Ravens vs. Bengals final recap: Lamar rushes to victory

After retaking the lead of the AFC North, the 3-2 Baltimore Ravens look to net another divisional win against the 0-5 Cincinnati Bengals.

Baltimore won the opening coin toss and chose to defer. Many labeled this match up as a trap game for the Ravens, and it certainly looked that way as Brandon Wilson returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a Cincinnati touchdown.

Led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore’s offense quickly responded with a touchdown of their own. The offense’s first drive lasted six plays, including a 36-yard run and a 21-yard touchdown run from Jackson.

After forcing a quick three-and-out on defense, the Ravens took the lead with another touchdown. The 10-play drive resulted in a one-yard touchdown run from Mark Ingram. Jackson completed a 20-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews and an 18-yard pass to rookie receiver Myles Boykin on the drive.

Baltimore’s defense continued to hold strong as they forced another three-and-out. The offense added onto their lead with a 40-yard field goal from Justin Tucker. The highlight of the drive was a 39-yard completion to Andrews.

Following a punt from both teams, the Bengals were threatening to score after driving down the field to the 21-yard line. On first down at the 21, quarterback Andy Dalton’s pass to tight end Drew Sample was tipped by linebacker Josh Bynes and intercepted by cornerback Marlon Humphrey.

The offense was unable to capitalize off of the turnover, however. On 2nd & 18, Jackson connected with Andrews for a 16-yard gain, but Andrews lost the ball when he attempted to hurdle a defender. Cincinnati recovered the fumble. The turnover led to a 22-yard field goal. The Ravens entered halftime with a 17-10 lead after failing to reach field goal range to end the second quarter.

Both team’s first drives of the second half stalled and ended with punts. Baltimore’s offense extended their lead to 10 with another field goal on the next drive. The drive lasted for 13 plays, eating up 6:58 on the clock. Tucker booted the 49-yard field goal through to make the score 20-10.

The stingy day for the defense continued as they forced another three-and-out. With 13:32 left in the game, the Ravens imposed their will with an 18-play drive that lasted 9:46. The long drive ended with another field, making the score 23-10 with 3:49 left to play in the fourth quarter.

The Bengals weren’t done for the day yet, though. Dalton led the offense on a 12-play scoring drive to cut it down to a one-score game. The touchdown came from Dalton as he ran it in from two-yards out. After the extra point, the score was 23-17.

The Ravens were able to end the game by kneeling after Cincinnati failed to complete the onside kick. Baltimore now improves to 4-2 as they a tough match up in Seattle looms ahead.