Just 11 miles separate SoFi Stadium from Hollywood, and for a lot of Sunday night time the Ravens’ sport towards the Chargers — significantly on offense — performed out like a disjointed film that leaves viewers questioning what they only watched.
It adopted a well-known script, with Baltimore’s protection enjoying the starring position. This time, although, there was an alternate ending.
Unlike within the Ravens’ three losses this season, there was no blowing one other fourth-quarter lead.
Baltimore compelled 4 turnovers, together with one within the fourth quarter, one other sudden hero got here by way of with a shock blitz and a stunning rookie scored a late electrical landing to seal a 20-10 victory that was nearer and extra nerve-wracking than the ultimate rating indicated.
“It meant a lot [for the offense to close out the game] because our defense was playing lights out all night,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson mentioned. “I’m grateful we have a great defense.”
The Ravens wanted it, too.
Midway by way of the ultimate interval and clinging to a three-point lead, outdoors linebacker Jadeveon Clowney strip-sacked Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert deep in Baltimore territory and recovered the fumble to stamp out one comeback try. Then the Ravens dropped defensive deal with Michael Pierce into protection and blitzed cornerback Arthur Maulet, complicated and hurrying Herbert right into a fourth-down incompletion with 2:23 left to finish one other.
The latter gave the ball again to Baltimore’s inconsistent offense — maybe slowed even additional by the lack of tight finish Mark Andrews to a season-ending harm 10 days earlier — and in contrast to in earlier losses wherein the Ravens did not put the sport away, they did so in dramatic style.
Ravens huge receiver Zay Flowers took a handoff on a jet sweep from Jackson, who had the choice to maintain it himself, and raced across the left facet of the road and thru the Chargers’ protection for a 37-yard landing scamper with 1:44 remaining to place the sport out of attain.
“I seen Derwin James and somebody else overrunning it,” Flowers mentioned. “So my natural instinct just took over, cut back, cut back, and go to beat him to the end zone.”
And lastly beat the Chargers into submission. At 9-3 on the season, the Ravens will enter their bye week because the No. 1 seed within the AFC and with a 1 1/2-game lead over the Browns within the AFC North after Cleveland misplaced to the Broncos earlier within the day.
Baltimore held Herbert to 217 yards passing and one landing whereas permitting solely 86 yards speeding to Los Angeles.
The Chargers got here into the sport having scored not less than one landing within the first half in 48 straight video games, the longest streak in NFL historical past — and one which ended towards Baltimore. After giving up only a discipline purpose by way of the primary two quarters, the Ravens’ 67 first-half factors allowed are the fewest within the NFL, and the fewest allowed by Baltimore in its first 12 video games of a season since its Super Bowl crew of 2000.
“The biggest thing is championship teams are built on great defense and defensive teams making those stops and covering for the offense,” mentioned Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who had three catches for 34 yards however was held with out a lot as a goal within the second half. “That’s what I feel like happened today.”
What didn’t occur, although, was the Ravens squandering one other alternative the way in which they did in losses to the Colts, Steelers and Browns, all video games they led within the fourth quarter however misplaced in agonizing and bumbling style.
Still, for the primary half-hour, it was the Ravens’ offense that seemingly couldn’t get out of its personal manner and regarded extra prefer it was in Week 1 as an alternative of Week 12, regardless of dealing with a move protection that ranks as one of many worst within the NFL.
Baltimore outgained the Chargers, 160-107, within the first half, and dominated time of possession, 17:40 to 12:20. But Jackson managed simply 115 yards passing and had 5 carries for 25 yards. He was additionally sacked twice and managed only one landing move, to Flowers within the second quarter from 3 yards out.
That allowed the Chargers to climb again into the sport and gave them a chance for a heroic comeback, one which began on their very own 15-yard line halfway by way of the third. From there, Los Angeles methodically marched its manner down the sector, masking 69 yards in 19 performs till Clowney recovered his personal strip-sack to finish the scoring risk.
But Baltimore went nowhere, going three-and-out. It was a microcosm of the night time. On the 4 turnovers, the Ravens managed simply three factors.
Jackson was 6-for-14 passing for 62 yards within the second half, although the Ravens did discover a spark in working again Keaton Mitchell. Baltimore ran for 139 yards within the second half, with Mitchell speeding for 46 yards on 4 carries to complete with 64 speeding yards and 25 receiving yards. But it was Flowers’ huge run that lastly broke the Ravens free from one other potential collapse.
“We try not to be in those situations,” Jackson mentioned. “Tonight was like a playoff atmosphere, going back-and-forth, close game, having success on a drive, getting stopped. That was like playoff football. Not having a turnover helped us out as well.”
Indeed.
So did forcing 4 of them, as did stopping them after they needed to with one other masterful disguise and blitz by defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who coach John Harbaugh mentioned known as a “fabulous” sport.
“Mike does a good job putting us in perfect position to make plays,” Maulet mentioned. “It was a gotta-have-it play, simply timed it up effectively. The D-line did a great job to let me be free. I’m simply doing my job.
“It was a defensive game, so those turnovers definitely helped us out a lot. That’s what we preach during the week, if we can get three or more, we’ll have a good chance of winning the game. … Obviously, Pierce dropping in coverage [on fourth down], I gotta get there quick. … This is a big one for us.”
And one other huge efficiency by the protection when the offense wanted it.
“We’ve won nine games, and all of those games had to be closed out in the fourth quarter one way or another,” Harbaugh mentioned. “A couple of them were closed out in the third quarter. Three of them weren’t. We want the three back, but we got the one tonight.”
Week 14
Rams at Ravens
Sunday, Dec. 10, 1 p.m.
TV: Fox
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com