Bengals vs. Ravens score, takeaways: Cincinnati beats Baltimore, AFC North rivals to meet again in playoffs

A coin flip won't be needed as the third-seeded Bengals will face the Ravens in Cincinnati next week

In one of the most consequential games of Week 18, the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the division rival Baltimore Ravens 27-16, securing a home game in the first round of the playoffs in the process as a third seed. 

The Ravens sat numerous starters for this contest, while the Bengals played their healthy players in an attempt to both avoid a coin flip to determine home field in a potential playoff rematch between these two teams, and also keep pressure on the Buffalo Bills in the race for the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The results on the field largely reflected the differing strategy, with Cincinnati taking a double-digit lead late in the first quarter and not being seriously threatened for the remaining 46 minutes of the game. 

The Bengals defense picked off undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Brown twice in the first half, with each of those interceptions leading to a Cincinnati touchdown. Joe Mixon scored from 1 yard out after Tyler Boyd got the Bengals down to the goal line, while Ja'Marr Chase made a leaping snag for a 26-yard score later in the half. Cincinnati also got a defensive score via a Trey Hendrickson strip-sack, which resulted in a Joseph Ossai touchdown when he recovered the ball in the end zone. 

Cincinnati's offense didn't get much going for most of the second half (it had a 67-yard field goal drive but otherwise gained only 15 yards on seven possessions), but the lead the Bengals had built was large enough that it didn't much matter. Three Ravens field goals in the second half were barely enough to put a dent in the deficit, and the Bengals won the game rather comfortably. 

Why the Bengals won

They tried to win the game and the Ravens mostly did not. The Bengals played their starters in this one, while the Ravens played a great number of backups. So, even though their offensive performance actually wasn't all that great (Joe Burrow averaged 5.1 yards per attempt and Joe Mixon gained only 2.5 yards per carry), they were never seriously threatened here. Their defense did an excellent job of making things difficult for Baltimore's third-string quarterback and added a touchdown on a strip-sack, so that was a nice positive. 

Why the Ravens lost

They sat numerous offensive starters, and the deep backups did honestly not put up much of a fight. The game was not as close as the final score. Plus, they turned it over four times. 

Turning point

I was tempted to say, "when the teams announced their inactive lists" but instead we'll go with an actual play from the game. Cincinnati took a 3-0 lead after its first possession of the game, a 17-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Evan McPherson knocking it through the uprights. 

On the first play of the next drive, Anthony Brown tried to find Isaiah Likely coming across the field on a crossing route, but pressure got to him just as he was preparing to throw, so he missed way high and way intercepted by Jessie Bates. Eight plays later, Joe Mixon found his way into the end zone to give the Bengals a two-score lead. 

Baltimore's next drive lasted just three plays, with Brown throwing behind Demarcus Robinson and getting picked off by Von Bell. Three snaps later, this happened ...

Play of the game

On second-and-4 from the Baltimore 26-yard line, Joe Burrow had Tee Higgins wide the heck open for what should have been one of the easiest touchdown connections of his career. Uncharacteristically, Burrow overthrew his man by several years. It didn't matter. On the very next snap, Burrow laid the ball up for Ja'Marr Chase in pretty much the exact same spot on the field, and Chase went out and dunked on Daryl Worley for the score. 

What's next

The Bengals are AFC North champions. Thanks to the Bills' victory over the Patriots, Cincinnati will be the No. 3 seed in the AFC. With this loss, the Ravens are locked into the No. 6 seed. What does that mean? Well, it means the Bengals will host the Ravens next week in the Wild Card Round. Baltimore could get Lamar Jackson (among others) back for that contest, which would make it look quite a bit different than this week's matchup. The Bengals will have to keep an eye on the health of offensive lineman Alex Cappa, who left with what looked like a very uncomfortable leg injury during the second half.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:24 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

That'll do it, folks. Bengals win the AFC North and clinch the No. 3 seed. Baltimore is the No. 6 seed. Bengals-Ravens rematch in the same stadium next week.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:19 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Alas, there is no conversion. I'd imagine the Bengals will punt it away and make Baltimore try to drive the length of the field, but you never know.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:16 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

If the Bengals convert on third down, the game is over. That's what we'll see when we come back from the two-minute warning.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:14 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Oh my. Sammy Watkins made a big play down the field and was gaining more and more yards after the catch, but he got stripped at the tail end. Wow. 

