Winners and Losers From Cincinnati Bengals' 35-34 Loss to Baltimore Ravens

The Bengals are 4-6 after the loss.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor looks on in the fourth quarter of the NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Banks Stadium in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Bengals lost to the Ravens 35-34 on Thursday night after they blew a 21-7 second half lead. Cincinnati is 4-6 on the season and 1-2 in the AFC North.

Here are our winners and losers from the Bengals' loss to the Ravens:

Winners

Joe Burrow

Burrow took a beating, literally, but still played at a high level throughout the game. He was pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks and took multiple bone crushing hits. He kept getting up, completing 34-of-56 passes for 428 yards and four touchdowns.

Burrow also guided the Bengals' offense down the field late in the fourth quarter for the possible game-winning touchdown.

Ja'Marr Chase

It's unbelievable to think that the Bengals lost on Thursday when their star receiver was the best player on a field that included Lamar Jackson and Burrow.

Chase was amazing, finishing with 11 targets for 264 yards and three touchdowns. He had 67 and 70-yard touchdowns, before scoring the possible game-winner with 37 seconds left. Chase played like the best receiver in the world and it still wasn't enough for the Bengals to win the game.

Related: Joe Burrow Posts Historic Stat Lines in Losses to Ravens

Tanner Hudson

Tanner Hudson finished with six catches on seven targets for 42 yards and one touchdown. The veteran was a safety net for Burrow throughout the game.

With Baltimore trying to stop Chase and focusing on Mike Gesicki, the Bengals desperately needed someone to step up and make plays in the passing game.

Losers

Bengals' Second Half Defense

The Bengals gave up four-straight touchdown drives to end the game. That allowed the Ravens to rebound from a 14-point second half deficit. Sure, Chase Brown fumbled to give Baltimore some momentum in the third quarter.

This Bengals' defense needs to answer in that situation and they didn't. Cam Taylor-Britt dropped a possible interception with the game tied at 28. Trey Hendrickson didn't bring down Jackson for a sack when he had the chance.

This defense lacks playmakers and that was on full display Thursday night.

Bengals' Offensive Line

The Bengals' offensive line struggled for most of the night. Burrow went off-script and found ways to make plays, but he took a ton of hits. He was sacked three times and hit 13 times (it was even more than that) according to the official stats.

This offensive front has to be better if the Bengals are going to rebound against the Chargers in Week 11.

Zac Taylor/Lou Anarumo

Both Taylor and Anarumo deserve their fair share of blame for Thursday night.

Taylor going for it on 4th-and-2 from the Ravens' 34-yard line and the Bengals clinging to a 21-20 lead was the wrong decision. Kick the field goal. Give Evan McPherson a chance to give you a four-point lead.

The decision would've been fine if they got points on the drive prior. The Bengals had the ball 1st-and-10 at Baltimore's 34-yard line. Burrow got sacked, then he was pressured on 2nd-and-16 and threw an incompletion. Instead of getting a few yards on third down, the Bengals went for the first down and were forced to punt.

Punting in Ravens territory in the fourth quarter when you have a 21-14 lead is rough. No, they shouldn't have gone for it on 4th-and-16, but they should've found a way to pick up 5-6 yards on second and third down to kick a field goal to extend the lead. Back-to-back possessions ending in Ravens' territory without points is painful.

Anarumo wasn't much better. The tackling issues continue. Their inability to generate pressure on Jackson and bring him to the ground is painful. Also, his unit had the worst tackling play in NFL history after the Bengals punted the ball back to the Ravens.

The Officials

There is absolutely no way that game can end the way it did. The officials are the biggest losers of the night. Jackson, Burrow and Chase put on a show and the officials swallow their whistle on two obvious penalties with the game on the line.

The Bengals had their chances to win the game, but the NFL should be embarrassed with the officiating on the final play.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and watch the video below:

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

-----

Join the 48,000+ Bengals fans that subscribe to us on YouTube.

Follow us on Twitter: @BengalsTalkSI

Like Our Facebook Page

Follow on TikTok