The Ravens can finally enjoy the view above .500.
Their season has not been easy, nor was their latest victory. Baltimore's offense struggled in the first half against the New York Jets on Sunday and didn't get clearance for takeoff until the third quarter.
However, throughout their five-game winning streak, the Ravens have been resourceful and resilient. With a pair of 2-yard touchdown runs by Derrick Henry and a key fourth-quarter forced fumble by Marlon Humphrey, the Ravens raised their record to 6-5 with a 23-10 victory over the Jets (2-9).
With each victory, the possibility of a third straight AFC North title becomes more probable for the Ravens, who now sit tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the division. That didn't look likely a month ago, but it happened before Thanksgiving.
The Ravens' lofty goals didn't seem nearly as attainable when they were 1-5. Five victories later, anything seems possible.
Here are my five thoughts on Baltimore's current situation:
The Ravens and Steelers are deadlocked and Baltimore has momentum.
The comfortable cushion that the Steelers once held has evaporated after their 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Isn't this the way it's supposed to be – two long-time rivals duking it out for the division title?
Baltimore can't afford to exhale, facing a short week before hosting the Cincinnati Bengals (3-8) on Thanksgiving night. But while Baltimore is rolling, the Steelers have lost four of their last six, and the Ravens clearly don't need help from anyone to win the division. They just need to keep winning."
"It feels great, but it's just halfway done," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "The season's not over. We play the Steelers twice, we play the Bengals twice, in the next few weeks. That's going to be it right there, starting Thursday night. We've got no time really to rest. We've got to go to work on the Bengals."
Baltimore is thankful its defense keeps showing up.
The Ravens haven't allowed more than 19 points during their winning streak, and the defense had another strong performance.
Humphrey made the game's biggest defensive play, stripping the ball away from running back Breece Hall inside Baltimore's 5-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Ravens held a 10-point lead at the time, but it looked like the Jets were about to trim their deficit to three.
Instead, Humphrey caused a fumble that was recovered by teammate Alohi Gilman – a turnover that essentially took away the Jets' last chance.
Takeaways win games. Early in the season, the Ravens weren't getting enough, but they are now. Humphrey deserves extra credit for missing just one game after getting his finger pinned. Humphrey plays hurt, plays outside and inside at cornerback, and does it all well, which is why he's a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the team's defensive leaders.
Roquan Smith (11 tackles), Kyle Hamilton (10 tackles), and Teddye Buchanan (seven) were all flying around, making plays and causing the Jets problems. The Ravens can beat anyone if their defense continues to swarm the way it has been.
The winning streak isn't glossing over Baltimore's offensive struggles.
While the Ravens have been stingy defensively, they haven't been clicking on all cylinders offensively for weeks. Their last 30-point game came against the Bears in Week 8 when Tyler Huntley was the starting quarterback, and the Jets held Baltimore to 241 yards of total offense.
Baltimore trailed 7-3 at halftime, and the offense sputtered badly until the third quarter. The offense's 72 yards in the first half were the second-fewest in a first half with Lamar Jackson as the starting quarterback.
The Ravens scored touchdowns on only two of their five red zone trips as their problems in that area continued. Henry (21 carries, 64 yards, two touchdowns) worked for every inch while averaging just three yards per carry. Jackson (13 for 23, 153 yards) didn't throw a touchdown pass for the second straight week.
The offensive line opened a nice hole for Henry on his second touchdown run, but the Ravens must continue to work on their third-down efficiency and red zone execution. They aren't running the ball well enough lately to stay out of obvious passing situations, and Jackson isn't making magic with his legs on a regular basis.
Baltimore's offense has been plodding. To win down the stretch and reach the playoffs and beyond, the Ravens will need more explosive plays and more consistency.
To get a win without an MVP performance is still a good thing.
Jackson is running the ball less frequently than in any season in his career, and he has missed three games (hamstring), plus one practice in each of the last two weeks (knee/ankle). The season has taken a toll, but Jackson doesn't like excuses.
He refused to say that injuries are holding him back.
"I'm out there, so I feel like I should be able to do what I do," Jackson said.
How did his ankle feel?
"For the most part, it was pretty solid," Jackson said.
Does he believe injuries are holding him back?
"No, I don't think that at all," Jackson said. "I feel like we need to execute a lot better."
Harbaugh said he will always have the "utmost confidence" in Jackson and that he's proud of Jackson for "fighting to win football games." He's confident that more "pretty" games are in Jackson's future.
The Ravens' opponents are hoping that Harbaugh is wrong. Because even without Jackson being spectacular, the Ravens are surging.
Extra Points:
- Ravens punter Jordan Stout had a huge game. He tied Sam Koch for the longest punt in franchise history (74 yards) and had a 67-yarder that went out of bounds at the 5. Stout averaged 61.5 yards on four punts during his monster day.
- Henry (12,294 career yards) moved ahead of three Hall of Famers on the NFL's all-time rushing list into 12th. He passed Marcus Allen (12,243), Edgerrin James (12,246), and Marshall Faulk (12,279). Henry needs just 19 more yards to pass Jim Brown (12,312).
- Hamilton limped off the field late in the game, but Harbaugh said the injury wasn't serious. Harbaugh said an injury to defensive tackle Taven Bryan would be evaluated.
- Former Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor (17 for 28, 222 yards, one touchdown, one interception) had a solid day for the Jets, but the Ravens limited his big plays.
- The Ravens had three sacks, while Dre'Mont Jones (1.5 sacks) recorded his first sack since being traded to Baltimore. Jones has been a perfect addition to the defense since being acquired at the deadline.
