Baltimore vs. Oakland
Explosive Plays from Flacco/Wallace Ignite Ravens to 30-17 Win in Oakland
From the jump, the Baltimore Ravens seemed set on reigniting their dormant passing game. After only tallying three pass plays of 20 or more yards in their first four games, Joe Flacco and company looked deep on the opening play from scrimmage—a 52-yard pitch-and-catch to Mike Wallace.
“It felt great,” said wide receiver Mike Wallace. “We do it all the time at practice, so we know what we can do. It’s just a matter of it playing out the way we want it to. The right coverage, the right timing, everything. We started right out of the gate. It was great. I was hyped when I saw the play call. I was just like, ‘I have to win.’ You have to. You can’t get a play call like that and not win.”
It was the first of two 50-plus yard completions to Wallace, who tallied a season-high 133 receiving yards, in Sunday’s 30-17 victory over the Raiders on the road.
Oakland (2-3) was down its star quarterback Derek Carr, leaving former Buffalo Bills’ first round draft pick E.J. Manuel to take snaps under center. Manuel’s first series ended abruptly when Patrick Onwuasor pried the football loose from tight end Jared Cook. The fumble bounced into the arms of Jimmy Smith, who took it 47 yards for a score. The icing on the cake of what’s been a tremendous week for the cornerback.
“I actually had my second son, Jalen Smith, 7 pounds and 3 ounces,” said cornerback Jimmy Smith. “Truly a blessing. 25 hours of labor. It was truly a blessing. I couldn’t be more excited about that. And then getting a touchdown and coming around for the team.”
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Baltimore stretched the lead to 18 following a smidge of razzle-dazzle by Flacco, who avoided three would-be tacklers despite tripping and completed a third down throw to Jeremy Maclin to extend the drive. Javorius Allen finished that series with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Manuel and running back Marshawn Lynch were able to cut that lead down to just a single score before a pair of Justin Tucker made field goals provided the 30-17 final score. The win snaps a two-game losing skid for the Ravens after their promising 2-0 start to the 2017 season. A recent stretch filled with negativity that didn’t seem to get to the longtime starter in purple, who finished 19 of 26 for 222 passing yards with no touchdowns and no turnovers.
“I don’t hear about it anyway,” said quarterback Joe Flacco. “You might see it while you’re scrolling through Instagram. It’s part of being an NFL quarterback, is dealing with tough times. When you don’t play well, you own it and you go on to the next one. I have confidence in who I am as a player and a person. I have confidence in our football team. I’m never going to waver.”
“Any fan in the NFL should know that by now, it’s an every week league,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “Every, every, every week is a different week and you just got to come out and find a way to play your best football and try to win your next game. That’s really what it is. We just have got to think about the Chicago Bears.”
The victory, coupled with a Pittsburgh loss to Jacksonville, pushes the Ravens into a tie atop the AFC North Division.
GAME RECAP
In terms of starts, it couldn’t have been scripted any better for Baltimore. The first play from scrimmage went for 52 yards, a deep pass from Joe Flacco to Mike Wallace set the Ravens up just outside of the red zone. Two rushes from Terrance West moved the ball to the Raiders’ 6-yard line and tight end Vince Mayle capped the five-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his NFL career, to put the visitors up 7-0.
Less than 90 seconds later, the Ravens doubled that lead when Patrick Onwuasor punched the football free from Oakland tight end Jared Cook. The ball one-hopped into the hands of Jimmy Smith who ran 47 yards the other direction for a defensive touchdown and a 14-point advantage just four minutes into the contest.
Oakland’s backfield of Jalen Richard and Marshawn Lynch sparked the ensuing Raiders drive, which resulted in a successful 32-yard field goal by Giorgio Tavecchio to get the Raiders on the scoreboard, 14-3.
The Ravens responded with a 15-play, 75-yard march, sparked by three third-down conversions. Flacco displayed a touch of wizardry in tripping, avoiding three potential tacklers, and completing a pass to Jeremy Maclin while falling down to extend the drive. Javorius Allen finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 21-3.
A pair of former first round draft picks tag teamed for the Raiders’ lone touchdown of the half as 2013’s 16th overall selection E.J. Manuel connected with 2009’s 10th-overall pick Michael Crabtree for a 41-yard scoring strike, cutting the deficit to 21-10.
Flacco and Wallace struck for another big gainer, this time a 54-yard pass play, as the Ravens flanker got behind Oakland’s Reggie Nelson and Sean Smith to put the ball at the 8-yard line. The offense stalled, setting up Justin Tucker for a 22-yard field goal which would make it 24-10. That would wind up the score at the half after Oakland and Baltimore would be forced to punt on their next two drives.
No first downs in sight for the first four drives of the second half as both teams would be boot it away twice, ignited by a sack from Anthony Levine Sr. who bull rushed Manuel on a safety blitz. The Raiders made it a one possession game after a 3-yard Marshawn Lynch rushing touchdown brought them back to within 24-17.
The Ravens would chew up more than 12 minutes of clock on their next two drives, both of which resulted in made field goals by Justin Tucker to extend the score to 30-17. The Raiders would subsequently turn it over on downs, allowing Flacco and company to line up in victory formation and take a knee for the 13-point victory.
UP NEXT
Baltimore (3-2) returns home to M&T Bank Stadium to host Chicago (1-4). The Bears, led by rookie quarterback and second overall draft pick Mitch Trubisky, are coming off a 20-17 loss on Monday Night Football to the Vikings behind a game-winning field goal by Kai Forbath with 12 seconds left to play.
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