The Baltimore Ravens (9-3) received ugly behind a stable defensive effort, topping the Los Angeles Chargers (4-7), 20-10, on “Sunday Evening Soccer,” rising their division lead within the AFC North. Listed here are three takeaways from an enormous highway win for Baltimore.
Protection bailed QB Lamar Jackson and Ravens offense out: The Ravens’ protection dominated on Sunday night time, holding the Chargers to 279 complete yards for an abysmal 4.2 yards per play. Moreover, they pressured 4 takeaways, together with a turnover on downs to seal the victory late within the fourth quarter.
In the meantime, Jackson and the Ravens’ offense turned these 4 turnovers into solely three factors as they struggled for many of the night time in opposition to the Chargers’ Twenty third-ranked protection.
Baltimore’s offense was largely silent apart from a two-touchdown efficiency by WR Zay Flowers, together with a 37-yard dashing rating when the end result was already in hand.
Moreover, Jackson threw for less than 177 yards, his third-lowest outing of the season, ending 18-of-32 for five.5 yards per try with a landing and an interception.
QB Justin Herbert, Chargers struggles in one-score video games proceed:
To date this season, eight of the Chargers 12 video games have been determined by seven factors or much less. Following Sunday night time’s loss, they’ve misplaced six of these video games, together with three in a row by a mixed 16 factors.
In the meantime, Herbert developing brief late in video games is turning into a development. Within the Chargers’ six losses by a rating or much less, Herbert and the offense have had the ball 4 occasions with underneath two minutes to go and an opportunity to tally the go-ahead rating.
He is now 0-4 in these video games, struggling losses to the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys and the Ravens. The Chargers have been by some means nonetheless within the sport, trailing 13-10 after an uncharacteristic subject aim miss from Ravens’ Justin Tucker with 2:57 to go. Nonetheless, Herbert and the offense failed to come back by way of on their subsequent drive, which stalled after solely six performs, ending hopes of a comeback.
Ravens head into their bye with Tremendous Bowl vibes: The Ravens win over the Chargers helped them enhance to 9-3 on the season as they embark on a much-needed bye week. Not solely are the Ravens two wins forward of the second-place Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4) and Cleveland Browns for the lead within the AFC North, however they’re the one nine-win staff within the convention, one sport higher than the 8-3 Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Baltimore has received two in a row and 6 of its final seven, and their document by way of 12 weeks ought to please Ravens followers. The final time the Ravens have been 9-3 at this level within the season was in 2012.
That 12 months, they completed 10-6, successful the AFC North earlier than happening to win Tremendous Bowl XLVII, 34-31, over the San Francisco 49ers. Historical past may repeat itself, however we’ll simply have to attend and see.
