- Joe Burrow played for the first time since Week 2, when the Bengals quarterback suffered a turf toe injury.
- The Ravens’ loss means the Steelers move back into first place in the AFC North.
- In the game, Derrick Henry passed Jim Brown on the NFL’s all-time rushing yardage list.
Playing for the first time since he suffered a turf toe injury that required surgery 11 weeks ago, Burrow was good enough to engineer a much-needed 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens – though the Bengals (4-8) remain postseason long shots, sitting in 12th place overall in the AFC. The outcome had more immediate consequences for the Ravens, who fell to 6-6 and out of the projected playoff field by ceding first place in the AFC North back to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Asked on NBC’s telecast prior to kickoff why he’d returned to a team with little hope of survival beyond the regular season, Burrow replied: “We’re getting paid a lot of money to play a kid’s game,” adding he wanted to be with his guys − who’d gone 1-8 in his absence.
Now 3-0 with Burrow in the lineup, the Stripes were the obvious winners, their relevance extended at least another 10 days. Yet there were plenty of other winners and losers on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium:
WINNERS
Joe Burrow
Playing in near-freezing temperatures on a breezy night and with a protective metal plate in his cleat, he was hardly vintage Burrow. But he warmed up in the second half, throwing both of his touchdown passes after Cincinnati had settled for four first-half field goals. As the toe continues to heal, his rhythm returns and maybe WR Tee Higgins (concussion) returns, maybe – just maybe – Burrow can lead this team on a late-season charge similar to last year’s … though that one fell one win shy of a playoff berth.
Bengals defense
Much maligned this season − and, deservedly so, in recent years − Cincinnati’s D played even more inspired football than the Burrow-led offense. Entering the game giving up the most yards and points per game in the league, the Bengals forced a season-high five turnovers and otherwise largely held Baltimore’s offense in check.
Ja’Marr Chase
Cincy’s No. 1 receiver was also back in the lineup after a one-game suspension for a spitting incident with Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey in Week 11. Chase was his typically impactful self, especially so with his longtime QB (going back to their LSU days) throwing to him − to the tune of seven connections for a game-high 110 receiving yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Just 6-5, they move back atop the AFC North from their couches anyway. But they’ll need to beat the Buffalo Bills by the confluence of the Three Rivers on Sunday to maintain sole possession of the lead.
Evan McPherson
Cincinnati largely struggled in the red zone, but the Bengals’ kicker consistently mitigated the issue. ‘Money Mac’ made all fix of his field-goal tries (and both extra points) on a night when he was hardly working in ideal conditions.
Derrick Henry
The Ravens’ bruising back passed Jim Brown, the greatest running back in NFL history by most accounts, for 11th place on the all-time rushing list with his first-quarter touchdown run. Henry now has 12,354 career yards and has a decent shot to displace Tony Dorsett (12,739 yards) and enter the top 10 before the regular season concludes.
DeAndre Hopkins
Baltimore’s backup receiver also hit a major milestone Thursday, becoming the 18th player in league history to amass 1,000 career receptions.
‘John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration’ coin
One side was the familiar profile of the Hall of Fame Oakland Raiders coach and legendary TV analyst. The other? A turducken. Epic. Heads or turducken, folks.
LOSERS
Sloppy Ravens
Soooo many missed opportunities. QB Lamar Jackson continued to look like a player well shy of 100%, fumbling twice, throwing a pick (albeit on a deflected pass) and generally unable to replicate the explosive plays he’s so typically produced over the years. He also didn’t get much help. Wide-open WR Devontez Walker dropped a pass in the second quarter that likely would have resulted in a touchdown. Speaking of likely, TE Isaiah Likely had the ball punched out just shy of the goal line just minutes later on a play that initially appeared to be a 44-yard touchdown catch. WR Zay Flowers scored another would-be TD at the two-minute warning prior to halftime … but nullified his own score by committing pass interference. Jackson ended the unfortunate sequence with a fumble before the half that wound up gifting Cincinnati a field goal. Flowers’ fourth-quarter fumble was the exclamation point on a five-giveaway evening.
Bengals’ red-zone offense
Most weeks, 1-for-6 ain’t gonna get it done.
Ravens’ ‘Purple Rising’ uniforms
They look good, a bit cleaner than Baltimore’s regular uniforms − perhaps because they’re devoid of black. The alternate, beak-on logo is also fine. Nevertheless, the Ravens dropped to 1-1 in their secondary threads after beating the Bengals in a thriller last November when they debuted.
Ravens wideouts
Flowers’ struggles Thursday have been partially documented − but to put a bow on it, he caught two of seven targets for 6 yards. Hopkins made his benchmark reception but only had one other (for a total of 25 yards). Walker and Rashod Bateman went catchless on a combined three targets. Woof.
Baltimore’s crowd
It was cold. Maybe the tryptophan kicked in. The locals weren’t treated to a Jack White show. There were patches of empty seats even though the announced attendance was in excess of 70,000. Their team didn’t give them much to cheer about − and the locals just never made their usual difference, most of them streaming out midway through the fourth quarter with the Ravens down by 15.