Baltimore vs. Dallas
Jones Makes History With NFL Record-Tying Return as Ravens Hold Off Cowboys
Last week, it was the defense that shined in a 9-6 win at Kansas City. This week, a record-tying play on special teams helped Baltimore to victory in Week 6.
Teams that are looking to win championships need to win in all three phases of the game, and the Ravens had their offense and special teams lift up an ailing defense in a 31-29 win over Dallas to improve to 5-1 on the season.
The big play in the first Sunday afternoon game of the season at M&T Bank Stadium was Dallas’ kickoff after a field goal early in the third quarter cut Baltimore’s lead to 17-13.
Kick returner Jacoby Jones took Dan Bailey’s kickoff from eight yards deep into the end zone and decided to take it out. He was rewarded by that decision, going all the way for a 108-yard touchdown that tied an NFL record.
"You know when you get that itch? I wanted to scratch it so I took it,” Jones said after the game.
"To set the National Football League record for a kickoff return, in what was the difference in the game, is pretty special," head coach John Harbaugh said.
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Jones’ return tied the record that has taken place on two previous occasions. New England’s Ellis Hobbs set the record in 2007, and Randall Cobb of Green Bay tied it last season. Jones also broke David Reed’s franchise record of a 105-yard kick return set two years ago.
The touchdown gave Baltimore a 24-13 lead, and a 1-yard score by Ray Rice in the fourth quarter proved to be the winning points. Dallas scored and cut the lead to two with 32 seconds remaining, but the defense was able to come up with the winning play by forcing Tony Romo to throw incomplete to Dez Bryant on the two-point conversion play.
Dallas had one more chance after successfully executing an onside kick, but Bailey’s 51-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
It was at that point that the Ravens could finally exhale.
"Thank you, Jesus," Rice said. "We've been on the other end of that, obviously, so we know what that feels like."
"Our guys stepped up in the face of some real adversity. We were in a physical fist fight from beginning to end,” Harbaugh said. They threw a lot of haymakers at us. Our guys stepped up at the end and found a way to win the game."
It was a difficult day for the Ravens’ defense, as four starters went down during the course of the game. The most serious injury seemed to be to cornerback Lardarius Webb, who is believed to have torn the ACL in his right knee.
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis suffered a triceps injury and will have an MRI Monday. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata also will be going into the MRI tube Monday to confirm a suspected MCL sprain in his knee. Cornerback Jimmy Smith also suffered a lower-leg strain. It forced the defense into some packages that they hadn’t practiced, which led to the tense moments at the end.
"Was it perfect? Was it pretty? No. And I'm sure that's all stuff that will get written about, and it's all fine. But a victory is still a victory,” Harbaugh stated.
Quarterback Joe Flacco was 17-of-26 for 234 yards and a touchdown pass in the win. Anquan Boldin is continuing his impressive season by leading the team again in catches (five) and yards (98). Torrey Smith had two grabs for 24 yards and the team’s lone touchdown catch. Rice ran for 63 yards and scored twice on the ground.
"I don't know if we necessarily deserve to win this game, but we'll take it," Flacco said. "We'll get the hell out of here really quick and go home and fall asleep and wake up the next morning with a win."
In the NFL, style points aren’t needed. This victory counts just as much as the 9-6 win in Kansas City and the Week 1 44-13 rout of Cincinnati do.
Just ask the Cowboys, who leave Baltimore with an “L,” dropping to 2-3 on the season after having their bye in Week 5.
"At the end of the day, we've got to finish the game and we have to win the game," Dallas head coach Jason Garrett said. "We didn't do that."
Added Dallas tight end Jason Witten: "Obviously they're a good team and you don't walk away saying, 'Hey we played a good team close.' You walk away saying, 'We had an opportunity and we lost.' "
GAME RECAP
Baltimore began the day well, taking the opening kickoff and driving to the Cowboys’ 20-yard line. Justin Tucker kicked a 38-yard field goal to open the scoring at 3-0. Dallas, however, was able to respond and scored on their opening possession when Felix Jones went 22 yards for a touchdown run. Bailey added a 42-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter to give the Cowboys a 10-3 lead.
Rice then scored the first of his two 1-yard rushing touchdowns to tie the game at 10. After a Cary Williams interception, Flacco then turned that turnover into points by connecting with Smith for a 19-yard touchdown with 1:05 remaining in the first half. The score was 17-10 at halftime.
After the Cowboys made it 17-13 by opening the third quarter with a field goal, Jones’ kickoff return gave Baltimore a double-digit lead at 24-13. Dallas responded with a Romo touchdown pass to Bryant to cut the lead to 24-20.
Another Bailey field goal made it 24-23, but Baltimore came through with another touchdown on Rice’s 1-yard run to push the lead to 31-23 with 4:49 remaining.
Dallas then scored with 32 seconds left on another connection from Romo to Bryant but missed the game-tying two-point conversion attempt. The Cowboys then recovered the onside kick but Bailey’s 51-yard field goal attempt was off the mark.
UP NEXT
The Ravens head back on the road next week to play the Houston Texans, who are also 5-1 after suffering their first loss today. They dropped a home contest to Green Bay, 42-24. The Ravens begin a stretch where five of their next seven games are on the road.