Ja'Marr Chase's halftime speech during Sunday's game definitely woke up his Cincinnati Bengals teammates as they stormed back in the second half from a 13-0 deficit and dominated Baltimore in the second half.
Whether the 35-13 victory over the Ravens can serve as the springboard to an extended winning streak or the Bengals making the playoffs for the first time since 2022 remains to be seen over the next couple of weeks.
Chase said after Sunday's game that he cried the previous time he gave a speech at halftime. His emotions were the opposite this time.
“I didn't cry this time,” Chase said. "I came in here screaming, saying, ’Somebody’s got to make a play for us, somebody got to make a play.' And I told our offense we can’t look at our defense the whole time. We’ve got to step up and make something work.”
The 35 second-half points are the most by a team shutout in the first half since the Minnesota Vikings put up 39 points in their Week 15 game in 2022 against the Indianapolis Colts, completing the largest comeback in NFL history after being down 33-0.
The Bengals scored on their first five second-half drives and Joe Burrow had a perfect 158.3 passer rating after halftime, the second time he has done that in his career. He was 16 of 18 passes for 249 yards in the second half.
Coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher were also more aggressive in the second half as the Bengals had nine plays of at least 10 yards.
“I thought at halftime Ja'Marr set the right tone. He knew what he was doing and I think he challenged everybody the right way,” Taylor said. “You don’t always want to be playing that role and you guys have seen I’m not a big yeller and screamer all the time. So it’s good when you’ve got a captain step up and take that role. Other guys have done it in different ways.”
All four of Burrow's TD passes came from a clean pocket as the offensive line had one of their cleanest games of the season.
Burrow has two straight games with four touchdown passes and no interceptions and Tee Higgins has two games with at least 145 receiving yards.
While the offense is putting up big numbers, the Bengals are still looking for consistent play from all three phases in the same game, something they haven't had since their Week 1 victory over Tampa Bay.
The run defense held Baltimore's Derrick Henry to 45 yards on 17 carries, with only three runs that ended up keeping the Ravens ahead of the chains. The Bengals held Henry to zero or negative yards on four attempts.
Taylor and Pitcher have to make sure Chase and Higgins aren't held to a combined four targets and two receptions going into halftime.
DE Boye Mafe had 1 1/2 sacks against the Ravens, and is up to 4 1/2 for the season. He had only two sacks with Seattle last season.
RB Chase Brown has 88 yards on 33 carries the past three games. He had 11 carries for 39 yards on Sunday.
Taylor had no updates on S Kyle Dugger (quadriceps) and TE Erick All Jr. (knee), who were injured on Sunday.
3: Times the Bengals have trailed by at least 13 points at halftime and have come back to win since Burrow arrived in 2020.
4: Consecutive games with a receiving touchdown by Mike Gesicki, the longest streak by a tight end in franchise history.
The Bengals host the Titans next Sunday. Cincinnati has won four of the past five meetings against Tennessee.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) takes the field 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 head coach Zac Taylor talks to a referee during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'marr Chase (1) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang sparked Milwaukee’s eight-run fifth inning, and the Brewers routed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 on Monday night to move within one victory of their first World Series title.
Rookie left-hander Robert Gasser pitched one-hit ball and faced the minimum through six innings as Milwaukee rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Series. Game 4 is Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, where many Brewers fans showed up Monday and cheered from behind the visitors’ dugout.
“It’s super special,” Chourio said through a translator. “I think all these fans deserve a championship.”
Gasser allowed a line-drive single to Yandy Díaz leading off the bottom of the first and then retired 14 straight before Victor Mesa Jr. walked to start the Tampa Bay sixth.
With the help of a caught stealing and a double play, Gasser became the first starter to face the minimum 18 batters through six innings of a World Series game since Arizona's Curt Schilling in 2001 — and the first lefty to do it since Sandy Koufax for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965.
Chourio went 4 for 5, William Contreras was 3 for 5 and Milwaukee racked up 16 hits off “Fastball Freddy” Peralta and five relievers to win its eighth straight postseason game and fourth in a row on the road.
