Ravens collapse after 13-0 lead, drop to 4-3 in loss to Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens held a 13-0 lead at halftime. By the final whistle, they were losing 35-13. The collapse at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday left the team at 4-3 and facing a short week before a trip to Buffalo.

Baltimore controlled the first half. Starting quarterback Tyler Huntley threw for 215 yards, including 120 to Zay Flowers. Flowers opened the scoring with a 48-yard catch-and-run. The Ravens added two field goals and held the ball for 22 minutes and 20 seconds in the first 30 minutes.

The offense failed to convert that time into points. The team went 0-for-3 in the red zone and 0-for-2 on fourth down. Officials flagged Baltimore 10 times for 57 yards, according to Ravens Wire. Those misses kept Cincinnati within striking distance.

The Cincinnati Bengals scored on five straight possessions after the break. Joe Burrow threw touchdown passes to Mike Gesicki and Tee Higgins. Higgins scored from 13 yards to give Cincinnati a 14-13 lead. Samaje Perine ran for a touchdown after a Baltimore turnover on downs. Ja'Veon Snead added a 2-yard score. Burrow found Drew Sample for 16 yards after Huntley threw an interception.

The Associated Press noted that Baltimore has been outscored by 70 points after halftime this season. The total yardage between the two teams was nearly even. The difference lay in where the yards were generated. Baltimore's yards stalled in the red zone, while Cincinnati's turned into touchdowns.

First-year head coach Jesse Minter described the team's reliance on momentum in his postgame press conference. He said, “We’re riding the wave when it’s good, and we’re riding the wave when it’s bad.” Minter said the team is too dependent on momentum, a pattern that showed up when the first second-half touchdown flipped the game.

The next question for fans is whether Lamar Jackson will play at Buffalo. Jackson has missed three straight games with an ankle injury sustained in the October 4 win over Tennessee. He was a limited participant in practice last week. The team listed him as questionable before declaring him inactive for Sunday's game.

Minter said the team expects to know if Jackson will return to practice and play over the next couple of days. The first official injury report for the Bills game will show his status. Jackson is in the fourth season of a five-year, $260 million deal that runs through 2027. He and the team did not agree on an extension before this season, according to Front Office Sports.

Other injuries require attention this week. Rookie right guard Vega Ioane left in the first half with a knee injury and was ruled out. Emery Jones Jr. replaced him. Linebacker Roquan Smith left early in the fourth quarter with a knee issue but returned to the game, according to ProFootballTalk and Ravens Wire.

The schedule does not ease up. Baltimore visits Buffalo on Sunday, then has only three days before hosting Jacksonville on Thursday night. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. The next test for the city's postgame traffic setup around the stadium will occur on that work night. The Ravens still have rematches against Cincinnati and two division games against Pittsburgh ahead of them.