Burrow throws 4 TD passes as Bengals storm past Jackson-less Ravens in 2nd half of 35-13 win

BALTIMORE (AP) — For 30 minutes, it was hard to tell which team was playing its backup quarterback, Cincinnati or Baltimore.

Then the best version of Joe Burrow arrived, and the second half wasn't close.

Burrow threw four touchdown passes, and the Bengals rebounded from a desultory first two quarters to beat Baltimore 35-13 on Sunday, handing the Ravens a second straight divisional loss with Lamar Jackson sidelined.

Baltimore (4-3) dominated the first half but led only 13-0 after settling for a couple of short field goals. Then the Ravens blew a double-digit second-half lead for the second straight week and 10th time since the start of the 2022 season.

Cincinnati scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the second half.

“Just took a deep breath, kept their composure, led,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And went out there and put together as good of a second-half performance as I've ever seen.”

The Bengals (4-2) were shut out in their second meeting with Baltimore last season, and were scoreless through two quarters this time before going 66 yards on the first drive after halftime, capped by Burrow’s 6-yard TD pass to Mike Gesicki.

Baltimore, which held the ball for 22:20 in the first half, went three-and-out on its first possession of the second. Burrow’s 13-yard scoring pass to Tee Higgins put Cincinnati ahead to stay.

“That second half is who we have to be,” Burrow said. “Our defense played well in the first half in limiting the points on the board and keeping us in it. We were able to make those plays down the stretch, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can do that for a full game.”

The Ravens put together one more decent drive, but on fourth-and-2 from the Cincinnati 12, Tyler Huntley threw incomplete.

The Bengals then showed why Baltimore decided to be so aggressive, driving 88 yards and going up 21-13 on Samaje Perine's 1-yard run. Burrow added a 2-yard scoring pass to Ja'Marr Chase and a 16-yarder to Drew Sample.

“Right now, we’re too much of a momentum team,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. “We’re riding the wave when it’s good, and we’re riding the wave when it’s bad. I think that’s a main focus for us to be able to stay a little bit more even-keeled and continue to make plays and do things.”

The Ravens became the first team in 76 years to lead by at least 13 points at halftime and lose by at least 20, according to Sportradar. The Baltimore Colts were up 20-7 on the New York Giants on Nov. 19, 1950, before losing 55-20.

Jackson missed a third straight game with an ankle injury, and the Ravens are 1-2 without him. After a loss at Cleveland last weekend, he practiced in a limited role during the week but was inactive again.

Baltimore's running game wasn't much of a factor without him, but Huntley threw for 215 yards in the first half — 120 of them to Zay Flowers. The shifty Flowers opened the scoring with a 48-yard catch-and-run.

Cincinnati kept pouring it on after erasing the 13-0 deficit. Former Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco relieved Burrow late, closing out the Ravens' fifth loss in their past six home games.

Baltimore has outscored opponents by 65 points in the first half this season, while being outscored by 70 after the break.

Trey Hendrickson, the pass rusher who went from the Bengals to the Ravens in free agency, was credited with two quarterback hits but no sacks or tackles.

“We have to continue to rely on the technique that we’ve been coached and not make the moment bigger than it is. It’s just the details that win games,” he said. “Going through the process one play at a time will result in the way we want it to go.”

The Ravens outgained Cincinnati 258-59 in the first half, but the Bengals had a 298-101 advantage after halftime. In first downs, it was 12-3 Baltimore in the first two quarters, then 18-5 Cincinnati.

Higgins had all six of his catches for 148 yards in the second half, and Chase finished with five catches for 62 yards.

“We just started calling some of our base stuff, O-line protected great,” Burrow said. “Really, we just got the ball in Ja'Marr and Tee's hands as many times as we could.”

Bengals: S Kyle Dugger injured his quadriceps, and TE Erick All Jr. hurt his knee.

Ravens: Rookie G Vega Ioane (knee) exited in the first half.

Bengals: Tennessee at home next Sunday.

Ravens: At Buffalo next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample (89) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Cashius Howell (55) attempts to tackle Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (5) during the second half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'marr Chase (1) celebrates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) celebrates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Vote-counting resumed in Brazil’s polarizing presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro after voting hours were extended following requests by both candidates for an extension based on issues with voting in their respective stronghold.

The extension had caused confusion at many polling stations. Some had already shut down when the decision — made by a Supreme Court justice three minutes before poll close time — was relayed to them several minutes after they’d already shut down, and results were paused until the end of the two-hour window.

The decision set the stage for possible legal challenges no matter who wins. Lula’s camp said it was already looking into legal maneuvers because of “interference in the electoral process,” said Edhinho Silva, chairman of Lula’s Workers Party. Bolsonaro’s campaign had yet to comment.

