BALTIMORE — The Cincinnati Bengals entered Sunday's matchup with the Baltimore Ravens hoping to take advantage of Lamar Jackson's absence. Instead, they have been thoroughly dominated in nearly every aspect of the game and trail 13-0 at halftime.
Baltimore wasted little time taking control. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley connected with Zay Flowers for a 48-yard touchdown on the Ravens' opening possession, giving Baltimore a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
Things haven't improved much for Cincinnati since. The Bengals' offense has struggled to move the football, with Joe Burrow unable to establish any rhythm in the passing game. Cincinnati punted on its first three possessions and failed to seriously threaten the Ravens' end zone throughout the half.
Meanwhile, Baltimore has dominated time of possession, keeping Cincinnati's offense on the sidelines with two long second-quarter drives. The Ravens put together an 18-play, 78-yard possession that consumed 11 minutes before Tyler Loop kicked a 34-yard field goal.
After Cincinnati's next drive ended in another punt, Baltimore followed with a 13-play, 82-yard possession that took more than six minutes off the clock. Loop's 24-yard field goal with 50 seconds remaining extended the lead to 13-0.
The Bengals have shown little offensive consistency, and their defense has struggled to get off the field despite facing Baltimore's backup quarterback. The Ravens' two second-quarter scoring drives alone consumed more than 17 minutes, leaving Cincinnati with few opportunities to get its offense going.
Cincinnati entered the afternoon rested after its bye week and with an opportunity to gain ground in the AFC North. Instead, the Bengals have been dominated by a division rival missing several important players.
If Cincinnati hopes to get back into this game, it will need a much better performance on both sides of the football in the second half.
