Baltimore Beatdown
The Baltimore Ravens (6-5) beat the New York Jets (2-9), 23-10, for their fifth straight win.
Once again, a strong game on defense and special teams helped the Ravens overcome a sluggish performance from their offense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson completed just 13 of his 23 passes for 153 yards and added only 11 yards on seven carries. Running back Derrick Henry led the backfield with 64 rushing yards and two touchdowns, albeit with just 3.0 yards per carry, and Zay Flowers once again paced the pass-catchers with five receptions for 58 yards. The offense as a whole averaged just 4.2 yards per play and converted just two of 11 third downs.
11 tackles from Roquan Smith and 10 from Kyle Hamilton led Baltimore’s defense, along with sacks from edge rushers Mike Green and Dre’Mont Jones as well as defensive tackle Taven Bryan. The unit’s 10 points and 287 yards allowed were their second- and third-best marks of the season, respectively. They forced two turnovers on the day to bring their total to 10 in their five-game winning streak.
Both offenses traded punts into the second quarter before the Jets mounted a 12-play, 79-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard receiving touchdown by wideout John Metchie. A 34-yard return by Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell on the subsequent kickoff and a few chunk plays to wide receiver Zay Flowers got Baltimore down the field, but they stalled out in the red zone and settled for 31-yard field goal from Tyler Loop. The rookie kicker made had a perfect five-for-five day, but none of his attempts came from outside 35 yards.
The Ravens got the ball to start the second half and needed a defensive pass interference penalty to move the chains after two incompletions and a false start. Another third down conversion to veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins kept the drive alive, and five straight runs got Baltimore down to the two-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal, Henry plunged into the end zone to give the Ravens a 10-7 lead.
Baltimore’s defense came up one of their several big stops in the game on the next drive, shutting down a Jets fourth down attempt in their own territory. That set up another Henry touchdown, this time behind a mammoth block from fullback Patrick Ricard.
A landing zone penalty on Loop’s subsequent kickoff set New York up for a field goal, but the Ravens offense was able to answer. Jackson hit a few of his best throws of the day, including a 30-yarder to wide receiver Devontez Walker, before overthrowing a wide-open Hopkins in the end zone on third down. Loop converted again, and the Ravens felt in control of the game up 20-10.
That feeling quickly slipped away on New York’s next drive with several chunk gains, including 55 yards on two catches by running back Breece Hall that brought the Jets to the 12-yard line. The Ravens missed several tackles those plays and seemed poised to let Hall in the end zone on...
