The Bengals–Ravens rivalry is a

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) rivalry between the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

and the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...

. The rivalry began in 1996 when the Ravens were created after the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

, with whom the Bengals also share a rivalry, moved to Baltimore. The rivalry gained intensity in as the Bengals hired longtime Ravens defensive coordinator

Marvin Lewis Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is the special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 1 ...

as head coach. The two rivals have played twice annually since 1996 when the Ravens assumed the Browns' spot in the former AFC Central Division. Both teams were placed in the

AFC North The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...

during the 2002 NFL realignment. The Ravens lead the overall series, 28–27. However, the Bengals won the teams’ lone playoff meeting in the 2022 Wild Card Round.

Notable games

*November 3, 1996: Bengals 24, Ravens 21 In the first game in the history of the series, the Ravens took a 21–3 lead into halftime. The Bengals scored 21 unanswered 2nd half points to win 24–21. *October 19, 2003: Bengals 34, Ravens 26 This was Bengals' head coach

' first game against the Ravens. Lewis previously served as the Ravens defensive coordinator from 1996 to 2001, including their Super Bowl XXXV title in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

. *December 5, 2004: Bengals 27, Ravens 26 The Bengals overcame a 20–3 fourth quarter deficit to win 27–26. *September 10, 2007: Bengals 27, Ravens 20 This season-opening ''

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...

'' game was best remembered for a touchdown celebration by Bengals' WR

Chad Johnson Chad Ochocinco Johnson (born Chad Javon Johnson; January 9, 1978), known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for Santa Monica College and Oregon State University, and pl ...

, who is known for his touchdown celebrations. After a score, he donned a gold jacket, resembling the jackets given to

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

inductees, that read "Future H.O.F. 20??" on the back. *November 10, 2013: Ravens 20, Bengals 17 The Ravens built a 17–0 lead at halftime before the Bengals rallied to make it 17–10 with two seconds left. In the final play of regulation, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw a h 49-yard

Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catho ...

. Despite being initially tipped, wide receiver

A. J. Green Adriel Jeremiah Green (born July 31, 1988) is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Bulldogs football, Georgia and was drafted by the Cincinnati ...

ran toward the ball and caught it to tie the game at 17–17 at the end of regulation. However, the Ravens would win in overtime, 20–17. *September 7, 2014: Bengals 23, Ravens 16 Bengals kicker

Mike Nugent Michael Nugent (born March 2, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Ohio State University, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round o ...

kicked five field goals in the first half, tying an NFL record for most field goals kicked in a half. *December 31, 2017: Bengals 31, Ravens 27 In the final game of the regular season in Baltimore, Bengals QB Andy Dalton threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd in the closing seconds to give the Bengals, finishing at 7-9, an improbable win over the now-9–7 Ravens. This win, combined with a

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

win that day, eliminated the Ravens from playoff contention. *November 18, 2018: Ravens 24, Bengals 21 Ravens start 2018 first round draft pick

Lamar Jackson Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisville, where he won the Heisman Trophy during his soph ...

at quarterback for the first time, he breaks the franchise rushing record for a QB with 117 yards. This marked Marvin Lewis' final game in the series, as he left the Cincinnati franchise at the end of the season. *December 26, 2021: Bengals 41, Ravens 21 In 2021, Cincinnati completed a season-sweep over Baltimore with a 41–21 victory at home. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 525 yards in this game, setting a Bengals franchise record. * AFC Wild Card Round January 15, 2023: Bengals 24, Ravens 17 The first playoff game in the rivalry's history. Sam Hubbard scored on a 98-yard fumble return, the longest in postseason history, as Cincinnati registered a 24–17 victory.

Season-by-season results

, - , , style=", Bengals 2–0 , style=", Bengals
24–21 , style=", Bengals
21–14 , Bengals
2–0 , Ravens inaugural season. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
23–10 , style=", Bengals
16–14 , Bengals
3–1 , , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
31–24 , style=", Ravens
20–13 , Tie
3–3 , Ravens open M&T Bank Stadium (then known as PSINet Stadium) , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
22–0 , style=", Ravens
34–31 , Ravens
5–3 , , - , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
37–0 , style=", Ravens
27–7 , Ravens
7–3 , Bengals open

Paul Brown Stadium Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and opened on August 19, 2000. Originally named after the B ...

. Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
16–0 , style=", Bengals
27–10 , Ravens
8–4 , , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
38–27 , style=", Ravens
27–23 , Ravens
10–4 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
31–13 , style=", Bengals
34–26 , Ravens
11–5 , Bengals hire former Ravens defensive coordinator

as head coach. Ravens win 7 straight meetings at home , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Bengals
27–26 , style=", Ravens
23–9 , Ravens
12–6 , , - , , style=", Bengals 2–0 , style=", Bengals
21–9 , style=", Bengals
42–29 , Ravens
12–8 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
26–20 , style=", Bengals
13–7 , Ravens
13–9 , , - , , style=", Bengals 2–0 , style=", Bengals
21–7 , style=", Bengals
27–20 , Ravens
13–11 , , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
17–10 , style=", Ravens
34–3 , Ravens
15–11 , Ravens hire head coach

John Harbaugh John William Harbaugh (born September 23, 1962) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he coached the defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles and served ...

, draft QB

Joe Flacco Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Baltim ...

, - , , style=", Bengals 2–0 , style=", Bengals
17–14 , style=", Bengals
17–7 , Ravens
15–13 , Bengals win all of their division game for the first time in franchise history , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
13–7 , style=", Bengals
15–10 , Ravens
16–14 , , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
31–24 , style=", Ravens
24–16 , Ravens
18–14 , Bengals draft QB Andy Dalton, first meetings between Dalton and

. Ravens win all games against division opponents. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
44–13 , style=", Bengals
23–17 , Ravens
19–15 , Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
20–17(OT) , style=", Bengals
34–17 , Ravens
20–16 , Only overtime meeting in the series history , - , , style=", Bengals 2–0 , style=", Bengals
23–16 , style=", Bengals
27–24 , Ravens
20–18 , Bengals K

kicks 5 field goals in the first half of the game in Baltimore, tying the NFL record for field goals in a half. , - , , style=", Bengals 2–0 , style=", Bengals
28–24 , style=", Bengals
24–16 , Tie
20–20 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
19–14 , style=", Bengals
27–10 , Tie
21–21 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Bengals
31–27 , style=", Ravens
20–0 , Tie
22–22 , Bengals win the final game of the season in Baltimore to eliminate the Ravens from playoff contention. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
24–21 , style=", Bengals
34–23 , Tie
23–23 , Lamar Jackson makes his NFL Debut as a starting Quarterback in the Game in Baltimore , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
23–17 , style=", Ravens
49–13 , Ravens
25–23 , , - , - , , style=", Ravens 2–0 , style=", Ravens
27–3 , style=", Ravens
38–3 , Ravens
27–23 , Ravens clinch playoff berth in their victory in Cincinnati in week 17. , - , , style=", Bengals 2–0 , style=", Bengals
41–17 , style=", Bengals
41–21 , Ravens
27–25 , Bengals' win in Baltimore was their largest win in the rivalry. Bengals QB Joe Burrow throws for 525 yards, sets Bengals franchise record in game in Cincinnati. Bengals lose

Super Bowl LVI Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams defeated the American Football Conference ...

. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Ravens
19–17 , style=", Bengals
27–16 , Ravens
28–26 , , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2022 Playoffs , style=", Bengals 1–0 , , style=", Bengals 24–17 , Ravens
28–27 , AFC Wild Card Round. First postseason meeting in the series. , - , - , Regular Season , style=", Ravens 28–26 , Ravens 18–9 , Bengals 17–10 , , - , Postseason games , style=", Bengals 1–0 , ''no games'' , Bengals 1–0 , 2022 AFC Wild Card Round. , - , Regular and postseason , style=", Ravens 28–27 , Ravens 18–9 , Bengals 18–10 , , -

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bengals-Ravens rivalry Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens National Football League rivalries Baltimore Ravens rivalries Cincinnati Bengals rivalries