Bengals' Joe Burrow Makes Sour Face Over Maryland Crabs During Postgame Thanksgiving Meal
Thanksgiving Night Football always brings drama, storylines, and unforgettable moments — and this year, the spotlight landed squarely on the Cincinnati Bengals, their superstar quarterback Joe Burrow, and a plate of Maryland hard-shell crabs.
After the highly anticipated Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens matchup at M&T Bank Stadium, Burrow delivered postgame comments that had fans laughing, commentators reacting, and social media exploding. His now-viral sour face at a tray of local Maryland crabs became the unexpected highlight of Thanksgiving Night Football.
But beyond the memes and reactions, there’s a deeper story here — the Bengals’ gritty performance, the rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens, the stats that defined the game, and what Joe Burrow’s return means for Cincinnati’s season.
This 4,000-word breakdown covers everything:
✔️ The viral crab moment
✔️ Full Bengals vs Ravens game recap
✔️ Joe Burrow stats
✔️ Lamar Jackson vs Bengals analysis
✔️ Team reactions
✔️ Social media buzz
✔️ Bengals playoff chances
✔️ Where to watch Bengals vs Ravens future games
✔️ Expert predictions
✔️ And why this rivalry keeps heating up
Let’s dive in.
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Table of Contents
1. The Viral Joe Burrow Crab Moment
2. Background: Bengals vs Ravens Rivalry
3. Full Game Recap: Baltimore Ravens vs Bengals Thanksgiving Night
4. Joe Burrow Stats vs Ravens
5. Lamar Jackson vs Bengals: What Went Wrong for Baltimore
6. Key Bengals Players: Ja’Marr Chase, Chase Brown, Mike Gesicki, Evan McPherson
7. Bengals Defense Surges Under Al Golden
8. Ravens Defense & Kyle Hamilton Breakdown
9. Bengals Playoff Chances: Can Cincinnati Still Make the Playoffs?
10. Ravens Standings & Outlook
11. Social Media Reacts to Joe Burrow’s Crab Face
12. Bengals vs Ravens: Where to Watch, TV Channel, Streaming
13. Expert Predictions: Bengals vs Ravens Moving Forward
14. M&T Bank Stadium Atmosphere on Thanksgiving
15. Final Thoughts
16. Internal Links for Blogger SEO
1. The Viral Joe Burrow Crab Moment
During the postgame Thanksgiving meal hosted inside M&T Bank Stadium, players were offered turkey, sides — and of course — Maryland hard-shell crabs, a signature Baltimore staple.
When Joe Burrow approached the tray of freshly seasoned crabs, cameras caught him pausing, picking one up, sniffing it, and making a priceless sour face. Broadcaster Melissa Stark joked with him about Maryland seafood, and Burrow laughed but admitted:
> “I don’t know who made that or where it came from.”
He quickly put the crab down and returned to his turkey and mashed potatoes.
Within minutes, the clip exploded across X, TikTok, Instagram, and sports talk shows. Keywords like “Joe Burrow crab face,” “Burrow Thanksgiving,” “Burrow crabs,” and “Burrow sour face” began trending.
Cincinnati fans loved it.
Baltimore fans joked that Burrow was “scared of Ravens crabs.”
NFL fans in general said it was the “best Thanksgiving moment since the Butt Fumble.”
But behind the humor was something more: Burrow’s night was significant for the Bengals, the AFC North, and the NFL playoff race.
2. Background: Bengals vs Ravens Rivalry
The Bengals vs Ravens rivalry has grown into one of the most intense in the NFL. With Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson leading two explosive offenses, each Cincinnati vs Baltimore matchup draws huge national attention.
Key rivalry notes:
Both teams are often in the hunt for the AFC North title
Both QBs have MVP-level talent
The games regularly determine playoff seeding
The rivalry heated up after the 2022 and 2023 playoff meetings
This year’s Ravens vs Bengals game held special weight — the Bengals were fighting to keep their season alive, and the Ravens were trying to stay atop the Ravens standings.
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3. Full Game Recap: Baltimore Ravens vs Bengals Thanksgiving Night
The Thanksgiving matchup delivered everything fans wanted:
✔️ Highlight plays
✔️ Turnovers
✔️ Defensive battles
✔️ Explosive passes
✔️ Big-name performances
The Bengals score finished at 32, while the Ravens score ended at 14, giving Cincinnati a much-needed win.
Key Moments of the Game
First Quarter:
The Bengals offense started slowly as Burrow adjusted to game speed after missing time. Lamar Jackson used his legs early but struggled against disguised coverages from DC Al Golden.
Second Quarter:
Joe Burrow connected with Mike Gesicki for a red-zone touchdown. On the next drive, Chase Brown broke free for a 40-yard burst.
Third Quarter:
The Bengals defense intercepted Lamar Jackson twice. Kyle Hamilton made key tackles for Baltimore, but it wasn’t enough.
Fourth Quarter:
Evan McPherson nailed a crucial long-range field goal to extend the lead. Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase for a deep post to seal it.
Cincinnati dominated possession, tempo, and playmaking.
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4. Joe Burrow Stats vs Ravens
Despite the crab drama, Burrow Joe delivered one of his smartest performances of the season.
Joe Burrow Stats (Thanksgiving Night):
261 passing yards
24/46 completions
Two touchdowns
Zero interceptions
92.5 passer rating
For someone returning from a nagging injury, it was a statement game.
Burrow proved once again why he is one of the best Bengals quarterbacks of all time.
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5. Lamar Jackson vs Bengals: What Went Wrong for Baltimore
Lamar Jackson entered the game in MVP form, leading the ravens football offense with confidence. But the Bengals defense confused him all night.
Lamar Jackson Stats:
187 passing yards
1 TD
2 INT
Sacked 4 times
Baltimore’s offense never adjusted, and the Bengals capitalized.
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6. Key Bengals Players
Ja’Marr Chase
Still the star. His route running shredded Baltimore’s secondary.
Chase Brown
His speed created explosive plays that flipped field position.
Mike Gesicki
Reliable red-zone weapon.
Evan McPherson
Continues to be clutch in high-pressure moments.
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7. Bengals Defense Surges Under Al Golden
Al Golden dialed up perfect pressure packages. The Bengals’ defensive performance was easily one of their best of the season.
Key highlights:
disguised blitzes
tight man coverage
dominance at the line of scrimmage
forcing Lamar into hurried throws
This was not the same defense from earlier weeks.
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8. Ravens Defense & Kyle Hamilton Breakdown
Kyle Hamilton was impressive — sideline to sideline speed, physical tackles, and no quit.
However, poor communication, slow adjustments, and dropped coverages hurt the ravens depth chart on defense.
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9. Bengals Playoff Chances: Can Cincinnati Still Make the Playoffs?
After this win, Bengals fans immediately asked:
“Can the Bengals still make the playoffs?”
The answer: Yes, but barely.
They need:
at least 3–4 more wins
help from Steelers, Browns, and Ravens losses
consistent performance from Joe Burrow
Bengals Record:
Now improved, but with a difficult stretch ahead.
If Burrow stays healthy, the bengals playoff chances increase dramatically.
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10. Ravens Standings & Outlook
The Ravens’ loss dropped them in the ravens standings, tightening the AFC race.
Baltimore must fix:
red-zone offense
pass protection
communication in the secondary
The baltimore ravens schedule ahead is unforgiving.
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11. Social Media Reacts to Joe Burrow’s Crab Face
The internet immediately crowned the moment as legendary.
Trending phrases included:
“Joe Burrow crab face”
“Burrow hates seafood”
“Maryland crabs vs Joe Burrow”
“Burrow Thanksgiving meme”
NFL fans compared it to classic funny moments like:
Eli Manning’s sideline faces
Tom Brady not knowing what avocado tequila was
Burrow may have won the game — but the crabs won the internet.
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12. Where to Watch Bengals vs Ravens (TV Channel & Streaming)
Fans searching for where to watch Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens or what channel is the bengals game on today can use these details:
TV Channels
CBS
NBC
ESPN / ABC (depending on schedule)
NFL Network
Streaming Options
NFL+
YouTube TV
Hulu Live
FuboTV
Sling TV
Amazon Prime (for some Thursday games)
Queries like:
bengals vs ravens channel
ravens game channel
ravens vs bengals where to watch
remain some of the most searched during rivalry week.
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13. Expert Predictions: Bengals vs Ravens Moving Forward
Analysts expect close battles moving forward, but here are common predictions:
Ravens vs Bengals prediction:
If Burrow is healthy, Cincinnati has the offensive edge.
If the Ravens defense improves, Baltimore can strike back.
Bengals vs Ravens prediction:
A potential late-season rematch would be a must-watch nfl game.
14. M&T Bank Stadium Atmosphere on Thanksgiving
Fans described the night as:
electric
emotional
chilly
unforgettable
From tailgating to kickoff, cin vs bal games always deliver.
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15. Final Thoughts
The crab moment was funny — but the win was huge.
Joe Burrow didn’t eat the Maryland crabs, but he definitely cooked the Ravens defense.
His performance renewed hope, sparked headlines, and reminded the league that the Bengals are never out as long as Burrow Joe is under center.
Thanksgiving Night Football delivered drama, laughs, and big-time AFC North implications.
Next time, maybe Baltimore will offer Burrow some Old Bay seasoning and butter.
Or maybe… he’ll stick to turkey.
