The Baltimore Ravens faced off against the New England Patriots in a Sunday night battle between classic rivals on Nov. 15. Falling in the standings, Baltimore lost the game 17-23.
Both teams failed to get their offenses going through much of the first quarter with a series of punts. Baltimore managed a long drive towards the end of the quarter starting at their own 6-yard line. They came within striking distance of the end zone before the clock expired to move on to the second quarter.
Baltimore scored immediately in the second quarter with a 6-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to wide receiver Willie Snead IV for the first score of the game. Cam Newton and the Patriots responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive of their own, cultivating a 7-yard touchdown pass from Newton. Baltimore’s offense continued to put the pressure on New England, taking the ball deep into the red zone. However, they came up short on a 3rd and goal at the NE 6 and were forced to kick a field goal to go up 10-7. The Baltimore defense had more trouble with the Patriots’ offense as they drove up the field again with another 75-yard drive and a 24-yard pass from running back Rex Burkhead for a touchdown to go up 13-10 with one minute left. Attempting a quick score, the Ravens looked to pass into field goal territory. However, Jackson threw an interception targeting wide receiver Marquise Brown that was intercepted by Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson to end the half.
The Patriots started with the ball in the second half at the Baltimore 35 and scored yet again after a 4-yard run from Newton to increase their lead to 20-10. Jackson and the Ravens tried to respond with a drive of their own but failed on a 4th and 1 on their own 48. New England took advantage of the turnover with a drive that took them to the Baltimore 2. However, the defense had a huge stop at the goal line and forced New England to settle for a field goal. The Ravens, attempting a comeback, responded with a touchdown of their own through an 18-yard pass to Snead, marking his second touchdown of the game. The third quarter ended with a 23-17 New England lead and possession.
The fourth quarter featured plenty of defensive stops, but no offensive firepower was seen from previous quarters. Both teams punted the ball for much of the quarter while New England tried to keep Baltimore at bay. With time running out, Baltimore had one last chance with one minute left at their own 17. However, they failed to get the ball past their own 21 as Jackson failed a completion to Dobbins on a 4th and 6 to finish the game with a 23-17 loss.
The Ravens fall to 6-3, and their deficit against the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers widens as the latter improved to 9-0 this week. Baltimore also falls to 7th in the AFC Standings, just on the fringe of a playoff berth with 7 games to go. The Ravens will try to bounce back from this loss with a win against the 6-3 Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Featured Image courtesy of Sam Lehman via Flickr Creative Commons