Of the 43 previous major league teams to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox rallied to win four straight when they beat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
“It’s kind of that chip and a chair mentality,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ve got a seat at the table. We’ve got to do something with the chip. Obviously the only thing we can do is win tomorrow.”
Gasser became the first starter for Milwaukee to get an out in the sixth inning this postseason. He’s allowed one run in 15 innings over three starts, all on the road.
Peralta, the MVP of the ALCS against Cleveland, ran out of gas against the Brewers. He was charged with five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings against his former team.
“Just a little out of sync. I think he felt really good. Tried to power through it a little bit,” Cash said. “Just inconsistencies in and out of the strike zone led to a bunch of really good at-bats by the Brewer lineup.”
After a pair of tense, down-to-the-final-pitch, one-run games in Milwaukee, the Brewers put this one out of reach in the fifth with a postseason-record seven straight hits — all with two outs.
It was the first time in World Series history a team scored eight two-out runs in one inning.
“I was sitting in the dugout getting ready to go. There was two outs, and next thing you know, 40 minutes later, I have to go out on the field,” Gasser said. “It was special. I had a smile on my face the whole time. It’s just surreal when something like that happens.”
Chourio began the rally with a one-out single and then stole second with two outs. Christian Yelich walked, and Peralta exited after Contreras’ infield single loaded the bases.
The inning appeared to end when third baseman Junior Caminero fielded Contreras’ bouncer and threw to second base for a forceout. But the call at second was overturned after a replay review, and Cam Booser entered.
Turang ripped a liner that shortstop Taylor Walls couldn’t short hop. It bounced off his glove and rolled into shallow center field for a two-run single.
Garrett Mitchell followed with an RBI single, Cooper Pratt grounded a two-run double down the left-field line and Sal Frelick lined a run-scoring double to make it 8-0.
“It’s definitely deflating,” Cash said. “How could it not be?”
Cole Sulser replaced Booser and allowed an RBI single to David Hamilton and an RBI double to Chourio, who became the second-youngest player with four hits and a stolen base in a World Series game behind Ty Cobb in 1908.
Chourio already has eight hits in the Series, and Contreras has seven.
Brandon Woodruff pitched the ninth for the Brewers, allowing one run and two hits in his first appearance in 3 1/2 months. The two-time All-Star had been sidelined by a shoulder injury that originally was thought to require surgery.
Of the 25 previous teams who took a 3-0 lead in the World Series, 21 swept and four won in five games.
Originally the Seattle Pilots for one season in 1969, the franchise moved to Milwaukee and was renamed the Brewers in 1970. Their only other trip to the World Series came as an AL team and ended with a loss to St. Louis in Game 7 in 1982.
Led by 67-year-old manager Pat Murphy, the Brewers need just one more win to finally end their championship drought.
The Rays led the AL with 98 wins in the regular season, swept the Yankees in three games in the Division Series and beat the Guardians in six games in the ALCS.
But they made uncharacteristic mistakes on the bases and defense during the first two games in Milwaukee, and completely unraveled at home.
Tampa Bay also has never won a World Series in 29 seasons. The Rays lost to the Phillies in five games in 2008 and to the Dodgers in six games in 2020.
Wearing their white Devil Rays uniforms, they were eager to play in front of their home fans at the quirky, cavernous Trop, which had its roof shredded by Hurricane Milton in October 2024 and needed major renovations.
But their cowbell-ringing, towel-waving fans among a sellout crowd of 40,388 couldn’t lift them past the surging Brewers.
The Brewers led the majors with 103 wins, beat the Padres in four games in their NLDS and swept the Dodgers in the NLCS. With a win in Game 4, they would become the first team to sweep an LCS and World Series since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
Griffin Jax is scheduled to start Game 4 for Tampa Bay.
“We've been preparing for this day a lot,” Chourio said. “We have one more to lock in for tomorrow to complete the mission.”
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio connects for an RBI double during the fifth inning of Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang hits two-run single during the fifth inning of Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Cam Booser leaves the game during the fifth inning of Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Milwaukee Brewers' Garrett Mitchell celebrates past Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Fortes after scoring during the fifth inning of Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Milwaukee Brewers third baseman David Hamilton, left, Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Fortes, center, and pitcher Cole Sulser, right, watch his RBI base hit during the fifth inning of Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
