30 November 2023
Just 11 miles separate SoFi Stadium from Hollywood, and for much of Sunday night the Ravens’ game against the Chargers — particularly on offense — played out like a disjointed movie that leaves viewers wondering what they just watched.
It followed a familiar script, with Baltimore’s defense playing the starring role. This time, though, there was an alternate ending.
Unlike in the Ravens’ three losses this season, there was no blowing another fourth-quarter lead.
Baltimore forced four turnovers, including one in the fourth quarter, another unexpected hero came through with a surprise blitz and a dazzling rookie scored a late electric touchdown to seal a 20-10 victory that was closer and more nerve-wracking than the final score 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 said. “I’m grateful we have a great defense.”
The Ravens needed it, too.
Midway through the final period and clinging to a three-point lead, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney strip-sacked Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert deep in Baltimore territory and recovered the fumble to stamp out one comeback attempt. Then the Ravens dropped defensive tackle Michael Pierce into coverage and blitzed cornerback Arthur Maulet, confusing and hurrying Herbert into a fourth-down incompletion with 2:23 left to end another.
The latter gave the ball back to Baltimore’s inconsistent offense — perhaps slowed even further by the loss of tight end Mark Andrews to a season-ending injury 10 days earlier — and unlike in previous losses in which the Ravens failed to put the game away, they did so in dramatic fashion.
Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers took a handoff on a jet sweep from Jackson, who had the option to keep it himself, and raced around the left side of the line and through the Chargers’ defense for a 37-yard touchdown scamper with 1:44 remaining to put the game out of reach.
“I seen Derwin James and somebody else overrunning it,” Flowers said. “So my natural instinct just took over, cut back, cut back, and go to beat him to the end zone.”
And finally beat the Chargers into submission. At 9-3 on the season, the Ravens will enter their bye week as the No. 1 seed in the AFC and with a 1 1/2-game lead over the Browns in the AFC North after Cleveland lost to the Broncos earlier in the day.
Baltimore held Herbert to 217 yards passing and one touchdown while allowing only 86 yards rushing to Los Angeles.
The Chargers came into the game having scored at least one touchdown in the first half in 48 straight games, the longest streak in NFL history — and one that ended against Baltimore. After giving up just a field goal through the first two quarters, the Ravens’ 67 first-half points allowed are the fewest in the NFL, and the fewest allowed by Baltimore in its first 12 games of a season since its Super Bowl team of 2000.
“The biggest thing is championship teams are built on great defense and defensive teams making those stops and covering for the offense,” said Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who had three catches for 34 yards but was held without so much as a target in the second half. “That’s what I feel like happened today.”
What didn’t happen, though, was the Ravens squandering another opportunity the way they did in losses to the Colts, Steelers and Browns, all games they led in the fourth quarter but lost in agonizing and bumbling fashion.
Still, for the first 30 minutes, it was the Ravens’ offense that seemingly couldn’t get out of its own way and looked more like it was in Week 1 instead of Week 12, despite facing a pass defense that ranks as one of the worst in the NFL.
Baltimore outgained the Chargers, 160-107, in the first half, and dominated time of possession, 17:40 to 12:20. But Jackson managed just 115 yards passing and had five carries for 25 yards. He was also sacked twice and managed just one touchdown pass, to Flowers in the second quarter from 3 yards out.
That allowed the Chargers to climb back into the game and gave them an opportunity for a heroic comeback, one that started on their own 15-yard line midway through the third. From there, Los Angeles methodically marched its way down the field, covering 69 yards in 19 plays until Clowney recovered his own strip-sack to end the scoring threat.
But Baltimore went nowhere, going three-and-out. It was a microcosm of the night. On the four turnovers, the Ravens managed just three points.
Jackson was 6-for-14 passing for 62 yards in the second half, though the Ravens did find a spark in running back Keaton Mitchell. Baltimore ran for 139 yards in the second half, with Mitchell rushing for 46 yards on four carries to finish with 64 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards. But it was Flowers’ big run that finally broke the Ravens free from another potential collapse.
“We try not to be in those situations,” Jackson said. “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 four of them, as did stopping them when they had to with another masterful disguise and blitz by defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who coach John Harbaugh said called a “fabulous” game.
“Mike does a good job putting us in perfect position to make plays,” Maulet said. “It was a gotta-have-it play, just timed it up well. The D-line did a good job to let me be free. I’m just 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 another big performance by the defense when the offense needed 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 said. “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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