Ravens Deck Chargers, 22-10, Improve Playoff Fate

Ravens could take AFC North lead with Steelers’ loss.

The last time an NFL team representing Baltimore won a game in Los Angeles it was 1969, the year man first walked on the moon. If the Ravens managed to do that on Saturday night, the outcome would have sent their passionate fan base over the moon.

Of course, there are extenuating circumstances–with Baltimore’s absence from the league from 1984 to 1995 and the lack of a team in Los Angeles for a two-decade period.

With the moon at its fullest on Saturday, it would have been easy for the Ravens to crater in the face of a short work week and a daunting coast-to-coast trip. But the moonlight felt right for Baltimore, a team desperately trying to hold on to the sixth and final AFC playoff spot.

Even if the Steelers win Sunday, the Ravens greatly improved their wild-card position with this win over an AFC opponent–one that’s fighting for the AFC West title and a top-two playoff seed.

The regular season closes next week with another contest that has playoff implications, a home game against the revived Cleveland Browns (Sunday, December 30, 1 p.m.; WJZ-TV; WIYY-FM).

But the Ravens (9-6) justified the presence of a full moon, which often dictates strange circumstances.

The Ravens’ defense, egged on by a purple-dominated crowd of 25,571, did a brilliant job holding down potent quarterback Philip Rivers (23-for-37, 181 yards, two interceptions, four sacks, 51.7 rating) and stifled running back Melvin Gordon (41 yards, 12 carries, touchdown), who had returned from a knee injury. It also didn’t allow top receiver Keenan Allen (58 yards, five catches) to flourish.

Weak-side linebacker Patrick Onwuasor got two sacks and outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, who often rushes from the inside, got 1.5 sacks. Marlon Humphrey got the second of the Ravens’ two interceptions in the end zone to seal the win. Carr, playing in his 174th straight game, began the night by intercepting the first pass from Rivers, who was making his 207th straight start.

Baltimore sacked Rivers a total of four times and picked him off twice, holding the Chargers to a disappointing 4-for-13 performance on third-down plays, allowing just one conversion on their first eight.

The Ravens’ offense, which had trouble cashing in its first-half chances by getting just three points in three red-zone trips, did better once it fell behind in the second half, scoring ten unanswered points when trailing and taking a 16-10 lead.

Finally, with just under three minutes to go, slot corner Tavon Young picked up an Antonio Gates fumble and ran 62 yards to score his second touchdown of the month to ice the game. He also ran in a fumble against Atlanta three games ago.

But the Ravens needed every bit of that defensive dominance as the Chargers deployed a good game plan to keep Lamar Jackson (12-for-22, 204 yards, touchdown, three sacks, 101.3 rating) in check when he ran, forcing him to throw more.

But Jackson didn’t get loose as much as he has in previous games, rushing for only 39 yards on 13 carries. And he wasn’t helped by two drops of easy passes by veteran receiver Michael Crabtree.

One of those drops came on the game’s first drive and forced Baltimore to settle for Justin Tucker’s 24-yard field goal. On a tacky, uneven surface, Tucker would later miss from 53 and 65 yards (the latter would have been an NFL record). Two streaks ended, too–nine straight from 50 or further and 18 straight field goals.

Still, Tucker became the first kicker in NFL history to have six seasons of 30 or more field goals, and he had not missed twice in a game since a 2015 home win over the then-St. Louis Rams.

But even with mediocre seasons and no playoff berths in three straight years and four of the last five since winning Super Bowl XLVII, the Ravens haven’t given up on Harbaugh, who picked up the franchise’s 199th regular-season win.

Even with Jackson not getting free in the run game, the Ravens used the same ball-control and possession formula to wear down the Chargers, outgaining them 223-72 in the first half, getting ten first downs to five, holding the ball over twice as long, and not letting the home team get past midfield for most of the half.

Still, as the second half began, the Chargers seemed ready to make the Ravens pay for blowing earlier opportunities.

On the first play of the third quarter, Melvin Ingram recovered a Kenneth Dixon fumble at the Baltimore 17.  Three snaps later, Gordon slammed into the end zone from one yard out to give Los Angeles a 10-6 lead.

But the Ravens answered quickly, as Jackson found end Mark Andrews on a crossing route, after which he stiff-armed a defender and ran the rest of the way for a 68-yard go-ahead touchdown. It was the longest Baltimore scoring pass play since Joe Flacco hit Mike Wallace for 95 yards (a club-record) and a score in a 2016 home win over Pittsburgh.

Tucker tacked on a 56-yard field goal to extend the lead to 16-10. But even with the Chargers not having any possession longer than 17 yards to that point, the Ravens posted three straight three-and-out drives.

The Chargers then spent the middle of the fourth quarter on their longest drive of the game. Rivers picked up a third-and-14 conversion to Allen, who shook off Mosley. But a Smith sack ended the possession by pushing the hosts out of field-goal range.

Desmond King ran back a punt 24 yards into Ravens territory to give Los Angeles another chance. But Young made his big play to seal the game and give the Ravens a win by the very same score by which they lost in the franchise’s first-ever Saturday night game, a 22-10 loss in Tampa Bay.

For once, the playoff moon shined more brightly on the Ravens’ side of the field.

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UPDATED AFC PLAYOFF STANDINGS (as of Sunday, 12/23 AM)

Overall record, division record, conference record, and their last opponent:

(Note: All games will be played Sunday afternoons unless otherwise noted.)

DIVISION LEADERS
y-1. Kansas City, 11-3, 4-1, 9-2; at Seattle, Oakland
2. Houston, 10-4, 3-2, 7-4; at Philadelphia, Jacksonville
3. New England, 9-5, 3-1, 6-4; Buffalo, NY Jets
4. Pittsburgh, 8-5-1, 3-1-1, 5-5-1; at New Orleans, Cincinnati

WILD-CARD SPOTS
y-5. Los Angeles Chargers, 11-3, 3-2, 8-2; Baltimore (Sat. night), at Denver
6. Baltimore, 9-6, 2-3, 7-4; Cleveland

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
7. Tennessee, 9-6, 3-2, 5-6; Indianapolis
8. Indianapolis, 8-6, 3-2, 6-5; NY Giants, at Tennessee
9. Miami, 7-7, 4-1, 6-4; Jacksonville, at Buffalo

ALSO ALIVE: None

ELIMINATED: Cleveland, Denver, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Jacksonville, NY Jets, Oakland

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y – clinched playoff berth
x – clinched division title