The Cincinnati Bengals thumped the Baltimore Ravens, 32-14, to close out the NFL's Thanksgiving triple-header. Joe Burrow's return predictably proved to be a total game-changer as the quarterback outplayed Lamar Jackson and threw the AFC North into further disarray.
Burrow connected on 24 of 46 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns in the win and showed that his time-management skills were not dulled by an extended stint on the injured list. With the Bengals holding a 29-14 lead and only a handful of minutes left in the fourth quarter, Burrow ensured that each and every second on the play clock was used by being extremely communicative to his offense.
"We've got a lot of time here," Burrow could be heard saying to his unit. Then he provided center Ted Karras with a countdown clock for the snap.
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow to his offense: “We’ve got a lot of time here…”
Burrow then counted down the play clock𤣠pic.twitter.com/YQ7fDEytLX
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) November 28, 2025
This bit of leadership drew a chuckle from the NBC booth of Mike Tirico and Jason Garrett. And it was a reminder that Burrow is locked-in after returning from a brutal case of turf toe that required surgery.
With the AFC North completely up for grabs and no team seemingly capable of playing anything over .500 ball, Cincinnati is still technically alive for the division. It's going to take winning out but they did look like a completely different team with Burrow running the show.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark