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Somebody has to win it. The AFC North has traditionally been one of the NFL’s best divisions, but not this year. The Ravens (6-6) and Steelers (6-6) are tied for the division lead with five games left in the regular season. Baltimore and Pittsburgh meet on Sunday for the first time this season and will square off again in Week 18. The Bengals (4-8) are a long shot to win the division but have Joe Burrow back under center and just crushed the Ravens on Thanksgiving. The Browns are 3-9 and all but out of it. Who will win the AFC North this season? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman tried to blend in among the 40 or so dinner guests. The recent November evening was filled with conversation, laughter and, importantly, affirmation. He also stood out. Not for his celebrity as an NFL player, but as the only male in the banquet room at Marian House, a nonprofit organization in northeast Baltimore that provides support for women who have experienced trauma ranging from domestic violence to incarceration to substance abuse to homelessness. “I want y’all to know today came from a genuine place in my heart,” Bateman said as he raised a microphone on a makeshift blue stage against a taupe wall in front of the group. “I was raised by a bunch of women, so it felt good to give you all ya’ll flowers.” They appreciated it. They could also relate. Bateman spoke about the underprivileged community he grew up in and his mother, Shonda Cromer, who endured more than a decade of domestic abuse during his childhood. He also said that he wished that she’d had someone to help navigate those frightening times. So, through the former first-round draft pick’s Without You Foundation, the idea for a day of healing and wellness for the women of Marian House was sparked. The festivities included luxurious spa treatments through Diva By Cindy and a family-style dinner from trendy Yebo Kitchen. But the message and bonds with Bateman and Cromer are what will have a lasting imprint on the soul, some of the women who spoke with The Baltimore Sun said. “It had a huge impact to see Miss Shonda, who comes from a place of brokenness like we do,” said Belle, a woman in her 50s who said she arrived at Marian House from an alcohol rehab program and psychiatric unit six years ago because her life was “out of control” after being surrounded by a family of alcoholics. Her last name was withheld to protect her identity. “To see her want to share love and spread love to make us feel special, to make us know that we are special and that we’re on a journey here, that we’re gonna be OK, it was just really nice because it was from a place of pure genuineness. “Seeing her bond with her son and how he supports her and she supports him, it was like having your own family there. You wouldn’t have known he is an NFL star.” Of course, he wasn’t always. Bateman was raised in Tifton, Georgia, a small, agricultural town three hours south of Atlanta with a population of about 16,000 and where the poverty rate during his formative years was over 40%. The physical abuse Cromer endured at the hands of Bateman’s often drunken and angry stepfather started in her youngest child’s earliest days. While his older brothers, Monjharvis and Travian, would try to escape by getting lost in video games or watching television, Rashod was witness to much of the violence, Cromer said. Still, she told only one close friend of the abuse and not even her mother for years. But when Cromer told her husband that their kids were going to be taken away by child protective services, that finally led to a split. She also filed for an order of protection against him, though she says that she lived in fear of him for years. Related Articles READER POLL: Who will win the AFC North? What’s wrong with Ravens QB Lamar Jackson? There isn’t one answer. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews engaged to girlfriend Elena Yates Watch Episode 14 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Joe Flacco and Ravens fans reflect on a potential final trip to Baltimore “It still lingered for a while,” Cromer said. “I stayed scared for a while. I stayed scared until maybe five years ago and we’ve been separated 15 years. I stayed scared for a long time.” She also eventually got through it. For safety, Cromer moved in with her own mom, who, along with Cromer’s sister, among others, helped watch her children as she went back to school to get her bachelor’s degree and eventually a master’s in education and business. She leaned on her family and her faith, she said, to find the strength to forge ahead. “There’s so many women who keep quiet about some of the things that they go through like I did, because I actually kept quiet about it for a long time before somebody even knew,” Cromer said. “We didn’t have that here for somebody to reach out or help me. I had to try to figure out how to get away and do everything on my own. That’s why I tell them doing everything on my own taught me the fight is not over. You still gotta keep fighting. Even though you’re free now, you got to keep fighting to do better, you got to keep fighting not to go back, you still got to keep fighting to get a better education if you don’t have one or to get a better job. The fight’s not over until you get what you need.” She did, and so did the most athletically gifted of her children. Despite a lack of scholarship offers from major college football programs, Bateman went on to become a standout at the University of Minnesota, where he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore in 2019 before turning pro in 2021 and being selected 27th overall by the Ravens. A few months after being drafted, he bought his mother a house in their hometown. He has since gone on to sign two contract extensions with Baltimore, including a three-year, $36.75 million deal this past June after a breakout 2024 season in which he had career highs in yards (756) and touchdowns (nine). To the women he spent the evening with at Marian House, though, he was just Rashod. “It felt like he wasn’t a stranger,” said Annette, a woman in her 60s whose last name was also withheld to protect her identity. “I was real comfortable with him and cracking jokes with him. I asked why his brothers didn’t play football and where he was from and told him why we were there. He wasn’t really surprised. He knew what we went through and he would always say, you ladies are where my mom came from.” More importantly, though, is where they are going. Hope has been injected into the lives of the women. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman and his Without You Foundation hosted a wellness day for women who have experienced trauma at the Diva Day Spa in Upperco on Nov. 10. (Surya Vaidy/Staff) Ivy, a woman in her 40s whose last name was withheld to also protect her identity, said thanks to Marian House, she was able to escape an abusive relationship along with heavy drinking. She has been sober for nearly two years and is on her way to becoming a nurse. She can see a bright future. “It’s been beautiful to me,” she said, fighting back tears. “I’m really proud of myself. They got me in the right direction. They seen things in me I didn’t see in myself. I’m a true testimonial to what the Marian House can do. “I needed a change. I’m just grateful right now.” Optimistic, too. That’s as important as anything, said Marian House president and chief executive Katie Allison. “It’s always good to know that someone came out the other side and is living a healthy and blessed life, and that’s something they can achieve as well,” she said. “Just the fact that they’re at Marian House, they’re not living with [an abuser] and they can see a path forward.” That’s particularly important around the holidays, when many of the women are not able to be around family and have to work hard to lean into the “sisterhood” they’ve developed with each other and celebrate safely and soberly, according to Marian House chief advancement officer Tobi Morris. They admittedly were at least a little starstruck, too, but grateful for the kind of care many of them say they never had before. “The ladies are still talking about [the event],” Morris said. “They all needed that extra care. They were overwhelmed. A stranger and a celebrity cared enough about their lives and their position, and they understood where they were and were interested in feeding their soul and spirit. “The truth is so many women in Baltimore and America have experienced domestic partner violence in their lives. They see she survived it, so I’m gonna survive it. I think it was mutually beneficial for both.” Rashod Bateman's Without You Foundation partnered with the Marian House, an organization that provides support for women who have experienced trauma. (Surya Vaidy/Staff) While a 2022 study published in “JAMA Network Open,” a monthly peer-reviewed open-access medical journal published by the American Medical Association and conducted by investigators at Harvard, found that former NFL players experienced childhood adversity rates similar to those of the general population, the numbers are still staggeringly high. The study of 1,755 former players found that 64.5% reported at least one adverse childhood experience, with the most common being physical abuse (24.2%), household mental illness (21.9%) and