The Ravens continued their recent trend of exhilarating late-game victories Monday night against the Lions.
Thanks to stout defense and six field goals by Justin Tucker, the Ravens took down the Detroit Lions 18-16 to win their fourth straight game and improve to 8-6 on the year.
Here were some of the top moments from the classic Monday Night Football victory:
Tyson Gets Unlikely Interception
The Ravens opened the second half needing a big play from the defense, and got it from an unlikely source. Second-year reserve defensive lineman DeAngelo Tyson showed off his hands by picking off Lions quarterback Matt Stafford. The pass was deflected by nose tackle Haloti Ngata, and then Tyson hauled in the catch in traffic for the first interception of his career. The pick over Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson ended up leading to a Ravens' field goal, giving them a 12-7 lead in the third quarter.
D. Smith picks off Stafford again
The Ravens had a two-point lead over the Lions in the fourth quarter, and they were counting on their defense to stop a potent Detroit attack. That's when veteran linebacker Daryl Smith came up with his third interception of the season. Smith is currently tied with cornerback Corey Graham for the most interceptions on the team. The turnover came in Detroit territory and ended up leading to Tucker's fifth field goal of the game, giving the Ravens a 15-10 lead.
Jacoby sets up game winner
The Lions had just scored a touchdown to take a 16-15 lead with a little more than two minutes to play, and quarterback Joe Flacco had one more chance with the football. The Ravens faced a 3rd-and-15 from their own 28-yard line, and they needed to drive at least 30 yards to get into Tucker's range for a long field goal. Flacco dropped back to throw, stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and delivered a strike to wide receiver Jacoby Jones over the middle of the field. Jones cut across the field to pick up a few extra yards after the catch and finish with a 27-yard gain on the play.
Matt Elam seals the game
After all the talk about Matt Elam leading into Monday's game, the rookie made perhaps the biggest play of his young career to seal the game. Elam picked off Stafford with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, marking his first interception in the NFL. Elam waited a long time for this first interception, and he could not have picked a better time to deliver.
Justin Tucker's 61-yard field goal
This will be one that people in Baltimore remember for a long time. Tucker drilled the kick just inside the right upright for the NFL's longest kick ever in a dome. It was his sixth field goal of the game, and his 33rd in a row. The field goal gave the Ravens an 18-16 lead that they would hold for the win, and kept them in control of their playoff destiny heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
