ExtremeRavens

Baltimore Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey and Roquan Smith sack Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during a game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker misses the extra point after a touchdown during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews celebrates his touchdown catch with Isaiah Likely during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens’ Mark Andrews makes a touchdown catch in 1st quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens’ Mark Andrews makes a touchdown catch in 1st quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Philadelphia Eagles have a penalty on a punt catch during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The Philadelphia Eagles have an incomplete pass on third down, forcing a punt during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is injured during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith warms up during pregame of NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey warms up during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson gestures during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Steve Bisciotti, the Baltimore Ravens majority owner talks with Jeffrey Lurie, the Philadelphia Eagles majority owner during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Ravens wide-receiver Diontae Johnson warms up before game against the Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith warms up before game against the Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens’ Nate Wiggins warms up before game against the Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson warms up before game against the Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

The Ravens (8-4) host the Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in a matchup of two of the league’s top teams. Baltimore is coming off a road win Monday night over the Los Angeles Chargers, while Philadelphia has won seven in a row to claim the top spot in the NFC East. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. View the full article

The Ravens’ game Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles might be a prelude to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans in February. It’s not a stretch to see a rematch in the title game. There are no great teams in the NFL this season. In fact, there are barely a few good ones, which is why the Ravens (8-4), Buffalo Bills (9-2), Kansas City Chiefs (10-1), Detroit Lions (11-1) and Eagles (9-2) are the favorites. The Ravens already pummeled the Bills, 35-10, on Sept. 9, which is why they need another big game. Baltimore needs a tone-setter against Philadelphia, which has won seven straight. “This is a really good team we’re playing,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I think some people think that they might be the best team in the league, and that’s the way they’re playing. It’s a challenge for us, a challenge for our run defense — yes — because they do it with their offensive line, they do it with their back, they also do it with their scheme — which the quarterback is a part of, too — and they can throw off the runs. So, there’s a lot going on there.” The Ravens need another strong test. They still play AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3), who have won eight of the past nine matchups against Baltimore, but the Houston Texans (7-5) have struggled throughout the season and the New York Giants (2-10) are horrendous. Cleveland (3-8) might pose a challenge in the last game of the regular season, or the Browns might have the U-Haul trucks loaded and parked for the offseason outside of their headquarters. Thank goodness for the Eagles. They are good preparation for Kansas City. Buffalo doesn’t count, because the Bills are as soft defensively as the Los Angeles Chargers, whom the Ravens defeated, 30-23, on Monday night. “Yes, it helps, definitely — just having that experience,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said of playing big games, particularly against the Eagles. “From Week 1, obviously, playing against [Kansas City] on Thursday [in the] first game of the year. “It just helps younger guys grow up a lot quicker. We’re going to be only playing big games from here on out, so we’ve got to get used to it at some point, and I feel like we have done a good job of that, and we can take that into the postseason and do what we can.” The Ravens and Eagles are similar in so many ways. The Ravens are ranked No. 1 in total offense and the Eagles are No. 3. Both teams have dynamic running quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, even though Hurts isn’t as spectacular as Jackson as a runner. Both teams will try to force their quarterbacks to throw from the pocket and beat them with their arms. The Ravens have slot receiver Zay Flowers (57 catches, 789 yards, four touchdowns) with complementary players such as tight end Mark Andrews (37 catches, 423 yard, 6 TDs) and Rashod Bateman (35 catches, 574 yards, 6 TDs). Philadelphia counters with receivers A.J. Brown (39 catches, 727 yards, 4 TDs) and DeVonta Smith (41 catches, 516 yards, 4 TDs) and tight end Dallas Goedert (35 catches, 406 yards, 1 TD). And then there is the featured attraction: Derrick Henry (221 carries, 1,325 yards, 13 TDs) versus Saquon Barkley (223 carries, 1,392 yards, 10 TDs). Their styles are different because Henry is more of a power back while Barkley is so elusive with those jump cuts and quick change of direction moves. Both are explosive. “We’re just going to have a tough time and challenge stopping this running back that we’re playing, and we’re hoping that they have a tough time stopping our running back, so that’s kind of our focus right now,” Harbaugh said. The Ravens’ defense has made modest improvements over the past two games, but there’s more work to do. The Ravens are still ranked No. 24 (355.6 yards allowed per game) in total defense, including No. 2 against the run (77.9) and No. 31 versus the pass (277.7). Brown could cause them trouble. Big trouble. The Eagles are No. 1 in total defense (274.6), seventh against the rush (99.2) and No. 3 versus the pass (175.5) despite playing with two rookie cornerbacks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Safety Reed Blankenship has also played well, but the Eagles could be without cornerback Darius Slay, who suffered a concussion last week. This game, though, will come down to the offensive lines. Philadelphia might have two of the best tackles in the game in Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. The Raven gave up 40 yards on six carries Monday to former Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins before he was sidelined for the entire second half with a knee injury. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith set to play against Eagles; OLB Kyle Van Noy doubtful Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson faces stern test of his NFC mastery vs. Eagles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Is the defense slowly improving? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans think should be NFL MVP That was disturbing, even though the Ravens played without starting middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and nose tackle Michael Pierce (calf). The tandem could play Sunday, but the Ravens would have a hard time stopping Barkley without either in the lineup, especially Smith. And then there are the penalties. The Ravens are the most penalized team in the NFL with 101 for 865 yards. They can survive against losing teams, but that’s hard to overcome against strong teams such as Philadelphia, Kansas City and Detroit. That’s why Sunday’s game is so important. During their seven-game winning streak, the Eagles have beaten up on some poor competition such as the Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. The Ravens need a quality tune-up for the postseason. Bring on the Eagles. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The good news for the Ravens is they will have at least one if not two of their top defensive players back Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. All-Pro inside linebacker and defensive play-caller Roquan Smith, who missed last week’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a hamstring injury, was a full participant in Friday’s practice in Owings Mills and does not have an injury designation on the final injury report of the week. Nose tackle Michael Pierce (calf), meanwhile, is questionable but was likewise a full participant Friday. Pierce, who is on injured reserve but was designated to return and began practicing this week, hasn’t played since suffering the injury Oct. 27 against the Cleveland Browns and could be activated by Sunday. “We’re going up against a big, physical offensive line, so … [Pierce would] be a great addition,” coach John Harbaugh said Friday. “But he’s got to be at his best, too. He’s got to feel that.” The Ravens will however likely be without one of their top rushers. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who is tied for the team lead with eight sacks, did not practice for a third straight day because of neck and hamstring injuries and is listed as doubtful. If he doesn’t play, that would leave Baltimore (8-4) thin a little thin when it comes to putting pressure on the quarterback of one of the NFL’s top offenses. Philadelphia (9-2) is third in the league in yards per game (389.1) and seventh in points (26.9). The Eagles also rank first in rushing yards per game (193.4) and sixth in yards per pass (8.3), with talent all over the field from quarterback Jalen Hurts to running back Saquon Barkley to receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Otherwise, the Ravens are fairly healthy, particularly for a group that has played a dozen straight weeks and whose bye won’t come until next week. The only players who will be out for Baltimore are tight end Charlie Kolar (forearm) and cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf/knee). Rookie cornerback T.J. Tampa (ankle), who was designated to return from injured reserve Thursday, is questionable, though it seems unlikely he would be ready to play. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson faces stern test of his NFC mastery vs. Eagles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Is the defense slowly improving? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans think should be NFL MVP Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Derrick Henry responds to Chargers LB Khalil Mack’s comments For the Eagles, cornerback Darius Slay, who suffered a concussion in last week’s win over the Los Angeles Rams, didn’t practice for a third straight day this week and will be out Sunday. Isaiah Rodgers is expected to start in his place. Special teams linebacker Ben VanSumeren (knee) is also out. Philadelphia could have Smith (hamstring) back. The fourth-year receiver who was the 10th overall pick in 2021 has been dealing with a hamstring injury for a few weeks and missed last week’s game against the Rams. He was a limited participant again Friday, however, and is listed as questionable. Receiver Johnny Wilson (hamstring) and safety Sydney Brown (knee) are also questionable. