Lamar Jackson rallies Ravens with career-best fourth quarter

BALTIMORE — The Ravens found themselves in a tight spot Thursday night, trailing the Cincinnati Bengals by 14 points in the second half with a defense that was struggling to hold its ground.

What gave them hope of a comeback? Lamar Jackson, who’s playing the best football of his career.

Jackson delivered an outstanding fourth quarter, leading the Ravens to a 35-34 victory. With a perfect 158.3 passer rating in that final quarter, he threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns—both career highs for a fourth quarter—helping Baltimore complete a season sweep of the Bengals and once again bailing out the NFL’s lowest-ranked pass defense.

The Ravens’ defense may have allowed 470 yards and five touchdowns, but with Jackson on the field, the team never lost faith.

“He’s special, but we’re like the little bros right now,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey admitted. “He’s carrying us.”

The reigning MVP shook off a rough start. After a quiet first half with just 71 passing yards, Jackson came alive when Baltimore fell behind 21-7 early in the third quarter.

He then unleashed touchdown passes of 84 yards to Tylan Wallace and 18 yards to Mark Andrews, before hitting Rashod Bateman for the game-winning 5-yard score with 1:49 left on the clock.

Since 2021, Jackson has engineered three wins when trailing by 14 or more points in the fourth quarter, the most in the NFL during that period.

“He brings a different level of intensity and carries the team on his back every week,” Andrews said. “It’s that belief and resilience, knowing we have the best player in the world and are never out of it.”

Just last month, Jackson rallied the Ravens from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 41-38 overtime win in Cincinnati. This latest win extended his dominance over the Bengals, bringing his record against them to 10-1.

Jackson also made NFL history as the only player with five touchdown passes and no interceptions in the fourth quarter against a single opponent in a season, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

“He took that game on his shoulders like he always does,” head coach John Harbaugh said.

Now 7-3, Baltimore boasts the NFL's top offense, averaging 440.2 yards per game, though its defense ranks 27th, allowing 367.9 yards.

“I told my guys, ‘If they score, we score—that’s the kind of game this is going to be,’” Jackson said. “I’m proud of how we finished and pulled through.”

Next up, Baltimore faces the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 17, a matchup for the AFC North lead. And if the Ravens fall behind again, they have reason to stay confident.

“As long as we’ve got Lamar Jackson,” Bateman said, “we’ve got a chance to win. Period.”