The Bengals capitalized on five Baltimore turnovers—three by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson—and controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes. Cincinnati’s defense, much maligned this season, delivered its best performance since Week 1, forcing fumbles from Jackson, tight end Isaiah Likely, and receiver Zay Flowers, while also grabbing a deflected interception in the fourth quarter. Defensive end Joseph Ossai led the charge with two sacks and a forced fumble, helping limit Baltimore to just 14 points and 346 total yards, both season lows for the Bengals defense (Bengals-Ravens on Thanksgiving: What We Learned).
Burrow shook off early rust and found his rhythm in the second half, connecting with Ja’Marr Chase seven times for 110 yards and throwing touchdown passes to Tanner Hudson and Andrei Iosivas. Kicker Evan McPherson was perfect, converting all six field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder in the fourth quarter. The Bengals turned Baltimore’s miscues into steady points, outscoring the Ravens 20-7 after halftime.
For the Ravens, Jackson finished 17-of-32 for 246 yards with an interception and two lost fumbles, marking the first time in his career he’s gone three straight starts without a passing touchdown (Ravens’ Blunders Spoil Thanksgiving Game vs. Bengals). Baltimore, now 6-6 and second in the AFC North, missed key opportunities: Isaiah Likely fumbled out of the end zone on a potential touchdown, and a Zay Flowers score was wiped out by a penalty. Derrick Henry rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown, surpassing Jim Brown for 11th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list.
The Bengals, who also sat at 4-8 last season before making a late playoff push, now face a tough stretch but remain mathematically alive in the AFC North race. The Ravens, meanwhile, must regroup quickly with crucial divisional games ahead, starting against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14. As Zac Taylor put it, “It started with our defense.” For Cincinnati, hope remains alive as long as Burrow is under center.