Bengals Shock Ravens on a Cold Thanksgiving Night
So, let me walk you through what turned into a surprisingly dramatic Thanksgiving matchup between the Bengals and the Ravens — a night that wasn’t supposed to unfold the way it did, especially for Baltimore. What had been a five-game winning streak for the Ravens came to a crashing halt as the Cincinnati Bengals walked out of M&T Bank Stadium with a decisive 32–14 win. And honestly, the game never really swung in Baltimore’s favour after the opening drive.
A season-high five turnovers by the Ravens ended up defining the night. Every time it looked like Baltimore might regain some rhythm, another mistake popped up, and Cincinnati took full advantage. Lamar Jackson, who has usually dominated the Bengals throughout his career, had one of his toughest outings in recent memory. He completed 17 of 32 passes for 246 yards, but the accuracy wasn’t there — too high, too low, too far off — and three turnovers made it impossible for the Ravens to settle in. He made it clear afterward that he simply missed throws he shouldn’t have missed, insisting his recent run of small injuries didn’t factor into the performance. Still, for a two-time MVP, it was definitely a night he’d prefer to erase.
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But the struggles weren’t just about Lamar. Baltimore’s offense, which once averaged 37 points per game earlier in the season, has sputtered for weeks. Facing a Bengals defense that entered the week ranked last in the league, the Ravens still couldn’t generate momentum. After scoring on the opening possession, Baltimore went seven straight drives without points. Derrick Henry, the lone bright spot, rushed for 60 yards and even passed Jim Brown on the all-time rushing list, but he only got 10 carries. Zay Flowers barely made an impact, Isaiah Likely had a costly fumble just steps before the goal line, and even when big plays happened, penalties or turnovers wiped them away.
Defensively, the Ravens held strong early — a goal-line stand here, forcing field goals there — but without offensive support, it was only a matter of time before Cincinnati broke through. Joe Burrow, returning from an 11-week injury absence, wasn’t perfect, but as the game went on he found his rhythm, leading long second-half drives and finishing with two touchdown passes. Ja’Marr Chase, also returning from a suspension, racked up 110 yards and looked every bit like his usual explosive self.
The loss drops Baltimore to 6–6, and suddenly the playoff picture looks shaky. The Steelers jumped back into first place in the AFC North, and with only five games left, the Ravens don’t have much margin for error. As safety Kyle Hamilton put it, from here on out, every game carries weight — and December is when teams show who they really are.
It wasn’t the Thanksgiving the Ravens hoped for, and now they’ll need a strong push if they want their season to extend beyond Week 18.
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