BALTIMORE — Quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 309 yards, including a go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Rams held on late for a 20-19 win in Baltimore, dealing a nearly knockout blow to the Ravens’ playoff hopes.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley, making another start in place of the injured Lamar Jackson, couldn’t get the Ravens into field-goal territory on the game’s final drive. He finished 20-for-32 for 201 yards and an interception, along with six carries for 54 yards, but couldn’t punch in a couple of promising Ravens drives that could’ve made the difference.
The loss was the Ravens’ fifth straight, their first such streak under coach John Harbaugh. It also knocked their playoff odds to 6% after the early fames Sunday, according to FiveThirtyEight’s projections. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals clinched the AFC North by beating the Kansas City Chiefs, 34-31.
The Rams (12-4) took the lead for good inside M&T Bank Stadium after a commanding nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. They survived a fourth-and-5 in the red zone with a 5-yard completion to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., then went ahead 20-19 in the final minute on a rollout by Stafford, who found Beckham open for a 7-yard score.
On a potential put-away drive late in the fourth quarter, the Ravens (8-8) just couldn’t put the ball in the end zone. They called just one pass play on the first 11 plays of a 12-play drive, but clock management cost their hopes of punching it in. The Rams seemed to jump the snap as the clock ticked down to zero on second-and-goal from the 2, stuffing running back Latavius Murray for a 2-yard loss, then watched the Ravens take a delay-of-game penalty on the ensuing play. Tucker’s 34-yard field goal was a small consolation prize, giving the Ravens a 19-14 lead.
The Rams’ second half was boom-bust on offense, sometimes within the same drive. On their first third-quarter possession, they marched 55 yards in seven plays, getting as far as the Ravens’ 11-yard line. That’s when outside linebacker Tyus Bowser beat right tackle Rob Havenstein and went to sack Stafford, only to end up nearly flipping over him — and strip-sacking him in the process. Outside linebacker Justin Houston recovered the ball at the Ravens’ 20.
Two drives later, the Rams finished what they started. With a mix of solid running, effective play-action and shoddy Ravens tackling, they again went 55 yards over seven plays. This time, running back Sony Michel (19 carries, 74 yards) punctuated the drive with a 1-yard score he all but walked in, cutting the Ravens’ lead to 16-14 three minutes into the fourth quarter.
The Ravens’ first score came from an unexpected source: their defense. Late in the first quarter, safety Chuck Clark jumped on a third-down quick-hitter intended for tight end Tyler Higbee. He read it the whole way, stepping in front for his first interception of the season and returning it 17 yards for the Ravens’ first defensive touchdown this season.
Clark added another interception on the next drive, coming down with a deep pass Stafford threw into triple coverage on third-and-long. The Ravens nearly made the most of the turnover, covering 91 yards on a 15-play, nine-minute drive. But defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s pressure on third-and-goal disrupted Huntley enough to throw off his pass to a wide-open Devin Duvernay in the back of the end zone. Tucker’s 22-yard field gave the Ravens a 10-0 lead.
A rare mistake from Huntley cost the Ravens late in the half. An apparent miscommunication with wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on a deep shot led to an easy interception by safety Jordan Fuller, whose return set the Rams up at the Ravens’ 29-yard line with 89 seconds remaining.
The Rams didn’t wait to strike back. Stafford found wide receiver Cooper Kupp (six catches, 95 yards) over the middle three plays later for an 18-yard touchdown. After a 46-yard field goal by Tucker, the first of two from that distance, the Ravens entered halftime leading 13-7.
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Week 18
STEELERS@RAVENS
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Ravens by 6 ½
