The Thanksgiving Day NFL matchups served up drama and heartbreaking outcomes for two rookie quarterbacks. Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to a comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens while Lamar Jackson faced insurmountable challenges all night long. His five touchdown return from injury was a sight to behold as he showcased his ability to control a game single-handedly. Meanwhile, Jackson’s struggles included multiple turnovers, raising concerns about his recent form.
With Thursday’s performance, Burrow finished with over 300 passing yards marking the fourth time the milestone was reached in Thanksgiving history. This accomplishment now puts him in a three-way tie with Tony Romo and Matthew Stafford for most 300+ yard games on this holiday. The Bengals’ victory highlighted Burrow’s recovery from a toe injury and underscored the team’s ambition to secure a playoff spot.
Jackson’s performance was one of the worst outings of his career. He had three turnovers, including two fumbles in key seconds. Even more remarkable is this slump’s surprise at the top. For the first time in four years, he had as many of one of those dangerous turnovers in a single game.
Burrow’s Impressive Return
Joe Burrow’s return from injury injected life into the Bengals’ offense. During that game, he accomplished that talent—leading his crew to a relaxed victory in predominately hefty favorites. More impressively, he became the first player this season to reach 40 or more passing attempts before the end of the third quarter. He established a quick rhythm with his receivers, easily exceeding 300 passing yards. This performance cemented his standing as a top-tier quarterback in the league.
Burrow’s effort was one of precision, efficiency. He made good use of a variety of targets, spreading it around to have seven different receivers catch passes in the game. That added versatility in playmaking between Burrow is what helped lead the Bengals to the best offensive season in their history.
After the game, Burrow was sure that the future was bright for his team. “This was a big win for where we want to go, win the division, playoffs. That was a playoff game. We just have to stack these up,” he stated.
Jackson Faces Adversity
The woes for Lamar Jackson only got worse, as he had one of his more difficult games this year. Instead, he fumbled twice in crucial moments, giving the ball to the Bengals inside their 20-yard line both times. To make matters worse, Jackson was picked on a pass batted at the line.
This performance is quite a low point for Jackson, who had played fairly well during the start of the season. The Ravens’ defense had a bad day too, giving up more than 20 points for the first time since October 5. Jackson’s turnovers and defensive breakdowns only added to the heat. Baltimore was unable to match the offense of a dangerous and quickly improving Bengals squad.
Looking back on the game, Jackson admitted his team needs to do a better job of WordPress them and bouncing back. “You’ve got to win every game now and hope that’s enough,” said Patrick Mahomes, who struggled this week. If we are going to make the playoffs, we are going to have to win them all. I think that’s got to be the mentality when we walk into the training complex when we return.
Other Notable Performances
Though Burrow and Jackson got all the headlines, other QBs turned in memorable performances, too, on Turkey Day. Under pressure, Patrick Mahomes threw the game-winning fourth-down TD pass. He played through an absurd level of toughness, even as he fought through several injuries in the last few weeks alone.
Jordan Love came through with a phenomenal showing. He had four touchdown passes, of which two came on passes over 15 air yards! His rapport with receiver Dontayvion Wicks was especially effective, as Wicks caught both of his TD passes from Minshew in the contest.
On offense and special teams, Tom Kennedy made huge plays. His artistry above all raised his crew’s collective game on a brutally cutthroat day.
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