BALTIMORE — Three things remain constant for a Baltimore Ravens fan: death, taxes, and Justin Tucker in the fourth quarter.
With 3 seconds left, and 43 yards between them, the veteran kicker made his fourth field goal of the night to give Baltimore their first home win of the regular season.
This was also Tucker’s 61st consecutive field goal made in the fourth quarter and/or overtime.
Baltimore opened the game looking sharp, scoring on two out of their first three drives; including an 11-yard score from Mark Andrews to give them a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Cincinnati would close in on that lead in just under 10 minutes as Joe Burrow connected with tight end Hayden Hurst for a 19-yard touchdown. Hurst was the 25th overall pick for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Ravens wouldn’t have to wait long to regain their lead, trusting Justin Tucker with a 58-yard field goal early in the third quarter.
The Bengals would proceed to chew up eight minutes, inching closer to the end zone before Baltimore’s defense came up with two crucial stops.
On second and goal from the 2-yard line, Marcus Peters would blow up a trick play, sacking Tyler Boyd on the Bengals’ 14-yard line. Cincinnati would regain field position near the endzone, but the Ravens would force an incomplete pass on fourth and goal.
This game didn’t end without some late drama, as Joe Burrow would lead the Bengals on a 13-play drive late in the fourth quarter, capping it off with a touchdown score that would give them the 17-16 lead with 1:56 minutes left in the game.
Plenty of time for Lamar Jackson, as he put together a 50-yard drive to set up Justin Tucker’s 19 game-winning field goal of his career.
With this win over the Bengals, the Ravens hold a 3-2 overall record, and first place in the AFC North. They’re back on the road next Sunday, as they play the red-hot New York Giants.
INJURY NOTE: Safety Marcus Williams left the game at the end of the first half with a reported wrist injury. He did not return for the rest of the game.