Bengals' Victory Pulls Off Shock Against the Baltimore Ravens

When the Cincinnati Bengals walked into M&T Bank Stadium for their Week 12 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, few expected them to leave with a win. The Ravens, riding a five-game winning streak and tied for the AFC’s top seed, were heavy favorites—boasting a top-10 defense, a dominant rushing attack, and a Lamar Jackson-led offense that had averaged 28 points per game over the previous month. The Bengals, meanwhile, were clinging to a wild-card spot, with a banged-up secondary and an offense that had struggled to score consistently. Yet in a 24-17 upset, Cincinnati defied the odds, outplaying the Ravens in critical moments and exposing vulnerabilities that few teams had exploited all season. Bengals' Victory Pulls Off Shock Against the Baltimore Ravens breaks down how the Bengals pulled off the surprise win, the key plays that defined the game, and why it sent ripples through the AFC playoff picture.

The Bengals’ shock victory began with a strategic masterclass from offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who targeted the Ravens’ secondary with a mix of quick passes and deep shots to Ja’Marr Chase—exploiting communication lapses that had gone largely unnoticed in Baltimore’s recent wins. Early in the first quarter, Callahan called a stack formation with Chase lined up in the slot, forcing Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey to cover him one-on-one without safety help. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow recognized the mismatch, hitting Chase for a 35-yard touchdown that gave Cincinnati a 7-0 lead. It was a bold move against a Ravens defense that had allowed just three passing touchdowns in their previous five games. “We saw on film that their secondary sometimes hesitated in stack looks,” Callahan said after the game. “We kept going back to it, and it worked.” The Bengals didn’t stop there; they targeted Chase 14 times, with him finishing with 12 catches for 186 yards—career highs against the Ravens. Bengals' Victory Pulls Off Shock Against the Baltimore Ravens notes that this focused attack wasn’t just effective—it was unexpected, as most teams had avoided challenging the Ravens’ secondary directly.

Another factor in the Bengals’ shocking win was their defensive resilience, which shut down the Ravens’ rushing attack—something no team had done since Week 5. Entering the game, the Ravens ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards per game (142.3), with Gus Edwards and Keaton Mitchell combining for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. But the Bengals’ defensive line, led by Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard, clogged running lanes all afternoon, holding the Ravens to just 89 rushing yards (3.2 yards per carry) and forcing Jackson to rely on his arm. On third-and-short plays—where the Ravens had converted 78% of their attempts this season—Cincinnati stopped them three times, including a critical fourth-quarter stop that forced a punt. “We knew if we could slow their run game, we’d force Jackson into uncomfortable situations,” Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. The strategy worked: Jackson threw an interception and was sacked twice, both times when he was forced to hold the ball too long after the run game stalled. Bengals' Victory Pulls Off Shock Against the Baltimore Ravens emphasizes that this defensive effort was a shock in itself—no team had held the Ravens to fewer than 100 rushing yards all season.

For the Baltimore Ravens, a series of uncharacteristic mistakes turned a close game into a loss, undermining their usual discipline and costing them critical momentum. The first mistake came in the second quarter, when Jackson forced a pass to Zay Flowers in double coverage, leading to an interception by Jessie Bates III that the Bengals turned into a touchdown. It was Jackson’s first interception in three games and just his fifth of the season. Later, in the third quarter, Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley was called for a holding penalty that negated a 25-yard touchdown pass to Flowers—erasing a potential game-tying score and forcing the Ravens to settle for a field goal. “Those mistakes aren’t like us,” Stanley said after the game. “We usually clean those up, but today we didn’t.” The Ravens also struggled with third-down conversions, going just 3-for-11 on the day—well below their season average of 45%. For the Baltimore Ravens, these errors were a departure from their usual consistency, and the Bengals capitalized on every one. Bengals' Victory Pulls Off Shock Against the Baltimore Ravens explores how these unforced mistakes turned the tide, turning a game the Ravens could have won into a surprising upset.

The Baltimore Ravens’ special teams unit, which had been a strength all season, also had a rare off day—contributing to the Bengals’ shock victory with a missed field goal and a short punt that gave Cincinnati favorable field position. In the second quarter, Justin Tucker—one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history—missed a 47-yard field goal wide left, squandering a chance to cut the Bengals’ lead to 10-3. Then, in the third quarter, punter Jordan Stout’s 32-yard punt landed at the Bengals’ 45-yard line, setting up a Cincinnati drive that ended with a 32-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20-10. “Special teams is supposed to be our anchor, but today we let the team down,” Tucker said. The Bengals, meanwhile, made the most of these opportunities: their special teams unit pinned the Ravens inside their own 20-yard line three times, forcing Jackson and the offense to start drives with long fields to cover. For the Baltimore Ravens, these special teams miscues were a shock to fans and players alike—they’d entered the game with the NFL’s top-ranked special teams unit, according to Pro Football Focus. Bengals' Victory Pulls Off Shock Against the Baltimore Ravens notes that these small errors added up, giving the Bengals the edge they needed to pull off the upset.

Finally, the Bengals’ victory was a shock because it came at a time when the Ravens were supposed to be hitting their stride, with playoff positioning on the line. Entering Week 12, Baltimore had won five straight games, including a dominant victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, and was widely seen as a Super Bowl contender. The Bengals, by contrast, had lost two of their previous three games and were dealing with injuries to key players like cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Yet Cincinnati played with a sense of urgency that the Ravens lacked, especially in the fourth quarter. When the Ravens cut the lead to 20-17 with 6:45 left, the Bengals responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Joe Mixon—effectively sealing the win. “We knew this game could make or break our season,” Burrow said after the game. “We played like it.” For the Baltimore Ravens, the loss was a wake-up call, showing that even the best teams can be beaten if they don’t bring their A-game. Bengals' Victory Pulls Off Shock Against the Baltimore Ravens concludes that this upset wasn’t just a win for the Bengals—it was a reminder that in the NFL, no team is unbeatable. As the playoffs approach, the Ravens will have to learn from this shock loss if they want to fulfill their Super Bowl potential.