CINCINNATI — If anyone wanted to see both the floor and the ceiling of the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday's 35-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens provided a pretty good demonstration. The Bengals went from looking completely overmatched in the first half to virtually unstoppable in the second, scoring 35 unanswered points to secure an important AFC North victory.
The turnaround was remarkable, but it also raised questions about why Cincinnati can look so different from one half to the next. Here's our Good, Bad & Ugly from Sunday's victory.
The Good: The Offensive Line
Cincinnati's offensive line has taken plenty of criticism over the years, much of it deserved. But the group has been playing better recently, and its performance against Baltimore deserves recognition.
Joe Burrow was sacked just once Sunday, despite facing a Ravens defense featuring former Bengal Trey Hendrickson. More importantly, Baltimore failed to generate a single quarterback pressure in the second half, giving Burrow the time he needed to pick apart the Ravens' secondary.
That protection has become a welcome trend. Cincinnati's offensive line has made progress over the past several games, including keeping Burrow from being sacked against Miami before the bye week. The improvement is allowing the Bengals to take advantage of their outstanding receiving corps rather than forcing Burrow to spend much of the afternoon running for his life.
The rushing attack still needs work, with Cincinnati managing just 73 yards on 20 carries against Baltimore. But if the offensive line can maintain this level of pass protection, the Bengals' offense becomes much more difficult to stop, if not impossible.
The Bad: Everything in the First Half
There really isn't much positive to say about Cincinnati's first 30 minutes against Baltimore. The Bengals managed just 59 total yards, were shut out, and possessed the football for only 7:40 of the half.
Burrow completed just six of 12 passes for 43 yards, while the Bengals failed to establish any kind of offensive rhythm. Meanwhile, Baltimore moved the football almost at will, converting eight of its 11 third-down opportunities before halftime.
The Ravens held the ball for more than 22 minutes, including an 18-play drive that consumed 11 minutes. Cincinnati's defense had trouble getting off the field, and its offense did little to give the defense a chance to recover.
Had Baltimore finished more of those drives with touchdowns instead of field goals, the Bengals could have faced a much larger halftime deficit. Cincinnati was fortunate to trail by only 13 points after being thoroughly outplayed on both sides of the football. Ironically, while the Ravens moved the ball up and down the field in the first half, the Bengals' defense deserves credit for holding them to just one touchdown and keeping Cincinnati within reach. A 21-0 deficit looks, feels, and is very different from a 13-0 deficit.
The Ugly: Everything in the Second Half
The Bengals were so dominant in the second half, and the offense so potent, that it was hard not to have an ugly stank-face stare while watching the men in stripes. It was a demonstration of just how dangerous this team can be when everything starts working.
Burrow completed 16 of 18 passes for 249 yards and four touchdowns after halftime, while the Bengals scored touchdowns on their first five second-half possessions. Tee Higgins finished with 148 receiving yards, including receptions of 44 and 43 yards in the fourth quarter, while Ja'Marr Chase contributed a 30-yard reception and a touchdown during the scoring explosion.
The defense was just as impressive. Cincinnati shut out Baltimore in the second half, recorded pressures and sacks, forced a turnover on downs deep in Bengals territory, and added a Demetrius Knight Jr. interception that set up the final touchdown.
The Ravens went from controlling the game to having virtually no answer for Cincinnati on either side of the ball. The Bengals became just the 10th team in NFL history to be shut out in the first half and score at least 35 points in the second.
Sunday showed what this Bengals team is capable of, both good and bad. The first half was a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong when the offense cannot sustain drives and the defense cannot get off the field. The second showed what can happen when Burrow is protected, the offense executes, and the defense does its job.
The challenge now is figuring out how to play closer to that second-half level for an entire game.
