5 observations from Ravens’ second-half collapse against Bengals

Toss some penalties aside, and the Baltimore Ravens couldn't have asked for a much better first half against the Cincinnati Bengals. Sure, they'd probably rather have scored touchdowns on those red zone trips, but hey... What are you going to do?Without Lamar Jackson, Baltimore built a 13-0 lead at the break and seemed to control a crucial AFC North matchup. Then everything went haywire, turning a promising start into one of the season's most damaging losses. Just like that, Baltimore fell to last in the AFC North standings.The collapse exposed several ongoing problems, from offensive line instability to Baltimore's inability to finish games against divisional opponents. Here are five observations from the Ravens' Week 7 loss that go beyond the 35-13 final score.1. The Ravens are forced to shuffle their offensive line againThe Ravens opened Sunday's game with their ninth unique five-person offensive line combination of the season: Ronnie Stanley, John Simpson, Cam Jurgens, Vega Ioane and Roger Rosengarten.After weeks of searching for stability up front, Baltimore finally found a combination it could work with, only to lose Ioane to a knee injury.If Ioane cannot play in Week 8, the Ravens will have to adjust once again. The timing is particularly frustrating for an offense that needs continuity to establish its running game and protect its quarterback. With Cam Jurgens inserted into the lineup, Baltimore had a chance to build consistency up front. Still, Ioane's injury threatens to disrupt that progress before the unit can settle in.2. The Ravens have been outscored 48-0 in the second half of AFC North gamesBaltimore has now failed to score in the second half against an AFC North opponent in consecutive weeks. The Ravens were shut out after halftime in losses to the Cleveland Browns (Week 6) and Bengals (Week 7), while their divisional opponents combined to score 48 points during those two second halves.That pattern is particularly concerning because divisional games carry significant weight in the playoff race. Baltimore has shown it can compete early, but its inability to sustain that performance after halftime has turned two winnable games into losses. The challenge now is to carry its first-half execution through all four quarters. The task won't get any easier. Next up is the Buffalo Bills and their high-powered offense.3. Baltimore is 0-2 in the AFC North for the first time since 2007The Ravens have made their path to the postseason more difficult by losing their first two divisional games. Both the Browns and Bengals now hold early tiebreaker advantages over Baltimore, making the remaining AFC North matchups even more important.Winning the division remains one of the clearest routes to the playoffs, but the Ravens have already surrendered valuable ground. Plenty of football remains, yet Baltimore cannot afford to keep losing games that could determine its postseason position. Recovering from this start will require more than simply winning the next game; the Ravens must also reverse the trend within their division.4. The collapse added another ugly distinction to Baltimore's historyBlowing a double-digit lead has become an unwelcome pattern for the Ravens. Since the start of the 2020 NFL season, Baltimore has surrendered 17 double-digit leads, the most in the league over that span.Sunday's loss added another remarkable statistic. According to Associated Press reporter Josh Dubow, the Ravens became the first team since 1950 to lose by at least 20 points after leading by at least 13 at halftime. The previous example came on Nov. 19, 1950, when the then-Baltimore Colts led the New York Giants 20-7 at halftime before losing 55-20.Ravens trail 35-13 after leading 13-0 at the half. The last team to lose by 20+ after leading by 13+ at half:Colts vs Giants 11/19/1950 (led 20-7 at half and lost 55-20)— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 25, 2026The statistic captures the scale of Sunday's collapse, but the bigger concern is that Baltimore keeps turning promising positions into defeats. The Ravens have to find a way to stop those swings before they become another defining feature of their season.5. At least the Ravens have Zay FlowersEven in a game that unraveled after halftime, Zay Flowers gave Baltimore's offense reason to be optimistic. The Ravens' star wide receiver finished with eight receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown. That continues a productive season despite the team's inability to turn his performance into a victory.According to Ravens communications, Flowers has now surpassed 100 receiving yards in a single half three times this season, more than any other NFL player. His first-half production against Cincinnati helped Baltimore build its lead, though he didn't record another touch until the fourth quarter..@ZayFlowers has now surpassed 100 receiving yards in a single half three times this season, more than any other @NFL player.His numbers at the half ⬇️🏈 120 receiving yards🏈 20 yards per catch🏈 6 receptions🏈 1 TD pic.twitter.com/P8jiH63fC5— Baltimore Ravens Communications (@Ravens_Comms) October 25, 2026Flowers' performance reminds us that the Ravens have the firepower to give opposing defenses problems, even without Jackson under center. Still, Sunday's loss showed how little that potential means when Baltimore cannot sustain its production for four quarters.Flowers had already done his part to help build a 13-point lead, yet the offense didn't find him again until the fourth quarter, when Cincinnati took control. That's the frustrating reality of where the Ravens stand right now: There are enough encouraging signs to believe this team can compete with anyone, but not nearly enough consistency to trust that it will.At 4-3 and 0-2 in the AFC North, Baltimore has little room for these self-inflicted setbacks, especially with another tough matchup against Buffalo looming. The Ravens can spend the coming week talking about their potential, but Sunday's collapse made it clear that potential won't mean much until they prove they can finish what they start.This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: 5 observations from Ravens’ second-half collapse against Bengals