Ravens hang on to beat Eagles after unraveling in final quarter
Daniel Oyefusi, reporter: With the Ravens up 17-0 halfway through the third quarter, it looked as if they were going to enter the bye week smoothly before a big matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But then they unraveled in a way that we haven’t seen under quarterback Lamar Jackson, assisted by a stagnant offense, a gassed defense and several unacceptable penalties, however dubious some might have been. This is not the 2019 team. They’re good enough to beat most teams but can certainly be exposed by good, and definitely great, opponents. As the Ravens come out the bye (and they should definitely thank the football gods it was moved up), it’ll be important for coach John Harbaugh and his staff to make the proper adjustments to mask their deficiencies because they’re not going away anytime soon.
Jonas Shaffer, reporter: The Ravens are becoming the NFL’s most frustrating 5-1 team. Their defense dominated until it folded late. Their running offense was explosive but inconsistent. The team dominated Philadelphia for much of three quarters until it decided its bye week had started a quarter early. The Ravens should be proud about where they are, but ahead of a showdown with the Steelers, they don’t look like the AFC North’s best team.
Childs Walker, reporter: This is the third straight week the Ravens controlled a game most of the way and left the field wishing they’d played better. In this case, they let the Eagles all the way back in until Matthew Judon and L.J. Fort made a clutch stop on the 2-point attempt that could have tied it. Their defense performed well, helping set up a short-field touchdown drive with a forced fumble and consistently pressuring Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. That said, the Ravens benefited from a few drops by
Philadelphia receivers and gave up more long gains than they would have liked. On offense, the Ravens again struggled to string together drives. They ran the ball consistently, and Lamar Jackson spread his throws democratically, but nine penalties on Ravens blockers undermined any hope for consistency. They gained just 62 yards and held the ball for less than six minutes combined on their first three fourth-quarter drives, giving the Eagles ample room to rally. The Ravens did reestablish Jackson (nine carries for 108 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown) as a running threat. That’s still their greatest offensive weapon in a pinch.