Bengals rout Ravens, off to best start in 6 years

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati safety Jessie Bates III had a message for reporters waiting outside the locker

room after the Bengals’ biggest win in years.

“If you’re not believing now, you’d better start,” Bates said after the Bengals (5-2) rolled over the Baltimore Ravens 41-17 on Sunday for their best start since 2015.

The term “statement game” may be overused,

but it’s hard to argue that the complete win over an AFC North team that has bullied them for years

showed that these aren’t the same old Bengals.

Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for a career-best 416 yards and three touchdowns, rookie Ja’marr had

a season-high 201 receiving yards and a touchdown, and the Cincinnati defense

owned Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Tight end C.J. Uzomah, injured for

most of 2020, had two touchdown catches.

“This is their moment,” coach Zac Taylor said after Cincinnati snapped a fivegame losing streak against

the Ravens. “Everything we’ve talked about, we’ve earned. We’re starting to earn respect, but we still have a long way to go. Just winning one road game against a divisional opponent, that’s what you have to do if you want to compete in this league. We have a long way to go, but I’m really proud of the collective team effort.”

Burrow got good protection from his offensive line

and was sacked just once. The second-year quarterback keeps affirming the team’s decision to make

him the top overall draft pick in 2020. He has at least two touchdown passes in all seven games this season and 17 in total puts him among the league leaders.

“Obviously, last year wasn’t very fun,” said Burrow, who suffered a seasonending knee injury in Week 11 as the team limped to a 4-11-1 finish in 2020. “(Sunday) was a lot of fun. Now it

just really comes from preparation during the week and getting a lot of extra reps with the guys, and our guys on the outside making plays. There wasn’t a ton for me to do today apart from trying to protect the ball. It was putting balls

in positions where our guys could go make plays.”

BENGALS,