Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home

In a raucous Paycor Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals delivered a statement 27–24 upset over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14, a win that snapped the Ravens’ four-game winning streak and reignited the Bengals’ playoff hopes. Entering the game as 6-point underdogs, the Bengals outplayed the AFC North leaders in key phases—leaning on Ja’Marr Chase’s offensive brilliance, a opportunistic defense, and clutch special teams—to secure a victory that shifted the balance of the division. Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home breaks down how the Bengals, once written off earlier in the season, executed a near-flawless gameplan to take down one of the NFL’s top contenders. For Bengals fans, the win wasn’t just a upset; it was a reminder of the team’s championship pedigree and resilience.

Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home begins with the Bengals’ offensive masterclass, led by quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow, playing through a minor knee injury, completed 22 of 31 passes for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns, but it was his connection with Chase that stole the show. Chase finished with 9 catches for 141 yards and 1 touchdown, including a pivotal 35-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter that set up the Bengals’ go-ahead score. On that play, Chase beat Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey off the line, hauled in Burrow’s deep pass, and evaded two more defenders to push the Bengals to the Ravens’ 5-yard line. “Ja’Marr is a game-changer, and tonight he proved it,” Burrow said after the game. “He makes plays that no other receiver can make—whether it’s winning a one-on-one battle or turning a short catch into a big gain. That 35-yard play was the spark we needed.” The Bengals’ offense also found success on the ground, with running back Joe Mixon rushing for 89 yards and 1 touchdown, keeping the Ravens’ defense off balance and extending drives. Unlike the Ravens’ inconsistent offensive showing, the Bengals converted 5 of 10 third-down attempts and scored on 3 of 4 red zone trips—efficiency that would prove decisive.

Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home continues with the Bengals’ defensive effort, which turned the tide by capitalizing on Ravens mistakes. The Bengals’ defense sacked Lamar Jackson three times, forced two turnovers, and held the Ravens to just 7 points in the second half—after the Ravens had scored 17 in the first. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson led the charge with 2 sacks and a forced fumble, while safety Jessie Bates III intercepted Jackson in the fourth quarter, ending a potential game-tying Ravens drive. “Our gameplan was simple: pressure Jackson and force him into bad decisions,” Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “We knew Jackson is dangerous when he has time to extend plays, so we mixed blitzes and zone coverage to keep him off balance. The turnovers were the result of our guys staying disciplined and capitalizing when opportunities arose.” The defense also limited Ravens running back Derrick Henry to just 67 yards (3.1 yards per carry), well below his season average of 4.8. By shutting down Henry, the Bengals forced the Ravens to rely more on Jackson’s passing, which played into their strength of disrupting the passing game.

Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home shifts to the critical fourth quarter, where the Bengals’ poise and execution sealed the win. Trailing 24–20 with 5:42 left, the Bengals embarked on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Mixon’s 1-yard touchdown run—giving the Bengals a 27–24 lead. The drive featured key plays: a 19-yard catch by tight end Hayden Hurst on third-and-7, and a 12-yard run by Mixon on fourth-and-1, which kept the drive alive. “That fourth-and-1 was a turning point,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “We believed in our offensive line and Mixon to get the yards, and they delivered. It showed the confidence this team has right now.” For the Baltimore Ravens, the fourth quarter was a study in missed opportunities: Jackson threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-5 from the Bengals’ 30-yard line with 1:12 left, and the Ravens’ final drive ended with a fumble by Henry that the Bengals recovered. The Ravens’ inability to convert critical downs—they went 1-for-3 on fourth down—cost them a chance to tie or win the game, highlighting the difference in execution between the two teams.

Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home delves into the role of Paycor Stadium’s crowd, which turned the venue into a fortress and disrupted the Ravens’ communication. The crowd of 65,515—loudest of the season for the Bengals—booed loudly during Ravens’ offensive plays, forcing Jackson to call multiple timeouts to fix miscommunications. On the Ravens’ final drive, the crowd noise was so intense that Jackson struggled to audible at the line, leading to a delay-of-game penalty that pushed the Ravens back 5 yards. “The crowd was our 12th man tonight,” Chase said. “Every time the Ravens were on offense, you could see them struggling to hear each other. That noise changed the game.” For the Baltimore Ravens, the crowd’s impact was a stark reminder of the challenges of playing on the road against a motivated opponent. Jackson acknowledged the crowd’s role after the game: “It’s hard to execute when you can’t hear your teammates. The Bengals’ fans showed up tonight, and it made a difference.” The crowd’s energy also lifted the Bengals, with players feeding off the momentum—especially during the game-winning drive, when the stadium’s chants of “Who Dey!” echoed through the stands.

Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home wraps up with the game’s implications for both teams and the AFC playoff picture. For the Bengals, the win improved their record to 8–6, moving them into the seventh seed in the AFC and keeping their hopes of a third straight playoff appearance alive. It also proved that the Bengals, despite early-season struggles, can compete with the NFL’s best teams—a confidence boost as they head into the final two weeks of the regular season. “This win says we’re not done,” Taylor said. “We’ve been through a lot this season, but tonight we showed what we’re capable of. We’re playing our best football at the right time.” For the Baltimore Ravens, the loss dropped their record to 10–4, though they still hold the top seed in the AFC. However, it exposed flaws—offensive inconsistency, defensive lapses, and road struggles—that they’ll need to fix before the playoffs. “This loss is a wake-up call,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “We didn’t play our best, and the Bengals outplayed us. We have to learn from this and get better.” In the end, Bengals Pull Off Upset Against the Baltimore Ravens at Home is a story of resilience and execution—of an underdog team refusing to be counted out and delivering when it mattered most. For Bengals fans, it’s a night they’ll remember for years to come.