BALTIMORE — Joe Burrow scored two second-half touchdowns in his return to Cincinnati, and the Bengals snapped Baltimore's five-game winning streak with a 32-14 victory over the error-prone Ravens on Thursday night.
Baltimore (6-6) had three turnovers in the first half and turned the ball over five times in the game. Although the Bengals (4-8) didn't take full advantage of those mistakes, Burrow and his receivers began to click in the final two quarters.
Tanner Hudson made a stunning one-handed grab in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown to put Cincinnati up 19-7, and after the Ravens responded with an 18-yard Keaton Mitchell touchdown run, Burrow threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Andrei Iosivas late in the third quarter.
Baltimore then drove into Bengals territory, but Lamar Jackson's deflected pass was intercepted by Demetrius Knight Jr., the two-time MVP's third turnover of the night.
The Ravens recovered from a 1-5 start to move into a tie with Pittsburgh at the top of the AFC North, but Baltimore looked less than impressive offensively in recent wins over Cleveland and the New York Jets, and that continued against Cincinnati's abysmal defense.
Derrick Henry scored on an 18-yard run on Baltimore's first possession to give the Ravens a 7-3 lead, and Jackson looked faster during his run than he has in a while. But his passing was erratic and he seemed unsure of his position behind an offensive line that had had a rough season.
Jackson lost the ball on the sack, giving the ball to Cincinnati at the Baltimore 2. The Bengals went scoreless after turning the ball over on downs, but the Ravens' troubles were just beginning. Isaiah Likely almost scored on a long interception in the second quarter, but he missed just before the goal line and the ball went through the end zone, giving the ball to Cincinnati.
Later, the Ravens' Zay Flowers scored a touchdown on an offensive pass interference flag, and then Jackson fumbled near the end of the half – unforced – when he tried to hold on while throwing and the ball slipped out of his hand.
After all that, the Bengals only led 12-7 at halftime, and Burrow had a few shaky throws of his own in the first game back from Week 2. But in the second half he was sharper. Returning from a toe injury, Burrow went 24 of 46 for 261 yards.
Jackson was 17 of 32 from 246.
Bengals: LB Brian Asamoah II injured his knee.
Ravens: Baltimore was without CB Nate Wiggins (leg) in the second half, which likely contributed to the defense's difficulty getting off the field. … LB Chandler Martin injured his knee in the first half.
Bengals: at Buffalo, Dec. 7.
Ravens: Host Pittsburgh on Dec. 7.
