By: Joey

As you know by now, the Baltimore Ravens are still having problems holding on to double-digit leads in many games. This week was no different, as the Ravens at halftime got out to a 13-0 lead, during which the defense played well. In the 2nd half, it all came apart as the offense was held to zero points in the 2nd half. The defense gave up a miserable 35 points to the Cincinnati Bengals offense led by Joe Burrow’s 4 touchdowns. And by the end of the game it got ugly, with the fans booing the Ravens’ efforts in a 35-13 loss. 

Offensive Recap:

The Ravens had a very strong 1st half by having the ball for over 22 minutes and counting. On the 1st drive of the game, the Ravens scored their only touchdown on a 48-yard pass play to Zay Flowers. The offense had 2 long drives in the 2nd quarter that lasted both 15 and 9 minutes but couldn’t score TDs. But they could only muster 2 field goals for their only points on the day against the Bengals and company.

And then after that, the offense came crashing down to Earth, where the offense sputtered the whole 2nd half. The Ravens offense basically didn’t show up in the 2nd half, as they only gained 101 yards of total offense. To top it off, the Ravens offense didn’t put any points on the scoreboard in the 2nd half as they were shut out. Quarterback Tyler Huntley threw an interception that basically ended any chance at a comeback in the 4th quarter for the Ravens. Overall, the Ravens offense went from a hot 1st half to an ice-cold 2nd half in the blink of an eye.

And what the offense proves is that the offense misses Lamar Jackson so badly that they need him back ASAP. 

In this very ugly loss for Baltimore, there were a few pluses for the offense on the day against the Bengals. Zay Flowers was the best player on offense in Week 7 against the Bengals defense in the loss. On the day, Flowers caught 8 passes for 137 receiving yards and 1 touchdown catch. And Cam Jurgens, who made his Baltimore Ravens debut, had himself a pretty solid day at the center position. By, allowing only 1 pressure while at center during his debut at center for the Baltimore Ravens. 

Defensive Recap:

On the other side of the ball, the defense was totally different from the 1st half to the 2nd half. In the 1st half, the Ravens defense allowed 0 points and allowed only 59 yards of offense against the Bengals. But when the page turned to the 2nd half, it all came apart for the defense and its attempt to make plays. 

The Ravens defense in the 2nd half allowed 298 yards against the high-powered offense of Cincinnati led by Joe Burrow. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 4 touchdown passes on the Bengals’ first 5 possessions of the 2nd half. Along with WRs Ja’Mar Chase and Tee Higgins, they made the biggest splash in the 2nd half for the Bengals’ offense. The Bengals D made the only turnover of the game by picking off Tyler Huntley late in the 4th quarter. And that interception iced the game for the Bengals’ 4th win of the season, following a big-time 2nd half performance. 

Baltimore right now looks like a team that looks lost when it comes to playing 4 quarters of a football game. Sunday’s performance against their division rival Bengals proves that this team misses Lamar Jackson tremendously and loudly throughout Week 7.

Final Thoughts:

But overall, the Baltimore Ravens need to stop blowing these double-digit leads that are becoming a big-time problem and more. Moving forward, can this team improve this season to make the postseason, or is it too little too late? 

Week 8 will provide a chance to see if this team is playoff-worthy in 2026, or will it become a lost season. It will not be easy as they head to Buffalo to take on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. And Week 8 could be the Week that quarterback Lamar Jackson returns from his ankle injury.