BALTIMORE — The season of Joe Burrow took an awful and abysmal turn Thursday night.
Lamar Jackson completed 16-of-26 passes for 264 yards and threw a pair of touchdown passes to lead the Baltimore Ravens (8-3) past the visiting Bengals (5-5), 34-20, Thursday night.
But the loss that dropped the Bengals to .500 meant nothing compared to what happened in the second quarter. Burrow crumpled over in pain after throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon, ironically giving the Bengals their only lead of the game, 10-7.
Moments later it was announced that Joe Burrow was being treated for a wrist injury. The pass thrown by Burrow to Mixon would be the last he threw in the game.
Joe Burrow examined and runs to the locker room with what appears to be a throwing hand injury. #Bengals pic.twitter.com/tSXQ7srI32
— Sam Greene (@SGdoesit) November 17, 2023
First career sack for @Taviusrobinson ❗❗
Tune in on Prime! pic.twitter.com/0OkGkM45PA
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 17, 2023
After the game, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced the injury as a wrist sprain for Burrow.
"Looks like he sprained his wrist" Zac Taylor on Joe Burrow pic.twitter.com/SJ2fVzdUSr
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 17, 2023
Lamar Jackson came out on fire, completing passes of 14 yards to Mark Andrews and 33 yards to Zay Flowers. Those passes set the stage for a 3-yard touchdown run by Gus Edwards. Cincinnati responded with a 50-yard Evan McPherson field goal.
Burrow injured his right wrist while leading his team on go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the second quarter. He spent several minutes in the medical tent before jogging off the field and to the locker room for further treatment.
Burrow bent over in obvious pain after throwing a 4-yard pass in the flat to Joe Mixon, who ran it into the end zone to put the Bengals up, 10-7. Burrow finished the game 11-of-17 for 101 yards and the touchdown to Mixon.
Let's keep it goin' 👏#CINatBAL | 📺 @NFLonPrime, @WCPO pic.twitter.com/9Lj4g20v3f
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 17, 2023
While Burrow was being treated, the Ravens appeared to take the lead on a 68-yard Jackson-to-Zay Flowers touchdown pass down the left sideline. But Odell Beckham Jr. was call for holding Chido Awuzie. Later in the drive, a Jackson pass over the middle was deflected by Germaine Pratt and into the hands of Nelson Agholor, who raced into the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown.
Jake Browning came in for Burrow and managed to generate one first down, but the Bengals later punted.
Jackson then marched the team 80 yards in seven plays in just 67 seconds, adding to their lead when the quarterback fired a 10-yard pass in the end zone to Rashod Bateman. Baltimore took a 21-10 lead to the locker room at the half.
The Ravens won the game despite losing tight end Mark Andrews to an ankle injury on their first drive.
Browning engineered a 10-play, 67-yard drive to open the second half, capped by a 26-yard field goal from Evan McPherson.
Adding insult to the loss and the Burrow injury, the Bengals lost their top cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt late in the first half when he reaggravated his quad on the Bateman touchdown as he slipped in the end zone.