CINCINNATI — Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore offense did more than enough, despite not having the services of running back J.K. Dobbins, as the Ravens outlasted slow-starting Cincinnati 27-24 on Sunday.
The Bengals fell to 0-2 for the second-straight season, and to top it off, quarterback Joe Burrow may have aggravated a calf injury that kept him for all of training camp.
Jackson set the pace for the Ravens offense, completing 24 for 33 for 237 yards and two scores. He ran for 54 more, and Gus Edwards — who has taken over the running back duties due to Dobbins’ season-ending torn Achilles tendon — picked up 62 yards on 10 carries.
Burrow bounced back after passing for just 86 last week in the season-opening loss to Cleveland, finishing 27 for 41 for 222 yards and two passing scores. However, Burrow limped off the field after connecting with Tee Higgins for a short touchdown with 3:28 in the game.
But despite cutting the deficit down to three, the Bengals couldn’t stop Jackson and the Ravens’ offense, which moved the chains twice and ran out the clock.
Burrow said he’d have to see how his calf feels over the next two days before knowing his availability would be for next week.
“It’s not what we were planning on, not what you want to do at all, but we’ll bounce back,” Burrow said. “That’s what we do. That’s all there is to it.”
Jackson would completed all five passes on the Ravens opening drive, as marched 70-yard yards and ate up nearly eight minutes, and Edwards bulled hid way in from 1 yard out to finish it.
The Bengals would tie it back up early in the second quarter on an electrifying 81-yard punt return for a touchdown by rookie Charlie Jones. It was Jones’ first NFL score and the first punt returned for a score by a Cincinnati player since 2012.
But the Bengals still struggled to get their offense going until well into the second quarter. They didn’t record a first down until more than 10 minutes into the second, which came via a defensive pass interference penalty.
Despite the aid of the penalty, the drive stalled at the Ravens 9 when cornerback Rock Ya-Sin batted away a pass into the end zone intended for Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals had to settle for 27-yard field goal from Evan McPherson to cut the score to 13-10 at the half.
In the second half, Burrow engineered a drive that got all the way down to the Ravens 17, but he was picked off near the goal line by Geno Stone.
Baltimore capitalized on the turnover, and as their ensuing drive ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Mark Andrews to give the Ravens a 20-10 lead.
The Bengals would pull within 20-17 while putting together their best drive of the season, with Burrow going 8 for 10 and tossing a 3-yard TD pass to Higgins.
However, Baltimore extended the lead back out to 10 in the fourth quarter when Jackson connected with Nelson Agholor from 17 yards out.
Bengals will host the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, Sept. 25.
Baltimore 7 6 7 7 — 27
Cincinnati 0 10 7 7 — 24
First Quarter
Bal–Edwards 1 run (Tucker kick), 7:12.
Second Quarter
Cin–C.Jones 81 punt return (McPherson kick), 13:14.
Bal–FG Tucker 44, 9:15.
Cin–FG McPherson 27, 3:01.
Bal–FG Tucker 40, :00.
Third Quarter
Bal–Andrews 3 pass from L.Jackson (Tucker kick), 8:39.
Cin–Higgins 3 pass from Burrow (McPherson kick), 2:34.
Fourth Quarter
Bal–Agholor 17 pass from L.Jackson (Tucker kick), 11:38.
Cin–Higgins 4 pass from Burrow (McPherson kick), 3:28.
A–66,015.
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Bal Cin
First downs 26 19
Total Net Yards 415 282
Rushes-yards 37-178 15-66
Passing 237 216
Punt Returns 1-2 1-81
Kickoff Returns 0-0 0-0
Interceptions Ret. 1-36 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 24-33-0 27-41-1
Sacked-Yards Lost 0-0 1-6
Punts 2-58.5 3-40.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 6-56 5-30
Time of Possession 33:04 26:56
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Baltimore, Edwards 10-62, Jackson 12-54, Hill 11-41, Duvernay 3-15, Flowers 1-6. Cincinnati, Mixon 13-59, Burrow 1-5, C.Brown 1-2.
PASSING–Baltimore, Jackson 24-33-0-237. Cincinnati, Burrow 27-41-1-222.
RECEIVING–Baltimore, Agholor 5-63, Andrews 5-45, Flowers 4-62, Beckham 3-29, Bateman 3-18, Hill 3-12, Likely 1-8. Cincinnati, Higgins 8-89, Boyd 6-52, Chase 5-31, Mixon 4-36, I.Smith 2-10, T.Williams 2-4. MISSED FIELD GOALS–Baltimore, Tucker 59.
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