Week 5 is a bit early for a playoff game, but it sure felt that way when the Baltimore Ravens squared off against the Cincinnati Bengals in what turned out to be a magnificent quarterbacks’ duel and 41-38 overtime win for Baltimore.
Week 5 is also a bit early for a referendum game, but it sure felt that way for Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
Week 5 is definitely a bit early for crowning the touchdown pass of the year, but Lamar Jackson may have pulled it off for the Baltimore Ravens.
Jackson appeared to have made a catastrophic overtime mistake, fumbling away a snap, but Cincinnati missed a game-winning field goal, and Derrick Henry made the Bengals pay on the very next play with a 51-yard sprint that set up Baltimore’s walkoff field goal.
The instant-classic showdown began as a typical AFC North rock fight, but the second half turned into an Olympic sprint. The teams combined for an astounding six straight touchdowns to start the second half, then settled matters with a chaotic back-and-forth overtime.
The game began with a bit of history. On the Ravens’ first series, Henry rumbled into the end zone for his 100th career touchdown; he’s only the 27th player in NFL history to hit triple digits in touchdowns. Jackson later found Rashod Bateman to take a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
But then the 2024 Bengals began to look more like the Bengals of yore — or the Tigers of Burrow’s college days at LSU. Cincinnati halted Henry in the end zone for a safety, then ran off another 15 unanswered points to take a 24-14 lead.
Burrow, who has effectively addressed all lingering injury concerns, delivered two highlight-reel passes in that run, starting with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase:
He later found Andrei Iosivas in double coverage with a pinpoint rainbow that set up Burrow’s third touchdown pass, and second to Tee Higgins:
Also in the mix: a strange play where the officials wouldn’t let Cincinnati snap the ball … then dinged the Bengals for a delay-of-game penalty because they didn’t snap the ball.
The second half was a flat-out sprint, with the first six combined possessions ending in touchdowns, none smoother than Jackson’s brilliant disaster-to-glory touchdown pass with less than six minutes remaining in the game:
Burrow’s interception late in the fourth quarter ended the nothing-but-touchdowns second-half run at the worst possible time for Cincinnati. Fortunately for the Bengals, Jackson and the Ravens weren’t able to flip that into another touchdown; they managed to wrangle a game-tying 56-yard field goal from Justin Tucker to tie the game at 38.
Then came overtime, and Jackson’s crucial mistake. In Cincinnati territory and driving, the Ravens appeared primed to nail down a game-winning touchdown. But Jackson fumbled the snap, and Cincinnati played conservatively to set up a field goal … that Evan McPherson missed after a botched hold.
On the very next play, Henry stomped for 51 yards, setting up the winning field goal.
The loss spoiled what had been an outstanding day for Burrow. He threw for 392 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, but that fourth-quarter interception when the Bengals led by 3 allowed the Ravens to force overtime. Jackson, meanwhile, was 26 of 42 for 348 yards and four touchdowns, and the missed field goal meant his overtime fumble didn’t end up costing Baltimore the game. Henry carried the ball 15 yards for 92 yards.
Cincinnati is now in a world of trouble, 1-4 on the season and looking at a huge mountain to climb to get back into the playoff hunt. Baltimore, meanwhile, has resolved all concerns after its 0-2 start, with three straight wins and an offensive attack that’s clearly working to (near) perfection.
Looking ahead, the Ravens have the Battle of I-95 next week, facing off against Washington, followed by road games against Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Cincinnati, meanwhile, will have road games against the Giants and Cleveland before welcoming in the Eagles. By then, the identity of both of these teams will be a lot clearer, for better or worse.