parental separation (21.2%). Bateman’s experiences had such a profound impact that his mother said she believes he only recently was able to get over it. “It was tough,” he said. “There was hitting. Other stuff comes to mind, too, but as I continue to do this, I’ll be able to open up more because I do want people to know what exactly I been through so they can understand. “But it showed me what type of love I want for myself. I think I learned what I did want and did not want.” What he wants now, even amid the touchdowns and TV cameras and millions of dollars, is to help the women of Marian House, and others, feel good about themselves. It’s an interesting dichotomy, he added, the toughness to be a football player juxtaposed against the gentleness to lift a room full of women up emotionally and spiritually. For all the physical hurt that goes with the sport he plays, though, it is his mother who endured and each has a desire to pay that forward so that others don’t have to go through what they did. “It’s easy for me to be myself and wear my heart on my sleeve because it’s something that I’ve always done,” Bateman said. “I haven’t been afraid to show my emotions and I guess be un-manly as people would call it. Being around females and raised by women, it’s OK. I wish more men were like that as well. There’s such a stigma around certain stuff in this world that people have to choose whatever makes them feel safe and is better for them at the time. “I just wanna be an advocate for all people; men, women, to be whatever you wanna be. At the end of the day, somebody is gonna say something about you, good or bad, so spread love the best way you can. The only way you can do that is be true to yourself.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. A woman receives a massage during a day of relaxation and restoration at the Diva Day Spa on Nov. 10. (Surya Vaidy/Staff) View the full article

Area 51, the Voynich manuscript and Lamar Jackson circa 2025. Unexplained mysteries all, though the latter has been particularly perplexing. After the Ravens quarterback spoke with reporters following a 32-14 debacle at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, he quietly retreated to his stall in the back corner of the locker room inside M&T Bank Stadium, sat for a moment and seemed to stare through the floor before quickly getting dressed and being joined by his 2018 draft classmate and longtime security blanket tight end Mark Andrews for a brief conversation and slap of hands between the two. To be a fly on the adjacent wall would’ve shed light on what was said but not likely answered the NFL’s most pressing question at the moment: What’s wrong with Lamar Jackson? “Lamar is great,” Andrews said. “I have no complaints. He’s our guy, and I have full trust in him. Football is a way of life. “Sometimes bad things happen.” Usually not for Jackson, a transcendent and generational virtuoso who will almost certainly one day be fitted for a gold jacket and be honored with a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio. Two seasons ago, he led the Ravens to the NFL’s best record, the brink of his first Super Bowl (and what would’ve been the organization’s first in a dozen years) and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player for a second time. Last season, he had career highs in passing yards and touchdown passes while piloting an offense that was historic as the first to top 4,000 yards through the air and 3,000 on the ground in the same season as the MVP runner-up. Yet there he was on a chilly Thanksgiving night, having not completed at least 60% of his passes nor produced a touchdown pass for a third straight game for the first time in his otherwise illustrious career. That it came against the league’s worst defense both in yards and points allowed only exacerbates the malaise. Over Jackson’s past three games, he has accounted for zero touchdowns, three interceptions, two fumbles lost and been sacked eight times. “I don’t know,” he said when asked why the offense has been struggling so mightily. “Can’t call it.” Perhaps not, but Jackson, who at his best is a dazzling blur, looks broken. Why is the great unknown, of course, though like any complex issue, the reasons are myriad. The offensive line Baltimore’s porous front has been at the nexus of much of the discourse surrounding the various struggles for the offense, and the criticism is certainly not without merit. Taking only the latest exhibit, the Bengals generated a 39.5% pressure rate on Jackson, according to Next Gen Stats, in what was their second-best performance of the season. They also did so without injured All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Related Articles READER POLL: Who will win the AFC North? How Ravens’ Rashod Bateman, Marian House empower women dealing with trauma Ravens tight end Mark Andrews engaged to girlfriend Elena Yates Watch Episode 14 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Joe Flacco and Ravens fans reflect on a potential final trip to Baltimore Joseph Ossai led the team with six pressures (his second-most in a game this year) and two sacks, while Myles Murphy added five to match his season high. Cincinnati also held Baltimore to a 38.6% success rate and minus-23.9 expected points added (EPA) on the night, both of which were season bests for the visitors. One area in particular the Ravens struggled with was the Bengals’ Cover 0 looks (meaning no deep safety in coverage). “You’d like to be able to make them pay for it, get the ball in somebody’s hands quickly or pick it up and extend the play if you can,” coach John Harbaugh said. “All those things are what you try to do. We did not do a good job of that tonight.” Sometimes it has been the line, sometimes it has been the quarterback. Injuries Jackson has long been reticent to discuss injuries — perhaps not wishing to speak any into existence — and likewise to not impute them for his inconsistencies. That was the case again Thursday night. “No, I just have to be more consistent,” he said when asked if they affected his performance. “I have to make those throws. I don’t miss them in practice, so I shouldn’t be missing them in the game.” Similarly, when Harbaugh was asked if Jackson is indeed fully healthy, he said, “Fully healthy? Yes, Lamar is fully healthy to play. Yes, absolutely.” That hasn’t always been the case this season, though. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has battled myriad injuries this season amid inconsistent play. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A hamstring injury suffered in the third quarter of a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs knocked him out of that contest and kept him sidelined for the next three (two of which were losses). Since returning in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, he has also been listed with knee, ankle and toe injuries in subsequent weeks. As prolific a passer as Jackson has been, his dynamic ability as a runner is what has made him perhaps the best dual-threat quarterback in history, but he is not running as much or as effectively this season. In the first four games, he rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Over his past five, he has 98 yards on 31 rushes. Jackson has yet to register a single run of at least 20 yards, and his 13 carries for at least 10 yards is well down from his pace of last season when he had 37. His 5.1 yards per carry are also the fewest since his rookie year. Then there’s the matter of whether an individual one or an accumulation of the many is impacting his ability to throw accurately. Jackson has always had moments of laissez-faire in some of his simpler throws throughout his career, much the way perhaps Monet would if presented with a finger painting kit, but the inaccuracies have started to creep to an inexplicable, if not unacceptable level. For his part, he says they are not mechanical. “No, I’ve been throwing like that all this time,” he said. “I just have to be consistent.” Vision One of the more baffling plays from the Bengals loss was Jackson’s fumble inside his own 20 with about 30 seconds left in the first half when he lost the ball on an aborted pass attempt as he pulled the ball down. The turnover led to another field goal for Cincinnati. More worrisome, though, was what Jackson didn’t do — hit an open Zay Flowers on a post route. Jackson explained the decision to bail by saying he wanted to make sure it wasn’t a Tampa 2 coverage — when the middle linebacker would drop to the deep middle of the field — compared with a traditional Cover 2, when the safeties would be responsible for the deep halves of the field. Then there was the third-and-8 from just short of midfield midway through the fourth quarter when Cincinnati brought one of its many Cover 0 blitzes and Jackson threw incomplete to a covered Flowers over the middle. Both Andrews and DeAndre Hopkins were uncovered underneath, and Andrews, who had about 15 yards of green space in front of him, threw his hands up in disgust. Is Jackson seeing the field the way he expects and wants to? “Yes, I feel like I’m seeing the field pretty good, for the most part, but I just have to be consistent,” he said. Scar tissue Among the consistent things — aside from Jackson’s inconsistency this year — are a lack of discipline and degree of carelessness that have permeated the roster from the quarterback down, especially in big moments. In the fourth quarter of the 2023 AFC title game loss to the Chiefs, Jackson threw an interception at the Kansas City 5 that ended any chance of a comeback from the 17-7 deficit. Earlier that same quarter, Flowers also had a costly fumble at the goal line. Then, in last year’s two-point divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills, Jackson had an interception and a fumble. Andrews also had a fumble and infamously dropped a 2-point conversion pass in the final 93 seconds that proved to be the difference. The stakes weren’t as high against the Bengals, but that also makes it all the more concerning. The Ravens’ woes used to reside in the postseason. Now that they’ve crept into the regular season, making the playoffs will be that much more difficult, especially if Jackson isn’t close to his best, whatever the reason. Still, the Ravens have plenty of belief — in each other and especially in their quarterback. “We learn to rebound, grow, learn, and not long ago we were 1-5. We’re 6-6. We’re going to be all right,” Andrews said. “We just have to keep fighting, keep clawing, keep being humble, being thankful, and I’m certainly thankful for him.