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Among the many curious and remarkable statistics that tell the story of Lamar Jackson’s seven NFL seasons, this one stands out. He has started 24 games against NFC opponents and lost exactly once. It began in December of his rookie season, when he threw for 125 yards and ran for 75 in a 26-16 triumph over the Atlanta Falcons. The only blemish occurred Oct. 16, 2022, when Jackson completed just 17 of 32 and threw an interception in a 24-20 road loss to the New York Giants. But those 23 wins include some of the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player’s finest moments: five touchdown passes and 95 yards on the ground in a 2019 “Monday Night Football” blowout of the Los Angeles Rams, the miraculous throw to set up Justin Tucker’s record 66-yard game-winner in Detroit in 2021, 357 yards passing and three touchdowns in last year’s 38-6 demolition of the Lions, 252 yards and two touchdown passes in a Christmas Day beatdown of the Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers. Jackson’s mastery of the NFC will face a stern test Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium when the Ravens host the Philadelphia Eagles, winners of seven straight games and powered by the league’s top defense, which hasn’t allowed even 300 yards (the Ravens average 426.7) in a game since the last weekend of September. Not since that Yuletide showdown with the 49ers almost a year ago has Jackson faced such a threat from the less familiar conference. The Ravens have averaged 33 points in dispatching three NFC foes this season. Jackson has been asked plenty about his phenomenal record against the other conference — the best for any quarterback since the AFC and NFC were created in 1970 — and generally offers a similar explanation. The statistical oddity, seemingly a tribute to the unique planning challenges he presents, doesn’t mean a lot to him. “Probably because we’re not as familiar with each other,” he said Wednesday. “I’m just going to give you that because I’ve really got something else on my mind.” Opponents have talked about it over the years, the impossibility of simulating Jackson’s physics-defying escapes from the pocket as he keeps plays alive for precious extra seconds. “He’s unlike anybody else,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told Philadelphia reporters. “The only other player that’s been like him in the last 50 years is Michael Vick. … I mean, the pure definition of a great quarterback is there’s no one way to play him. Because if there was, everybody would do it.” The Ravens have heard it all and see little use in celebrating past successes against NFC powers. Coach John Harbaugh skipped right past commenting on his quarterback’s inter-conference near-perfection to extol the Eagles’ virtues. “It’s always exciting to play in big games. This is another big game for us,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh, right, said. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “I think we’ve got a really tough game against a really good team on Sunday,” he said. “These guys are a well-rounded football team. All three phases are really as good as anybody in the league. They’re really good up front on both sides of the trenches. That’s a huge challenge for us. Not just that; they can run the ball, of course. The quarterback can run it. The back can run it. They push it down the field. They run [run-pass options].” Harbaugh noted that his team has already played several high-profile games this year, whether in the season opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, on “Sunday Night Football” against the Buffalo Bills or Monday against his brother’s Los Angeles Chargers. “It’s always exciting to play in big games. This is another big game for us,” he said. “Some people think they might be the best team in the league, and that’s the way they’re playing.” The Eagles, with the third-easiest schedule to date by DVOA, have not been tested in as many glitzy matchups, though they did open the season by beating the Green Bay Packers in Brazil. No matter how well they’re playing, they respect Jackson and the many playmakers in the league’s top offense. Asked if he’s looking forward to the test, Fangio joked, “I’d rather play Swarthmore.” (The academically rigorous Pennsylvania college has not had a football team since 2000.) Jackson said that if there’s a secret to going against the best, it’s “just be who you are. Be true to yourself. Don’t put too much on your mind about the opponent.” He shouted out “amazing” defensive tackle Jalen Carter when asked about the perils presented by Philadelphia’s front. He sprinkled a bit of hype on the running back matchup, with Derrick Henry on his side and Saquon Barkley on the other. Barkley blew Jackson’s young mind back when they were both prospects in a high school all-star game and Barkley vaulted over a defender’s head. On Henry, he said he envisioned the success they’re having — second in scoring, second in rushing, first in total yards and yards per play — as soon as the Ravens signed the great running back in the offseason. “I knew what it was going to be,” he said. “That’s why I was excited. Any given week, there’s going to be something special, especially with that guy in the backfield. It just makes my job a lot easier. I can’t give him enough credit. I really can’t.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Is the defense slowly improving? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans think should be NFL MVP Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Derrick Henry responds to Chargers LB Khalil Mack’s comments Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Charlie Kolar to miss time with broken arm; DT Michael Pierce returns ahead of Eagles game If there’s a chance for the Ravens to seize a leg up Sunday, it might come early. The Eagles failed to score in the first quarter until their eighth game of the season. Jackson expressed concern over his offense’s sluggish starts after Monday’s win against the Chargers in which the Ravens derailed their first two drives with 15-yard penalties. “Just stay on schedule,” he said when asked what must change. “Instead of having to get back on track.” The Ravens have overcome double-digit deficits four times this season, including in their most recent victory over an NFC opponent. They fell behind 10-0 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before running off 34 straight points. Jackson knows a similar mountain would be more difficult to scale against Philadelphia’s “well-balanced” defense as he tries to move his record against the NFC to 24-1. Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. Jeff Lewis/ The Associated PressLamar Jackson has dominated NFC opponents in his career. (Jeff Lewis/AP) View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 13 game between the Ravens (8-4) and Eagles (9-2) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Eagles 24, Ravens 21: Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman and the combination of DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. There is talent all over the field for these two offenses. The separator, of course, will be on defense. Baltimore’s continues to give up yards by the chunk. Philadelphia is No. 1 in the league in yards allowed per game (274.6) and No. 2 in yards per play (4.7). The Eagles are also balanced against the run and pass, allowing just 99.2 rushing yards and 175.5 passing yards per game. A slow start and self-inflicted wounds will be costly against a team of the Eagles’ ilk. Childs Walker, reporter Ravens 27, Eagles 21: Talk about brutal fun on the first day of December. This matchup will pit the league’s two best ground games against two of its best run defenses. Will Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley go off? These superstar running backs might command the narrative focus, but that doesn’t mean they’ll decide the game. Lamar Jackson’s quest to solve Vic Fangio’s balanced, deceptive defense will determine the flow, and the Ravens’ beleaguered but improving secondary will have to keep Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown from connecting on explosive plays. Jackson has outplayed Hurts this season, and the Ravens have beaten better opponents than the Eagles. They’ll pull out another quality win going into their bye week. Mike Preston, columnist Eagles 24, Ravens 20: The Ravens’ defense has made progress in recent weeks, but not enough to slow down the Eagles. Chargers running back and former Raven J.K. Dobbins had 40 yards on six carries a week ago before a knee injury sidelined him for the second half. Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley will probably do more damage. The Ravens might keep it close, but the Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown combination might be too powerful. C.J. Doon, editor Eagles 26, Ravens 23: The Ravens’ defense has held up extremely well against this run this season, but it hasn’t faced a running back as good as Saquon Barkley nor an offensive line as strong as the Eagles’. This is not a good week for Baltimore to be dealing with injuries along the defensive front, either. It’s going to be difficult for the Ravens to keep Barkley contained, and even if they do, Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith can punish them down the field. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry rival Hurts and Barkley as the league’s top backfield pairing, but the Eagles’ defense, led by Jalen Carter, is a much stiffer test than the Ravens’. Hurts joins Daniel Jones as the only NFC quarterbacks to beat Jackson. Tim Schwartz, editor Eagles 27, Ravens 24: The Eagles are red-hot, winners of seven straight and have improved seemingly every week. Their defense has been borderline dominant while Saquon Barkley has leaped into the NFL Most Valuable Player conversation with a franchise-record performance. But the Ravens’ defense has been consistently good at one thing this season: stopping the run. On the other side of the ball, Baltimore’s top-ranked offense (426.7 yards per game) will face another stiff test against Philadelphia’s top-ranked defense (274.6 yards per game). The Ravens had no problems Monday night against the Chargers’ defense, which entered the game allowing the fewest points per game, but I suspect the Eagles’ defensive backs will put up a much better fight against the Ravens’ receivers. If Derrick Henry gets going early against Philadelphia’s stout front seven, the Ravens have a good chance, but I am taking the Eagles against this inconsistent Baltimore squad. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 24, Eagles 17: Nick Sirianni’s Eagles team has been impressive throughout this season, winning seven consecutive games entering Sunday’s clash. Still, the Eagles haven’t faced a team of Baltimore’s caliber (second in DVOA) this season. The Ravens have won four home games in a row, including a 25-point blowout of the 9-2 Bills. Lamar Jackson owns the NFC, and I’m expecting more of the same Sunday as Baltimore reaffirms its spot as an AFC championship contender despite currently sitting in second in its division. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions in the middle of each week throughout the Ravens season. After a road win over the Chargers, Baltimore (8-4) returns home for a showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) in a battle of Super Bowl contenders. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Why is Zach Orr still the defensive coordinator? Seriously, he was totally underqualified for the job, and he’s in way over his head. I’ve never seen a defense that looks more lost. It’s embarrassing to the legacy and tradition of the Ravens’ defense. — Eric Saltrick The last time I checked, the Ravens were 8-4 and headed to the playoffs. They lost three top defensive assistants from a year ago, including defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who became coach of the Seattle Seahawks. I expected the Ravens to struggle on defense this season, especially early in the year. Did I think it would take this long? No, but I have seen progress over the past two games. Against the Chargers on Monday night, the Ravens gave Los Angeles multiple looks at the line of scrimmage and seemed to attack more than in previous games. That’s not to say they won’t struggle against certain high-powered offenses, but there has been progress. Sorry, Eric, but did you actually think coach John Harbaugh was going to fire Orr after bringing in former coordinator Dean Pees as a consultant? I’ve talked to several assistant coaches from around the league, and most of them are as confident as Harbaugh in Orr succeeding. We’ll find out in the postseason, but let’s see where this all ends up. Even if the Ravens brought in someone new, it would be difficult to change the scheme and add different wrinkles so late in the season. Penalties are hurting the Ravens. Every week a Ravens player or coach says the team needs to “clean up” the mistakes they’ve made; insinuating to understand the problem and its fix. But often the mistakes, in this case penalties, persist. If the players and coaches know the problem, why can’t they fix it? If Harbaugh is ultimately responsible for this, how exactly can he “clean up” the penalties his players make? — Martin Martin, I think when a team like the Ravens has a reputation for being the most penalized team in the NFL, then officials also start to look more intensely for violations. Harbaugh is accountable for the penalties, and I am sure he makes his team aware of the situation, but that doesn’t always have a positive effect. Some of them can’t be avoided. The Ravens went into the season with a questionable offensive line, and a lot of their penalties have been for holding. Those things happen. The more disturbing ones are flags thrown for illegal formations or having offensive linemen down field. Those types of things can be worked out. For the most part, the high number of penalties is the result of a lack of discipline, and eventually Harbaugh has to answer for it either on the field or eventually to his own front office. Ravens coach John Harbaugh watches practice on Wednesday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) What was your opinion of Harbaugh’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at their own 16-yard line? Although they made it, and two other fourth-down conversions, I fear that this will make Harbaugh more reckless in the future. And they still have problems converting 2-point conversions. — Bob in NC Bob, it was a dumb call. I understand the other two, but the fourth-and-1 at the Ravens’ 16 was almost self-destructive. It was, however, an indictment of the soft defense played by the Chargers who were coached by John’s younger brother, Jim. If the Ravens were playing Kansas City, Pittsburgh or any other team with a strong defensive line, John Harbaugh would never have gone for it. But because the Chargers aren’t very physical, Harbaugh made the gamble and it paid off. Hopefully, that won’t happen again so early in the game, but it’s not every week that a team plays the Chargers. I’m sure 20 years from now, John will mention to Jim how he beat up on his team and made that critical call in the first half. It’s all part of the brotherly love thing. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans think should be NFL MVP Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Derrick Henry responds to Chargers LB Khalil Mack’s comments Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Charlie Kolar to miss time with broken arm; DT Michael Pierce returns ahead of Eagles game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles Week 13 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Daniel Jones is signing with the Vikings after his release from the Giants, AP source says But I can’t see him doing that against the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. Los Angeles will be a good team one day, but the Chargers are full of hype because of Jim Harbaugh. They are a team filled with a lot of smoke and mirrors. Does Harbaugh have the ability to change the offensive play call? If so, why doesn’t he? — Gohounds1 on X All head coaches have the final say on every play, but when they hire coordinators, a lot of them give them the leeway to make all the calls. If they don’t, it could eventually force some coordinators not to want to come here to Baltimore. It’s John Harbaugh’s team. If he wants to make the call, then it is his right because it’s his team. But his overall track record is pretty impressive, so it doesn’t appear to be a big deal in getting assistants to coach here. Have a question for Mike Preston? Email sports@baltsun.com with “Ravens mailbag” in the subject line and it could be answered in The Baltimore Sun. View the full article

We asked readers who they would choose as NFL Most Valuable Player. Here are the results from our online poll: Lamar Jackson — 315 votes (66%) Derrick Henry — 59 votes (12%) Saquon Barkley— 51 votes (11%) Josh Allen — 33 votes (7%) Patrick Mahomes — 18 votes (4%) The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll View the full article

Like his running style, Ravens running back Derrick Henry often gets right to the point with his words and delivers them bluntly. At least that was the case when responding to the comments of Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack, who said following Baltimore’s win in Los Angeles on Monday night that he doesn’t find it difficult to face the NFL’s leading rusher. “I don’t care,” Henry said Wednesday. “That [crap] don’t matter. We won.” In the 30-23 victory, the Ravens, who lead the NFL in rushing, ran for 212 yards on 37 attempts. Henry did most of the damage, with 140 yards on 24 carries. He was kept out of the end zone in a game for the first time this season, however, after an illegal formation penalty on right tackle Roger Rosengarten wiped out a 5-yard touchdown run to end his streak of consecutive games with at least one touchdown at 12, dating back to last season. Afterward, Mack was asked about defending the 30-year-old Henry, who has 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. “I don’t think it’s hard to play against that guy, and hopefully we see this team again,” he said. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Charlie Kolar to miss time with broken arm; DT Michael Pierce returns ahead of Eagles game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles Week 13 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Daniel Jones is signing with the Vikings after his release from the Giants, AP source says Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles scouting report for Week 13: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens legend Jamal Lewis sees ‘last of a dying breed’ in Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley Asked to elaborate, Mack continued: “It’s not hard for me to play against that guy. He’s a great player. It’s not hard for me to play against that guy. I love playing against the greats, and this was no different. … When I say hard, I mean in a sense of playing against him. If I’m on the field, I know, if he comes to my side, I got him.” Mack finished with four tackles, and the 212 rushing yards the Chargers surrendered was a season high. The two might not have to wait long to see each other again. If the Ravens (8-4), who are a half-game back of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, win their division they could end up hosting the Chargers (7-4) in just one of many playoff scenarios. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens have largely avoided significant and long-term injuries so far this season, but no team goes unscathed. Tight end Charlie Kolar suffered a broken arm in Monday night’s win over the Chargers in Los Angeles, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday. Though the Ravens did not provide an update on Kolar after the game, he left SoFi Stadium with his arm heavily wrapped and in a sling despite playing the entirety of the game. With Kolar expected to miss at least a month, the Ravens signed tight end Scotty Washington to the practice squad. The good news for Baltimore is they still have tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard. Still, Kolar was having a solid season, particularly as a blocker in the run game, and losing him cuts into the Ravens’ depth and limits their heavy packages. Baltimore leads the NFL with 2,162 rushing yards this season. A third-round draft pick out of Iowa State in 2022, the 25-year-old has also contributed in the passing game with nine catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles Week 13 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Daniel Jones is signing with the Vikings after his release from the Giants, AP source says Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles scouting report for Week 13: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens legend Jamal Lewis sees ‘last of a dying breed’ in Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Who should be the NFL MVP? But his absence could have the biggest impact in the ground game. Monday against the Chargers, Kolar, who suffered the injury early in the fourth quarter, played a season-high 32 snaps on offense (along with 22 on special teams) as he helped pave the way for 212 rushing yards in the 30-23 victory. Baltimore also shared good news on the injury front, however. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith, who missed Monday’s game with a hamstring injury, was back on the practice field Wednesday. Nose tackle Michael Pierce also returned as did rookie safety Sanoussi Kane (ankle). Pierce, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a calf injury against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 27, has 21 days to be added to the active roster or else he would revert to injured reserve for the rest of the season. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens (8-4) host the Eagles (9-2) on Sunday in a battle of Super Bowl contenders. The two teams have dynamic quarterbacks and elite running backs, which should make for an entertaining back-and-forth between two of the NFL’s best teams. Betting odds give Baltimore a slight edge in a game expected to come down to the wire. What are the odds? Spread: Ravens by 3 Total: 50 1/2 points Moneyline: Baltimore -164, Philadelphia +138 The Eagles have only been an underdog twice this season, and they’re 2-0 in those games. Baltimore has been favored in all but one game this season, going 6-4-1 against the spread when favored. Baltimore’s games tend to go over the point total, with 10 of the Ravens’ 12 games going over the point total. Philadelphia has less of an over tendency, with six of its 11 games going under the total. Neither team likely cares too much about any of those stats, as they’re both good at the one thing that matters: winning. Baltimore and Philadelphia are a combined 17-6 straight up this season, as both teams have realistic Super Bowl aspirations. The Eagles have a better record and slightly shorter Super Bowl odds (+650 on FanDuel) than the Ravens (+700). Only the Lions (+300) and Chiefs (+500) hold shorter odds. Take the under in a Ravens game? It sounds blasphemous, but I like the under in this matchup. Philadelphia’s backfield tandem of Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley generate the most attention from casual fans, but it’s the Eagles’ defense that makes the group a Super Bowl threat. Pro Football Focus grades the Eagles out as the best defense in the NFL, and they’ve held down some elite offenses in the second half of the season. Joe Burrow’s Bengals mustered just 17 points in a loss to the Eagles on Oct. 27. It’s one of just three times this season Cincinnati failed to score 20 or more points in a game — the Bengals scored 72 points across two meetings with the Ravens this season. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders scored 18 earlier this month in a loss to the Eagles, and Matthew Stafford’s Rams tallied only 20 in Sunday night’s loss to Philadelphia. Both the Commanders and Rams scored late touchdowns with the Eagles playing prevent defense in those games, too. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Charlie Kolar to reportedly miss time with a broken arm Baltimore Ravens | Daniel Jones is signing with the Vikings after his release from the Giants, AP source says Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles scouting report for Week 13: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens legend Jamal Lewis sees ‘last of a dying breed’ in Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Who should be the NFL MVP? Not many defenses can slow down the Ravens’ offense, but the Eagles might be the best equipped of any NFL team to slow down Lamar Jackson and company. They’ll also face a Ravens offense with one day less rest than usual. The Eagles’ offensive strength seemingly plays into the Ravens’ defensive edge, which could lead to a lower-scoring affair. The Ravens’ defense is better at stopping the run than it is the pass. Philadelphia’s strength is its running game with Hurts and Barkley, as Hurts isn’t nearly as dynamic a passer as Jackson. Starting kickers Justin Tucker and Jake Elliott are a combined 3-11 on kicks outside of 50 yards this season. Kicking Sunday won’t be any easier with chillier temperatures expected. Sunday’s high is 40 degrees and there should be a moderate breeze during the game. I’m expecting both teams to chew clock with their star running backs and try to win the field position battle in an early December matchup of Super Bowl contenders. The game should be competitive, partially because there might not be as much scoring as we’re used to from the Ravens. Best bet: Under 50.5 points Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is signing with the Minnesota Vikings, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Jones will join Minnesota’s practice squad less than a week after the Giants released the former No. 6 overall draft pick, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement hasn’t been finalized. Sam Darnold has helped the Vikings start 9-2. Jones joins Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien in Minnesota’s quarterback room. Rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy had season-ending knee surgery in August and a second procedure on his knee earlier this month. Jones went 24-44-1 as a starter in New York, with his best season in 2022 when the Giants went 9-7-1 and beat Minnesota on the road in the first round of the playoffs. Jones completed just 63% of his passes with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. View the full article

