The final game on Sunday featured two divisional rivals battling for a spot in the divisional round. The Cincinnati Bengals, the defending AFC conference champions, hosted the Baltimore Ravens in a game that came down to the final play. The Bengals, with a strong defensive performance, won the game in a contest that finished with a converted-TD spread. The result was Baltimore 17, and Cincinnati 24, as the Ravens' season came to an end.
Game Summary Wild Card Weekend 2023: Baltimore vs Cincinnati
- Final score: Baltimore 17, Cincinnati 24
- The Ravens fell to 10-8 and were eliminated
- The Bengals, with the win, improved to 13-4 and advanced
- Joe Burrow's passer rating: 99.6
- Tyler Huntley's passer rating: 92.0
Ravens @ Bengals Sunday: Tyler Huntley's gaffe
Tyler Huntley of the Ravens did not play poorly overall. However, the game will largely be remembered for a single play. He attempted a short-yardage rush for a touchdown that would have broken a 17-17 tie game in the second half. While extending to break the goal line, he fumbled the ball and Sam Hubbard returned it for a touchdown to give Cincinnati a 24-17 lead. There was no further scoring in the game, making the result of that individual play the most important play of the game.
With the loss, the Ravens are now done for the season with a 10-8 record. Their season started with high expectations and talks of Lamar Jackson's contract. He did not renegotiate a contract, then he took an injury fairly late in the season that effectively ended his season, and that injury put Tyler Huntley into the spotlight. The occasion on Sunday seemed to be a little too much for Baltimore's QB2 as the Ravens remain non-factors for the NFL's late rounds.
Joe Burrow passes for 209 yards
Meanwhile, the Bengals improved to 13-4 with the 7-point victory. Joe Burrow of the Bengals was the winning quarterback but he managed just 209 passing yards in the outing. He did keep the sheet clean for interceptions as his ratio of TDs to INTs was 1 to 0. Burrow finished the game with a passer rating of 99.6. Next up for Cincinnati is a game at the Buffalo Bills next week.
Further reading: Our recent NFL Power Rankings
