Bengals Dominate Second Half with Five Consecutive Touchdowns for 35-13 Victory
BALTIMORE – October 25, 2026 – Brendon D. Miller
The Bengals delivered a remarkable second-half turnaround, to overcome a 13-0 halftime deficit to pick up their first AFC North Divisional win and even their Division record at 1-1. Cincy scored 35 unanswered points as Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins took over the game on offence, and the Bengals defense shut out the Ravens for the 35-13 win, in one of the team’s most decisive comeback performances I can recall. Cincinnati improved to 4-2, while Baltimore fell to 4-3, and 0-2 in the Division.
Scoring by Quarter
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 | 35 |
| Ravens | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Scoring Plays
1st quarter
- Baltimore: Tyler Huntley hit Zay Flowers for a 48-yard touchdown, putting the Ravens ahead 7-0.
2nd quarter
- Baltimore: Tyler Loop made field goals of 34 and 24 yards, extending the lead to 13-0 at halftime.
3rd quarter
- Cincinnati: Joe Burrow to Mike Gesicki, 6-yard TD.
- Cincinnati: Burrow to Tee Higgins, 13-yard TD.
- Bengals took a 14-13 lead and never relinquished it.
4th quarter
- Cincinnati: Samaje Perine, 1-yard rushing TD.
- Cincinnati: Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase, 2-yard TD.
- Cincinnati: Burrow to Drew Sample, 16-yard TD.
- Evan McPherson converted all five extra points.
Bengals Offense
The first half belonged to Baltimore, but the second half belonged completely to Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense.
Burrow finished 22-of-30 for 292 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, producing a 143.3 passer rating. He spread those four TD passes among Gesicki, Higgins, Chase and Sample.
Tee Higgins was Cincinnati’s biggest receiving weapon, catching six passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, including a 44-yard reception. Ja’Marr Chase added 5 catches for 62 yards and a TD.
On the ground, the Bengals weren’t dominant but did enough:
- Chase Brown: 11 carries, 39 yards
- Samaje Perine: 4 carries, 16 yards, 1 TD
- Burrow: 2 carries, 12 yards
Perhaps the most impressive offensive number was Cincinnati’s efficiency near the goal line. The Bengals went 5-for-5 in the red zone, while Baltimore was 0-for-3. Cincinnati committed zero turnovers and was 6-of-11 on third down.
Bengals Defense
For a Bengals defense that had surrendered a 48-yard touchdown to Flowers early, the response was outstanding.
Cincinnati shut Baltimore out for the entire second half. The Ravens had 359 total yards, one more than the Bengals’ total reported by ESPN, but Cincinnati’s defense repeatedly made the plays that mattered most. Baltimore was 0-for-3 in the red zone and 0-for-2 on fourth down.
The Bengals also put considerable pressure on Tyler Huntley, recording four sacks.
Key Bengals defenders
- Boye Mafe: 1.5 sacks, including one tackle for loss.
- Dexter Lawrence II: 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss and a pass defended.
- Cashius Howell: 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss.
- Bryan Cook: 6 solo tackles, 3 assists and half a sack.
- Demetrius Knight Jr.: intercepted Huntley, returning the pick 14 yards.
The Bengals held Derrick Henry to only 45 rushing yards on 17 carries, an average of just 2.6 yards per attempt. Baltimore managed only 83 rushing yards as a team.
Team-stat comparison
| Statistic | Bengals | Ravens |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 35 | 13 |
| First downs | 21 | 17 |
| Total yards | 357 | 359 |
| Passing yards* | 284 | 276 |
| Rushing yards | 73 | 83 |
| Third downs | 6/11 | 9/16 |
| Red zone | 5/5 | 0/3 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks allowed | 1 | 4 |
| Penalties | 1-15 | 10-57 |
| Time of possession | 25:00 | 35:00 |
*Team passing figure accounts for sack yardage, which is why it differs from Burrow’s individual 292 passing yards.
Bottom Line
This was a tale of two halves. Baltimore led 13-0 at halftime, but Cincinnati responded with five touchdowns on five second-half scoring drives, while the Bengals defense blanked the Ravens after intermission. Burrow threw four touchdowns without an interception, Higgins produced 148 receiving yards, and the defense combined four sacks with an interception and perfect red-zone resistance.
NEXT
The Bengals return to Paycor next Sunday to host the Tennessee Titan for a 1:00 PM kick.