It was yet another disappointing loss for the Baltimore Ravens as the team lost to their AFC rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. While the second-half shutout by the Bengals was damaging enough, a Ravens legend has further put head coach Jesse Minter and the coaching staff under scrutiny.
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“Wow, terrible coaching decisions week in week out crazy!” Hall of Famer Ed Reed wrote on X.
After the Ravens led the game at halftime by 13-0, it felt like the momentum was with the team. But that lead was no help, as the Bengals woke up in the second half and dominated Baltimore. However, there was a head-scratching moment in the fourth quarter, courtesy of Minter.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Ravens were able to reach Cincinnati’s 12. However, they were facing a fourth-and-two. The Bengals could have attempted a field goal. But Minter and Co. chose to keep the offense on the field and go for it. There were two yards needed, and they could technically be covered easily.
But the Ravens chose to run a passing play, with Tyler Huntley’s throw to tight end Josh Cuevas falling incomplete. RB Derrick Henry could have had a better shot at trying to get those two yards. The score was 14-13 at this point, ruining the chance for the Ravens to perhaps launch an attack on the Bengals in crunch time.
“The way that this game goes, the opportunity to lead in the fourth quarter,” CBS Sports’ J.J. Watt pointed out, “and once you look at the final score, you say, ‘They had a chance to lead in the fourth quarter?’ That’s how crazy this was. … There’s no question that’s gonna be one Jesse Minter’s gonna answer, and have to think about for a long time.”
“You take the points!” Justin Simmons said on CBS. “I’m so confused!”
In the first half, too. Baltimore was not as strong as the numbers made it seem at that point (Cincinnati having no spark at the time also helped). But after their first touchdown, Baltimore scored with two field goals, despite keeping those drives going for 11 minutes and a little over six minutes. According to Ebony Bird’s Connor Burke, only six points despite getting into Cincinnati’s 20-yard line was “atrocious.”
The Bengals scored touchdowns on five of the six drives in the second half, with the Ravens blowing out yet another 10-point lead for the second straight game. The Ravens were shut out by the Cleveland Browns in the second half, losing 13-10.
Moreover, the defense had no turnovers or sacks in the second half and gave Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow room to throw, with Burrow completing 16 of 18 passes for 249 yards and four touchdowns in the half.
After the game, Minter offered a measured take, but also threw shade on the team.
“Right now, I think it’s just a big point in the season for us to determine what type of team we want to be,” he said.
“The message is that I think in every game we’ve proven that we’re good enough to be the type of team that we want to be, and we’ve proven that we’re bad enough to be a not very good team as well.”
The Ravens’ offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, also admitted that their plans need adjustments.
“We need to make sure that we go into the game with enough plays and enough adjustments – and forward-thinking adjustments – of what teams may do so that in the second half we have a great plan to help us be able to move the ball,” Minter said.
The Ravens seemingly ignored their rushing attack. Derrick Henry rushed for only 45 yards on 17 carries, while Zay Flowers caught eight passes for 137 yards and one touchdown. Flowers was targeted 11 times.
Minter has admitted that the second half was “kind of a snowball on us once it got going.” But he is determined that the team can come back from two straight second-half shutouts. One thing that could help the team is quarterback Lamar Jackson, who can likely return for the game against the Buffalo Bills.