The Ravens were hoping for a feast on Thanksgiving night. Instead, they left M&T Bank Stadium with plenty of mistakes to digest.
Floundered by five turnovers, the Ravens ended their five-game winning streak Thursday, falling to the Bengals, 32-14.
With the loss, the Ravens fell back to .500 and second place in the AFC North after tying for the division lead just four days ago.
Here's how the division battle went down:
Turning Point
The Ravens were on the cusp of taking a 14-6 lead in the second quarter when tight end Isaiah Likely sprinted toward the end zone and hurdled a defender. However, he didn't secure the ball, and it was punched out by Bengals safety Jordan Battle just short of the goal line.
The fumble rolled out of the end zone, which gave the Bengals possession. The Bengals then marched on an 11-play, 74-yard drive to retake the lead. The Ravens had an early shot to take control of the game and dropped it.
Top Play
Zay Flowers arguably had the best play of the night that won't go down in the box score. With the Ravens trailing by 12, the third-year receiver pancaked a Bengals defender to pave the way for Keaton Mitchell to take off to the end zone untouched for an 18-yard score. However, Flowers was also stripped late in the fourth quarter for what wound up being the Ravens' fifth turnover of the night.
Scoring Summary
| Scoring Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter | Bengals: (9:39), Evan McPherson 31-yard field goal | 3-0, Bengals |
| Ravens: (6:33), Derrick Henry 28-yard run | 7-3, Ravens | |
| 2nd Quarter | Bengals: (11:24), Evan McPherson 42-yard field goal | 7-6, Ravens |
| Bengals: (2:36), Evan McPherson 24-yard field goal | 9-7, Bengals | |
| Bengals: (0:10), Evan McPherson 33-yard field goal | 12-7, Bengals | |
| 3rd Quarter | Bengals: (7:22), Tanner Hudson 14-yard pass from Joe Burrow | 19-7, Bengals |
| Ravens: (3:59), Keaton Mitchell 18-yard run | 19-14, Bengals | |
| Bengals: (0:15), Andrei Iosivas 29-yard pass from Joe Burrow | 26-14, Bengals | |
| 4th Quarter | Bengals: (9:25), Evan McPherson 52-yard field goal | 29-14, Bengals |
| Bengals: (1:06), Evan McPherson 41-yard field goal | 32-14, Bengals |
Statistical Breakdown
Offensive Stats
| Ravens | Bengals | |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Leader | Lamar Jackson (246 yards) | Joe Burrow (261 yards) |
| Receiving Leader | Isaiah Likely (95 yards) | Ja'Marr Chase (110 yards) |
| Rushing Leader | Derrick Henry (60 yards) | Chase Brown (78 yards) |
Defensive Stats
| Ravens | Bengals | |
|---|---|---|
| Sacks | 1 | 3 |
| Turnovers Forced | 1 | 5 |
Team Stats
| Ravens | Bengals | |
|---|---|---|
| Time of Possession | 21:14 | 38:46 |
| Total Yards | 346 | 382 |
| Penalties | 7 for 53 | 6 for 35 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 3-of-10 | 8-of-19 |
| 1st Downs | 16 | 22 |
Stock Watch
QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson had flashes of brilliance but missed on several throws and ultimately couldn't keep the ball out of harm's way. Playing against the league's statistically worst defense, the two-time MVP finished 17-of-32 passing for 245 yards and no touchdowns. Jackson had one interception and two fumbles after throwing just three interceptions all season. He also failed to throw a touchdown pass for the third straight game for the first time in his career.
TE Isaiah Likely
Likely by far had his most productive outing of the season, finishing with a team-high 95 yards on five receptions. However, Likely's fumble out of the end zone on a 44-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter wiped his first touchdown of the season off the board and set up a McPherson field goal that gave the Bengals the lead for the rest of the way.
RB Derrick Henry
Although it didn't result in a win, Henry provided a spark at several points throughout the game. On the Ravens' opening drive, the 31-year-old tailback found a crease for a 28-yard score. Henry later took a short Jackson pass and weaved through traffic to pick up 44 yards. He finished with 60 yards on 10 carries. Henry also surpassed Jim Brown for 11th all-time on the career rushing yards list.
Up Next
The Ravens will try to bounce back when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 7 at 1 p.m.
