The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a major blow to their playoff hopes on Thursday night, as their star quarterback Joe Burrow left the game against the Baltimore Ravens with a sprained right wrist. Burrow was injured on a sack by Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser, who landed on Burrow’s arm as he brought him down. Burrow immediately grabbed his wrist and was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. He did not return to the game and was replaced by backup Brandon Allen.
Burrow had completed 10 of 15 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown before his injury. He had also rushed for 18 yards on three carries. Burrow was leading the Bengals on a potential game-tying drive in the second quarter, as they trailed the Ravens 14-7 at the time of his exit. Burrow had thrown a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah in the first quarter, giving the Bengals an early 7-0 lead.
Ravens capitalize on Bengals’ mistakes
The Ravens took advantage of Burrow’s absence and the Bengals’ turnovers to extend their lead in the second half. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 86 yards and a score. Jackson connected with wide receiver Marquise Brown for a 34-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and with tight end Mark Andrews for a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Jackson also scored on a 5-yard run in the second quarter, giving the Ravens a 14-7 lead.
The Bengals committed four turnovers in the game, including three interceptions by Allen and a fumble by running back Joe Mixon. The Ravens converted those turnovers into 13 points, including a 36-yard field goal by Justin Tucker in the third quarter and a 1-yard touchdown run by Latavius Murray in the fourth quarter. The Ravens also sacked Allen four times and held the Bengals to 4 of 13 on third-down conversions.
Bengals rally late but fall short
The Bengals did not give up despite the deficit and the injuries. They scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game, making it a one-possession game. Allen threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins with 4:54 left in the game and a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase with 1:12 left in the game. The Bengals recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Allen’s pass on fourth-and-10 was incomplete, sealing the Ravens’ victory.
Allen finished the game with 189 yards and two touchdowns on 16 of 29 passing. He also threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Higgins led the Bengals with six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Chase had five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. Mixon had 58 yards on 14 carries but also lost a fumble.
The Bengals fell to 5-6 with the loss, while the Ravens improved to 8-3 with the win. The Bengals are now two games behind the Ravens in the AFC North standings and also trail the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are both 6-5. The Bengals will face the Los Angeles Chargers next week, while the Ravens will face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
