CINCINNATI – At halftime, the Bengals had a 14-7 lead over the Ravens. They started fast and finished the half strong.

Here are our observations at halftime:

Quick start

The Ravens won the coin toss and put the ball back, giving Joe Burrow and the offense a chance to score first.

Burrow led the Bengals on an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that included two third-down conversions and ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Chase Brown.

The defense is strengthening

The Bengals defense forced three punts in the first half. They only forced three punts in their Week 5 matchup against the Ravens.

They left the field on the Ravens' first possession when BJ Hill made a nice tackle on Justice Hill on 3rd-and-4.

The Ravens scored on their second possession of the game, but Cincinnati forced back-to-back three-and-outs and then Mike Hilton tackled Diontae Johnson with eight seconds left in the half to prevent Baltimore from making a long field goal attempt.

Offensive stands

Burrow and the Bengals scored on their first possession, but failed on fourth down on their second drive and were forced to punt on their next two possessions. They rallied towards the end of the half, which was huge for their momentum before halftime.

Key violation

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton suffered a right ankle/leg injury late in the second quarter and jumped to the sideline.

That would be a significant loss for the Ravens defense. It is officially questionable whether he will return.

Crazy sequence

Burrow found Tanner Hudson for a touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half, giving Cincinnati a 14-7 lead.

Burrow appeared to throw an interception three plays earlier, but Brandon Stephens was thrown out of bounds on a pass intended for Mike Gesicki.

The Bengals converted on a crucial third down when Burrow took advantage of Jermaine Burton for an 11-yard gain to extend the drive.

Stephens not getting into the game was a big momentum shift in the Bengals' favor.

The Bengals will win if…

They continue to get stops on defense. They kept the Ravens off balance, put them in third-down situations and found ways to get off the field. Baltimore is 1-4 on third downs.

Meanwhile, the Bengals offense struggled to protect Burrow after a nice opening drive. He's done well in the pocket, but the Bengals need to find a way to protect better in the second half.

Brown did a good job as a runner and receiver. He has 55 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.

The Ravens will get the ball at the start of the third quarter. Keeping Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Baltimore offense on the ground early in the second half will go a long way toward regaining the momentum they had early in the game.

Check out the halftime stats below:

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