There was hope that lightning wouldn't strike the franchise twice in two weeks. For a while, things went pretty well. Baltimore Ravens fans had reason to feel good about their team's chances when Tyler Loop connected on his second field goal right before halftime.That gave Baltimore a 13-0 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals
. The Ravens were dominating time of possession. They moved the ball and kept Joe Burrow and Cincinnati's offense from finding any rhythm.Baltimore had controlled the ball for 22:20 in the first half, compared with just 7:40 for the Bengals. Unfortunately for Baltimore, football games aren't decided after 30 minutes. The Bengals came out of halftime looking like a different team, while the Ravens fell apart on both sides of the ball.
Cincinnati erased a 13-point deficit on its first two third-quarter drives. They then scored touchdowns on five straight drives, turning a promising afternoon for Baltimore intoa demoralizing loss.
The result drops the Ravens to 4-3 overall and 0-2 in the AFC North. After showing signs of defensive improvement in recent weeks, Baltimore seems to be back at square one. They now face tough questions about their ability to finish games, protect leads, and compete with their divisional rivals. The first half had plenty to like, but the second half overshadowed nearly all of it.
What went right
- Zay Flowers continues to impress. Baltimore's opening drive reminded everyone what Flowers can do with the ball in his hands. Tyler Huntley found him on a quick pass on third-and-long, and Flowers turned the opportunity into a 48-yard touchdown. The explosive play gave Baltimore an early advantage and showed how quickly Flowers can change a game when he gets room to operate.
Zay Flowers house call!
— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
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- Kyle Hamilton keeps making plays near the line of scrimmage. Hamilton recorded his NFL-leading seventh tackle for loss by a defensive back this season, adding to his reputation as one of the league's most versatile defenders. He has 32 tackles for loss since 2022. That's the most by any NFL defensive back during that span. His ability to disrupt running plays remains a key weapon for Baltimore, even as the defense continues to search for consistency across all four quarters.
Kyle Hamilton already led the league in tackles for loss by a defensive back since he entered the league in 2022.
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) October 25, 2026
Add another to his tab. He's up to 32 for his career after that third-down stop.
- Ja'Kobi Lane showed Ravens fans why they should be excited about his future. Lane made two important third-down catches on Baltimore's third possession to extend the drive, displaying the ability to contribute when the offense needed a conversion. Those opportunities offered another encouraging glimpse of what he could become as his role grows. Mike Green also delivered a timely sack just before halftime, helping Baltimore carry its defensive momentum into the break.
- Nate Wiggins showed he can compete with Ja'Marr Chase. Most will remember Chase's TD reception against Wiggins. Still, on Cincinnati's second possession of the second half, the Ravens star delivered an impressive pass breakup against the Bengals' star receiver. That demonstrated the kind of coverage ability Baltimore needs against elite passing attacks. Unfortunately, Cincinnati scored a touchdown three plays later, so the defensive highlight didn't produce the result the Ravens needed. Still, Wiggins showed he can challenge Chase when the matchup comes his way.
- Josh Cuevas continues to make the most of his opportunities. Cuevas has become an encouraging option whenever Baltimore gets him involved in the offense. He adds another dimension to the passing game, and good things have tended to happen when he gets touches. Finding ways to keep him involved could give the Ravens another useful option as they work to make their offense more consistent.
What went wrong
- Mark Andrews continues to hurt Baltimore with false starts. Andrews picked up another false-start penalty, adding to a season-long problem that's become hard to ignore. He entered the game with four false starts. Those mistakes can put an offense behind schedule before a play even develops, making an already challenging job more difficult for the entire unit.
- The offensive line suffered another frustrating setback. Vega Ioane entered the game dealing with an ankle injury and then exited early with a knee issue. That forced Baltimore to shuffle its offensive line once again. Emery Jones moved into right guard, disrupting an offensive line that had struggled to find continuity just as the Ravens appeared to be getting closer to settling on a dependable front, and another injury complicated things.
- Baltimore left too many points on the field in the red zone. The Ravens failed to score touchdowns on two first-half red-zone possessions, settling for less than they could have gotten out of promising drives. Those missed opportunities didn't look nearly as costly when Baltimore led by 13, but they became more significant as Cincinnati mounted its comeback. Against an offense that can score quickly, field goals leave little margin for error.
The downright ugly
The second half could hardly have started worse for Baltimore's defense. After holding Burrow to six completions on 12 attempts for 43 yards before halftime, the Ravens watched him complete six consecutive passes for 59 yards on Cincinnati's opening third-quarter drive. The nine-play possession lasted 5:36 and ended with a six-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki, immediately cutting into Baltimore's lead and changing the atmosphere inside M&T Bank Stadium.
That drive was only the beginning. Burrow finished the second half with 16 completions on 18 attempts for 249 yards and four touchdowns. He picked apart a defense that had looked far more effective before halftime. Cincinnati scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives, turning a 13-point deficit into a commanding lead and leaving Baltimore without an answer.
The Ravens had shown signs of defensive progress in recent weeks, and their first-half performance suggested that improvement might continue against a dangerous divisional opponent. Instead, they surrendered 28 consecutive points over roughly a quarter and a half. Chase eventually beat Wiggins for another devastating touchdown, and Baltimore's deficit became too much to overcome.
Baltimore's earlier decision to go for it on fourth down instead of taking the field goal also deserves scrutiny. In hindsight, taking the points and playing with a lead may have been the wiser choice, but Cincinnati's onslaught makes you wonder if it would have mattered. The failed conversion didn't cause everything that followed, but it represented a missed opportunity to protect the lead at a crucial moment.
There were other concerns, too. Roquan Smith left with a knee injury and didn't return, while Derrick Henry repeatedly struggled to find room to run. The latter finished with 45 yards on 17 carries. Neither issue alone explains the loss, but both added to a difficult afternoon in which Baltimore couldn't consistently win the individual battles that matter most.
Perhaps the most telling detail came once the outcome was no longer in doubt: A Ravens Super Bowl hero, Joe Flacco, entered the game for Cincinnati in garbage time. The Ravens had spent the first half controlling the game, only to watch the Bengals put it away so thoroughly that their starting quarterback could take a seat.
Baltimore's problem wasn't simply losing a close divisional game. It led by 13, controlled possession, and limited one of the NFL's most dangerous quarterbacks before halftime. The inability to sustain that performance after the break makes this defeat especially concerning, especially with the Ravens now 0-2 against AFC North opponents.
What's next for the Ravens?
Baltimore has little time to dwell on the collapse, with a road matchup against the Buffalo Bills scheduled for next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The Ravens will need to regroup quickly, address their second-half defensive breakdowns, and find ways to keep their offense productive when opponents adjust.
The loss to Cincinnati shrinks the margin for error, but the immediate challenge is straightforward: Baltimore must turn its promising stretches into four-quarter performances. Until the Ravens demonstrate they can protect a lead and finish games, their early success will continue to feel less meaningful than it should.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Good, bad, and ugly from Ravens’ 35-13 loss to Bengals