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews proposed to girlfriend, Elena Yates, a Friday night Instagram post revealed. The post, captioned simply “I love you forever,” shows Andrews getting down on one knee and popping the question. Andrews and Yates have been dating since 2023, according to People. On Nov. 16, Andrews passed Derrick Mason for the most receiving yards in Ravens franchise history during a 23-16 win in Cleveland. He set the mark with an 11-yard catch on the Ravens’ opening drive, pushing his career total to 5,785 yards. Have a news tip? Contact Racquel Bazos at rbazos@baltsun.com, 443-813-0770 or on X as @rzbworks. View the full article

Episode 14 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law is here. Preston and Coleman discuss the Ravens’ 32-14 loss to Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving night, which included five turnovers by Baltimore in an ugly defeat. You can watch it weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Easton Tucker grew up around Joe Flacco. The 18-year-old watched the quarterback as he first grasped the sport, with a Super Bowl victory in 2013. He didn’t even understand the magnitude of the win at the time. His mother, Beth, certainly did, and still does. While Easton is now drawn by the allure of two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, Beth remembers the signal caller who offered the Ravens a decade of stability. “He’s the original ‘Joe Cool,’” Beth, 46, said. “He never lost his composure, ever, no matter what.” Thursday’s Thanksgiving game in Baltimore might have been the last time Flacco suited up at M&T Bank Stadium. The 40-year-old Bengals backup said that retirement rarely crosses his mind and figures that he won’t realize what is his final game there until long after it’s over. Still, returning to the place he called home for 11 seasons hits just the same. “It’s always great to be back to this place,” Flacco said after the Ravens’ 32-14 loss to Cincinnati. “It’s my favorite place to play in the league. It always has been.” Flacco said Thursday’s game felt extra special because it was a night kickoff and the crowd was fully engaged. When the jumbotron showed flashbacks, the quarterback found himself reliving the moments that have defined his career at M&T Bank Stadium: the heated rivalry games against Pittsburgh, the 31-30 thriller over New England in 2012 and the 2011 Thanksgiving win against the 49ers. “Whenever you see those pictures of those guys, a memory instantly pops up,” Flacco said. Baltimore fans remember many of those moments — both good and bad. Easton Tucker remembers that Super Bowl win against the 49ers, but also when Flacco suffered a concussion on a late hit from Kiko Alonso in 2017. Jesse Balasus, 28, pointed out Flacco’s 43-yard catch during his rookie season as a defining moment. And of course, there were the playoff runs. The quarterback led Baltimore to the playoffs six times in a seven-year span — generating a 10-5 record and a win in Super Bowl XLVII. It’s the reason many became Ravens fans, including Tony Pospischil — a Ravens fan from Germany. Related Articles Ravens, Todd Monken waste Derrick Henry in Thanksgiving loss | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 32-14 loss to the Bengals Ravens and QB Lamar Jackson can’t explain why offense is struggling Pundits react to Ravens’ surprising 32-14 home loss to Bengals: ‘Sloppy’ The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals “He’s like a gentleman, an old school quarterback,” said Pospischil, 36. “That’s what I first think of him.” Flacco leaves behind an interesting legacy. The quarterback was on an all-time heater in the 2012 playoffs — throwing 11 touchdowns with no interceptions en route to the title. There was the double-overtime “Mile High Miracle” against Denver in the divisional round, in which a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones tied the game with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. Flacco then achieved the nearly impossible: winning a playoff game against Tom Brady and the Patriots in Foxborough. The 2008 first-round draft pick also carried mid-Atlantic roots. He grew up in New Jersey and played at Pittsburgh and Delaware before landing in Baltimore. “He’s Baltimore as much as Lamar Jackson is Baltimore,” Balasus said. “He was the golden years of the 2010s growing up watching him as quarterback.” Compared with his peers, though, Flacco never stood at the top. His 48,085 passing yards rank 14th all-time — behind Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton and Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan and others from his generation. He sits 21st in career passing touchdowns and 12th in completions. A very good quarterback, just not elite. He also helped usher in the Ravens’ next era. His 2018 benching for Jackson ended a three-game losing streak and sparked a turnaround from 4-5 to 10-6 and a division title. Flacco was traded to Denver after the season and played only one of the three years on his contract with the Broncos. Jackson, meanwhile, won the first of his two MVP awards in his first season as the full-time starter in 2018. Jackson is 75-28 as the Ravens’ starter. “Lamar is the savior,” Easton Tucker said. “You have to respect that.” Flacco has evolved into a journeyman cult hero in recent years, making stops in New York, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Cleveland again and now Cincinnati after a trade. He pushed the Browns into the playoffs in 2023, going 4-1 over the final five weeks after Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury. That run earned coach Kevin Stefanski’s trust and the Week 1 starting job this season. And when Joe Burrow went down, divisional rival Cincinnati trusted him enough to trade for him. Flacco has talked this season about the challenges of living in Cincinnati while his wife and five children remain in New Jersey. He’s also said he’s learned to make peace with, and even enjoy, the pockets of loneliness that come with the distance. “’I’m just trying to enjoy being in the moment,” Flacco said. “I’ll keep attacking my craft the best I can and become the best I can and see what the interest is, and engage it from there.” There’s no set timeline for his retirement. But whenever it does happen, he wants to leave the game as a Raven. “Of course,” Flacco said in response to retiring a Raven. “I have so many great memories.” Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes. View the full article

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of comfort, filled with tradition, familiar flavors and second (maybe even third) helpings of what always works. But on Thursday evening at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens sat down at their own dinner table, found the one dish everyone loves, and inexplicably stopped serving the goods in front of a national audience. Derrick Henry’s 28-yard touchdown rush on just his third carry of the game jump-started the Ravens to a 7-3 lead over the Bengals. It marked not only much-needed confidence for a struggling unit, but also the team’s first opening-drive touchdown since Sept. 28. Henry looked every bit powerful and explosive as his oft-criticized offensive line paved a hole for him to scamper through and turn on the jets. And then the Ravens — and coordinator Todd Monken — stopped using their star player who had just proven he was the most effective playmaker on the field. Over the following 21 minutes, 33 seconds, Henry received just two more carries. By halftime, he had been shelved in an offense that seemed determined to throw despite Lamar Jackson’s continued struggles. Why stop serving the goods, Mr. Monken? It was an especially puzzling approach against a Cincinnati defense that entered the Week 13 matchup ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed and 31st in run defense. If there was ever a get-right spot for the Ravens’ offense, this was it. If you were confused by Henry’s usage while eating Thanksgiving leftovers from the living room couch, you weren’t the only one. “I thought the run game, especially early on, got Derrick