scoring 116 points and 14 offensive touchdowns in 14 quarters with Jackson, and 53 points and five touchdowns in 14 quarters with Huntley. So the team does miss him.
But there’s a catch. CBS Sports noted that all three of Baltimore’s losses came in games where the Ravens led by double digits, and that includes the Week 2 loss to the Saints, when Jackson played. So the second-half habit isn’t only about his absence.
Our take is simple. Jackson’s absence exposes problems, but it doesn’t create them. The second-half drop-off, the late-game execution, and the mental mistakes are team issues. Jackson can cover for them, but if they continue when he returns, the excuse is gone. For his latest status, read our Lamar Jackson questionable article.
Is This a Minter Problem?
CBS Sports wrote that Minter is starting to have the same problems John Harbaugh had: blowing big leads. Some fans are saying the same thing.
That’s a serious charge, and it’s too early to say it’s fair. Minter is in his first year, and the Ravens are 4-3 with a roster missing its best player. But the criticism isn’t coming from nowhere. Two straight collapses, two straight second-half shutouts, and a fourth-down gamble that failed is a pattern.
What’s Next
The Baltimore Ravens schedule doesn’t get easier. The Ravens visit the Bills on Sunday, November 1, and host the Jaguars on Thursday, November 5, on a short week. Jackson has been limited in practice but hasn’t played since October 4, and the Ravens haven’t announced his status for Buffalo.
Our prediction: The offense will rely on first-half scripts less and adjust more. If Jackson returns, the offense should improve, but a full 60 minutes is the real test. If the second-half slump continues, the questions about the coaching staff won’t go away.
What to Watch This Week
- Jackson’s practice participation. Is he full, limited, or out?
- Second-half adjustments. Does the offense look different after halftime?
- The fourth-down philosophy. Does Minter stay aggressive?
- Penalties. The Ravens had 10 accepted flags against Cincinnati.
- The defense’s tackling and third downs. Can it finish drives?
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the Ravens win?
No. The Bengals beat the Ravens 35-13 on Sunday, October 25.
What was the final score of the Ravens vs. Bengals game?
Bengals 35, Ravens 13. The Ravens led 13-0 at halftime.
Why did the Ravens lose to the Bengals?
Cincinnati scored touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half, while the Ravens’ offense was shut out. A failed fourth-and-2 attempt at the start of the fourth quarter was the turning point.
Is Lamar Jackson playing against the Bills?
The Ravens haven’t announced his status. Jackson missed his third straight game and has been limited in practice.
Who do the Ravens play next?
The Ravens visit the Bills on Sunday, November 1, then host the Jaguars on Thursday, November 5.
Final Thoughts
The Ravens had this game for 30 minutes, then lost it for 30. A fourth-down decision, a silent offense, and a defense that stopped tackling all played a part. The deeper problem is a second-half habit that has now shown up in back-to-back weeks.
What do you think? Was this loss about Lamar Jackson’s absence, or does Jesse Minter need to answer for the second half? Drop your take in the comments, and check back for the latest Ravens news before the Bills game.
