Joe Burrow describes his tale of two halves in Bengals’ win over Ravens, and the one throw that felt better than the rest
Joe Burrow came alive late in the Bengals’ much-needed win in Baltimore.
And just like that, the Cincinnati Bengals have life.
The Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 32-14, for their fourth win of the season and their first victory at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore since 2021. The win ends their four-game losing streak, and extends the eight-game winning streak with Joe Burrow starting at quarterback.
Burrow, of course, was the story entering the night as he made his awaited return 74 days since suffering turf toe all the way back in Week 2. He came back about a month earlier than expected, but no one quite knew if he was going to truly be back in this game.
He looks very much back after 46 passes later, and he needed most of them.
Joe Burrow knocks off the rust during huge win over Ravens
Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense struggled finishing possessions in the first half. He threw the ball 32 times in the first two quarters and only 12 points were on the board to show for it. For every throw he made, there was an uncharacteristic miss to one of his go-to targets.
Burrow admitted those first two quarters were a bit rough for him personally, but felt considerably better after halftime.
“You know I thought second half, I started to put it more where I wanted and settled in a little bit,” Burrow told reporters after the game. “Certainly missed some throws early that I typically make. But you know, after that, I felt pretty comfortable back there.”
Joe Burrow’s passing stats vs. Ravens
- 24/46
- 261 yards
- 2 touchdowns
- 0 interceptions
Burrow was 15/32 for 164 yards in the first half. He completed nine of 14 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. The cause for his inefficiency looked reminiscent of similar struggles from the past, just as the remedies for fixing them mid-game.
“The whole first half, you know, my feet were a little antsy back there,” Burrow said. “Missing some throws. But like I said in the second half, I felt a lot more comfortable. Started putting them where I wanted to and getting out and running and making a couple plays with my feet, getting out of the pocket a little bit. Certainly don’t want to make a living that way, but was able to pick my spots.”
Speaking of picking his spots, he certainly picked a good spot to hit Andrei Iosvias for his second touchdown pass of the game. Burrow said the 29-yard pass to Iosivas at the end of the third quarter got him feeling himself.
“That touchdown to Yoshi, I felt pretty good about it,” Burrow said. “Put it right where I wanted. Didn’t exactly spin it the way I wanted it, but that’s all right, I put it in a good spot, and he was ready for the look.
“That one felt good.”
Cincinnati certainly feels good after Thanksgiving. The Bengals are still 4-8, but a win over the now 6-6 Ravens gives them a fighting chance at the AFC North crown. The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) have the division lead entering the weekend and play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the very team Burrow and Co. face in their next game.
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