going,” veteran offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “I think we’ve got to just keep the momentum going and make sure that’s our identity and make it work.” Baltimore wasn’t forced to veer away from the run game because of the game script, either. While the Ravens committed a season-high five turnovers, they never trailed by two possessions until the third quarter. Henry finished with 60 rushing yards across just 10 carries. His 10 rushes were his second fewest this season (he had eight against Kansas City in Week 4). Before this season, Henry hadn’t finished a game with 10 or less carries since Nov. 19, 2023 as a member of the Tennessee Titans. “Naturally, I want take advantage of the opportunities I get,” Henry said. “I’m not one to cry in the media or complain. Whatever I get, try to take advantage of it. … We have to be better. We were not the team we needed to be today to win.” Said Stanley: “Not enough production. We weren’t finishing drives. Too many mistakes. A lot of the things we’ve been battling.” Related Articles 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 32-14 loss to the Bengals Ravens and QB Lamar Jackson can’t explain why offense is struggling Pundits react to Ravens’ surprising 32-14 home loss to Bengals: ‘Sloppy’ The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show Meanwhile, Jackson’s slump continued. His 65.4 passer rating reflected another uncharacteristic night of multiple misfires and mistakes. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player struggled versus the blitz again, too, completing just three of eight passes against five-man pressures, according to TruMedia. Jackson closes November with five turnovers and just one passing touchdown with zero rushing touchdowns. The 28-year-old quarterback’s recent struggles and health issues place even more emphasis on Monken’s questionable play calling. Monken’s decision to abandon the run game was reminiscent of the team’s loss to the Chiefs in the AFC championship in January 2024, when tailbacks Justice Hill and Gus Edward combined for just six carries. While the stakes weren’t as high in the Thanksgiving loss to the Bengals that ended the team’s five-game winning streak, the effect and total level of frustration felt eerily similar. Asked if he was pleased how frequently the Ravens ran the ball against the Bengals, coach John Harbaugh replied: “You try to do what you can do to win the game. If they’re going to put a bunch of people up there — we had a lot of open guys, and you saw opportunities to score. I think we had two of them called back that were the result of throwing the ball against the looks they were giving us. So, it’s a matter of finishing those plays and putting them in the end zone.” Fair enough. But like everyone else watching, Monken should’ve noticed that Jackson wasn’t on point, a familiar tune to his performances in recent weeks. Ravens running back Derrick Henry scores on a 22-yard run in the first quarter. Henry only received 10 carries in Baltimore's 32-14 loss to the Bengals. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Why not aid his struggling superstar quarterback with more touches for his not-so struggling superstar running back, especially after Henry erased a two-month long bugaboo with his opening drive score? It’s not like Henry’s slowing down, either. Since Jackson returned to the starting lineup in Week 9, Henry had averaged 90.3 yards per game. Baltimore’s change-of-pace tailback, Keaton Mitchell, scored the team’s other touchdown, but only had two carries for 19 yards. Between Henry and Mitchell, the Ravens rushed just 12 times against one of the league’s worst run defenses. Sometimes, you’ve just got to keep on serving the goods. “It’s very frustrating,” Stanley said. “I’ve been around football a bit, played a while, and just understanding the type of personnel we have, that’s just not our standard.” Moving forward, all focus remains on winning the AFC North title. The Ravens have three division contests remaining over their final five regular-season games, including next Sunday’s home matchup against the Steelers. How much will that automatic playoff berth truly matter, though, if the offense can’t stop getting in its own way? On Thanksgiving night, with Baltimore-Cincinnati featured as the NFL’s grand finale, the Ravens had the proper ingredients for a straightforward win, but Monken left Henry cooling far too long on the table. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

Five turnovers sent the Ravens spiraling toward a 32-14 Thanksgiving loss to the Bengals. Now 6-6 entering the home stretch of a playoff push, they’ve left themselves little room for error. Here are five things we learned from the game: Lamar Jackson’s ‘off nights’ are piling up The problem? He says he’s merely not consistent enough. The solution? “Just be me; be Lamar [Jackson]. That’s all.” It seems Lamar Jackson hasn’t been Lamar Jackson in weeks. Thursday night, the two-time Most Valuable Player and turnover-averse quarterback coughed up the ball three times. He fumbled twice and was intercepted once on a batted pass. Jackson is riding a four-game run failing to complete 60% of his passes. That’s the longest streak since his rookie year in 2018. The obvious explanation would be his health. Jackson missed three games for a hamstring injury earlier this year, then three separate lower-body ailments shortened his practice schedule in consecutive weeks. But coach John Harbaugh and Jackson both swatted yet another round of health-related inquiries, insisting he’s OK. “I don’t miss [those throws] in practice,” Jackson argued, “so I shouldn’t be missing them in the game. … I’m ticked off. It’s not even frustrating, I’m just mad.” Countless throws appeared off time and fell to the turf off target. One over someone’s head, another out of reach. Jackson finished 17 of 32 for 246 yards. For a third straight game, he failed to throw a touchdown, the longest drought since he became Baltimore’s starter. He’s the centerpiece of an offense that isn’t working. One of the NFL’s most masterful quarterbacks, who we have come to expect the most ridiculous of performances from, looks awfully human. “Even LeBron [James] has an off night,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. Mishaps weren’t always solely falling on Jackson’s shoulders. He found Isaiah Likely on an extended play that ended in a fumble at the goal line. There was a long ball to Zay Flowers called back for offensive pass interference. But the body of work, Thursday and as of late, hasn’t been up to his standard. This recent stretch has piled into more than one off night. It’s become a troubling trend, leaving Baltimore’s offense bereft of forward progress. Even Jackson, himself, couldn’t quite put a finger on. “I don’t know, I can’t call it,” he said. “I really can’t. I don’t want to make anything up. I felt like we were doing things pretty well on the field. We got first downs, we drove the ball down the field sometimes, and then a turnover would happen — a mishap — here and there. We just have to be on the same page [and] be consistent. Like I just said, that’s the biggest key right now; being consistent throughout the game, [from the] first quarter to fourth quarter, and not putting our defense on the field as much as we did.” Even a terrible defense couldn’t save this sinking offense Thursday night: a prime opportunity wasted, a full Thanksgiving plate served on a glistening titanium platter flipped on its head. Cincinnati owns, statistically, the worst defense of the last half-century. NFL statistician Aaron Schatz rounded up data from the first 12 weeks of every season going back to 1978 and determined no team had a worse defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA). Last week’s Jets were a porous defense, too. The Dolphins were worse. The Vikings were meh, barely better than the Bears of a month ago. Baltimore beat them all. Related Articles Ravens, Todd Monken waste Derrick Henry in Thanksgiving loss | COMMENTARY Ravens and QB Lamar Jackson can’t explain why offense is struggling Pundits react to Ravens’ surprising 32-14 home loss to Bengals: ‘Sloppy’ The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show But Cincinnati? A team who let opponents score on half their drives (49.6%, highest in the NFL) and a league-most 415.8 yards per game while missing All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson? What a blessing for this Ravens offense, littered with talent struggling to keep its fanbase from forgetting that fact. Cincinnati offered an opportunity to figure out why that might be and get right. The Ravens squandered such opportunity, instead amplifying their ills against a defense they should have mowed down. Not only did Jackson turn the ball over thrice, but Likely and Flowers added insult to injury. As Harbaugh put it, “You can’t do that if you want to win football games.” The Ravens haven’t turned the ball over five times in a single game since 2013. It was among the worst collective offensive showings in recent Ravens memory. After Jackson misfired on a fourth-down throw to Flowers in the fourth quarter, the team’s top receiver trudged off the field and cast aside his helmet. He ripped his gloves off. For a moment there, Flowers looked inconsolable. He paced behind the bench to cool off. Then he went back in on the next possession and fumbled the ball away. “We have to figure it out,” he said, matter of factly. Clock’s ticking. Ravens couldn’t stop the first playoff-caliber quarterback they’ve seen in weeks Joe Burrow rolled into M&T Bank Stadium wrapped in a furry white Alo coat, tuning out the world with wired headphones and a facial expression like he was solely interested in ruining Thanksgiving. Not by stirring political debate or with a dig about how the food stinks, but with his cannon of an arm and barely healed big toe. Thursday night was Burrow’s first game back since a turf toe injury set him out in Week 2. “Everybody’s making it seem like it’s this big ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ return,” Bengals running back Chase Brown told reporters earlier this week. “It could be.” For half the night, it wasn’t. The Bengals’ Tanner Hudson, center, makes a one-handed catch in front of the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton, left, for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Bengals defeated the Ravens 32-14 on Thanksgiving. