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The Cincinnati Bengals preserved their chance for Super Bowl redemption by escaping against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, setting up a date against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs next week.
In what turned into a classic AFC North game, the Bengals used a 98-yard fumble return for a fourth-quarter touchdown to propel them to a 24-17 win. The two teams went blow for blow a week after meeting in the regular season finale, a 27-16 Bengals win that guaranteed the game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
That win wasn’t arguably the most dramatic swing in the NFL playoffs so far.
With the game tied at 17 in the fourth quarter, Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley — rated questionable with a shoulder injury and starting in place of Lamar Jackson — had the Ravens poised to take the lead.
From the 1 yard line, Huntley raced towards the goal line. Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson knocked the ball off and it fell into the hands of defensive end Sam Hubbard, who ran 98 yards the other way for six points.
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The Bengals had to survive another push from the Ravens later in the fourth quarter. Baltimore started a drive at the Cincinnati 46-yard line but, needing a touchdown, missed after reaching the red zone.
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches (12 targets) for 84 yards and a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter that put the Bengals up 9-0. But the Ravens, who came in with the league’s second-largest rushing defense, contained the Bengals on the ground (51 rushing yards per team). Quarterback Joe Burrow was 23 of 32 for 209 yards and a touchdown.
Here’s what we learned from Wild Card Sunday’s final game and third thriller:
What the win means for the Bengals
Beating a division opponent twice in consecutive weeks is no joke. The prize for the Bengals is a trip to Buffalo with a spot in the AFC Championship Game on the line.
Cincinnati appeared in control before Huntley mounted a comeback attempt in the second half. He connected with Demarcus Robinson for a 41-yard touchdown to tie the game at 17, with cornerback Eli Apple beaten hard. On the Ravens’ next practice, Huntley found tight end Mark Andrews for 25 yards and ran 35 yards down the 1-yard line before his critical fumble.
Burrow remains undefeated (4-0) against playoff opponents AFC.
What the loss means for the Ravens
An offseason of question marks surrounding Jackson and a long-term deal awaits. The main point of negotiation during the talks which stalled before this season concerned the amount of guaranteed money. Jackson looked to bet on himself and played well – just not at MVP level like he did in 2019 – before his season ended with a knee injury in Week 13.
The loss highlighted the dependence of offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s plan on Jackson’s skills. The whole season has been an indictment of receivers’ lack of depth.
On defense, the Ravens have a solid foundation. Their performance against the Bengals — and for most of the season — showed that.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey and inside linebacker Roquan Smith have signed long-term deals, while linebacker Patrick Queen and safety Kyle Hamilton have rookie contracts.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh chose not to use timeouts
With less than two minutes remaining, the Ravens’ offense continued to regroup despite needing a touchdown. They entered the player with two timeouts remaining and used none of them until the clock was stopped at the third and 20th.
Veteran offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler was called for a hold that took them out of the red zone and Huntley found nothing on the field. A final attempt by Hail Mary to the end zone was nearly caught by James Proche but fell to the ground, ending the Ravens’ season.
Jonah Williams injury: Bengals offensive line problems worsen
Left tackle Jonah Williams is out with a left knee injury, further draining the offensive line.
The Bengals were already without guard Alex Cappa and right tackle La’el Collins, both of whom were free agent signings in the offseason to bolster Burrow’s protection. Burrow was sacked four times against Baltimore and not having Williams for the rest of the playoffs would be an obvious extra hit.
The Ravens’ much-needed long drive
The Bengals led the league in time of possession (31:55) in the regular season and had the ball for over 12 minutes in the first quarter thanks to Huntley’s interception.
In the second quarter, Baltimore’s offense rebounded for 17 plays and 75 yards that lasted 10:03, capped by a touchdown reception from JK Dobbins as he extended beyond the goal line. The Ravens got the ball back quickly after a fumble from Hayden Hurst, forced and recovered by Hamilton. That set up a Justin Tucker field goal before halftime that sent the Ravens into the locker room with a 10-9 advantage.
What does Lamar Jackson’s future look like with the Baltimore Ravens?
Not clear. Jackson did not travel with the team to Cincinnati.
What’s obvious, though, is that the Ravens’ offense depends on Jackson. The offense’s two touchdowns were the most since missing Dec. 4 against the Denver Broncos.
The initial prognosis for the injury, a PCL sprain, was 1 to 3 weeks. But Jackson hasn’t trained as much since that injury, and on Thursday he offered his first injury update.
“I suffered a Grade 2 PCL sprain bordering on a 3 strain,” Jackson wrote on Twitter. “There is still inflammation around my knee and my knee remains unstable.”
Jackson added that he wouldn’t be able to give “100% of myself to my guys and my fans.”
Pressed repeatedly if Jackson’s injury was more serious than initially thought, Harbaugh declined to elaborate, citing he could not comment on the players’ specific injuries.
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
