Joe Burrow and the Bengals need a win after last week’s walk-off loss, but Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are in the exact same situation. (Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports) (USA TODAY USPW/Portal)
For the first time since Week 2, Thursday Night Football has a truly exciting and competitive game scheduled.
This is true! The Cincinnati Bengals are playing the Baltimore Ravens in the beautiful Crab State (that should be Maryland’s nickname), and these are two playoff-caliber teams with something to prove after remarkably similar (and similarly disappointing) walk-off losses.
The Bengals, regaining their footing after a rough start, lost to CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans in Week 10 after a back-and-forth game. QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase were once again a strong duo after Chase struggled with a back injury last week. But their defense couldn’t contain Stroud, who is a real MVP candidate. Cincy’s 30-27 loss wasn’t sealed until the final seconds of the game when Texas kicker Matt Ammendola made his third field goal of the day.
The Ravens lost to the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, also on a walk-off field goal. But unlike the Bengals, the Ravens actually led the Browns the entire game, until the final seconds. In fact, they had a 24-9 lead just minutes into the second half, but they faded in the fourth quarter, allowing Cleveland to score 16 points. Baltimore’s 31-30 lead was erased by a field goal in the final seconds and they lost 33-31.
Both teams want to prove that these defeats were nothing more than small obstacles on the way to the playoffs. But only one team will walk away with this fanbase-reassuring victory.
Follow along as Yahoo Sports delivers the latest news, scores and updates as the Bengals and Ravens face off on Thursday Night Football.