The Baltimore Ravens blew a 13-point halftime lead against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, turning a commanding 13-0 advantage into a crushing 35-13 loss. Yeah, you read that right. They’re sitting at 4-3 on the season, even with Lamar Jackson out for a couple of weeks, but this one? This was a gut punch that felt different.
Historic Second-Half Meltdown
Talk about a historical nightmare. According to ESPN Research, the Ravens are only the *third* team in NFL history to lose a game by 20 or more points after leading by 13 or more points at halftime. Think about that for a second. The other two times this happened? Way back in 1950 and 1941. Tyler Huntley and the offense just couldn’t get anything going in the second half, completely shutting down after that strong start. They didn’t even come close to making it a competitive game before it was over.
An All-Year Second-Half Problem
This isn’t some freak accident, either. The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia dropped some wild stats that show this second-half collapse is a full-season trend. Get this: the Ravens rank first in the NFL with a *plus-65* point differential in the first half. They are absolutely dominating early! But then… it all falls apart. They rank DEAD LAST in the NFL, 32nd, with a *minus-70* point differential in the second half. It’s like they’re two different teams. They continue to thrive in first halves but just totally collapse after halftime. Seriously, what gives?
If the Ravens have any shot at contending this year, this second-half issue has got to get fixed, and fast. Jackson’s return, whenever that happens, could definitely help, but they can’t rely just on that. They’re up against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, and if they pull another one of these disappearing acts, it’s gonna be a long, *long* season for those fans.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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