Bengals vs. Ravens preview of NFL Week 15 game
Enquirer beat writer Kelsey Conway previews the Dec. 14 Bengals vs. Ravens game
Paycor Stadium was a place bereft of fun for Cincinnati Bengals players and fans alike against the Baltimore Ravens.
Anyone needing an injection of enjoyment into their Bengals experience left the stadium wanting after Cincinnati lost 24-0 to the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 14. An announced crowd of 64,097 braved a kickoff temperature of 10°F and snowy conditions on roadways as the Bengals dropped to 4-10 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Cincinnati will continue its march toward the offseason Dec. 21 at the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, then finish at home against Arizona (3-10) and Cleveland (3-11).
This is the third straight year in which the Bengals have missed the playoffs.
“Just hang with us,” head coach Zac Taylor said was his message to fans. “It’s been frustrating.”
It was a big victory for the Ravens, who improved to 7-7 and are just a half game behind the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) in the AFC North. Pittsburgh plays host to Miami (6-7) on Monday Night Football on Dec. 15.
After pundits and fans spent much of the last week pondering quarterback Joe Burrow’s happiness and enjoyment as Bengals quarterback, the team didn’t do much toward putting the conversation to rest.
Burrow was 24-of-39 passing for 225 yards and two interceptions on a day when the Bengals struggled for offensive consistency. Ten of the receptions were caught by receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who racked up 132 yards.
The second of Burrow’s two interceptions came with 7:38 to play in regulation. Nearing the visitors’ end zone on what had been Cincinnati’s deepest drive into Ravens’ territory, Burrow tossed the ball while under pressure, and it went straight to Baltimore’s Kyle Van Noy, who returned it 11 yards before handing off on a lateral to Alohi Gilman.
Gilman escaped down the sideline for an 84-yard touchdown return to make it 24-0. It was Burrow’s second pick-six in two weeks.
The Bengals came in averaging 24.2 points a game and averaged 33 points in the first two games after Burrow returned from his turf toe injury. They beat Baltimore 32-14 on Thanksgiving Night in Burrow’s first game back.
Cincinnati was playing without receiver Tee Higgins, who is in concussion protocol.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson was just 8-of-12 for 150 yards but had first-half touchdown passes to Rasheen Ali and Zay Flowers. Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed 11 times for 100 yards, averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
The Bengals had no answer for the Ravens defense. Cincinnati was just 3 of 15 on third-down conversion attempts.
Ali caught one of Jackson’s touchdowns on a 30-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter to break a scoreless tie. Later in the quarter, Ravens receiver Flowers caught a 28-yard pass in the south end zone less than one minute before halftime.
Kicker Tyler Loop added a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it a three-possession game, and Gilman’s score iced the frigid win for the Ravens.
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Follow along for live updates and highlights (refresh for the latest updates):
With three weeks to go, the Bengals have been eliminated from playoff contention in the 2025 season. It marks the third consecutive year Cincinnati will miss the NFL postseason.
The 24-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) sees the Bengals fall to 4-10.
The Bengals were enjoying their best drive of the game when Joe Burrow tossed the ball while under pressure and it went straight to Baltimore’s Kyle Van Noy, who returned the ball 11 yards before handing it off on a lateral to Alohi Gilman. Gilman escaped down the sideline for an 84-yard touchdown return with 7:38 to play in regulation.
It’s a three-possession game after Baltimore’s Tyler Loop connected on a field goal from 27 yards out.
The Bengals moved the ball 43 yards on the opening possession of the half, but the drive stalled out at the Ravens’ 32-yard line. It was the third drive of the game where Cincinnati might have been in Evan McPherson’s normal field goal range, but the Bengals’ punt from the Baltimore 40-yard line on their first possession of the game indicated McPherson needs to be significantly closer in light of today’s weather conditions.
There were some scuffles in the trenches over the last few minutes of the half and that was about as interesting as it got for the Bengals heading into the intermission. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow is 8-for-16 for 71 yards and an interception. Lamar Jackson is 7-for-9 for 136 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
A poor defensive drive for the Bengals just unfolded, allowing the Ravens to double their lead with 23 seconds remaining in the first half. Lamar Jackson hit Zay Flowers in the end zone on a 28-yard reception. Geno Stone was late arriving to the scene of the catch for Cincinnati. The Bengals will get the ball to begin the second half but they haven’t produced much offensively.
With 4:35 to play in the second quarter, Baltimore finally broke the scoreless deadlock when quarterback Lamar Jackson lobbed a pass to Rasheen Ali, who covered most of the 30 yards needed to reach the end zone with the ball in his hands. He crossed into the end zone untouched.
The Bengals’ offense couldn’t convert the Lamar Jackson interception into points and the Ravens take over at their own 21-yard line.
