BALTIMORE (AP) For 30 minutes, it was difficult to tell which team was facing its backup quarterback, Cincinnati or Baltimore.
Then the best version of Joe Burrow arrived, and the second half wasn’t close.
Burrow threw four touchdown passes and the Cincinnati Bengals bounced back from a disjointed first two quarters to beat Baltimore 35-13 on Sunday, handing the Baltimore Ravens a second straight divisional loss with Lamar Jackson sidelined.
Baltimore (4-3) dominated the first half but only led 13-0 after settling for a few field goals. Then the Ravens blew a double-digit lead in the second half for the second week in a row and the 10th time since the start of the 2022 season.
Cincinnati scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the second half.
“I just took a deep breath, kept my composure and led,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And I went out there and had as good a second-half performance as I’ve ever seen.”
The Bengals (4-2) were shut out in their second meeting with Baltimore last season and were scoreless for two quarters this time before driving 66 yards on the first drive after halftime, capped by Burrow’s 6-yard TD pass to Mike Gesicki.
Baltimore, which held the ball for 22:20 in the first half, scored three points on its first possession of the second. Burrow’s 13-yard pass to Tee Higgins gave Cincinnati the lead to stay.
“This second half is where we need to be,” Burrow said. “Our defense played well in the first half, keeping the points on the board low and keeping us in the game. We were able to make those plays down the stretch, but it doesn’t have to be. We can do it for a full game.”
The Ravens had another decent drive, but on fourth-and-2 from the Cincinnati 12, Tyler Huntley threw an incomplete throw.
The Bengals then showed why Baltimore decided to be so aggressive, driving 88 yards and going up 21-13 on Samaje Perine’s 1-yard run. Burrow added a 2-yard scoring pass to Ja’Marr Chase and a 16-yard scoring pass to Drew Sample.
“Right now, we’re too much of a dynamic team,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. “We ride the wave when it’s good, and we ride the wave when it’s bad. I think that’s our main goal to be able to stay a little more balanced and continue to play and do things.”
The Ravens became the first team in 76 years to lead by at least 13 points at halftime and lose by at least 20, according to Sportradar. The Baltimore Colts led 20-7 against the New York Giants on November 19, 1950, before losing 55-20.
Jackson missed a third straight game with an ankle injury, and the Ravens are 1-2 without him. After a loss at Cleveland last weekend, he practiced in a limited role during the week but is inactive again.
Baltimore’s running game wasn’t much of a factor without him, but Huntley threw for 215 yards in the first half, including 120 to Zay Flowers. The sneaky Flowers opened the scoring with a 48-yard catch-and-run.
Cincinnati continued to do the same after erasing a 13-0 deficit. Former Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco relieved Burrow late, capping the Ravens’ fifth loss in their last six home games.
Baltimore has outscored its opponents by 65 points in the first half this season, while being outscored by 70 after the break.
Trey Hendrickson, the passer who moved from the Bengals to the Ravens in free agency, was credited with two quarterback hits but no sacks or tackles.
“We have to continue to rely on the technique that we have been taught and not make the moment bigger than it is. It’s just the details that win games,” he said. “By following the process, one piece at a time, we will achieve the result we want. »
The Ravens outscored Cincinnati 258-59 in the first half, but the Bengals had a 298-101 advantage after halftime. On first downs, it was 12-3 for Baltimore in the first two quarters, then 18-5 for Cincinnati.
Higgins had his six catches for 148 yards in the second half, and Chase finished with five catches for 62 yards.
“We’ve just started calling some of our core elements, O-line protected,” Burrow said. “Really, we just put the ball in Ja’Marr and Tee’s hands as many times as possible.”
Bengals: S Kyle Dugger injured his quad and TE Erick All Jr. injured his knee.
Ravens: Rookie G Vega Ioane (knee) was out in the first half.
Bengals: Tennessee at home next Sunday.
Ravens: At Buffalo next Sunday.
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