BALTIMORE (AP) — If Lamar Jackson's return from an ankle injury is imminent, the star quarterback's top priority will be solving Baltimore's second-half woes.
Back-to-back duds after the break have dropped the Ravens to last among the four winning teams in the AFC North.
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (5) throws the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter looks on during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'kobi Lane (6) can't make a catch during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Cincinnati Bengals players sack 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)
Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell (93) speaks during a press conference after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore dominated while holding Cincinnati scoreless in the first half, but a 13-point lead disappeared quickly after halftime in a 35-13 loss.
It was a loss in a second consecutive division game when the Ravens (4-3) didn't allow a point before the break and took a double-digit lead to the locker room.
“It’s a tale of two halves, right?” veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. “The first half, I feel like we were making a lot of plays. We’re playing really good football, and then once momentum got away from us, I mean, it was like quicksand.”
Jackson missed his third consecutive game, but did return to practice this past week. Logic says he should be closer to a return, perhaps next Sunday at Buffalo.
The Ravens could say that playing without Jackson was too big a handicap to overcome. But they beat Atlanta with backup Tyler Huntley and held Cleveland scoreless before the break last week before squadering a 10-point lead in a 13-10 loss.
Baltimore held the Bengals (4-2) to 59 yards and three first downs before the break, then allowed touchdowns on the first five Cincinnati drives of the second half. The turnaround was so sudden, disgruntled Ravens fans were flocking to the exits in the middle of the fourth quarter.
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.
“In every game, we’ve proven that we’re good enough to be the type of team that we want to be, and we’ve proven that we’re bad enough to be a not a very good team as well,” first-year coach Jesse Minter said. “So there’s a consistency level that we need to find where it’s where it’s less riding the wave of momentum and more about staying even-keel.”
Huntley was 23 of 34 for 298 yards passing, but while Cincinnati's Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes. Huntley was sacked four times. Huntley had a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass to Zay Flowers and threw an interception that set up the Bengals' last TD.
“He’s put us in position to have a chance to win,” Campbell said of Huntley. “But we have to do better and execute, especially on defense.”
Then again, that defense allowed just 59 yards and three first downs before halftime.
“It’s not a 30-minute ball game,” Campbell said. “It’s four quarters, and we got to find a way to play a complete game with all of them.”
The Ravens are only a game out of first place, but last place is last place.
“It’s a big point in the season for us,” Minter said, “to determine what type of team we want to be.”
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (5) throws the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter looks on during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'kobi Lane (6) can't make a catch during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Cincinnati Bengals players sack 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)
Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell (93) speaks during a press conference after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Flavio Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who bested him by nearly 4.4 million votes Sunday, following a chaotic delay in poll closing times ordered by a Supreme Court justice.
Both Bolsonaro and Lula asked that polls remain open late after issues with public transportation and inclement weather in some parts of Brazil. The decision to keep polls open came three minutes before scheduled poll close; some polls got word after they’d closed and it’s unclear how many votes were cast in the extended hours.
Bolsonaro called the move to extend voting hours unprecedented -- though both he and Lula made the request -- and asked for the election results to be annulled, saying it was impossible to accept the results. His father, Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup following his defeat to Lula in 2022.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back for updates. AP’s earlier story follows below.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, was reelected Sunday in a result that provides relief to critics of widening U.S. influence in Latin America.
With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court announced that the soon to be 81-year-old Lula had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes -- 51.8% of the total vote -- over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro. The announcement capped an evening of chaos at polling places across Brazil, following a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours. That decision by a Supreme Court justice may trigger legal action by Bolsonaro.
His triumph bucks a trend in Latin America where increasing numbers of right-of-center presidential candidates allied with Trump have been winning. Lula’s victory leaves Mexico and Brazil, Latin America’s two most populous nations, with left-of-center leaders. It also positions Latin America’s largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion per year, to remain independent of the U.S., despite the pressure of increased tariffs imposed by Trump.
A video published by Lula’s campaign shows the veteran leader celebrating with First Lady Rosângela da Silva and allies after his runoff victory was confirmed by Brazil’s electoral court. Wearing star-shaped red glasses, he kissed his wife. Hundreds of his supporters began gathering on São Paulo’s main artery to celebrate the victory.
In Rio de Janiero, cars beeped their horns and a woman dressed in red — the color of Lula supporters — shouted “You lost! Cry harder!” to four men in yellow and green sipping beers, Bolsonaro's signature colors. A huge roar echoed in the street as the result was confirmed.
Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said that another Lula government would harm the economy. He pointed to financial markets’ positive reaction to the result of the first round, when Bolsonaro bested Lula.
“I don’t understand how people can vote for Lula,” he said. “The country is collapsing.”
Bolsonaro had yet to respond to Lula's apparent victory, which, if confirmed by electoral authorities, will give him his non-consecutive fourth term as president. The next term begins on Jan. 5, 2027.
The electoral court's announcement ended an evening of confusion at polling places after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled three minutes before the scheduled end of voting to keep polls open for two more hours, following requests by both candidates. Lula’s request came after issues with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.
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.
The decision delayed tallying the votes by two hours. It was unclear how many polling stations stayed open after the scheduled closing time.
Bolsonaro ally Nikolas Ferreira noted that Zanin, who made the decision, is Lula's former lawyer.
Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. Sunday night's apparent victory by Lula marked the first time since Brazil’s military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter in the first-round elections won the presidency.
Lula 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.
This will likely be the last victory of the veteran leader’s political career. Lula began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader. He then helped found the Workers’ Party, which he represented as a presidential candidate three times until he finally won it in 2002. He was reelected four years later and was succeeded by one of his cabinet ministers, Dilma Rousseff, in 2010. She was reelected in 2014.
Rousseff was impeached for accounting maneuvering in 2016 amid a sprawling corruption probe, which also ensnared Lula. He tried to run for president again in 2018 but was jailed in March after being convicted.
Lula was released from prison after 580 days and saw Brazil’s Supreme Court annul his sentence after police found messages that showed the judge who convicted him was biased. He quickly became one of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s biggest critics and narrowly beat him in 2022.
Since he lost the first round, Lula reorganized his campaign, appealed to young voters, put millions of Brazilians on the streets to defend democratic values and his legacy, raised fears of another Bolsonaro administration and boosted several government initiatives.
He joins Trump and Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega — all aged 80 — as the oldest presidents in the Americas.
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
Supporters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrate after he won the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)
Supporters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrate after he won the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)
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)
