The Cincinnati Bengals were able to hold on to first place in the AFC North, as they defeated the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday 41-21. This was one of the biggest games in the Zac Taylor era, and with the Ravens down several players including their top two quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley, Cincy took full advantage.
Joe Burrow threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns in just the first half. It was the most passing yards recorded by an NFL quarterback in any half this season. After scoring just 15 points last week against the Denver Broncos, the Bengals' offense hit on all cylinders against the Ravens. They recorded a total of 575 yards of total offense while the young trio of Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd exploded. Higgins caught 12 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, Chase caught seven passes for 125 yards and Boyd caught three passes for 85 yards -- including a 68-yard touchdown in the first half. Burrow finished with 525 passing yards and four touchdowns.
While the Ravens' defense struggled to stop anything, veteran quarterback Josh Johnson put together a solid performance in his first start this season. He completed 28 of 40 passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Mark Andrews was his favorite target, as he caught eight passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Baltimore had a tough week, as a total of 14 players spent this weekend on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It wasn't long ago when the Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC. After a four-game losing streak, however, they are in legitimate danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2017.
The Ravens return to Baltimore next week to host the Los Angeles Rams. They will then host the Pittsburgh Steelers to finish out the 2021 regular season. The Bengals, on the other hand, host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday, and then travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns in their regular-season finale.