The Ravens pounded out a 30-23 win over the Chargers. The Eagles extended their winning streak to seven, thrashing the Rams 37-20. Who will have the advantage when one of the AFC’s best teams hosts one of the NFC’s best Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium? Ravens passing game vs. Eagles pass defense Lamar Jackson leads the league in passing yards, touchdown passes, passer rating and ESPN’s QBR metric for all-around performance. He has thrown just three interceptions. He leads the No. 1 passing offense by DVOA and the No. 1 red zone offense. In other words, he has been the best passing quarterback in the league this season. Jackson threw just 22 times against the Chargers as the Ravens turned back to their ground game but did his usual efficient work, averaging eight yards per attempt with touchdown strikes to Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman. Andrews has regained his standing as Jackson’s favorite red-zone target with six touchdowns in his last seven games. Wide receiver Zay Flowers leads the team with 57 catches for 789 yards, while Bateman has solidified his role as a solid No. 2, averaging 16.4 yards per catch with five touchdowns. Jackson is so effective in part because he’ll go to anyone on third down or in the red zone. His offensive line limited the Chargers to 10 pressures and one sack. Jackson will try to stay hot against a surging Philadelphia defense that has held quarterbacks to five yards per attempt, best in the league. The Eagles blitz on just 16.9% of dropbacks under venerable coordinator Vic Fangio and are not an elite pressure team. They’ve lost productive edge rushers Bryce Huff and Brandon Graham to injuries. But their secondary is packed with quality players, led by rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and safety Reed Blankenship. Zack Baun is one of the league’s top coverage linebackers. His partner in the middle, Nakobe Dean, is quietly one of the team’s best pass rushers. Veteran cornerback Darius Slay, second on the Eagles with eight passes defended, left the Rams game with a concussion. His status will be something to watch this week. Fangio likes to line up in two-high looks with a pair of safeties deep to prevent downfield strikes and disguise coverages until after the snap. Rather than attack Jackson, he’ll try to disorient him with confusing pictures. Jackson has never been better as a processor, so this could be a classic matchup. EDGE: Ravens Eagles passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Jalen Hurts’ superficial passing numbers — 69.1% completions, 8.3 yards per attempt, 102.3 passer rating, 13 touchdowns against five interceptions — look good, but he and the Philadelphia aerial attack have been merely decent, according to DVOA (the Eagles rank 16th, in part because they’ve faced poor defenses) and Pro Football Focus grades. Like Jackson, Hurts holds the ball more than three seconds per dropback, extending plays so he can look downfield for A.J. Brown, one of the league’s true No. 1 wide receivers. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound Brown (18.6 yards per catch) is a monster on contested balls, and it will be interesting to see if the Ravens try to keep him out of matchups with cornerback Brandon Stephens, who has struggled to win such battles all season. Stephens outplayed Tre’Davious White against Chargers, so it’s possible the Ravens will simply stick with their rotation and hope for the best. But they have to be concerned about Brown going off given their previous struggles against Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and other elite receivers. Zach Orr’s defense has done a better job preventing big plays with Ar’Darius Washington starting at safety and Kyle Hamilton lining up deep more than he did early in the season. Tight end Dallas Goedert (35 catches on 42 targets, 406 yards) could give the Ravens trouble in the middle of the field. They got by without middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) against the Chargers and will go with a rotation led by Malik Harrison if their All-Pro can’t make it back Sunday. The Eagles are also dealing with a significant hamstring injury to wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who did not play against the Rams. They’re more dangerous when defenses have to worry about both him and Brown. Hurts takes sacks (29 in 11 games) because he holds the ball, but he’s protected by two of the league’s best tackles in Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, so don’t expect the Ravens to get home regularly if they rush four. EDGE: Eagles Ravens running game vs. Eagles run defense After averaging a modest 119 yards per game over their previous four games, the Ravens got back to pounding against the Chargers with 212 yards on 37 carries. Derrick Henry led the way with 140 yards and was key to the Ravens converting on eight of 15 third downs and all three of their fourth downs. Henry already has 1,325 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns and is averaging a career-best six yards per attempt. Justice Hill also had a big game with 55 yards on four carries, including a 51-yard touchdown. Jackson scored on a clever 10-yard run against the Chargers but was curiously ineffective on the ground otherwise with just five yards on his other seven attempts. The Ravens seem content keeping their franchise quarterback out of designed runs until they truly need his legs, and that might not be until the playoffs. This will be strength vs. strength as the Ravens try to bash out yards against a defense that hasn’t allowed 100 in a game since mid-October. The Packers and Falcons gashed the Eagles in the first two games of the season, but Fangio’s crew has hit a different level over the last six weeks, led by Baun and Dean in the middle and gifted 2023 first-round pick Jalen Carter upfront. That said, Philadelphia hasn’t done it against a ground attack like this one. The Ravens average 180 yards per game and 5.8 per carry, so if the Eagles hold them below 100, they will really have accomplished something. EDGE: Ravens Eagles running game vs. Ravens run defense Again, strength vs. strength. The Eagles lead the league in rushing and average 5.2 yards per carry, second only to Baltimore. The Ravens rank second in run defense and have allowed 3.5 yards per carry, best in the league. The story starts with Saquon Barkley, who like Henry joined a new team in the offseason and is somehow producing even more eye-popping numbers (126.5 yards per game, 6.2 per carry, 10 touchdowns in 11 games). Barkley went off for 255 yards, including touchdown gallops of 70 and 72, against the Rams’ not-terrible run defense. He’s complemented by Hurts, who isn’t a breakaway threat on par with Jackson but provides devastating efficiency in short-yardage situations. It’s surprising that the Eagles rank just 16th in red-zone touchdown percentage given Hurts’ work near the goal line. This is where the Ravens would presumably miss Roquan Smith the most, though Harrison ranged for 12 tackles against the Chargers, many of them violent. Orr will have to decide whether Hamilton is more important protecting the back end or serving as a Barkley deterrent closer to the line of scrimmage. Regardless, the Ravens will need sturdy work on the edges from Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy and Tavius Robinson. Defensive tackle Travis Jones has played well while dealing with a recurring ankle injury, and the Ravens will need more of the same from him against Philadelphia’s excellent interior blockers. EDGE: Eagles Ravens special teams vs. Eagles special teams Justin Tucker split the uprights on a 45-yard field goal against the Chargers and did the same on his previous attempt, from 54 yards, against the Steelers. So the Ravens have to hope their all-time-great kicker is past the spate of wide-left misses that have haunted his season. Tucker’s inaccuracy is the main reason the Ravens rank 22nd in special teams DVOA, but they’ve also committed too many penalties in kickoff and punt coverage. Punter Jordan Stout’s improvement is a bright spot. The Eagles rank 16th in special teams DVOA, and kicking has also been a problem for them. Jake Elliott has made just 17 of 22 field-goal attempts overall and is 0-for-4 from 50 yards or beyond. DeJean is a dangerous punt returner, and Philadelphia has done a solid job limiting damage in coverage. EDGE: Even Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Daniel Jones is signing with the Vikings after his release from the Giants, AP source says Baltimore Ravens | Ravens legend Jamal Lewis sees ‘last of a dying breed’ in Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Who should be the NFL MVP? Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff picture: Ravens are a virtual lock, but who will they play? Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 12: Saquon Barkley sprints into MVP conversation Ravens intangibles vs. Eagles intangibles The Ravens face a tough six-day turnaround after playing in Los Angeles Monday night. But at least they’ll be home, and the Eagles had to make the same cross-country trip one day earlier. John Harbaugh’s team removed considerable pressure from this week by beating his brother Jim’s Chargers. Harbaugh’s gutsy call to go for a fourth-and-1 from his team’s 16-yard line was a turning point in the victory. At the same time, he’s taking deserved heat for the Ravens’ league-high penalty total. Jackson has lost just one career start against an NFC team, but this will be one of the sternest tests he has faced. The Eagles have won seven straight and buried questions about their direction under coach Nick Sirianni, who seemed to lose his grip on the team as it collapsed down the stretch last season. Philadelphia has adopted a bullying identity on both sides of the ball and done it without rolling up big turnover or penalty totals. Sirianni’s balanced powerhouse takes a backseat only to the Detroit Lions among NFC contenders. That said, the Eagles haven’t faced an opponent as formidable as the Ravens during their winning streak. They’ve played the league’s third-easiest schedule by DVOA (the Ravens have played the 13th-hardest). This will be a status check for both teams. EDGE: Even Prediction Talk about brutal fun on the first day of December. This matchup will pit the league’s two best ground games against two of its best run defenses. Will Henry or Barkley go off? These superstar running backs might command the narrative focus, but that doesn’t mean they’ll decide the game. Jackson’s quest to solve Fangio’s balanced, deceptive defense will determine the flow, and the Ravens’ beleaguered but improving secondary will have to keep Hurts and Brown from connecting on explosive plays. Jackson has outplayed Hurts this season, and the Ravens have beaten better opponents than the Eagles. They’ll pull out another quality win going into their bye week. Ravens 27, Eagles 21 Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