The contest will determine whether the U.S. will significantly expand its growing influence in Latin America. A win for Bolsonaro would signify a pivot to the right by Latin America’s most populous country and its largest economy, in a year when Trump allies have scored victories in Chile, Peru and Colombia. A victory for Lula would leave Brazil and Mexico with left-of-center leaders.

Polls showed the two candidates, who need more than 50% of the vote to become Brazil’s next leader in January, in a neck-and-neck race. The election pits the left-of-center veteran politician Lula against Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro.

As polls were closing, Brazilian Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin ruled to extend voting nationwide for two hours following requests from both candidates. Lula’s request came after issues in nine states with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. A state electoral judge ordered the arrest of the mobility secretary of the state capital, Salvador, Pablo Souza, in relation to the case after at least 75 public buses were prevented from leaving municipal garages Sunday.

Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.

The extension threatened to cause logistical problems with some polls likely having closed before they got the order to stay open.

In Brasilia, volunteers who oversaw the vote count at a school debated whether they needed to stay after the announcement to extend voting, but most left 15 to 20 minutes after polls closed and they had given count information to electoral authorities. At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn’t be turned back on.

Supreme Court Justice Zanin later clarified the decision is valid for wherever polls were still open.

The electoral mission for the Organization of American States said in a statement that it is monitoring reports of public transportation issues.

Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. However, more than 33 million voters out of nearly 160 million did not turn out.

Bolsonaro and Lula have opposing ideological views on issues ranging from U.S.-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare.

In many ways, Brazil’s runoff vote is another tight rematch between the country’s two polarized political forces that trigger passion as much as loathing. Four years ago, Lula beat Bolsonaro’s father by the narrowest margin since the country’s return to democracy in 1985.

Lula, who first governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, has faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.

Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

As Bolsonaro voted at a school in Rio de Janeiro, his supporters shouted “Lula, thief, your place is in prison” while Lula’s supporters chanted in his support.

“The time of real change has arrived,” Bolsonaro said. “Brazil can’t go on for another four years on its current trajectory.”

Lula voters turned out Sunday driven by his history of supporting marginalized people and working to lift Brazilians out of poverty.

“Lula is a man of the people and he knows what it’s like to be poor,” Luzia da Souza, who runs a bar in Rio de Janeiro, said. "I find it impossible not to vote for him.”

Anderson Falcão, a 43-year-old journalist in Brasilia, said he worried about Bolsonaro’s long-term political vision, which he called “exclusionary.”

“It’s a project that harms the less fortunate, harms the worker, women, the forest, the Amazon,” he said.

Bolsonaro voters, many of whom wore yellow and green Brazil jerseys in support of the senator, said they want change.

“Things are really expensive and taxes are too high,” Fabianne Borges Santoro, a 45-year-old physiotherapist in Rio de Janeiro, said. She added that she once voted for Lula’s party but now associates it with corruption.

Kelvin Gomes Pimental, a 28-year-old data analyst in Brasilia, voted for a third-party candidate in the first round, making his vote for Lula a decisive one in this election.

“It’s not even about Flávio himself. It’s also very much about the management of the other Bolsonaro government. He wanted to stage a coup,” he said. “These issues scare me a little.”

Diogo Furtado, a 35-year-old Uber driver in Rio de Janeiro, didn’t vote the first time because of his work, but said he'll vote blank on Sunday. He said that neither candidate convinced him.

“Brazil needs a new candidate,” Furtado said. “But unfortunately our country has become dominated by two names: Lula and Bolsonaro."

Lula criticized the U.S. president before Brazil's election, speaking about the risks of U.S. intervention in Brazilian elections after the Trump administration imposed high tariffs against Brazilian exports and classified drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Experts say the moves may have been intended to make Lula look soft on crime.

Flávio Bolsonaro has touted his proximity to the White House and insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare minerals economy. Brazil estimates that its deposits hold up to 21 million tons, second only to China. He denies he's being helped by the U.S. government.

Trump said Sunday that he is watching the election but declined to endorse a candidate.

Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro flashes a victory sign as he arrives in Brasilia, Brazil, on the day of the presidential runoff election, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izuierdo)

People walk along the beach during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, wears glasses given to him by a supporter after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, displays a Brazilian flag before voting in a presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Voters line outside a polling station up during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A supporter of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, lines up at a polling station during a presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Voters wait to cast their ballots during a presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

Red T-shirts depicting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, and yellow T-shirts depicting opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro hang for sale outside a building ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff election in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, who is running for reelection, and his running mate Geraldo Alckmin raise their arms in unison at the end of their final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, center, leaves after his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro cheer during his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

A girl standing on a man's shoulders reaches out amid a crowd of supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, during his final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)