Sunday’s Bengals-Ravens game was unique in NFL history.
The Bengals dominated the time of possession, having the ball for a total of 39 minutes, 19 seconds. The Ravens had the ball for just 20 minutes, 41 seconds. Usually, a team that wins the time of possession battle like that also wins the game.
The Bengals did not. In fact, the Bengals’ 24-0 loss was historic for how badly they were beaten while dominating the clock. No team in NFL history had ever lost a game by 24 or more points while dominating time of possession by such a large margin.
The Ravens’ scoring came fast: Their first touchdown drive took just 2:59 off the clock. Their second touchdown drive was lightning-fast, covering 80 yards in just 42 seconds. They then kicked a field goal after a possession that lasted 2:44, and finally scored a touchdown on an 84-yard interception return.
The Bengals, on the other hand, had very long drives that yielded nothing. A 16-play drive ended with an interception. One 11-play drive ended with a punt and another 11-play drive ended with a turnover on downs. The Bengals had the ball for long periods of time and not only didn’t score, but rarely even looked like they were a threat to score.
It’s been that kind of season for the Bengals, one in which they just can’t put it all together. And Sunday’s game, a blowout while dominating the clock, was a loss unlike any other.
The promising rookie season for Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan appears to have been cut short yesterday.
The Ravens think Buchanan suffered a torn ACL on Sunday in Cincinnati, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Buchanan is scheduled for an MRI today that is expected to confirm the injury.
Buchanan, a fourth-round pick out of Cal, has been excellent this season and was chosen as the NFL’s defensive rookie of the month in October.
With three games remaining and the Ravens fighting for a playoff berth, losing Buchanan will be a big blow to their defense, and a major disappointment for a young player who was off to a promising start.
Sunday’s game in Cincinnati was the coldest game in Ravens history, but the elements seemed to bother the home team more than the visitors.
The Ravens sacked Joe Burrow three times and picked him off twice, including one that linebacker Kyle Van Noy and safety Alohi Gilman turned into a game-sealing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Those were the final points in a 24-0 shutout and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones said that the win showed the Bengals weren’t ready for the conditions.
“It was too cold for them,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “We didn’t really discuss the fact they had zero points. I think we just wanted to attack.”
The Ravens will have to keep turning up the heat in the final three weeks. They host the Patriots in Week 16 and then close out the year with road trips to Green Bay and Pittsburgh. That Week 18 game could be for the AFC North title, but the Ravens will have to continue winning to ensure that it will be a meaningful contest.
Many of the fans arriving for Sunday’s Ravens-Bengals game found their seats covered with snow. League rules require all snow to be removed by the home team.
The Bengals admitted that the seats hadn’t been cleared. The NFL has provided a comment in response to an inquiry from PFT.
“The league’s football operations and security departments were in contact with the club and stadium personnel over the previous 48 hours regarding snow removal,” a league spokesperson said by email. “The field, sidelines, aisles and walkways were prioritized and appropriately cleared throughout the weekend.
“Additional snowfall occurred overnight which resulted in minimal accumulation within the stadium bowl. Mitigation efforts were implemented to ensure the field and stadium were ready for the game. Stadium personnel assisted fans at their seats as necessary.”
The photo attached to this story shows the condition of the seating on Sunday, prior to the game. Whether or not that counts as “minimal accumulation” is in the eye of the beholder. And it appears that there was little if any “additional snowfall” overnight; most of the snow that was on the seats fell before Saturday night.
Regardless, the snow is supposed to be removed. The Bengals didn’t remove it. And the league seemed to be inclined to accept the team’s explanation for not removing it.
The Ravens remain alive in the race for the AFC North, but the Bengals do not.
Lamar Jackson threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and safety Alohi Gilman returned a Joe Burrow interception for a score in the fourth quarter of a 24-0 Ravens victory. The loss eliminates the Bengals from the playoffs for the third straight season.
Jackson hit running back Rasheen Ali in the face of a blitz in the second quarter and Ali turned the short pass into a 30-yard score that got the Ravens on the board. Jackson closed out the half with a 28-yard strike to Zay Flowers that ended the longest streak of games without a multiple touchdown performance of his career.
Jackson was 8-of-12 for 150 yards and he also threw an interception, but he also picked up 26 yards on the ground and it was a better overall performance than he’s had in several weeks. The limited passing attack was balanced by 166 rushing yards for Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell and the Ravens only ran 40 offensive plays over the course of the afternoon. The Bengals ran 71 plays and had the ball for nearly 40 minutes, but it was not a day to remember for Burrow or the offense.
Burrow threw another interception in the first half and he was sacked three times as the Bengals picked up just 298 yards on those 71 plays. His pick-six came on a throw inside the Ravens’ 10-yard line, but Burrow didn’t see linebacker Kyle Van Noy drop into coverage. He nabbed the ball, handed it to Gilman and that essentially ended the competitive portion of the proceedings in Cincinnati.
Burrow said during the week that he wants to get back to having fun on the football field and the flop that the Bengals produced on Sunday isn’t likely to lead to any smiles for the quarterback or anyone else. The Bengals have now lost 10 games for the first time since 2020 and there will be plenty to figure out as they try to stop their drought in 2026.
The Ravens are 7-7 and will head to New England in Week 16. Before they get to Gillette Stadium, they’ll spend Monday night rooting for the Dolphins to knock off the Steelers to keep things as tight as possible in the division.
