For Ravens, Damaging Loss Was 'Microcosm of Their Misfortune This Season'
The Ravens didn't protect the ball, couldn't protect a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, and didn't protect their house.
It added up to a heartbreaking 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots in essentially a must-win game on "Sunday Night Football" at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ravens entered the game controlling their destiny, but now their playoff hopes are in peril. Baltimore (7-8) trails the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) by two games in the AFC North with two games remaining. The Ravens will be eliminated with another loss or Steelers win.
While the Patriots punched their ticket to the postseason Sunday night, the loss was another gut punch for the Ravens in a season that has had more than its share.
About 30 minutes before kickoff, the wild finish of the Steelers' 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions played on the big screens in Baltimore, so the Ravens knew they had to win to keep pace. With no margin for error, two of the Ravens' top playmakers committed costly miscues.
Running back Derrick Henry's fumble in the first quarter ended a promising start. Wide receiver Zay Flowers' fumble on the final possession was the dagger. Fumbles have been an issue for both this season.
The Ravens played the second half without quarterback Lamar Jackson after he took a knee to the back late in the second quarter.
Tyler Huntley played well in Jackson's absence, leading two touchdown drives to give the Ravens a 24-13 lead with 12:50 remaining, but the Ravens defense subsequently gave up touchdown drives of 73 and 89 yards.
Squandering a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter was all too familiar for the Ravens, as was another loss at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens finished the regular season with a franchise-worst 3-6 record at home.
Here's what pundits said after the loss:
NFL.com’s Grant Gordon: "With the Steelers winning roughly an hour ahead of kickoff, this was a bad Sunday for the Ravens. A [minuscule] chance remains for Baltimore to get to the playoffs, but Week 16 was a microcosm of its misfortune this season."
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker: "Like so many games this season, the Ravens (7-8) had a grasp of victory until they didn't. … .Like the Eminem song 'Lose Yourself' that blared through the stadium as Ravens players took the field, the words were foreboding: 'Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?'"
The Baltimore Banner’s Kyle Goon: "We knew at least a month ago it would not be the Ravens' year. This game only hammered home the premise. Another game of Lamar Jackson not fully healthy, another game of losing a fourth-quarter lead, another game of fumbles from two of the key offensive players. If the Steelers win next week, the Ravens' playoff hopes are cooked. But what else would you expect from a team that was mediocre all season? Were you thinking this would be different after the Ravens clinched their first losing record at M&T Bank Stadium in 10 years? Whether it was cursed or merely underperforming, this team has been doomed for a long time. It just got exposed in Week 16 instead of the wild-card weekend in the playoffs — and maybe a quiet early exit is for the best for Baltimore."
The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han: "It was a shock at first, the Ravens' inability to live up to their potential. The silence in the locker room after the Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills screamed of devastation. Even after the Week [4] loss in Kansas City, emotions filled the air. But after this one the soundtrack of players showering, zipping up bags and murmuring to each other rang of resignation.
They've been here before. Eight times, in fact. And by now they know talent isn't enough. Explanations that they just need to clean up their execution and do their "one-11th" ring empty with no more time to turn things around. While their earlier losses could be attributed to injuries to major stars and the youth of the lineup, many of their stars were on the field for the three most recent games. And the stars have, oftentimes, been the ones making the critical mistakes."
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "Blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead is a fitting way for the Ravens' playoff hopes to largely go out the window. Even with Jackson sidelined, things were going so well for the Ravens. Huntley was taking care of the football. The Ravens were controlling the game on the ground. Their defense stabilized in the second half, and their special teams made a big play. They led 24-13 with just under 13 minutes to play when Henry rumbled in for a 2-yard touchdown. But this is the Ravens, and no lead is ever safe. Sure enough, Maye led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, and the Ravens blew another significant late lead. Their season started in Week 1 in Buffalo, where they squandered a late 15-point lead. Their season didn't officially end Sunday night, but they need a miracle now to make the playoffs."
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "I just don't know what else to say anymore. This has been an amazing run of regular season success with Jackson that has led to just one AFC championship game appearance. But just when you think that the Ravens are turning the corner — that dominant opening drive, that 11-point fourth-quarter lead, that Week 1 avalanche in Buffalo — they falter."
Pundits Question Usage of Henry in Fourth Quarter
It's a shame that Henry and Flowers lost fumbles because they otherwise had outstanding performances. Henry ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries (7.1 yards per carry), and Flowers had seven catches for 84 yards, plus an 18-yard rushing touchdown.
The fact that Henry was so effective raised questions as to why he was not on the field for the Ravens' last two drives, especially the first one, when the Ravens held a three-point lead with nine minutes to go. Henry's final carry was a 2-yard touchdown run with 12:50 left in the game that gave the Ravens an 11-point lead.
The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino: "Those final 12 minutes and 50 seconds might ultimately define Baltimore's highly disappointing season. With everything on the line, the Ravens handed a winnable game away like an early Christmas gift for the visitors. The defense folded like wrapping paper against Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, but let's be real, Henry should've been draining the clock rather than riding the bench. Head Coach John Harbaugh, at least, acknowledged the season-defying mistake."
Zrebiec: "So after watching their lead cut to three at the 9:01 mark, the Ravens didn't even force the Patriots to have to stop Henry, a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer. Instead, Keaton Mitchell ran twice, Huntley ran once and the Ravens ultimately had to punt the ball back to the Patriots with just over five minutes to play. Harbaugh said the plan was for Henry to re-enter the game, but the Ravens never possessed the ball long enough."
.
Press Box’s Bo Smolka: "Mitchell has flashed at times this year, and he is a nice change-of-pace back to Henry. But one of the main reasons to sign and pay Derrick Henry — one of the most prolific and durable backs in the history of the league — is to give him the ball late in a must-win game with the lead, especially with the backup quarterback in the game. And the Patriots had no answer for him all game. … The idea that Henry 'was ready' for Mitchell to start that drive should not be any factor. Henry is the blue-chip, money back, and this was a had-to-have-it drive with the season on the line. Misusing personnel in that situation speaks to a lack of feel for the game, either from Head Coach John Harbaugh, from Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, or both. There's no explanation that makes sense for Derrick Henry to be a spectator in that spot."
Goon: "Although he is a great change-of-pace back, Mitchell is too small to be a great closer. Henry's 6-foot-2, 250-pound frame makes him the ideal punishing bruiser who can pound a defense into submission. He had already done most of the job with 18 carries and 128 yards, but the Ravens simply would not use him to deliver the knockout blow. As Henry stood on the sideline, the whole New England defense probably breathed a sigh of relief."
Ar'Darius Washington Was a Bright Spot
One of the bright spots for the Ravens was the play of safety Ar'Darius Washington, who made an impact in just his second game back after suffering a torn Achilles in the spring.
"With the Patriots driving for a potential go-ahead score late in the second quarter, Washington came barreling through on a slot blitz and strip-sacked Drake Maye at the Ravens' 37-yard line," Smolka wrote. "Dre'Mont Jones recovered the loose ball, and the Ravens managed to go into halftime tied at 10.
"Then in the second half, Washington came again on a third-down blitz and forced Maye to throw incomplete, forcing a punt situation. The Patriots actually tried a fake punt that was sniffed out by the Ravens, and with a short field, they ultimately drove for Henry's second touchdown and a 24-13 lead."
Washington was a fingertip away from breaking up a fourth-and-2 pass on the Patriots' final touchdown drive.
