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CINCINNATI — The Ravens blanked the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, 24-0, ending a two-game losing streak with their first shutout since 2018.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson went 8-for-12 for 150 yards for two touchdowns and an interception, which came after a dropped pass by wide receiver Zay Flowers. Running backs Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell combined for 166 rushing yards on 19 carries against perhaps the NFL’s worst defense.

With the win, the Ravens (7-7) avenged a Week 13 loss in Baltimore and bolstered their playoff positioning. According to The New York Times, their chances of winning the AFC North improved from about 27% to 40%. If the Miami Dolphins beat the division-leading Steelers on Monday night, those odds would rise to 50%.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow finished 25-for-39 for 225 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. His last pick came in the red zone, throwing right to outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who handed the ball off to safety Alohi Gilman and watched him streak down the right sideline for an 84-yard score.

The game was scoreless until just over four minutes remained in the second quarter, when Jackson found running back Rasheen Ali, slipping out of the backfield against a Bengals blitz, for a 30-yard catch-and-run score.

The Ravens doubled their lead over Cincinnati (4-10) with an impressive hurry-up drive four minutes later. Taking possession with 1:05 remaining and three timeouts available, Jackson capped a five-play, 80-yard march with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Flowers.

Winning a game with edge

Before the game, safety Kyle Hamilton was captured delivering a passionate, PG-13 speech to his fellow Ravens defensive backs. The Ravens’ season was teetering, but he focused his energy on the Bengals: “We beat them, their [expletive] season’s over!”

The Ravens played with that [expletive]-you energy all game. They hit hard. They chirped Joe Burrow. They flexed and talked and stared. They embodied all that this Ravens defense has been missing, even when it’s been playing well: a take-no-prisoners swagger.

These next two weeks will test that confidence, with the Patriots’ Drake Maye coming to Baltimore and the Packers’ Jordan Love awaiting in Green Bay. But the Ravens talked the talk and walked the walk Sunday, and that’s always a good sign.

— Jonas Shaffer, Ravens reporter

Where has this been?

Good for the Ravens. They proved me wrong and dominated the Bengals. But all the success just left me wondering — where has this been? The Ravens didn’t add any new players. In fact, they lost starters throughout the game. That means they’ve had the ability to do this all along.

Sure, they beat up on a notoriously bad defense, but they couldn’t do it the first time they played Cincinnati — or when they played the New York Jets. The defense’s dominance over Joe Burrow and the Bengals is more impressive, but it begs the question: Why was Aaron Rodgers able to slice and dice them? The Ravens aren’t out of the playoff picture, but this is really late in the season to be finding their stride.

— Giana Han, Ravens reporter

What we expected all along

As the Ravens boat raced the Bengals, I couldn’t help but flash back to the Thanksgiving game and how short Baltimore came up in prime time. This is what it should have looked like. The running game wrecked the last-ranked NFL defense. Lamar Jackson found his comfort zone in the pocket. The defense hassled Joe Burrow and even scored a touchdown before he did. Bravo, even if it is coming two weeks after it should have come.

Although the Ravens need to be worried about a potential season-ending injury to Teddye Buchanan and another injury to Chidobe Awuzie, it was their most impressive performance since a road win in Miami. The competition ramps up for the final three weeks of the season, but it’s encouraging to see the Ravens live up to their potential in the frigid weather (which they’ll also see plenty of this month).

— Kyle Goon, columnist

Defense stepped up

Ravens fans have been waiting weeks for Lamar Jackson and the offense to resemble their old selves. They showed flashes against the Bengals, including two remarkable hookups between Jackson and wideout Zay Flowers, but hardly dominated. The other side of the ball, however, delivered a performance reminiscent of the 2023 defense that took the league by storm.

JaMarr Chase got his – 10 catches for 132 yards – but the Bengals struggled to get much else going. The secondary forced Joe Burrow to settle for checkdowns, while Tavius Robinson made his presence felt in his return.

— Paul Mancano, Banner Ravens Podcast host

It IS all in front of them, maybe

Losing Teddye Buchanan is a huge blow, and it looks like other important players might limp home, too. But such is NFL football. Sunday gave the Ravens a more-healthy-looking Lamar Jackson, and it made a big difference. It gave them Tavius Robinson, and suddenly the pass rush was real. That was enough for a convincing win. I don’t want to read too much into it, but it’s a strange year, in the AFC North and NFL as a whole, so the thing John Harbaugh keeps telling us — that the Ravens’ goals are still there for the taking — remains true.

— Chris Korman, editor