Baltimore vs. Philadelphia
Game-Saving Defensive Stop Secures Win, Keeps Division Title Hopes Alive for Ravens
Of the 138 plays run between both Baltimore and Philadelphia, it came down to a single one for all the marbles. After a Carson Wentz rushing touchdown, the Eagles lined up for a two-point try and the win as opposed to an extra point and the tie.
Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees called a blitz, forcing Wentz to get rid of it quickly, and Terrell Suggs batted it down at the line to secure a 27-26 Ravens’ victory.
“We had the defense just for it,” defensive back Lardarius Webb described of the pivotal play. “The way our corners and the way our defensive front put pressure on him, it made it easy, but I hate to be in those situations.”
“I had my mind made up before we scored,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told reporters following the loss. “If we had a chance to win it, we were going to go for it and win it.”
The victory keeps control of the AFC North in the hands of the fellas in purple, as wins over Pittsburgh on Christmas and Cincinnati on New Years Day give them the division.
“This is what you live for,” nodded safety Eric Weddle. “It’s all the hours, all the sacrifice, all the time, it’s for a chance to win the division and get into the dance. You hope and dream every day you’re getting up at 6 a.m. or 5 a.m., you don’t get to see your kids, it’s for this chance and it’s all worth it.”
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Joe Flacco threw for 206 yards and two first half touchdowns, including a 34-yard dime to Steve Smith Sr. with nine seconds remaining until halftime. The veteran wide receiver continued his climb up the historical ladder, passing Marvin Harrison for 7th place on the all-time receiving yards list.
Terrance West rushed 13 times for 77 yards, including a career-best 41-yard scamper in the third quarter. Rookie running back Kenneth Dixon scored his first NFL touchdown in the 4th quarter to give the Ravens a 27-17 lead.
“It was great, especially when it was a game like that,” said running back Kenneth Dixon. “It was neck-and-neck the whole game, and we’re fighting for a division championship. There’s no better way to score a touchdown at the end of a game like that.”
The defense held No. 2 overall draft pick Carson Wentz to 170 yards on 22 of 42 passing and one first quarter interception courtesy of Zach Orr.
GAME RECAP
Philadelphia received the game’s opening kick, but Baltimore quickly wound up with possession after Zach Orr intercepted an errant Carson Wentz pass at the Eagles’ 36 yard line. Terrance West moved the chains twice with a 17-yard reception and a 13-yard rush before Joe Flacco connects with Kamar Aiken on 1st and goal at the 5 for a touchdown.
The Eagles crossed midfield on their ensuing possession before Elvis Dumervil brought that drive to an end with an 11-yard sack on 3rd and long to force a punt. Philly got the ball back in Ravens territory following a quick three-and-out and Caleb Sturgis split the uprights on a 45-yard field goal try to make it 7-3 with under five minutes in the first quarter.
Justin Tucker responded in kind with a 53-yard boot, which was set up by a 39-yard Michael Campanaro rush on a wide receiver sweep.
Baltimore got the ball back less than two minutes later after a brief Eagles possession but committed a costly mistake in the shadow of its own endzone. Nigel Bradham strip-sacked Flacco and Brandon Graham recovered the loose football at the Ravens’ 8. After a neutral zone infraction cut the goal-to-go distance in half, Ryan Mathews rushed for a 4-yard touchdown and went over the top for the two-point-conversion to give Philadelphia its first lead, 11-10, with 14:38 remaining in the second quarter.
Tucker and Sturgis exchanged field goals once again following two lengthy drives by their respective offenses. Baltimore executed a textbook two-minute drill to close the half as Steve Smith Sr. beat double coverage to haul in a 34-yard touchdown from Flacco with nine seconds left until halftime to make it a 20-14 game.
The Ravens put themselves in position to tack onto their lead as West opened the third quarter with a 41-yard run. A Fletcher Cox sack of Flacco pushed Baltimore out of field goal range though, forcing a Sam Koch punt.
Philly’s next drive ended with a turnover on downs as Wentz’s throw on 4th and 3 fell incomplete, but Baltimore could not capitalize, going three-and-out on offense again. The Eagles closed the third quarter with a 13-play drive that chewed up nearly seven minutes of clock that ended with Sturgis’ third field goal of the afternoon.
The Ravens responded with a 69-march of their own, capped by Kenneth Dixon taking a pitch left for a 16-yard rushing touchdown to extend the advantage to 10 points.
Another 4th down stop defensively and a 54-yard reception by Mike Wallace had the Ravens ready to put the game on ice, but Jordan Hicks stepped in front a pass intended for Darren Waller and returned it 34 yards to the Eagles’ 40.
Sturgis’ 4th field goal made it a one possession game with 2:26 left in regulation. Philadelphia got possession back less than 50 seconds later after a three-and-out with a chance to tie or win. Wentz and company were able to drive the field and with 4 seconds remaining the Eagles QB spun to his left and was able to head fake Eric Weddle for a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Electing for the win and not the tie, the Eagles lined up for the two-point-conversion but Terrell Suggs deflected a pass at the line to keep the score at 27-26 in the Ravens’ favor. They’d seal the victory with an Anthony Levine recovery of an onside kick and one Flacco kneel down.
UP NEXT
Baltimore (8-6) spends Christmas, not with loved ones, but their heated division rivals. Pittsburgh (9-5) won its fifth straight, shaking off a 14-point deficit behind a club record six field goals from Chris Boswell and a late Ben Roethlisberger game-winning touchdown pass in a 24-20 come-from-behind victory against Cincinnati.
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