Baltimore fell to 8-8 and finished with back-to-back non-winning seasons for the first time in nearly two decades.
Burkhead finished with a career-high 119 yards just in time to make a dash for the cash in free agency. Brandon LaFell, another unrestricted free agent, added a team-high seven catches for 67 yards as the Bengals scored on their first four possessions to seize control early.
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Here are six things to know about the season finale:
Defensive development
The 10 points the Bengals allowed the Ravens lowered the team’s season average to 19.7. And in the eight games since the bye the Cincinnati defense allowed just 15.8.
“That was important for the players and coaches alike,” Lewis said. “We realized we weren’t getting it done early in the first half of the season and they did a great job in the last half of limiting points and not giving up explosive plays. We went through a stretch where we were having mental breakdowns early in the game and we fixed that and that’s been good. We didn’t get off to the start that way in the way we needed to get over the hump.”
Strong starts have been key in the second half of the season, with Sunday’s game marking the fifth in a row in which the Bengals did not allow a first-half touchdown. The streak covered 23 drives and dated back to the Nov. 27 game at Baltimore when the Ravens went 75 yards in 11 plays for Joe Flacco to Breshad Perriman touchdown pass
The Bengals kept it alive Sunday despite Baltimore having first and goal at the 2 in second quarter. Safety Shawn Williams ended the threat by intercepting Flacco on first down.
Through the first 15 games, the Bengals defense had allowed opponents to score on 40 of 45 trips inside the red zone. Sunday they held the Ravens scoreless on their first two trips. After the Williams interception, rookie linebacker Nick Vigil broke up a Flacco pass intended for tight end Dennis Pitta on fourth and 2 from the 8 with 2:54 left in the third quarter.
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Cash catches
Brandon LaFell entered Sunday’s finale needing three catches to kick in a $300,000 contract extension for reaching 60 receptions, and 5 yards to add another $200,000 for getting to 800.
He hit both money milestones early, hauling in catches of 12 and 3 yards on the opening drive before snagging his third ball on the Bengals’ second snap of the second quarter.
“I had no clue,” LaFell said with a wry smile when asked about the $500,000 bonus he earned on the season’s final day.
“I was more worried about trying to get Andy (Dalton) that 314 yards,” to break Dalton’s own single-season franchise record for passing yards. “I knew if I went out there and just played my game I was going to get catches like I’ve been getting the last few weeks.”
Stat superlatives
Just a few snaps after Bengals teammate Carlos Dunlap had sacked Joe Flacco to move within a half sack of the team lead, defensive tackle Geno Atkins shared a sack with Pat Sims to increase his hold. Neither player recorded another sack, enabling Atkins to finish with 9.0 to Dunlap’s 8.0.
Atkins also finished the season with the NFL lead among defensive tackles.
Dunlap did not record a pass defended, finishing with 15 to fall one shy of J.J. Watt’s defensive-lineman record of 16 since the league began tracking the state in 2001. Dunlap’s 15 also were five more than cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick’s 10 for the team lead.
Shawn Williams interception of Joe Flacco in the second quarter was his third of the season, giving him a share of the team lead with Kirkpatrick and safety George Iloka.
Mom’s message
After catching his first career touchdown, Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah was eager to check the messages on his phone.
The first one was from his mom, reading “Touchdown! Keep the ball.”
He did, of course, but he couldn’t help but shake his head when he saw her text.
“The first thing I texted back to her after the game was, ‘Thanks, but you know I can’t see my phone during the game, right?”
The touchdown came on the final play of the first quarter when the Bengals facing first and goal at the 1. Andy Dalton faked a handoff to Rex Burkhead and rolled right to find Uzomah alone in the end zone.
“It’s awesome,” Uzomah said. “I think it makes it more special the fact that we won. It was a great experience, getting the score, getting to celebrate with Ryan (Hewitt), coming in and yelling at me. That was probably the best moment of my career so far.”
“I was holding on to the ball for dear life,” he added. “I didn’t want to let go. I just held on and screamed. But I’m on the PAT (unit), so I had to throw it over. I saw coach (Johnathan) Hayes’ big self over there waving his arms like crazy, so I threw it to him.”
Draft order
The win against the Ravens dropped the Bengals from the No. 8 spot in April’s NFL Draft to No. 9.
Cincinnati entered the day 5-9-1 while Carolina was 6-9. The Bengals won to improve to 6-9-1 while the Panthers lost to Tampa Bay to fall to 6-10.
It’s the highest the Bengals have been slotted since they drafted A.J. Green fourth overall in 2011 after finishing 4-12 in 2010.
The last five players to be drafted ninth overall are linebacker Leonard Floyd (Bears, 2016), guard Ereck Flowers (Giants, 2015), linebacker Anthony Barr (Vikings, 2014), cornerback Dee Milliner (Jets, 2013) and linebacker Luke Kuechly (Panthers, 2012).
The last time the Bengals picked ninth was 2008 when they selected linebacker Keith Rivers.
The Cleveland Browns clinched the No. 1 overall pick with their overtime loss at Pittsburgh.
Send ’em home happy
Sunday’s win marked the first time since 2008 the Bengals won their final game of the season.
Cincinnati lost in the playoffs in 2011-15, dropped the 2010 season finale 13-7 to the Ravens, and lost a wild-card game in 2009.
The 2008 season ended with a 16-6 triumph of Kansas City at Paul Brown Stadium to conclude a three-game winning streak after a 1-11-1 start.
“There’s not many years with us going to the playoffs that you end the season with a win, so you’re in a little different mood because you at least won the game,” tackle Andrew Whitworth said.
Uzomah started at tight end with Tyler Eifert on Injured Reserve and Tyler Kroft inactive with knee and ankle injuries.
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