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Ravens defense bent but wouldn’t break. They were left to survive impossible circumstances – like a Jackson fumble inside their own 5-yard line — and bowed up, holding Cincinnati to a field goal. Twice more the Bengals charged inside the red zone and managed three points, not seven. But Burrow is the best quarterback the Ravens have faced since Los Angeles’ Matthew Stafford in Week 6, the last time they lost. By night’s end, Burrow threw for 261 yards and two scores, breaking Baltimore’s winning streak and its run of holding six consecutive teams below 20 points. He orchestrated a time of possession beatdown, too, keeping Baltimore’s defense on the field an extra 17 minutes. “Obviously, I had to knock the rust off in the first half,” Burrow said. “I thought the second half, I started to put it more where I wanted. I settled in a little bit.” Cincinnati has four wins and a 4% chance to make the postseason, according to The New York Times’ playoff simulator. Even Burrow can’t rescue that train wreck. He is, however, the kind of quarterback the Ravens need to fight past to get where they want to be. “He is one of the elite quarterbacks in this league,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “So he’s always going to present a lot of challenges, but at the end of the day, it is more about us, and it’s about us just doing our job to the best of our ability, and we didn’t do that play in and play out.” Ravens are ready to give Emery Jones Jr. a shot This is sort of like the backup quarterback theory. When the starter isn’t playing up to snuff, the backup, occupying some unknown cosmic reality, presents a potential upgrade. Like Schrödinger’s cat. No one is certain, but the prospect of the a guy who hasn’t played potentially being the much-needed savior is intriguing. In Baltimore, it’s not the quarterback. It’s the offensive linemen fans are calling for. On the Ravens’ second drive, rookie third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. checked in for his first big league snap. The Louisiana State product underwent successful shoulder surgery shortly after the NFL scouting combine sidelining him for the entirety of training camp. Jones ramped up in early October, was promoted to the 53-man roster later that month and made active last weekend against the Jets. Emery Jones Jr., shown at LSU in 2024, is being trusted with meaningful snaps for the Ravens as a rookie. (Michael Woods/AP) He was part of a rotating plan at left guard with Andrew Vorhees, swapping out every couple drives. Both were penalized once, Jones for a holding call that negated a 6-yard run and Vorhees jumped offsides. “I think I had a good night,” Jones said. “I had the one holding call that I wish I could get back but other than that I feel like I played pretty decent.” Added All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley: “I thought he played great besides the one penalty. But the effort he gave, he showed that he can play this league.” The reason some have been clamoring to see Jones is because the offensive line as a whole seems to have regressed. Jackson already passed his sack total from all of last season, while his pressure-to-sack ratio plummeted from near the top of the league to the basement. He recently acknowledged, somewhat in jest, that he’d have to have a talk with his O-Line. And Henry hasn’t repeated the gaudy success of a nearly 2,000-yard season. Much of that falls on the big guys up front not controlling the trenches. Harbaugh has both defended the offensive line, calling them “pretty darn good,” and acknowledged he’s open to making changes. Calling on Jones proves the latter and shows faith that the rookie, over any other backup on the roster, can challenge to be the upgrade they desperately need. Be thankful for a messy AFC North Harbaugh gave about as simple an explanation as he could of after watching his team unfurl in total calamity. “They played a winning football game and deserved the victory,” he said. “We did not play a winning football game, and that’s what happens when you don’t play winning football.” Ravens fans head for the exits during the fourth quarter of Thursday's loss to the Bengals. Even at 6-6, Baltimore is in good position to win the AFC North. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Thursday night felt like a culmination of all that has been a rough watch finally catching up to them. The Ravens have played plenty of losing football as of late, still winning games despite the offense’s shortcomings or because the opposing team is too inept to capitalize (looking at you, Jets and Browns). Still, this holiday season, the Ravens should be thankful the AFC North is such a mess. The Steelers are trending in the wrong direction. The Bengals don’t have enough time to make up all that ground. And the Browns are the Browns. That means this loss won’t end their season. But math says they can only afford maybe one more on a five-game schedule that includes three divisional bouts. “Objectively, a lot rides on this game coming up and pretty much every game, including this one, from here on out,” Hamilton said. “They remember what you do in December, so December’s coming up. We have a big December. “And yes, I think we have the guys to do it. We have the mentality to do it. It’s just a matter of doing it.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article

It was the defense that was the concern to start the year for the Ravens. It’s flipped to the offense. And, uncharacteristically, Lamar Jackson. The star quarterback turned the ball over three times in Thursday night’s 32-14 Thanksgiving loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. It marked his fourth straight game completing less than 60% of his passes. He’s fumbled four times in his past four games and has thrown an interception in three straight. Jackson’s solution? “I just got to be consistent,” he said. That’s easy to say. In fact, he repeated it 10 times in his five-minute postgame news conference. The concerning part is that the struggles have come against mediocre opponents. Jackson has completed just 59.8% of his passes since returning from injury Oct. 30. He’s had five total touchdowns with five turnovers and hasn’t accounted for a score in three games. The only consistency is his lack of efficiency. “I can’t describe the level of frustration,” Jackson said. “I’m ticked off.” Thursday followed a 153-yard showing against the New York Jets four days earlier, when Jackson didn’t score and recovered his own fumble. Against Cleveland on Nov. 16, he threw two interceptions with no touchdowns. He did score against Minnesota in Week 10 but also fumbled and finished with a 58.6% completion rate. His lone game above 60% since returning was the Oct. 30 win over Miami — a four-touchdown performance that came a day before Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was fired. None of the teams that Jackson has faced recently are in the current playoff picture. Cincinnati’s win Thursday was its fourth of the season. After ranking third in the NFL last season with 30.1 points a game, Baltimore’s offense ranks 13th at 24.1 — essentially a touchdown fewer per game. “When you turn the ball over as much as you did tonight, that’s the story of the game,” coach John Harbaugh said. Harbaugh avoided directly addressing Jackson’s accuracy issues, repeatedly saying that the team simply needs to execute better. Asked what gives him confidence that the offense can improve, he pointed to the NFL’s week-to-week nature. But the Ravens (6-6) have only five games left. Their division lead over the Steelers (6-5) is gone, though Pittsburgh faces the Buffalo Bills on Sunday before heading to Baltimore on Dec. 7. “I don’t know,” Jackson said as to why the offense is struggling. “I can’t call it. I really can’t. I don’t want to make nothing up. “I got to make these throws. I don’t miss them in practice, I shouldn’t be missing them in games.” It hasn’t just been through the air. Jackson hasn’t rushed for more than 50 yards since the Sept. 7 opener against Buffalo, in which he rushed for 70. His high since returning has been 36 yards against Minnesota, and he’s averaged just 19.6 rushing yards over his past five outings. Related Articles Ravens, Todd