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:12 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Ravens defense has been flying around for the entire second half. Bengals have done basically nothing with the exception of one long field goal drive.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:09 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

The Bills are kneeling it out against the Patriots, which locks the Bengals into the No. 3 seed. That means we will see this game again next week. 

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:07 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Brown's made a few nice throws on the run today and had an opportunity for another there but he left it too far outside. Holding would have negated the play anyway, though.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:04 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

This is still a two-score game, by the way. Not a ton of time left for Baltimore to stage a comeback but it's not over over. 

[Jan 8, 2023 at 4:01 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

A fracas!

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:58 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Looks like Smith's head bumped into his teammate's knee? 

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:57 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Uh-oh. Roquan Smith down and struggling to get up after that completion to Chase over the middle.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:55 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Mike Hilton off the edge with a slot blitz and he gets to Brown from behind. Cincy defense has been very good against this group of mostly backup Ravens offensive players.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:51 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Burrow has only been sacked twice but he's been under a decent amount of pressure throughout the game. And now with Cappa out, that could become a bit more of a regularity.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:42 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Back-to-back nice throws by Brown. He's been much better in the second half.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:38 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

That would have been a very impressive pick-sox for Germaine Pratt, but instead it's just an incomplete pass and we head to the fourth quarter with Cincinnati leading 27-13.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:35 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

The Bengals already lost RT La'el Collins for the year to a torn ACL. Now Ted Karras is walking gingerly off the field after getting his leg rolled up on while in pass protection. They spent a lot of money this offseason to remake their offensive line and if they lose Karras as well, that would be a big blow.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:32 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Higgins came back on the field for third-and-1 and had what looked like it could be a touchdown pass down the right sideline but he just didn't look it into his arms and let it fall through his hands. Great route to get open on the double move.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:31 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Oh man. That does not look good for Tee Higgins. Hopefully he just got the wind knocked out of him but it does look like his head hit the turf at the tail end of that hit.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:26 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Rookie DL Zach Carter almost came away with a defensive lineman's dream: A tipped pass that he then intercepts himself. Alas, the ball fell incomplete and then Justin Tucker nailed a long field goal to cut the lead back to 14 points. 

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:24 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Slant to Robinson is another nice throw into a tight window from Brown. Spinning it much better in the second half than he did in the first.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:21 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

That was a DART from Brown to rookie TE Charlie Kolar on third down. Really nice throw into tight coverage and a strong grab by the rookie.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:19 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Pretty terrific job by Brown avoiding the initial sack to turn a probable 10-or-so-yard loss into a 1-yard loss. Nevertheless, it's a sack, and then an incomplete pass on second down makes it third-and-long yet again for Baltimore.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:14 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

McPherson's field goal makes it a 27-10 game, Cincinnati lead is back to three scores.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:12 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Chase dunked on Worley for a TD up the sideline earlier, and almost had another in the exact same situation right there but it fell incomplete.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:09 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Joe Mixon rumbled, bumbled, stumbled for a 33-yard gain on that checkdown. He had a lot of defenders around him but somehow made it through all of them and back across the field for a big gain.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:03 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Wow, Brown is 0-9 throwing to wide receivers in this game. That's honestly almost impressive.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 3:02 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Probably a missed facemask on that strip-sack of Joe Burrow, but it ends with Patrick Queen recovering the fumble after David Ojabo knocks the ball out of Burrow's hands.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 2:56 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

That's a really nice throw on the move from Brown to James Proche up the sideline. Not sure what happened with Mike Hilton there. In any event, the play doesn't count because Proche stepped out of bounds during the route.

[Jan 8, 2023 at 2:50 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

These third-down screen plays the Bengals have run a few times today have not come anywhere close to working. Ravens are all over it.