Earlier this season, the Bengals lost to the Ravens 41-38 in overtime. They didn’t want to go to overtime Thursday.
Cincinnati tried to win it in regulation but didn’t, failing on the 2-point conversion to give the Ravens a 35-34 win. Baltimore improved to 7-3 and put a huge dent in Cincinnati’s playoff chances as the Bengals fell to 4-6.
Lamar Jackson threw a 5-yard jump pass to Rashod Bateman for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 remaining.
The Bengals drove 70 yards in nine plays to draw within one point on Ja’Marr Chase’s 5-yard touchdown catch from Joe Burrow with 38 seconds left. It was Chase’s third touchdown of the night.
The Bengals opted to go for 2, and Burrow’s pass was incomplete, but officials missed two penalties on the Ravens. Burrow was hit in the head, and the Ravens committed an obvious defensive hold. Neither was called.
The Ravens had 35 yards in penalties called on the final drive — a 15-yard facemask on Marlon Humphrey, a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Broderick Washington and a 5-yard offsides penalty on Kyle Van Noy. Officials missed another.
Ravens defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, who had three sacks of Burrow, got away with a facemask on the Bengals quarterback with 1:40 left that should have given the Bengals 15 yards and a first down. The Bengals, though, did convert on fourth-and-10 with a 10-yard throw from Burrow to Andrei Iosivas that was reviewed to see if he reached the line to gain. The ruling on the field stood.
The Ravens didn’t breath a sigh of relief until recovering the onside kick.
Jackson threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns.
The Ravens had only 102 total yards in the first half, including 71 passing yards by Jackson, and trailed 14-7 at halftime. Baltimore ended the game with four consecutive touchdown drives, covering 31, 92, 65 and 70 yards, not counting a kneel down to end the game.
Ravens receiver Tylan Wallace finished with three catches for 115 yards, including an 84-yard score that was the longest touchdown pass of Jackson’s career.
The Bengals outgained the Ravens 470 to 389, with Burrow going 34-of-56 for 428 yards and four touchdowns. Chase caught 11 passes for 264 yards.