Jamal Lewis used to call his old running backs coach at the start of each new season. “Who you got? What kind of backs you got?” he’d ask, pestering Anthony Lynn. Lewis worked under Lynn in Cleveland, the swan song of his career after seven illustrious years in Baltimore. With those phone calls from retirement, he was keeping a careful eye on the evolution of the position. “They all look the same,” Lynn would say, disparagingly. “Ain’t no Jamal Lewis.” Few running backs, now or ever, were like Lewis, a freight train at 5 feet 11 and 245 pounds. In 2003, he rushed for 2,066 yards in 16 regular-season games. Only eight running backs in NFL history have eclipsed 2,000 yards in a single season, and Lewis did it averaging 24 carries per game, including a Week 2 firestorm in which he broke the then-single-game rushing record with 295 yards on 30 touches against the Browns. Such volume is unfathomable in 2024. There’s not a running back in the league right now averaging 21 carries. And few, if any, could be considered the cornerstone of an offense. Lewis likes to say his era — before the ground game was truncated by pass-heavy schemes — was the last of a dying breed. He’ll concede there were a few stragglers into the 2010s. But when Lewis watches Ravens running back Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, “it’s like the 2000s again.” When the league’s top two rushing leaders meet Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, it might feel more like a Y2K party. “You can’t name me a back, probably [outside] of those two guys,” Lewis said, “that there’s a defense out there saying, ‘Man I just do not want any more of him. Please do not give him the ball.’ You got defenses complaining. … You don’t have those guys that are going to just beat up on the defense to the point where they just don’t want no more.” Henry is stiff-arming Father Time among the NFL’s best in his age-30 season. He’s flirted with the 200-yard mark twice and found the end zone a league-high 15 times in 12 weeks. Running the ball has been a strength in Baltimore for years, “but this is different,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He is adding a dimension that we have not had before. You go back to Jamal Lewis, maybe.” The Ravens signed Henry in March to a two-year deal worth up to $16 million. At 6-3, he’s the tallest tailback in the league. Like Lewis, he’s a 247-pound tanker carrying appendages like an All-Pro linebacker. Henry has 1,325 rushing yards this season after totaling 140 in a 30-23 win over the Chargers on Monday night, and he’s averaging about 18 carries per game. “Just seeing a back of my stature, my size, and everything else being able to adjust to an offense in 2024,” Lewis said, “that’s impressive.” In March, Henry made a rare media appearance on “The Pivot Podcast.” The camera zoomed in on co-host and former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder, who leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed as if he’d been chewing on this question for some time. “Were you born too late?” At every level of football, Henry said, someone argued his stature was better suited for defense. He rebutted with a long receipt of thick running backs from the early aughts (including Lewis), admitting he always fell back on wanting to be like them. Times change, but Henry’s aspirations don’t. “I embrace it,” he said, “because I know people are just waiting to see when it’s gon’ be over.” John Makely / Baltimore SunOn Sept. 14, 2003, Ravens running back Jamal Lewis rushed for a then-NFL record 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns. (Staff file) That reality doesn’t seem so close. On a temperate September night in Baltimore, Henry finished 1 yard shy of his first 200-yard outing since 2022. One nasty cutback on his first touch fissured Buffalo’s defense for an 87-yard score. Three weeks later in Tampa Bay, another 80-yarder highlighted his 169-yard outburst. All Lewis could think about was how the oldest starting tailback in the league could still find a third gear in open space. “He looks like he trains like an animal,” Lewis said. “He looks like he’s ready to get to the playoffs and eat.” There’s similar discourse happening a short ride up I-95. Barkley has been a mystifying chess piece for the Eagles, winners of seven straight. Sunday night, he shredded the Rams’ defense with such devastation (255 yards on 26 attempts and two touchdowns) that some have started to wonder if he might break the status quo and be the first non-quarterback Most Valuable Player since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Even Henry couldn’t break that glass ceiling when he rushed for 2,027 yards in 2020. “Being a running back today ain’t sexy,” Lewis said. “But at the same time, it’s gonna win you games.” That first part is true until it isn’t. When the Eagles played the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9, Lewis was at home in Atlanta. That was the Sunday that Barkley broke the internet with a gravity-defying backward hurdle. Lewis stood up from his couch, mouth agape. “Not only has that never been done before,” Lewis said, “but I would have never even thought to [try that].” Barkley fits into Lewis’ “last of a dying breed” mold. He’s the closest thing to a bell cow running back, leading the league in touches. At 20 per game, he’s up to 1,392 yards on the season. With six games left on Philadelphia’s schedule, he needs to average 101 yards to hit 2,000. Like Henry’s conviction about sizable running backs, Barkley isn’t afraid to snap back at how running backs are talked about by leaning on his predecessors rather than his peers. The 27-year-old who underwent ACL surgery in 2020 told The Philadelphia Inquirer this summer that he has no intention of slowing down because Marcus Allen was still Pro Bowl-worthy in his early 30s and because Barry Sanders, who retired at 31, left the game in his prime. “There’s this weird thing with running backs right now,” Barkley said. “Is it a difficult position to play? Yes. Do you take wear and tear? Yes. But who are you or anyone else to tell me how long I can play the game? I call [BS].” The weird thing he’s referring to is the devaluation of running backs. They’re replaceable and production is preferred in parts. Lewis, conversely, used to insist on 15 carries before halftime. Now, he said, offensive coordinators can’t get a head coaching job running the football like that. Consider this other weird thing with running backs right now: the three most productive backs in the NFL signed in free agency away from teams who either didn’t want them or didn’t want to pay them. Henry, Barkley and Josh Jacobs (Green Bay) are putting conventional wisdom on the stand and the defense is arguing it’s a running back renaissance on the merit that their former teams are a combined 7-26. For a position front offices have spent the better part of the past decade moving their chips away from, is this potentially a tipping point? Can Henry and Barkley reset the market? “Yeah, they can,” Lewis said. “But what they can’t change is the guys that are representing the position in college. … To be effective, like a Derrick Henry or like myself, you have to be a featured back. Featured, meaning I am the starting running back and as a backup, you come in when I get tired or if there’s a special play. [That’s] durability and being able to withstand and be productive throughout the game. Now they’re getting that out of two backs, maybe three, versus one.” Added Henry: “We just want to go out there and do our job — do our job effectively [and] show that the position matters. And hopefully we’ve been doing that well enough to add value for the future of this position.” Ravens running back Derrick Henry is seeking to become the first player to twice rush for 2,000 yards in a season. (Ryan Sun/AP) Lewis’ son, Jazz, is a freshman wide receiver at Chamblee High School in Georgia. He already has a scholarship offer from Memphis while having unofficially visited Clemson, Georgia and his dad’s alma mater, Tennessee. So the older Lewis is fairly plugged into college ball, the best predictor of the future of the NFL. There are a finite amount of workhorses in college football. Fifteen backs have 200-plus carries. Boise State’s Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty leads a four-pack with more than 250. The rest of the field operates by committee and utilizes the position like a quasi-slot receiver capable of creating mismatches with linebackers. “As long as that’s still going on, you’re not gonna have a Derrick Henry coming out of college,” Lewis said, pointing to the last running back to win a Heisman. “That’s why it feels like the last of a dying breed.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Daniel Jones is signing with the Vikings after his release from the Giants, AP source says Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Eagles scouting report for Week 13: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Who should be the NFL MVP? Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff picture: Ravens are a virtual lock, but who will they play? Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 12: Saquon Barkley sprints into MVP conversation In Sunday’s game, Lewis is eagerly awaiting what was commonplace 20 years ago and a rarity now: a featured matchup of two elite running backs. Back then, Lewis used to think about his counterpart as much, if not more, than the defense. Those twice-a-year meetings with Cincinnati’s Corey Dillon and Pittsburgh’s Jerome Bettis were always circled on the calendar. Ravens Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis would say, “Oh, Jamal, we got Bettis this week. We got your back.’” Henry said he doesn’t think that way. But he has an appreciation for the other “franchise players making a big impact,” he said. “That’s the cool thing about it, just going against guys that you want to see do well.” Henry paused for a moment. “Except when they play us.” In 2024, Jamal Lewis types are hard to come by — never mind when two occupy opposite sidelines. There might not be many more Sundays like this one in Baltimore. “I gotta get to that game,” Lewis said. “I hope I can get me one of those 22 [jerseys] when I go up there to visit.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley jumped into the NFL MVP conversation with a dominant performance Sunday night against the Rams. (Ryan Sun/AP) View the full article

The playoff race is heating up as Thanksgiving nears. So is the battle for NFL Most Valuable Player. Tell us who you think should win the league’s top honor. After you vote, tell us what you think by clicking the comments button and we might publish your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

