Clifton Brown's Five Thoughts on the Ravens' Rough Thanksgiving

The Ravens didn't play well enough to celebrate Thanksgiving with a victory.

Their five-game winning streak ended in decisive fashion when the Cincinnati Bengals left M&T Bank Stadium with a 32-14 victory.

Baltimore committed a season-high five turnovers, and those mistakes decided the outcome. However, the Bengals (4-8) outplayed the Ravens (6-6), who have five games left in their regular season to prove they are playoff-worthy.

Here are my five thoughts on the Ravens' current
Jackson

The Ravens didn't play well enough to celebrate Thanksgiving with a victory.

Their five-game winning streak ended in decisive fashion when the Cincinnati Bengals left M&T Bank Stadium with a 32-14 victory.

Baltimore committed a season-high five turnovers, and those mistakes decided the outcome. However, the Bengals (4-8) outplayed the Ravens (6-6), who have five games left in their regular season to prove they are playoff-worthy.

Here are my five thoughts on the Ravens' current situation:

Lamar Jackson needs to find his 'A' game quickly.

The two-time MVP committed three turnovers for the first time in four years and has not thrown a touchdown pass in three straight games for the first time in his career.

Jackson had his worst performance of the season against the Bengals (17 for 32, 246 yards) and was inconsistent with accuracy throughout the game. He was too high on some passes, too low on others, and off target too often.

Jackson has provided many primetime performances to remember, but this was one he'd like to forget. Before this game, Jackson pretty much owned the Bengals with a 10-1 career record against them as a starter. After the game, he owned that he did not perform up to his standards.

"I feel like I missed throws," Jackson said. "I don't miss those."

Jackson missed three games with a hamstring injury this season, and he has missed one practice in each of the last three weeks for various reasons (knee, ankle, toe). Yet, he insisted his health was not a factor in his performance.

I've got to make those throws," Jackson said. "I don't miss them in practice, so I shouldn't be missing them in the game."

Perhaps having a longer break before the Ravens face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 will be the best thing for Jackson. It's been a long season for him already, but for the Ravens to extend their season into the postseason, he will have to raise his game.

"Just be me," Jackson said. "Just be Lamar."
Through Week 3, the Ravens were averaging 37 points per game. Over the past nine games, they've averaged 18.2 points per game.

Consider that Cincinnati entered Week 13 ranked last in the NFL in total defense. You couldn't tell that from watching the game, which makes Baltimore's offensive issues more concerning, particularly this late in the season.

Baltimore became the first Bengals opponent that failed to score at least 10 points by halftime. After scoring on their opening drive, the Ravens didn't score on their next seven possessions, and the turnovers kept coming.