If you are a fan of offense, Sunday’s matchup between the Ravens and the Panthers was not the game for you. With just one touchdown scored between the two teams. Defense was the headline on Sunday, as the Ravens squeezed out a 13-3 win. The Raven now move to 7-3 still in first in the AFC North and currently the four seed in the AFC playoff picture.
The score remained tied at zero after the first quarter as the Ravens and Panthers traded punts. It would take nearly the entire half for the first points to be scored. With just five seconds left in the second quarter the Ravens finished a 15 play 76 yard drive with a Justin Tucker 32-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 3-0 lead into the half. The Ravens defense up to this point had held Baker Mayfield to just 48 yards passing.
The third quarter would be much of the same, but this time the Panthers got their first points on a Eddy Pineiro 32-yard field goal of his own to tie the game a three.
The Ravens would regain the lead midway through the fourth quarter with a Justin Tucker 37-yard field goal. The Panthers would begin their next drive looking to answer, but just two plays later Marcus Peters would force a fumble on Panthers receiver Shi Smith. Marlon Humphrey scooped up the fumble but the play was whistled dead. Initially the call on the field was an incomplete pass, but after the officials conversed the call on the field was ruled a fumble. While the call went in the Ravens favor it did take a defensive score away as Humphrey would have walked untouched to the end zone had the play been allowed to finish.
Just two plays after the fumble Lamar Jackson would find the end zone rushing in from one-yard out to give the Ravens a 13-3 lead with just over seven minutes left to play. Mayfield would be picked off twice in the fourth quarter the first time from Marlon Humphrey who broke perfectly on a route. However the Ravens were unable to turn the interception into points to put the game away.
After a Ravens punt Mayfield once again to the field with just under two minutes left. On the fifth play of the drive from the Ravens 31 yard line, Mayfield dropped back to pass defensive lineman Broderick Washington put his hands up batting the ball into the waiting arms of Jason Pierre-Paul for the Ravens second interception in the quarter, and sealing the Ravens victory.
While the Ravens offense didn’t look up to par, the defense did what they needed to surrendering only three points and allowing only 205 yards. If the Ravens can play more complimentary football through the end of the season this Ravens team could be very tough to beat moving forward.
The Ravens now look to win their fifth straight as they travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars next Sunday.
Injury Notes:
Ronnie Stanley (ankle) week-to-week
Kyle Hamilton (knee) week-to-week
Game Notes:
Demarcus Robinson led all receivers with nine catches for 128 yards.
Patrick Queen led all defenders with 12 total tackles.
13-points is the lowest points scored by a Lamar Jackson led offense in a win.
Calais Campbell recorded his 98th career sack on Sunday.
Justin Tucker has now made 65 straight field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The post Ravens Defense Shines in Win appeared first on Marylandsportsblog.com.