Baltimore (3-2) now sits alone atop the AFC North, while the Bengals could not string together a third straight win to take that lead. All three Bengals’ losses have come on the final play of the game.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow led the offense down the field for a go-ahead score on a 1-yard keeper with 1:58 left after the defense had held the Ravens to a pair of field goals. Cincinnati ate up almost eight minutes off the clock but it wasn’t enough.
The Ravens moved 45 yards on seven plays to set up Tucker’s fourth field goal of the night.
Cincinnati’s offense struggled most of the night. Burrow threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage after Baltimore turned the ball over on downs to open the third quarter, and a questionable shovel pass on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line the next drive opened the door for the Ravens to regain the lead.
Baltimore had gotten on the board first when Tucker capped the team’s first drive with a 37-yard field goal. The Bengals had no answers and their inability to move the chains eventually led to a short field to set up the Ravens’ only touchdown, an 11-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to a wide open Mark Andrews to make it 10-0 with 13:26 left in the second quarter.
Cincinnati went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, but the defense stepped up as it has been known to do, and Vonn Bell picked off Jackson for his third interception of the season, all in the last two games. That seemed to be the spark the offense needed, and the Bengals drove 88 yards on their first of back-to-back scoring drives.
Hayden Hurst hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to cap the touchdown drive, and Evan McPherson nailed a 40-yard field goal on the next one to help the Bengals to a 10-all tie right before halftime.
Baltimore then gave Cincinnati a short field to start their first drive of the second half, but Burrow’s interception wiped that momentum swing and Cincinnati’s only lead came at the end of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Bengals did what they do best on offense, producing in crunch time. McPherson’s point-after kick almost went wide, but it was good enough for the temporary lead.
The Bengals finished with 291 yards of net offense, including 101 yards rushing as Joe Mixon finished with 78 yards on 12 carries. Burrow completed 24 of 35 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown. Jackson had 174 yards passing and 58 yards rushing to lead the Ravens.
Cincinnati was without Tee Higgins for more than a half, as he suffered a setback with his left ankle that had limited him all week in practice.
SUNDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Saints, 1 p.m., Ch. 7, 12; 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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