Monken waste Derrick Henry in Thanksgiving loss | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 32-14 loss to the Bengals Pundits react to Ravens’ surprising 32-14 home loss to Bengals: ‘Sloppy’ The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show Jackson said that he’s fully healthy, but his tightly taped ankles Thursday suggested otherwise. First it was a hamstring strain sidelining him for three games. Then knee soreness kept him out of practice just after his return. Then an ankle issue last week. He even missed Monday’s walk-through with a toe injury. Bengals defensive lineman Kris Jenkins said that Jackson didn’t look limited, and safety Dax Hill agreed. “He looked good and was still running around nearly every play,” Jenkins said. “It was the most conditioning I did in a while.” Hill credited Cincinnati’s defensive front for creating the pressure that led to Jackson’s first- and second-quarter fumbles and the tipped fourth-quarter interception. If injuries aren’t holding back Baltimore’s offense, then what is? Nobody seems to know. “I can’t speak to one thing in particular,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “We’re going to figure it out. I know we are.” The Ravens are left searching. The turnovers keep piling up, the answers remain thin and Jackson’s consistency — the one thing that he keeps asking for — feels farther away with each passing week. The margin for error is only getting slimmer. Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes. View the full article

The Ravens and Lamar Jackson usually thrive in prime-time situations, but Thursday against the Bengals they stumbled in the spotlight. Baltimore committed five turnovers in a 32-14 loss to a division rival, with Jackson turning the ball over three of the five times. He failed to throw a touchdown pass for a third consecutive week, leading to speculation about his health as he plays through a series of lower-body injuries. Jackson brushed aside his ailments, which have affected his hamstring, ankle, knee and toe, as an excuse for his poor play. “I just got to play consistent,” Jackson said. Others, however, are wondering what’s wrong with the Ravens’ offense. Here’s what pundits had to say about Baltimore’s 18-point defeat on a national stage: Matthew Berry, NBC Sports “Listen. Football is a weird game,” he posted on X. “Any given Sunday and all that. But Lamar Jackson being THIS brutal. Against THIS defense. After weeks of being incredibly subpar is nothing short of shocking.” Dan Orlovsky, ESPN “Ravens offense has been sloppy ever since LJ has come back….There’s been zero crisp to it,” he posted on X. “Most of the same players with the same coach who did historic stuff last year just haven’t been even close to what they were last season. Sloppy. Sloppy.” Damien Woody, ESPN “You’re not going to win any games turning the ball over five times,” Woody said on an episode of “SportsCenter.” “Anyone who’s been watching the Ravens of late, there’s some concerning signs, especially on the offensive side. You don’t see Lamar Jackson running as well as he used to in the past. He looks like he’s injured out there, playing with an injury. This offense is just not able to run the ball as we’ve once seen with the Baltimore Ravens. They’re 6-6. They fall into second place behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. They got to figure this out or Baltimore could be in a position where they’re on the outside looking in come the end of the season.” Shannon Sharpe, former Ravens tight end “When your offense turns the ball over five times, it makes the defense look even worse than what they played,” he said on his YouTube show “Nightcap.” “Because I don’t think they played bad tonight, given the position that the offense put them in. The offense put them in some terrible positions. Really, really bad positions, and they held them to field goals for the most part.” Related Articles The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show Ravens commit 5 turnovers in ugly 32-14 loss to Bengals, ending winning streak Instant analysis from Ravens’ 32-14 loss to Bengals on Thanksgiving Ravens CB Nate Wiggins injures foot, ruled out vs. Bengals Tim Micallef, Sportsnet “Cincy’s run D is legendarily bad and you have Derrick Henry! Run the Ball!” he posted on X. “They did it 12 times over 2+ quarters and struggle … Then 5 of 7 times on the TD drive. Run the Ball!” Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated “Alright so if we gotta do this now … If the Bengals sweep the Ravens, then Baltimore would have 7 losses,” he said on X. “Meanwhile the Steelers have the Bills, Lions and Ravens twice left on their schedule. Could the Bengals win the North if they run the table? (Probably not but …)” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens graded out at every position in their 32-14 loss to the Bengals: Quarterback Lamar Jackson missed a lot of wide-open receivers. There were misses on short passes as well as long ones, including a deep throw to Rashod Bateman late in the second quarter. There were times when Jackson couldn’t even complete a screen pass in the left flat because the ball sailed into the ground. Jackson’s scrambling was better, and he had several successful runs. But overall, not a strong game for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, who has struggled for the past four games. His fumble in the second quarter also cost the Ravens a field goal. Baltimore’s star quarterback completed 17 of 32 passes for 246 yards and finished with a passer rating of 65.4. His one interception in the fourth quarter stalled a Ravens drive at the Bengals’ 15. He misfired on several passes to Zay Flowers, too. Grade: D Running backs Derrick Henry had a 28-yard touchdown run in the first quarter but had only five carries in the first half for 33 yards. That’s embarrassing. The Ravens appeared to go away from Henry, even though the Bengals have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, allowing 156 per game. Henry and backup Keaton Mitchell combined for some big plays in the second half. Henry had a short reception that he turned into a 44-yard play, and Mitchell had an 18-yard touchdown run in the third period. But Baltimore needs to mix and match Henry and Mitchell more. Until then, they are wasting time. Grade: C- Offensive line After weeks of saying there would be no changes, the Ravens did insert rookie Emery Jones Jr. at left guard on occasion. Jones, though, struggled as much as starter Andrew Vorhees at times, but both got better in the second half when the Ravens had a deeper sense of urgency. Jackson, though, was sacked three times and hurried on five other occasions. There were times when the Bengals blitzed cornerbacks and safeties, and that seemed to catch Baltimore off guard. Either Jackson missed some hot reads, or the offensive tackles missed some assignments. Either way, it wasn’t a good outcome. Grade: D Receivers Jackson keeps leaving points on the field. Besides the overthrown pass to Bateman, he overthrew Walker in the first quarter. He also missed tight end Mark Andrews on a crossing pattern early in the game. The Ravens played better in the second half and got a crushing block from Flowers on Mitchell’s touchdown run. Flowers, though, still needs to be involved on jet sweeps and quick screens, and Baltimore is missing an opportunity on the outside with DeAndre Hopkins, who can’t always get separation but still makes the catch. Likely’s fumble after an apparent 44-yard touchdown in the quarter was unforgivable. Grade: C Defensive line The Ravens played well enough to win, and in most cases would have, but that happens to any interior line when the teams had virtually no running game except in the second half. Overall, the group did a nice job and had an excellent goal-line stand with four successful stops from their own 2-yard line in the first quarter. But one of the worst running teams in the NFL, ranked 30th and averaging only 84.9 yards a game, had 128 yards rushing, and the Bengals beat up on Baltimore in the second half. The big guys in the trenches held up well for a while, but they had a meltdown. Tackles John Jenkins (three tackles), Travis Jones (five tackles) and even Brent Urban ran out of energy in the fourth period. Grade: C Linebackers Not even the Ravens’ linebackers could save them Thursday night. The Bengals did a nice job of isolating Baltimore’s outside linebackers one-on-one in the flats. It had been a weakness at the beginning of the season and appears to be a problem now. The Ravens got ample pressure from rookie outside linebacker Mike Green as well as recently acquired Dre’Mont Jones, but Cincinnati did a good job of moving Joe Burrow in the pocket. If he had turf toe, he doesn’t have it now. The Bengals were good at throwing over the middle and challenging middle linebacker Roquan Smith, who finished with 11 tackles. Rookie weakside linebacker Teddye Buchanan had six tackles, but Cincinnati went after him as well. Grade: C- Secondary It’s been a problem all year, and it was glaring again Thursday night. The Bengals drew nickel cornerback Marlon Humphrey to the outside and exposed his weaknesses in coverage. Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase had seven catches for 110 yards. The Ravens lost second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins to a foot injury, and he couldn’t return. He could at least match up with Chase when he was out there. Cincinnati, though, had no fear of going after rookie safety Malaki Starks, who struggled in covering tight ends in the deep third of the field. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie played well in coverage, but Baltimore still has problems tackling in the open field. Grade: D Special teams Punter Jordan Stout had three punts for 149 yards and hit one 61 yards, which saved the Ravens in the first half. He did shank one later in the game, but that was the least of their problems. Rookie place kicker Tyler Loop didn’t have a field goal attempt, and the Ravens were fortunate the Bengals couldn’t score touchdowns in the first half. They need to get more out of their kickoff return game, especially with this faltering offense. Grade C Coaching The Ravens shouldn’t lose to a team that can’t run or stop the run. That is mind-boggling. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken apparently forgot the Ravens are a running team with only nine carries in the first half. Also, the Ravens’ offensive line couldn’t pick up blitzes from the Bengals’ secondary. Defensively, Baltimore was challenged by Burrow. All those great things we kept hearing about its defense weren’t true. The unit has improved, but not to the point where the defense can be counted on consistently, not against good teams and good quarterbacks. Grade: D Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Related Articles Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show Ravens commit 5 turnovers in ugly 32-14 loss to Bengals, ending winning streak Instant analysis from Ravens’ 32-14 loss to Bengals on Thanksgiving Ravens CB Nate Wiggins injures foot, ruled out vs. Bengals Ravens vs. Bengals, November 27, 2025 | PHOTOS View the full article

To the victors go the spoils. When in Baltimore, that apparently includes crabs. The Cincinnati Bengals celebrated their stunning 32-14 win over the Ravens on Thanksgiving night with the traditional postgame feast of “turducken” — a turkey stuffed with chicken and duck in a nod to legendary coach and broadcaster John Madden. Only it had a unique Maryland flavor inside M&T Bank Stadium. When Joe Burrow and a large crowd of Bengals players gathered next to NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark after the game, they were presented with a spread that also included steamed crabs with Old Bay. After answering a question from Stark about the importance of the Bengals winning the rest of their games following a 3-8 start (in which the star quarterback was sidelined for nine games with a turf toe injury), Burrow held up one of the crabs and inspected it before asking Stark what it was. “That’s a Maryland crab,” Stark said. “I’m from Maryland, so no, it’s hard shell, you do not bite it. You have to pull the legs off.” Apparently planning for the possibility of both teams winning (despite Baltimore entering as solid favorites), NBC also included a plate of Cincinnati chili, which is a Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce used as a topping for spaghetti or hot dogs. While several forkfuls of food were enjoyed, there didn’t seem to be many takers of it. Stark, who graduated from Roland Park and began her journalism career at WMAR-TV in Baltimore, later found out that one player attempted to eat a crab after discovering a shell on the ground. Long snapper William Wagner revealed that he dug into the regional delicacy, but the Georgia native who played at Michigan said that it was “a little cold,” presumably after being out on the field with temperatures hovering in the low-to-mid 30s in Baltimore. During the game, NBC cameras showed the crabs and turkey being prepared by a Ravens team chef at the stadium. Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai was perhaps the most thrilled by the postgame spread. During an interview with Stark, he could barely speak in between bites of a turkey leg. “Dang, I’m spitting, I’m sorry,” said Ossai, who delivered one of the best performances of his career with two sacks and four quarterback hits. The Bengals’ social media account also got in on the food-themed fun, posting a photo of a wishbone being pulled apart by a raven and the tail of a tiger with the caption, “The bird was perfectly cooked.” It might not be the last word between these AFC North rivals, as the Ravens and Bengals meet again in a few weeks when Baltimore travels to Cincinnati on Dec. 14. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. Related Articles The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Ravens commit 5 turnovers in ugly 32-14 loss to Bengals, ending winning streak Instant analysis from Ravens’ 32-14 loss to Bengals on Thanksgiving Ravens CB Nate Wiggins injures foot, ruled out vs. Bengals Ravens vs. Bengals, November 27, 2025 | PHOTOS View the full article

Lamar Jackson vs. Joe Burrow under the lights at M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving night. It had all the pageantry and drama of a heavyweight fight. Instead, it turned out to be another bumbling affair for a Ravens offense that can’t seem to find a rhythm or get out of its own way this season. Jackson fumbled twice, threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter and finished with just 246 yards on 17 of 32 passing against what was the NFL’s worst defense coming into the night. Burrow, making his first start since Week 2 after undergoing toe surgery, threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns and kicker Evan McPherson added six field goals to carry the Cincinnati Bengals to the 32-14 victory. The loss brings an end to the Ravens’ five-game winning streak. It also knocks them out of first place in the AFC North and, for now, a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Most concerning, though, was how badly Jackson, who has had hamstring, knee, ankle and toe injuries this season, looked against a defense that came in allowing 418 yards and 32.7 points per game this season and was without injured All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. It was a tragic comedy of errors for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, though he was hardly alone. Trailing 26-14 early in the fourth quarter and facing third-and-9 from the Bengals’ 15, Jackson’s pass attempt to Mark Andrews was tipped by defensive end Myles Murphy and plucked out of the air linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. The turnover led to a 52-yard field goal by McPherson and all the cushion the Bengals needed in what was a common refrain throughout the evening. Wild things often happen when these two teams meet, and this was no exception. Midway through the second quarter, Jackson connected with Isaiah Likely on a short pass over the middle, and the tight end broke free and raced into the end zone for what appeared to be a 45-yard touchdown. Except safety Jordan Battle dislodged the ball just before Likely crossed the goal line and it went out of the back of the end zone for a touchback to give Cincinnati possession on its own 20. Instead of a 14-6 Ravens lead, Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase (seven catches, 110 yards) made the Ravens pay. The two hooked up twice on the ensuing drive, including on a 43-yard bomb down the right sideline that dropped right in the receiver’s lap and over Marlon Humphrey. Cincinnati was held to a 24-yard field goal to take a 9-7 lead, but the defense could only bend and not break for so long. Those were also hardly the only self-inflicted mistakes by Baltimore. An offensive pass interference call on Zay Flowers wiped out a 36-yard second-quarter touchdown, and Baltimore later punted after defensive end Joseph Ossai raced in untouched for a sack on third down. Midway through the third quarter, it was an unnecessary pass interference on cornerback T.J. Tampa on an overthrown pass on third-and-3 that extended a drive for Cincinnati and eventually led to a sprawling one-handed 14-yard touchdown grab on third-and-9 by tight end Tanner Hudson over Kyle Hamilton to extend the lead to 19-7. Keaton Mitchell helped trim it to 19-14 with an 18-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, but that wasn’t nearly enough to overcome all the mistakes. Related Articles The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show Instant analysis from Ravens’ 32-14 loss to Bengals on Thanksgiving Ravens CB Nate Wiggins injures foot, ruled out vs. Bengals Ravens vs. Bengals, November 27, 2025 | PHOTOS In the first half, Jackson completed just 8 of 15 passes for 127 yards, was sacked three times and fumbled twice. Worse yet, both turnovers came inside Baltimore’s own 20. With the Ravens leading 7-3 after a 28-yard touchdown run by Derrick Henry (10 carries, 60 yards) in the opening quarter to surpass Jim Brown on the all-time rushing list and facing a third-and-9 from his own 15, Jackson was strip-sacked by Ossai with Cincinnati recovering at the 2. Then with just 36 seconds remaining in the half and on his own 20, he coughed it up again, inexplicably losing the ball as he pulled his arm down from an aborted pass attempt. The Bengals settled for a pair of field goals, but those, along with two other field goals from McPherson, were enough to stake a 12-7 lead through two quarters. While Cincinnati’s offense managed 45 plays — including 32 of them through the air — for 206 yards in the first half, Baltimore had just 27 for 154 yards. For the game, the Bengals held the ball nearly twice as long as Baltimore (38:46 to 21:14), which at one point went six straight drives without scoring. Last year, also on a Thursday night in Baltimore, Jackson and Burrow combined for 718 yards and eight touchdowns in a frenetic, down-to-the-wire one-point win for Baltimore, but this one never came close to matching that. The stadium started to empty out long before the two-minute warning. It also won’t be the last time the Ravens see Burrow and the Bengals. The two teams will meet again in just over two weeks in Cincinnati. Baltimore will need a much better performance than it had on Thursday. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, is sacked by Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai in the second quarter. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 32-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving night in Week 13 of the NFL season at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Brian Wacker, reporter The Ravens’ offense has been in a funk all year, but Thursday it made the kind of self-inflicted mistakes it couldn’t afford to. Not against a licking-his-chops Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, both of whom shredded Baltimore’s secondary on a Thursday night in Baltimore last season. Most troubling is that Cincinnati came in with the NFL’s worst defense in yards and points allowed and without injured All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and this was all the Ravens could muster? At one point, they went six straight drives without scoring. At the center of it all is Lamar Jackson, who has looked like anything but a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player all year. He wasn’t alone, though. Isaiah Likely’s fumble and Zay Flowers’ offensive pass interference were contributors and the Ravens’ defense, though valiant in effort, could only bend so long before breaking. Mike Preston, columnist The Ravens have no reason losing to the Bengals. Absolutely none. Does this hurt their playoff chances? No, because the Pittsburgh Steelers are just as inept as Baltimore and they will continue to falter Sunday in a matchup with the Buffalo Bills. The AFC North has become a travesty, a division once built on strong running games and defense. Now, no team in the division plays strong defense. Worse yet for the Ravens, quarterback Lamar Jackson is having an off season and was way off the mark against the Bengals. It was glaring, and the Ravens don’t have an alternative plan. Right now, it all comes down to the Steelers and how much they lose over the rest of the regular season. Josh Tolentino, columnist The Ravens revived their season by rattling off five straight wins ahead of their Week 13 showdown with the Bengals, but all along, Baltimore’s offense looked mighty suspect. The team’s many issues, between another underwhelming outing from Lamar Jackson, multiple turnovers and penalties, and a negligent performance from coordinator Todd Monken, all were on display in the Thanksgiving night loss at M&T Bank Stadium. In addition to seeing its win streak come to a halt in embarrassing fashion, Cincinnati also handed Baltimore its first division loss. The Ravens’ playoff hopes are still alive, but do those hopes and dreams really matter if Jackson and the offense look like this? Jackson concludes four November games with five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles lost) and just one passing touchdown with zero rushing touchdowns, marking one of the worst multi-game stretches of Jackson’s decorated career. Michael Howes, reporter Baltimore won’t win a Super Bowl if the offense doesn’t improve. That’s the words of both Lamar Jackson and Ronnie Stanley ahead of the Ravens’ Thanksgiving game against Cincinnati. And still, with the added urgency, recognition of its recent struggles and need to stay in the lead of the AFC North, the offense looked … un-championship-like. Lamar Jackson turned in one of the worst efforts of the season — three total turnovers while overthrowing and missing multiple receivers. Touchdowns were left on the board: Isaiah Likely fumbled a would-be 44-yard touchdown, Zay Flowers was called for pass interference on a 36-yard score. Flowers then added a fourth-quarter fumble to seal the loss in front of an already emptied crowd. It’s hard to fault the defense in the Thanksgiving disappointment. Baltimore surrendered only three field goals off five turnovers. More damage could have been done. For the offense, improvements are still desperately needed. Quickly. Sam Cohn, reporter Early in the fourth quarter, the M&T Bank Stadium big screen called for fans to cause of a bit of third-down commotion out a timeout. The place was dead silent. Ravens fans looked stunned. Their turnover-averse quarterback fumbled twice and threw an interception — part of a five turnover evening. After not letting an opposing offense score 20 points in any of their last six games, the Bengals moseyed in and hung 29. There were signs along the five-game win streak that something was amiss. The Ravens, particularly on offense, weren’t quite their dominant selves. It was bound to come crashing down. Their playoff hopes aren’t out of reach (the Steelers play the Bills this weekend) but it’s fair to be concerned if this team, playing this way, has what it takes. Related Articles The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show Ravens commit 5 turnovers in ugly 32-14 loss to Bengals, ending winning streak Ravens CB Nate Wiggins injures foot, ruled out vs. Bengals Ravens vs. Bengals, November 27, 2025 | PHOTOS C.J. Doon, editor This might be the night the Ravens’ Super Bowl dreams died. Yes, the AFC North title is still within reach. Baltimore can sweep Pittsburgh and host a playoff game in January. Just getting into the postseason means a team has a chance. Remember 2012? But how can the team we saw tonight win a playoff game? It feels impossible given how dreadful Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ defense looked. Committing four turnovers is extremely unlucky, especially when one of them erases a sure touchdown, but it’s not as if Baltimore was marching the ball down the field all night. Seeing Jackson miss open receivers and hesitate in the pocket gets stranger every week. This is somebody we’re used to seeing have total command on the field, making defenders look foolish. Now, it’s more of a surprise when a pass lands in his receiver’s hands or he takes off and picks up a first down. His vintage moments are far too rare for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. That’s just the cold reality right now. And did the Ravens forget that Derrick Henry exists? He’s only been climbing the all-time rushing list each week as he builds his Hall of Fame resume. Maybe give that guy the ball a little bit more often against one of the worst defenses in league history? Just a thought. Tim Schwartz, editor I picked the Bengals to win this one in a close battle. Turned out I was way wrong. The Ravens could hardly do anything right on Thanksgiving. At least they gave the fans a good reason to leave early and digest their turkey because that was about as bad a performance these Ravens have had during Lamar Jackson’s tenure. They need to spend the long week figuring out what their offensive identity should be with Jackson playing far below his standard. It won’t be easy. Bennett Conlin, editor Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. It sure feels like when the Ravens take a loss in the past few years, it’s because they do a bunch of inexplicably stupid things. Add Isaiah Likely fumbling at the goal line to your running list of Baltimore’s bone-headed mistakes. That didn’t help, and neither did any of the other turnovers. The Ravens faced the NFL’s worst defense and could barely score? It was a disastrous night for Todd Monken’s unit. If the group can’t return to respectable form, it’s hard to view this team’s ceiling as anything other than winning a subpar AFC North. This was a jarring performance from an offense with at least three future Hall of Famers. Lamar Jackson looks like a shell of himself, as he deals with a series of injuries. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins has been ruled out for the second half of Baltimore’s Thanksgiving night game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a foot injury. The NBC broadcast showed Wiggins limping to the locker room just before halftime, but it’s not clear when the second-year defensive back suffered the injury. The 2024 first-round draft pick had two solo tackles and two pass deflections in the first half. The Bengals held a 12-7 lead at the break. Fellow defensive back Chidobe Awuzie entered concussion protocol but was cleared to return for the second half. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes. Related Articles The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 32-14 loss to Bengals Bengals celebrate win vs. Ravens with crab and turkey in chaotic postgame show Ravens commit 5 turnovers in ugly 32-14 loss to Bengals, ending winning streak Instant analysis from Ravens’ 32-14 loss to Bengals on Thanksgiving Ravens vs. Bengals, November 27, 2025 | PHOTOS View the full article