Thanksgiving is here, which means it’s time to start thinking about the postseason. Only six weeks remain in the NFL regular season, and while a lot can happen between now and when the wild-card round begins in January, the playoff picture is starting to take shape. Here’s a look at the standings in the AFC through Week 12: 1. Kansas City Chiefs (10-1), first in AFC West Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Chargers, at Browns, vs. Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos Playoff probability, per Next Gen Stats: >99% The Chiefs’ record is sparkling, but their play on the field has been anything but. Kansas City needed a last-second field goal to escape with a victory over the lowly Carolina Panthers on Sunday a week after losing for the first time this season in Buffalo. The offense has struggled to generate big plays in large part because of a lack of speed. First-round receiver Xavier Worthy is not quite ready to be a No. 1 target, and while tight end Travis Kelce and wideout DeAndre Hopkins are reliable, they are diminished at their age. The offensive tackles remain a problem, prompting the signing of 30-year-old D.J. Humphries. Perhaps most concerning is a banged-up defense that has allowed 27 or more points in back-to-back games. The quest for a third straight Super Bowl title will be extremely difficult for Patrick Mahomes and company. 2. Buffalo Bills (9-2), first in AFC East Remaining schedule: vs. 49ers, at Rams, at Lions, vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, at Patriots Playoff probability: >99% This could be a breakthrough season for quarterback Josh Allen, who is the betting favorite to win his first NFL Most Valuable Player Award. This was expected to be somewhat of a transition year for the Bills after they lost some big-name players in the offseason (notably wide receiver Stefon Diggs), but Allen has put the team on his back and is thriving under offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Buffalo’s pass catchers are not exceptional, but they fit together well and have spread the wealth. Pass rusher Greg Rousseau has become a breakout star, and linebacker Matt Milano is expected to return soon as a key cog in the middle of the defense. This could be Allen’s best chance yet to win a title — especially if the Bills get the top seed and first-round bye thanks to their head-to-head win over Kansas City. Mike Tomlin is the early Coach of the Year favorite for what he’s done to get the Steelers on top of the AFC North. (David Richard/AP) 3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3), first in AFC North Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Browns, at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals Playoff probability: 93% Mike Tomlin is the early Coach of the Year favorite for what he’s done to get this team on top of the AFC North. Making Russell Wilson the starting quarterback over Justin Fields was not an easy decision, but it’s paid off so far — outside of a Thursday night loss to the Browns in a snowstorm. The big question is whether the offense is good enough to contend with the likes of the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens in the postseason. George Pickens is the only standout receiver, and Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are averaging just 4 yards per carry. They desperately need midseason pickup Mike Williams to help. Pittsburgh’s defense has been outstanding, but it’s carrying a heavy burden. 4. Houston Texans (7-5), first in AFC South Remaining schedule: at Jaguars, vs. Dolphins, at Chiefs, vs. Ravens, at Titans Playoff probability: 94% A 5-1 start has quickly gone south, with a 32-27 loss to the Titans the latest stumble for a team that has failed to build on last season’s success. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud has been hurt by a poor offensive line and the absence of star receiver Nico Collins, but he’s also missed some throws he usually makes. It’s enough to have serious concerns about whether Stroud can lead Houston to its second straight division title and another playoff win. It’s a good reminder that success is not always linear in the NFL, even for star quarterbacks. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews celebrates a touchdown catch Monday night against the Chargers. (Ryan Sun/AP) 5. Ravens (8-4), second in AFC North Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, at Giants, vs. Steelers, at Texans, vs. Browns Playoff probability: 99% They might be a wild-card team right now, but the Ravens have the look of a Super Bowl contender. Baltimore rolled to a methodical 30-23 win over the Chargers on Monday night that was much more dominant than the score might indicate. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Ravens were on pace to set an NFL record with a whopping 7.1 yards per play. Baltimore trailed 10-0 early, but a bold call by John Harbaugh to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 16-yard line paid off as the Ravens drove for a touchdown and never trailed again. Even the much-maligned defense stood its ground despite missing star linebacker Roquan Smith. The Steelers are a half-game up in the AFC North with a head-to-head win in hand, but the division race is far from over. This is the classic team nobody wants to play in the postseason. 6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), second in AFC West Remaining schedule: at Falcons, at Chiefs, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders Playoff probability: 86% Monday night was a chance for the Chargers to prove they were a legitimate playoff contender, and for stretches, it looked like they could be. L.A. raced out to a 10-0 lead behind a dominant opening drive, pounding the ball behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. But after that, they couldn’t stop the Ravens, who at point scored on five straight possessions. A knee injury that forced Dobbins out of the game looms large since the Chargers and offensive coordinator Greg Roman rely on the rushing attack to be successful. Justin Herbert is plenty good enough to carry this team to the postseason, but his supporting cast might hold him back. 7. Denver Broncos (7-5), third in AFC West Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, vs. Colts, at Chargers, at Bengals, vs. Chiefs Playoff probability: 73% After a rough start, the Broncos and coach Sean Payton have settled into a nice groove with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Denver almost upset the Chiefs a few weeks ago but responded to that heartbreaking loss by winning two straight over the Falcons and Raiders. Since Week 3, Nix has thrown 16 touchdown passes to just two interceptions, showing more command of the offense as Payton discovers what the six-year college starter is comfortable with. The defense has been the real star of the show, with Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss blanketing receivers and Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper leading a deep group of pass rushers that leads the league with 44 sacks. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 12: Saquon Barkley sprints into MVP conversation Baltimore Ravens | Gamble pays off for Ravens’ John Harbaugh: ‘No guts, no glory, right?’ Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 30-23 win over Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, spurred by bold 4th-down call, roll to 30-23 win over Chargers In the hunt Miami Dolphins (5-6), 16% playoff probability: The Dolphins have been a different team since quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned from a concussion, winning three straight games to put themselves back in playoff contention. Miami has scored 34 points in back-to-back wins, and Tagovailoa is leading the NFL with a 72.5% completion rate. Jaylen Waddle broke out from a deep slumber with 144 receiving yards against the Patriots. If Tagovailoa stays healthy and former Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver’s defense continues to play well, the Dolphins could be a scary wild-card team. Indianapolis Colts (5-7), 21% playoff probability: Second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson has had an up-and-down season, but he’s played much better since being benched for two games in favor of veteran Joe Flacco. A soft schedule to end the season, including matchups against the Patriots, Titans, Giants and Jaguars, could give the Colts a chance to catch the slumping Texans and compete for the AFC South title. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7), 13% playoff probability: It would probably take the Bengals going at least 5-1 down the stretch to have any chance of sniffing a playoff berth, but don’t put it past Joe Burrow and company. The star quarterback is putting up MVP-worthy numbers throwing to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, reaching a new level of command and comfort in the pocket in his fifth season. The Bengals’ defense keeps letting the team down in big games, but a slate of matchups against mediocre offenses in Pittsburgh, Dallas, Tennessee, Cleveland and Denver might give Cincinnati a chance to simply outscore opponents and make an improbable run. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 12: Winner: Saquon Barkley Could a running back win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award? We’re about to find out. Saquon Barkley vaulted himself into the conversation with a majestic performance in Sunday night’s 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles star rushed for a staggering 255 yards, the most in team history and the ninth-most in league history. That included a pair of 70-plus-yard touchdown runs in which Barkley showed off the elite burst that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Through 11 games in Philadelphia after leaving the Giants in free agency, Barkley has already rushed for a career-high 1,392 yards. At 27 years old, he looks just as explosive as ever, making his three-year, $37.5 million contract an absolute steal. For context, Barkley is the eighth-highest-paid player on Philadelphia’s offense. As Barkley goes, so do the Eagles (9-2), who have won seven straight and firmly hold the top spot in the NFC East. While quarterback Jalen Hurts has been effective, Barkley’s down-to-down impact is what has vaulted Philadelphia from a struggling offense in the back half of last season to one of the league’s best. Despite playing behind a strong offensive line, former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift eclipsed 100 yards just twice last season. Barkley has already done so seven times, including five games over 145 yards. And it’s not just Barkley who deserves all the credit. He leads the league in average yards before contact, which is a credit to the offensive line for opening big holes and moving defenders off the line of scrimmage. Giving an elite athlete like Barkley all that room puts pressure on second- and third-level defenders to bring him down, and they’re often left grasping at air or being shoved into the ground. After last year’s epic collapse that resulted in an early postseason exit, it was impossible to predict what kind of Eagles team would show up this season. There have still been head-scratching moments with coach Nick Sirianni, but his grip on the team feels more secure. The addition of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has also solidified a unit brimming with talent, including rookie defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. With Barkley on a tear, the Eagles look like a Super Bowl contender that’s getting better every week. Maybe running backs do matter after all. Loser: Washington Commanders Just three weeks ago, Washington seemed destined for the playoffs and Jayden Daniels looked like a shoo-in for Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Oh, how things have changed. After a wild finish Sunday that included 31 points in the final four minutes, Washington suffered its third straight loss, 34-26 to the Cooper Rush-led Dallas Cowboys. Those final minutes included a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a miracle 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left, a missed game-tying extra point attempt, an onside kick return for a touchdown and an interception on a Hail Mary. For many teams, that’s a season’s worth of excitement. While a 7-5 record is a great result for a team with a rookie quarterback and first-year coach, the path the Commanders have taken here is troubling. For starters, there’s the usual second-half regression that often accompanies offenses directed by coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, which many have dubbed the “Kliff Cliff.” Whether it’s something inherently broken in Kingsbury’s scheme or perhaps a lingering injury for Daniels, the offense has not been nearly as effective over the past three games. Perhaps most glaring Sunday, however, was the rash of mistakes that prevented Washington from beating a Cowboys team missing many of its best players. In addition to the special teams blunders, the Commanders were penalized eight times for a season-high 78 yards. They also committed three turnovers, including two interceptions from Daniels, and went just 4-for-12 on third down. Washington blocked a field goal and a punt in the same game for the first time since 1977 … and still lost. There is still plenty of time to right the ship, starting with a home game Sunday against the 3-8 Titans. But there is little margin for error with the Falcons (6-5), Buccaneers (5-6) and the entire NFC West jockeying for playoff position. NFL Next Gen Stats gives the Commanders a 58% chance to make the playoffs. Falling short of the seven-team field after a 7-2 start would be a disappointing way to end such a promising campaign. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has thrown 11 touchdown passes and just one interception since returning from a concussion. (Lynne Sladky/AP) Winner: Miami Dolphins After Tua Tagovailoa suffered another scary concussion and the Dolphins fell to 2-6, there was some conversation about whether it even made sense for the star quarterback to return this season. Why risk his health during a lost year? With three straight wins, the latest a 34-15 rout of the Patriots, Miami (5-6) has revived its postseason hopes. Tagovailoa has been exceptional since his return in Week 8, throwing 11 touchdown passes with just one interception while averaging 255.4 passing yards per game. He carved up New England on Sunday to the tune of 317 yards and four touchdowns. “We’re still below the .500 threshold, and it’s a long way to where we want to get to,” Tagovailoa said. “We’ll enjoy this win, but this next one is going to be big for us.” That next one is Thanksgiving night against the Green Bay Packers, who are 8-3 and coming off a blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers. But the Packers are dealing with injuries to wide receiver Romeo Doubs (concussion), cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) and could be vulnerable during a short week of preparation. What seemed like a gantlet to end the season for Miami does not seem so daunting now, with the Jets, Texans, 49ers and Browns all struggling and falling below preseason expectations. Next Gen Stats gives the Dolphins just a 15% chance to make the playoffs, since the Bills (9-2) are running away with the AFC East and the Broncos (7-5) have a firm hold on the final wild-card spot. But the fact that Miami even has hope given how the season started is a testament to Tagovailoa’s determination and belief in the locker room. Loser: New York Giants Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the Giants. A week that began with the release of quarterback Daniel Jones ended with a dispiriting 30-7 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, dropping New York to a league-worst 2-9. The performance on the field was bad enough, as the defense allowed 450 total yards and the offense only mustered one meaningless fourth-quarter touchdown, but the comments after the game are the real concern. “We played soft,” star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “I personally don’t think everyone’s giving 100%,” offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor said. “We’ve got capable players who don’t play like they’re capable, period,” wide receiver Darius Slayton said. Related Articles NFL | NFL playoff picture: Ravens are a virtual lock, but who will they play? NFL | Gamble pays off for Ravens’ John Harbaugh: ‘No guts, no glory, right?’ NFL | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers NFL | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 30-23 win over Chargers NFL | Ravens, spurred by bold 4th-down call, roll to 30-23 win over Chargers The move to release Jones and start third-stringer Tommy DeVito didn’t seem to sit well in the locker room. Drew Lock was confused as to why he wasn’t elevated to the starting role. Lawrence said Jones was the best quarterback on the team, and rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers said during his lengthy rant Sunday that the quarterback isn’t the problem. Team owner John Mara gave general manager Schoen and coach Brian Daboll a public vote of confidence four weeks ago, asserting that they would return next season. It’s becoming harder to justify that decision, especially if the players don’t believe in the team’s direction. It doesn’t help that Barkley and Packers safety Xavier McKinney (league-high seven interceptions), two former high draft picks the Giants let walk in free agency, are thriving with their new teams. The only silver lining right now is an incoming high draft pick, perhaps No. 1 overall. But given the mistakes the Schoen-Daboll regime has already made when it comes to evaluating talent, it would be a big risk to let them make that decision. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

John Harbaugh treated Monday night not like a coach in a consequential NFL game that could alter the course of the season, but like an older brother pinning his younger sibling into the shag carpet. Even if Harbaugh won’t admit familial influence in Baltimore’s 30-23 win over the Jim Harbaugh-coached Los Angeles Chargers, his players certainly felt it with the Ravens converting three fourth-down attempts and lining up for a borderline-greedy 2-point try. “For me, being a big brother, it’s like, ‘I can’t lose to my little brother,’” quarterback Lamar Jackson said. “That’s what I believe, going into that game, he was thinking [of] a lot.” The elder Harbaugh has long been one of the league’s most aggressive coaches, but not so much recently. The Athletic’s Ben Baldwin runs a program that tracks this sort of thing. From the start of the 2023 regular season heading into Monday night, Baltimore ranked 31st out of 32 teams in how often teams go for it when they should. The Ravens’ veteran coach tossed that playbook out the window for the sake of family bragging rights. On the first play after the two-minute warning in the first half, Harbaugh sent his offense back out to the field for a fourth-and-1 pinned back at their own 16-yard line. Common sense might say punt. Analytics suggest go for it. Harbaugh, perhaps uncharacteristically, told ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters, “No guts, no glory, right?” It’s been 12 years since an NFL team converted a first-half fourth-down that deep in their own territory. In 2012, the St. Louis Rams did it on a fake punt. On Monday, Jackson was ready to come off the field for a third punt in four possessions. Then Harbaugh told him, “It’s very short. We can convert.” Tight end Mark Andrews took a snap under center and got past the first-down marker with a push from running back Derrick Henry. That was the same play call that resulted in an offsides penalty against Charlie Kolar in Cleveland last month. This time, Andrews converted, and five plays later Jackson flung a picturesque 40-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman, a turning point in the win. “The overriding thing was who we were playing, and the idea that you just gotta try to hang on to possessions as long as you can, because they’re so good,” Harbaugh said. Safety Kyle Hamilton told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt that the defense was joking on the sideline, “You know your job is secure when you can make calls like that.” He lauded Harbaugh’s ability to downplay the brother storyline during the week, but everyone in that locker room knows they contributed to a Thanksgiving back-and-forth. “It wasn’t a huge talking point for us,” Hamilton said, “but we know deep down ‘Harbs’ wants this win. It means a little more than the other ones.” Two Ravens possessions later, the older Harbaugh flexed his muscles again — a tough decision alleviated when he’s leaning on the NFL’s best offense. “I just felt like we could get them,” he said. “You have to believe in your guys.” Baltimore stumbled to another fourth-and-1 in the second half. Henry rushed 26 yards further than he needed to keep the drive alive and 20 yards over expected, according to Next Gen Stats. One more fourth-and-1, and again Henry crossed the sticks, part of a 140-yard night. That pair of conversions set up a leaping touchdown catch by Andrews in the back of the end zone. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 30-23 win over Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, spurred by bold 4th-down call, roll to 30-23 win over Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 30-23 win over Los Angeles Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers, November 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith inactive vs. Chargers The only gamble Harbaugh didn’t cash in on was his decision to go for 2 early in the fourth quarter. Rather than being satisfied with an extra point that would have put his Ravens up eight, he rolled the dice to make it a two-possession game. But Zay Flowers couldn’t haul in Jackson’s pass. Nevertheless, Harbaugh resisted conservative playcalling. His team’s 3-for-3 execution on fourth down directly set up 14 points — the difference on the scoreboard until a Los Angeles touchdown in the game’s final minute. Monday night was the ninth time under Harbaugh the Ravens converted a trio of fourth downs in a single game. It was the first since Dec. 4, 2022, and tied the organization’s single-game record, first set in 2004. But when brotherly bragging rights are on the line, there’s no holding back. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens smashed through the league’s stingiest scoring defense to pick up a crucial 30-23 win against the Los Angeles Chargers in the third coaching matchup between John and Jim Harbaugh. Here are five things we learned from the game: The Ravens rediscovered their identity in the wake of a bitter loss They weren’t in genuine danger of falling off a playoff track, but the Ravens had to know a loss to the Chargers would lead to uncomfortable discourse regarding their long-term prospects. Already, the talk was that they could not get out of their own way coming off a penalty- and turnover-fueled loss to the maddening Pittsburgh Steelers. While the fraternal rivalry between coaching Harbaughs would be the cheerful surface plot in this matchup of AFC contenders, the trip to Los Angeles represented a low-key reckoning for the Ravens. Fall to 7-5 with the scorching hot Philadelphia Eagles up next, and they’d suddenly be in survival mode, confronting ugly doubts. They steered right into those doubts to start the night, offering little resistance on an opening drive orchestrated by their former offensive coordinator, Greg Roman. They short-circuited their own powerful offense with a pair of 15-yard penalties, the bane of their recent existence. The nightmare scenario seemed to be unfolding. And then the Ravens woke up. They re-fired the engine of their brutal, relentless offensive machine, handing the ball to Derrick Henry, counterpunching with Justice Hill, grinding on the league’s No. 1 scoring defense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was more workmanlike than magical for most of the night, but he made the necessary throws and runs when it was time to finish drives in the end zone. Coach John Harbaugh, looking to embolden this attack, went for three fourth downs. The Ravens converted all three, not to mention eight of 15 third downs. At its core, this team is special because it can run on anyone and because Jackson is nearly impossible to defend on those high-leverage plays that extend and complete drives. The Ravens made too many mistakes for those virtues to shine through in Pittsburgh, but they were back to being themselves against Jim Harbaugh’s tough, disciplined Chargers. They boarded their overnight flight 8-4, just a half-game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North and set for an intriguing battle of the bullies against the 9-2 Eagles. John Harbaugh’s heart grows three sizes when he’s coaching against his younger brother He’s just trying to draw them offside. That’s what we all thought when the Ravens’ offense stayed on the field facing fourth-and-1 from their own 16 as the clock ticked down to the two-minute warning. Surely, they’d punt it away safely when the break was over, content with a one-score deficit going into the locker room. And then, Mark Andrews lined up under center. “The upside was that I really thought we’d get it,” Harbaugh said, reflecting on the call that helped put the Ravens up to stay. Harbaugh’s not a fearful coach under any