Halftime Observations: Bengals Lead Ravens 24-7 in Quest to Secure Home Playoff Game

Cincinnati is hoping to win their eighth straight game.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Jan 8, 2023 2:33 PM EST

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bengals were upset about the NFL's playoff rule changes and it showed in the first half.

Cincinnati has a 24-7 lead over Baltimore at halftime. They've dominated on both sides of the ball.

Their defense had two interceptions and forced a turnover on downs. The offense scored on three-straight possessions to start the game.

If the Bengals win, they're guaranteed at least one home playoff game.

Here are some of our halftime observations:

Coin Toss

Joe Mixon scored the Bengals' first touchdown of the game. He pulled a coin out after his one-yard run and flipped it. He was joined by teammates to metaphorically kick the coin into the stands.

If the Bengals lose to the Ravens on Sunday, the NFL decided that a coin toss would decide homefield advantage if the two teams meet in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

The organization was "furious" about the NFL's decision to change the rule in the middle of the season.

Watch Mixon's Celebration Here

Big Play Defense

Trey Hendrickson sacked Anthony Brown and forced a fumble in the process. The ball bounced backwards in the end zone and was recovered by Joseph Ossai for a Bengals touchdown.

That play gave Cincinnati a 24-7 lead and the breathing room they needed going into halftime.

Drue Chrisman pinned the Ravens at their own 5-yard line at the start of that possession. He punted the ball 56 yards, which helped set up the defense for the touchdown. It was the best punt of Chrisman's career.

Chase Tops 1K

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had five receptions for 49 yards in the first half.

He needed 40 yards to hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark (1,009) for a second consecutive season.

Chase missed four games with a hip injury, plus the Bengals' Week 17 matchup against the Bills was canceled. Despite that, the 22-year-old has 1,000-yards receiving in back-to-back seasons

Offense

The Bengals weren't particularly sharp on offense in the first half. Joe Burrow completed 18-of-28 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown. There were multiple throws that he would like to have back.

The Bengals Will Win If...

They take care of the ball. They've built a big lead and have dominated on offense and defense. In an ideal world, Burrow and most of the starters would be on the bench in the second half.

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