Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson bash Bengals for fifth straight win

CINCINNATI — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s jaw-dropping spin move that left two defenders flailing could stand as the defining moment of Sunday’s 49-13 pounding of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Or perhaps Marquise Brown’s leaping touchdown reception or one of the Ravens’ two defensive scores more aptly epitomized a wire-to-wire rout. There’ll be plenty of time to debate which highlight deserves the most attention, to consider where Jackson’s theatrics rank among the all-time great running plays.

What was indisputable as the Ravens (7-2) and Bengals (0-9) trotted off the field at Paul Brown Stadium was the different tiers on which these two teams exist. Baltimore has established itself as one of the NFL’s best teams, a bona fide title contender that has strung together five straight victories.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, has sputtered to the depths of the NFL. The Bengals seem to lack direction and an identity.

The Ravens don’t have that problem, because they have Jackson, a 22-year-old quarterback who’s established himself as an MVP candidate in his second second. Sunday’s game marked Jackson’s 16th career start and doubled as a showcase for the talented young quarterback who’s taken the league by storm.

Jackson completed 17 of 19 passes for 223 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Bengals and finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating for the second time this season. The Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger is the only other quarterback in NFL history to achieve that feat twice in one year (he did so in 2007), according to ESPN.

And Jackson’s best play didn’t even contribute to his passing statistics. In the second quarter, he jolted through the Bengals defense and spun away from two would-be tacklers en route to a 47-yard touchdown run.

The crowd gasped, the Ravens’ sideline erupted and Jackson waltzed his way into the end zone. He finished with 65 yards on seven carries playing just a 90-minute drive from Louisville, where he burst onto the scene as a star in the college ranks.

An historic and electrifying performance out of Jackson overshadowed a two-touchdown outing from the Ravens’ defense, which has piled up five scores over the past three games. Cornerback Marcus Peters intercepted Bengals rookie quarterback Ryan Finley in the second quarter and returned it 89 yards for his third pick-six of the season and second since joining Baltimore through a mid-October trade.

In the second half, Patrick Ricard sacked Finley and forced a fumble that outside linebacker Tyus Bowser scooped and returned for another touchdown.

The Ravens earned convincing wins over intimidating opponents in recent weeks, beating the Seahawks and Patriots. Sunday, they throttled the Bengals and showed they wouldn’t play down to the competition against a winless challenger.

Jackson connected with Brown for a 49-yard completion on a play-action pass on the game’s first snap, and Baltimore never looked back. The Ravens scored on all five drives in which Jackson remained in the game and never faced much resistance. They were up 28-3 in the first half and led 49-10 by the end of the third quarter.

Backup quarterback Robert Griffin III replaced Jackson to start the fourth quarter with a Ravens triumph well in hand.

The only two incompletions on Jackson’s stat sheet were understandable: One come on a spike to stop the clock; the other was a near-touchdown that tight end Mark Andrews almost hauled in over a Cincinnati defender.

This is what Paul Brown Stadium looks like to start the 4th quarter. The Bengals will be 0-9. This isn’t Andy Dalton’s fault. This isn’t Zac Taylor’s fault. The fans are sending a message to Mike Brown... #Bengals pic.twitter.com/fHnUQnWXwV

— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) November 10, 2019

From start to finish Sunday, the Ravens dominated an inferior team. There are aspects of the game worthy of debate. Baltimore’s brilliance on a chilly and sunny afternoon in Cincinnati is not one of them.