Bengals Report Card: Breaking Down Amazing Performances and Gaffes in 35-34 Loss to Ravens

Jay Morrison | Nov 8, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton (81) drops a pass as Baltimore Ravens defensive back Brandon Stephens (21) guards him in the fourth quarter of the NFL game at M&T Banks Stadium in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals wasted another elite performance by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in a 35-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.

It’s the third time this season the Bengals have scored 30+ points and still lost, joining the 38-33 loss to the Washington Commanders and the 41-38 overtime setback in their first meeting with the Ravens in Week 5.

Those three losses are one shy of the most in a single season in NFL history, and there are still seven games to go to tie or surpass it.

Let's take a look at the grade:

Rush Offense

Chase Brown carried 13 times for 42 yards a touchdown, but there was one attempt that completely offset anything the second-year back did on his other 12 carries.

Brown’s fumble in the third quarter came with the Bengals lead by 14 and a chance to bury Baltimore with another scoring drive.

Instead, the Ravens took over at the Cincinnati 31-yard line and cashed in for their first of four consecutive touchdown drives.

Brown shouldn’t be held responsible for the final three, but it’s also realistic to believe they don’t happen if Cincinnati goes up by three scores or simply just punts to the ball back to Baltimore with a few minutes left in the third quarter.

Grade: D+

Pass Offense

The production from Burrow (428 passing yards, four touchdowns) and Chase (264 yards, three touchdowns) was insane.

But some questionable decisions to take deep shots on a pair of fourth-and-2 plays and Burrow’s choice to throw to Tanner Hudson instead of Chase on the game-deciding two-point conversion attempt shade the gaudy stats.

And the pass protection was an issue all game long, which makes it even more amazing what Burrow and Chase were able to accomplish. But it also works against the grade.

Grade: B

Rush Defense

The Bengals once again did an admirable job containing Derrick Henry, limiting him to 68 yards on 16 attempts.

But Lamar Jackson, as he’s wont to do, hurt the Bengals with some designed runs and some scrambles, including the ridiculous play where he covered 51.8 yards to get 10 yards and a first down, setting up Henry’s 1-yard touchdown to cap the 31-yard drive after the Brown fumble.

Overall, Baltimore had 25 carries for 99 yards and no explosive (12+) runs.

That snapped Baltimore’s streak of 42 consecutive games with at least one explosive rush, dating back to the 2022 season opener.

 For the Bengals, it’s the first time in 10 years they’ve held opponents without an explosive rush in back-to-back games. The last time was Weeks 13-14 in 2014 against the Texans and Buccaneers.

Grade: B+

Pass Defense

As ugly as it gets, and that was just one play – the screen that Tylan Wallace turned into an 84-yard touchdown when Cam Taylor-Britt, Logan Wilson and Geno Stone all missed tackles.

Actually, Wilson and Stone just missed mere pushes, needing only a slight nudge to get Wallace out of bounds as he was inches from the sideline when they contacted him.

It was the only play of more than 20 yards the Ravens had in the game, but it was a killer, getting the Ravens within a point after Justin Tucker missed the PAT.

Jackson was 25 of 33 for 290 yards and four touchdowns for a 141.8 passer rating.

Grade: D-

Special Teams

There really wasn’t much to grade with zero field goal attempts, two kickoff returns and two punt returns.

Rehkow had three punts for a 41.3 average (gross and net), which isn’t great, but one of those punts was on the Baltimore side of the field and he dropped it at the 8.

The lone Baltimore kick return went for 30 yards.

Cincinnati’s only kick return gained just 17.

Grade: C+

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