That’s how the Cincinnati Bengals drew it up.
Joe Burrow not getting hurt and connecting with Ja’Marr Chase. Check.
Evan McPherson consistently making field goals. Check.
The defense making opportunistic plays and doing just enough to give Burrow and Chase the chance to win the game. Check.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt all worked so beautifully – finally – in Cincinnati’s 32-14 shocking win in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night.
Most beautiful of all for Bengals fans, Burrow returned from a 10-week injury absence, threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns and put the NFL on notice that Cincinnati’s 2025 season isn’t quite dead yet. And amazingly, the league's worst defense forced five fumbles, regularly pressured the quarterback and kept the running game in check.
Then it was McPherson going 6-for-6 on field goals, offering a steady dose of points to keep the AFC North rival Ravens in a hole since late in the second quarter.
“That was the first all-around game we’ve played all season," Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters after Cincinnati snapped the Ravens' five-game winning streak. "It's never too late to get going."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt most likely is too late for Cincinnati's playoff hopes, but nonetheless this is what Bengals fans have been waiting on for nearly two years. They've waited even longer than that for a win in Baltimore, where Cincinnati snapped a three-game, primetime losing streak.
Joe Burrow, returning after being out since Week 2, completed 24 of 46 passes for 261 yards, two touchdown and no interceptions in the 32-14 victory over the Ravens Thanksgiving night.The Bengals were again without injured edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. But guys who seemingly had disappeared for the season showed up and made big plays. Defensive end Joseph Ossai – remember him? – had two sacks and created havoc for quarterback Lamar Jackson all game.
Safety Jordan Battle – a model for the defensive ineptitude all season – busted his butt to track down Isaiah Likely and strip the ball out of his hands just before he crossed the goal line. It turned a Ravens, second-quarter, go-ahead touchdown into a Bengals touchback.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThen little-known, third-string cornerback Jalen Davis stripped the ball out of Zay Flowers' arms late in the game, ensuring the Ravens wouldn't mount a comeback.
Edge rusher Joseph Ossai created havoc for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson all night, including registering two sacks.Where's all that been?
The moment is undoubtedly exciting for the Bengals, who'd lost 8 of their previous 9 games. They played with energy, feeling a boost with the return of Burrow. The Bengals play with more "urgency" when Burrow is on the field, said Chase, who caught seven passes for 110 yards. It was fun to watch Burrow and his teammates munch on turkey legs and smile during the postgame interview on NBC.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"It felt great," Burrow told reporters.
But a game like this also can be maddening for Bengals fans. It leaves them wondering "what if."
What if the front office had put even an average defense on the field the past two seasons? Why couldn't the Bengals do this to the Ravens last season? Both games vs. Baltimore in 2024 underscore the Bengals' problems the past two seasons. The Bengals scored 38 and 34 points in games against the Ravens last season – and lost. Those losses helped spoil MVP-level play by Burrow and kept the Bengals home for the playoffs.
That inability to make stops and holds leads has plagued the Bengals again this season, against good and bad teams.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs well as the Bengals played on Thursday, it should also be a cautionary tale. The front office cannot look at the game and say: See, we have a good defense. We don't need to make changes. That's always a concern with the Bengals' front office, because owner Mike Brown and player personnel director Duke Tobin believe the team is perpetually close.
The Bengals' five-game winning streak to end 2024 left the front office believing the defense was close and not needing to spend money to make major changes.
The defense is not close. The Bengals still need a complete overhaul at every level of the defense. One good performance doesn't mask two seasons of poor play – and several years of inept draft picks.
Contact columnist Jason Williams at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joe Burrow, Bengals dominance leaves fans wondering 'what if'
AdvertisementAdvertisement
