Playing without Lamar Jacksonfor a third straight game, Baltimore led 13-0 at halftime and had outgained Cincinnati 258-59. The game flipped after intermission: Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes, Samaje Perine scored on a 1-yard run, and the Bengals scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions. Baltimore has been outscored 48-0 after halftime over its past two games.
Baltimore surrendered 35 unanswered points and lost 35-13 to Cincinnati on Sunday, falling to 4-3 after its second consecutive defeat and dropping to 0-2 in the AFC North. The Ravens now sit fourth in the division.
Tyler Huntley threw for a career-high 298 yards but was intercepted late, setting up Cincinnati’s final touchdown. Zay Flowers produced eight catches for 137
yards, including a 48-yard touchdown, but Derrick Henry was held to 45 yards on 17 carries. Tee Higgins repeatedly exposed Baltimore’s secondary, finishing with six receptions for 148 yards and a score.
Rookie guard Vega Ioane exited with a knee injury, further thinning an offensive line that could not sustain its dominant first half. Baltimore visits Buffalo on Nov. 1, with Jackson’s availability again central to its outlook and little margin remaining after consecutive divisional losses.
Here are five takeaways from Sunday's loss.
1. Baltimore’s lead was less secure than its yardage advantage suggested. The Ravens dominated possession but scored only one touchdown before halftime. Two red-zone field goals left Cincinnati a manageable deficit to overcome.
2. Cincinnati solved Baltimore’s defense. Burrow improved from 6-of-12 for 43 yards in the first half to 16-of-18 for 249 yards and four touchdowns in the second.
3. Henry needs more productive conditions. He got 45 yards on 17 carries, including a long run of nine. Baltimore could not establish reliable rushing efficiency.
4. Flowers remains the offense’s most productive receiving answer. He caught eight passes for 137 yards and a touchdown, but only 17 receiving yards came after halftime, a drastic drop-off.
5. Injuries keep complicating continuity. Ioane’s knee injury forced another adjustment to the offensive line. Roquan Smith’s temporary absence raised concerns before he returned. The Ravens have enough ability to dominate stretches. Their next step is proving those stretches can survive opponent adjustments and extend into complete games.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: What Ravens’ loss to Cincinnati revealed about Baltimore’s problems
