The Baltimore Ravens needed a team effort to overcome a few key injuries and hold off the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, the Ravens have a game in hand, and a two-game lead on the Bengals as they head into the meat of their schedule.
What were the key moments that caused the Ravens to walk away with this win.
3. The Baltimore Ravens started the game off on the right foot
The name of the game to beat the Cincinnati Bengals starts with getting their offense out of whack. For the Ravens, the start to this game could not have gone better. The team took the ball to start the game, and they went right down the field.
They did this methodically, though. The Ravens went 75 yards over 13 plays. The team ate up 7:48 of the clock. Even more impressive, they only faced two third downs. The team was moving the ball in chunks consistently down the field. By the time the Joe Burrow-led offense took the field, half of the quarter was over, and the team was trailing. For an offense that was rusty the week before, this is the worst case.
The ensuing drive for the Bengals went quickly as well. The team went three plays, two yards, and immediately punted. From that point, about eight minutes into the game, it felt like the Baltimore Ravens had control. The Bengals offense was immediately in a funk, and the Ravens offense was ready to move the ball. It set the tone for the rest of the game.