'TNF' takeaways: QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens offense dominate while Bengals lose Joe Burrow to injury

The Baltimore Ravens increased their stranglehold on the AFC North, improving to 8-3 after knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-20, on "Thursday Night Football." While the Ravens remain atop the division, the Bengals fell to 5-5 and lost starting quarterback Joe Burrow to a wrist injury in the first half. 

Here are three takeaways from what might be a season-turning game for both squads: 

Ravens well-rounded offensive attack gave Bengals D fits: The Bengals' 16th-ranked defense offered little resistance against the Ravens, who thrived through the air and on the ground Thursday night. Baltimore outgained Cincinnati 405-272, converted 50% of their third downs (6-of-12), went 3-of-4 in the red zone and averaged 6.8 yards per play. 

The Ravens rushed for 157 yards (5.1 YPC), paced by 62 yards and two scores on 12 carries (5.2 YPC) by running back Gus Edwards. Meanwhile, QB Lamar Jackson ran the ball nine times for 54 yards (6.0 YPC). Jackson posted his fifth-straight performance of 50 or more rushing yards against the Bengals, the longest streak against any team by a QB since 1950. Per ESPN Stats and Info, he passes Mike Vick, who had four such games against the New Orleans Saints. 

Jackson also had a great day in the pocket, finishing 16-of-26 for 264 yards (10.2 YPA) with a 121.3 passer rating and two touchdown passes. He did most of his damage in huge chunks. According to Next Gen Stats, 61.7% of Jackson's passing yards came after the catch, the third-highest rate of his career. 

Baltimore's offense cruised on Thursday, but they'll be without a huge piece for the rest of the season. Tight end Mark Andrews suffered what head coach John Harbaugh called a "season-ending" ankle injury on Thursday night. 

Joe Burrow's status moving forward is up in the air: Burrow re-aggravated a wrist injury on his throwing hand Thursday night, exiting the game before the end of the first half. How badly he's injured isn't known yet, but it doesn't look good for the Bengals star if body language is any indication. Burrow showed frustration after he was unable to grip a football to throw a warmup pass. Then, after undergoing X-rays and being ruled out for the rest of the game, Burrow stood on the sidelines looking like a child who heard Christmas was off. 

After the game, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said it "looks" like Burrow suffered a sprain but didn't elaborate further. 

If Burrow misses time, the Bengals season may be in the hands of backup Jake Browning. Undrafted out of Washington in 2018, Browning joined the Bengals in 2021 and had one career NFL snap under his belt before entering the game Thursday in relief of Burrow. In his short time on the field, he didn't look overwhelmed, going 8-of-14 for 68 yards and a touchdown in garbage time. Can the Bengals lean on him to orchestrate a miraculous run to the playoffs, facing the most challenging remaining schedule in the league? Probably not. 

Ravens silenced Bengals star wideout: While the Ravens defense had the benefit of facing the Bengals backup QB instead of Burrow for much of the game, they severely limited the impact of WR Ja'Marr Chase. Hounded by Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens, Chase caught only 2-of-7 targets for 12 yards. He did score a touchdown, but it came late in the fourth quarter, long after the Ravens had secured the victory. 

For Chase, it's only the fourth time in his career that he's caught two or fewer passes in a game. His 12 receiving yards were the second-fewest of his career. Chase caught only one pass for three yards in Week 15 of the 2021 season, shut down by Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain. 

It's a steep decline for the former LSU star, who was coming off one of his better games this season, posting five catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in a Week 10 loss to the Houston Texans. Now, he might be without his dance partner in Burrow as the Bengals fight to stay above water in the AFC North.