The Bengals’ defense got the ball back after Lamar Jackson threw an interception to Bengals safety Jordan Battle. The Bengals take over at their own 27-yard line.
The Bengals were near the Ravens’ 30-yard line and Joe Burrow threw an interception on third down. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey returned the interception to Baltimore’s 35-yard line.
The Bengals’ defense forced a three-and-out by the Ravens’ offense in a series that included a Demetrius Knight Jr. sack of Lamar Jackson. The Bengals take over at their own 43-yard line with 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Bengals got inside the Ravens’ 30-yard line, but Joe Burrow was sacked for a 15-yard loss to knock them out of field goal range. Baltimore takes over at its own 15-yard line after a Ryan Rehkow punt.
The Bengals deferred receiving the opening kickoff and went on defense first. The Bengals’ defense forced the Ravens to punt and Cincinnati takes over on its own 20-yard line after a touchback with 11:15 remaining in the first quarter.
The Bengals host the Ravens at Paycor Stadium looking for a season sweep. Cincinnati is led by quarterback Joe Burrow who returned on Thanksgiving from a turf toe injury as the Bengals beat the Ravens in Baltimore. The Bengals currently have a 1% chance to make the playoffs and need to win out and get plenty of help to make the postseason. Follow along for live score updates and highlights throughout the game.
The following players are out for the Ravens against the Bengals:
WR Rashod BatemanCB Keyon MartinT Joseph NoteboomDT Aeneas PeeblesQB Cooper Rush (Emergency Third QB)
The following players are out for the Bengals against the Ravens:
WR Tee HigginsQB Jake Browning (Emergency Third QB)S PJ JulesDT Jordan Jefferson
Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas has four catches for 97 yards and a touchdown in four games against the Ravens.
The Ravens vs. Bengals game will be broadcast on CBS/Local 12 (WKRC-TV).
Stream Ravens vs. Bengals
It will be frigid with the weather feeling below 0 degrees at kickoff at Paycor Stadium, according to Enquirer media partner Fox 19.
Bengals playoff chances
The Bengals have a 1% chance to make the playoffs, according to NFL.com senior director for digital content & editorial All Bhanpurl. Cincinnati’s chances would improve to 3% with a win over Baltimore and would be 0% with a loss. The Bengals need to win out and have Baltimore beat Pittsburgh, but lose the rest of their games and also have the Steelers lose out. The Bengals would win the AFC North and make the playoffs in that scenario.
Will Joe Burrow play today?
Burrow will start against the Ravens at Paycor Stadium in Week 15. The Bengals are 1-1 since Burrow returned from his turf toe injury with a win over the Ravens in Week 13 and a loss to the Bills in Week 14.
Bengals vs. Ravens odds and prediction
The Ravens are 3-point favorites and the over/under point total is 51.5, according to BetMGM. Seth Orlemann from SportsbookWire.com says Bengals to win outright is the play for today’s game.
Orlemann: “The Bengals have scored 32 or more points in back-to-back weeks and handled the Ravens well just 2 weeks ago in Baltimore. Burrow fell apart in the final quarter against Buffalo, but will surely look for a bounce-back game in front of home fans. With frigid temperatures expected, the offense may be more limited, but Burrow has been historically solid in December.”
Bengals 2025 football schedule
Week 1: Sept. 7, Bengals 17, Cleveland Browns 16 (1-0)Week 2: Sept. 14, Bengals 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 17 (2-0)Week 3: Sept. 21, Bengals 10, Minnesota Vikings 48 (2-1)Week 4: Sept. 29, Bengals 3, Denver Broncos 28 (2-2)Week 5: Oct. 5, Bengals 24, Detroit Lions 37 (2-3)Week 6: Oct. 12, Bengals 18, Green Bay Packers 27 (2-4)Week 7: Oct. 16, Bengals 33, Pittsburgh Steelers 31 (3-4)Week 8: Oct. 27, Bengals38, New York Jets 39 (3-5)Week 9: Nov. 2, Bengals 42, Chicago Bears 47 (3-6)Week 10: Bye weekWeek 11: Nov. 16, Bengals 12, Pittsburgh Steelers 34 (3-7)Week 12: Nov. 23, Bengals 20, New England Patriots 26 (3-8)Week 13: Nov. 27, Bengals 32, Baltimore Ravens 14 (4-8)Week 14: Dec. 7, Bengals 34, Buffalo Bills 39 (4-9)Week 15: Dec. 14, Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m. ETWeek 16: Dec. 21, Bengals at Miami Dolphins 8:20 p.m. ET | * Sunday Night Football on NBCWeek 17: Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals, Date and network TBDWeek 18: Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns, Date and network TBDThe final two weeks of the season don’t have game times because the NFL reserves the right to flex games into primetime spots based on playoff scenarios.
