The Ravens and Bengals swung haymakers back and forth in a heavyweight AFC North bout. However, down the stretch, it seemed neither team wanted to pull ahead, as each made massive mistakes until Derrick Henry finally took matters into his own hands.
Henry delivered the knockout blow, ripping off a 51-yard rumble late in overtime down to the Bengals’ six-yard line. It set up a 24-yard chip shot to hand Baltimore a 41-38 OT win.
The result moved the Ravens to 3-2 while the Bengals fell to 1-4. More importantly, it put the Bengals severely behind the eight ball. According to NFL Network, only six percent of teams starting 1-4 have reached the postseason over the past 35 years.
Baltimore entered the game laying 2.5 points, so the win also continued Lamar Jackson’s dominance as a dog or favorite of three points or less. He’s now 25-5 ATS in that position, which is the best mark of 282 quarterbacks over the last 20 years, according to Director of Research Evan Abrams.
So how did we get here?
The teams traded touchdowns for much of the game, but the Bengals were in complete control late. The Ravens had no answer for Joe Burrow and company as they scored touchdowns on four straight drives. Cincinnati led by three with 3:05 left in the game at Baltimore’s 33.
The Bengals had a 91.0-percent win probability when Burrow took the snap, but he unfortunately threw a pick to Marlon Humphrey. Jackson guided Baltimore down the field, setting Justin Tucker up for a 56-yard field goal that he drilled through the uprights.
Baltimore won the coin toss to start overtime and marched it down to Cincinnati’s 39-yard line. The Ravens had a 96.5-percent win probability at the time, but they botched the snap and the Bengals recovered it at Baltimore’s nine-yard line. The Bengals couldn’t get a first down and settled for an Evan McPherson field-goal attempt. However, it was Cincinnati that botched the snap this time as the holder couldn’t get it down properly, and the kick sailed far wide left.
Henry ripped off his 51-yard run on the very next play, and the rest was history in a game that might end up one of the most consequential in the early part of the season.