circumstances, but his little brother seems to draw out the gunslinger within. Who could forget the fake field goal big brother called — the first in Super Bowl history — the last time we saw Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh? Ravens coach John Harbaugh, left, is 3-0 when coaching against his brother. (Jeff Lewis/AP) That bit of daring came up a yard short. This time, the math was on Harbaugh’s side. But imagine the howls of derision he would have heard if the direct snap to his tight end did not work. Andrews powered forward just enough on the Ravens’ version of the tush push. Five plays later, Jackson slipped a 40-yard touchdown strike to Rashod Bateman through blanket coverage. Harbaugh’s gumption paid off more richly than even he could have imagined. We saw just how significant an upgrade the Ravens made at running back Henry was alone, moving in the wrong direction with two Chargers between him and a third-down conversion. He extended his mighty right arm to push the first defender aside and turned upfield, but the second still had a good angle to stop him short. Again, Henry thrust out his Muhammad Ali straight right to create the space he needed. Five yards and the Ravens were still moving, on their way to another score. The run was far from Henry’s longest in a mighty 140-yard performance, but it might have been his most clutch and the one that best illustrated his unique qualities. His greatness felt particularly significant on a night when the Ravens faced their two top running backs from the pre-Henry era. J.K. Dobbins averaged a wildly efficient 5.8 yards per carry in Baltimore. Gus Edwards was one of the fiercest battering rams ever to wear the purple and black. But Dobbins couldn’t stay on the field, and Edwards didn’t run with quite as much fury in 2023. Instead of re-upping with either, general manager Eric DeCosta jumped into the running back market with both feet, signing the most proven of proven stars. Only the most pitiless fan could have felt anything but pained empathy for Dobbins when he left the field with a knee injury Monday night. He carried six times for 40 yards and caught another three passes for 19 yards; perhaps the night would have been his if that knee had allowed it. Edwards, meanwhile, carried nine times for just 11 yards. The Chargers had no answer for Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 140 yards in Monday’s win. (Kyusung Gong/AP) On the other side, Henry just kept doing the things that have him pointed toward the Hall of Fame, hauling his 247 pounds of muscle around the edge, throwing that stiff right when he needed it. He has suffered just one significant injury in his career despite carrying 378 times in 2020 and 349 in 2022. He and Saquon Barkley, whom the Ravens will see Sunday when they host the Philadelphia Eagles, are the gold standard at a position where many teams have turned to bargain-hunting over the last decade. DeCosta had too little cap space to spend on every part of his roster last summer. He could have easily chased value instead of premium talent at running back, figuring Jackson would give the team an excellent ground game no matter what. But his choice to pursue Henry, now on pace for 1,877 rushing yards, created a super-charged offense. “I can’t give him credit enough for how locked in he is,” Jackson said of the best running back he’s ever partnered with. “How dynamic he is.” The Ravens can’t stop putting themselves in holes with penalties Fullback Patrick Ricard’s leg whip wiped out a 17-yard completion and put the Ravens in an impossible first-and-25 hole to stall their first drive. They were backed up another 15 yards at the start of their second drive when Nate Wiggins drew a flag for blocking a defender out of bounds on Tylan Wallace’s punt return. The call on Ricard was sketchy given how little contact he made, but that was beside the larger point. Eight days earlier, Harbaugh had lamented how penalties made it impossible for his offense to find any rhythm in an 18-16 loss to the Steelers. A quarter in, the Ravens were right back to the same shenanigans against another tough, disciplined opponent. They goofed again in the second quarter with an illegal formation in the red zone, but Jackson rendered that one irrelevant with a nifty 10-yard touchdown run. Not coincidentally, the Ravens played significantly cleaner football during their stretch of five straight scoring drives that gave them a two-touchdown lead. Only a holding call on guard Patrick Mekari, their most penalized lineman, marred that run of elite offense. But pass-interference calls on Marlon Humphrey and Jalyn Armour-Davis kept the Chargers alive on a last-ditch drive that finished in the end zone and gave Los Angeles a shot at a final onside kick. Those penalties took the Ravens’ tally to nine for 102 yards, still an unacceptable pace even if the flags did not prove as costly as the 12 for 80 yards they drew in Pittsburgh. It’s not as if this is an every-year problem for Harbaugh’s teams. The Ravens ranked 26th in penalty yards as recently as 2022. But the bottom line is they’re not shedding what has become a major albatross this season, and as Harbaugh said, that buck stops with him. Though it’s impossible to eradicate holding and pass interference, the Ravens keep making mental mistakes pre-snap and on special teams. They won’t win four straight games against postseason competition if they don’t clean up their act. Ravens inside linebacker Malik Harrison, tackling Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins in the first half Monday night, stepped up in Roquan Smith’s absence. (Eric Thayer/AP) With an unexpected star turn by Malik Harrison, the defense stood tough in Roquan Smith’s absence Smith sprinted on his sore hamstring during pregame warmups, hoping he could defy the odds and start at linebacker after a week of missed practices. But the Ravens prudently chose to give their defensive leader another week with the bruising Eagles on their way to town and a bye after that. Boy did they miss Smith on the Chargers’ opening touchdown drive as Dobbins and Edwards slashed off-tackle and Justin Herbert lofted an 18-yard completion to tight end Will Dissly that fell between the Ravens’ linebackers and their back end. The Baltimore defense has been soft in the middle even with its All-Pro middle linebacker. Without him, it seemed disaster might be afoot. So, give a game ball to Harrison, the reserve linebacker most responsible for stepping into the breach. No one questioned the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Harrison’s sturdiness against the run, but many of us wondered if his lack of mobility would be a fatal liability against Dissly and the Chargers’ other intermediate pass catchers. Nope. Harrison not only led the team with 13 tackles; he earned very good marks on 24 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus’ early grading. A serviceable performance would have been well-received. No one could have guessed Harrison would be the team’s best defender in Los Angeles. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 30-23 win over Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, spurred by bold 4th-down call, roll to 30-23 win over Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 30-23 win over Los Angeles Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers, November 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith inactive vs. Chargers “Malik Harrison steps in and has a career game,” Harbaugh said. “He had [13] tackles. And the thing I appreciate about Malik, is he’s a really even-keeled guy, but he’s a confident person. And they go down there the first drive, and we’re trying to figure out what’s going on and how we’re going to play these different things, and [we] talked through it, and he didn’t flinch for one second.” We wondered also how much the Ravens would get from defensive tackle Travis Jones, who was questionable to play against the Chargers because of an ankle injury that keeps flaring. Well, Jones gritted his teeth through 34 snaps and earned the highest preliminary PFF grade of any Baltimore interior defender. The Chargers ran for 35 yards on that first drive, 48 the rest of the game. Dissly and star slot receiver Ladd McConkey caught all 10 passes thrown their way for 130 yards but did not rip off the chunk gains that have killed the Ravens for much of the season. The Ravens will need Smith’s brain, legs and fire to be at their best down the stretch. He has to be delighted that his teammates found those qualities in themselves while he could only watch from the sideline Monday night. Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. Week 13 Eagles at Ravens Sunday, 4:25 p.m. TV: CBS Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 2 1/2 Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, accounted for three touchdowns Monday night. (Jeff Lewis/AP) View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens (8-4) graded out at every position after beating the Chargers (7-4), 30-23, on Monday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California: Quarterbacks There was nothing magical about Lamar Jackson’s performance, but he managed the game well and made plays several times when pressured. Jackson completed 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He started slowly and overthrew some receivers early, but overall he controlled the tempo of the game. Jackson finished with a passer rating of 126.5 and also had a 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Grade: C+ Running backs As expected, the Ravens pounded the Chargers with running back Derrick Henry, who had 140 yards on 24 carries. Henry was successful with several cutback runs, and he was also strong running off tackle on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Backup Justice Hill added 55 yards on four carries, with most of those coming on a back-breaking 51-yard touchdown run around the left end in the fourth quarter. Grade: B Offensive line The Chargers were expected to challenge offensive tackles Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten off the edge with outside linebackers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, but they caused few problems. When they did get pressure, Jackson avoided it well. Right guard Daniel Faalele did a nice job of pulling and getting seal blocks, but left guard Patrick Mekari is still drawing too many penalties. It’s unlikely the Ravens will make any changes with Mekari, but those holding penalties are becoming more costly and will hurt in the postseason. The Ravens had 212 rushing yards. Grade: B The Ravens, behind a stout offensive line, ran for more than 200 yards in Monday’s win over the Chargers. (Ryan Sun/AP) Receivers The Ravens didn’t need much from this group, but they did get a couple of big plays from tight end Mark Andrews. He had five catches for 44 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter. Rashod Bateman also had a 40-yard touchdown reception in the second. That catch showed great concentration by Bateman, who was closely covered by Kristian Fulton but the cornerback failed to turn and make a play on the ball and was called for pass interference. Slot receiver Zay Flowers had five catches for 62 yards. Overall, it’s usually a good day for the Ravens when their receivers don’t have to dominate and control the flow of the game. Grade: C Defensive line It would have been interesting to see what the Chargers would have done if running back J.K. Dobbins played the second half, but he left the game late in the first with a knee injury after rushing for 40 yards on six carries. The Chargers had success running at the Ravens with Dobbins, but they became too one-dimensional after he exited. Once the Ravens took the lead, they simply overpowered the Chargers’ offensive line, which was guilty of several holding penalties. Los Angeles finished with only 83 rushing yards. Defensive tackle Travis Jones finished with three tackles. Grade: B Linebackers The Ravens got a strong game from Malik Harrison, who was filling in for injured starting inside linebacker Roquan Smith. Harrison started slow but became more dominant after the first quarter. He finished with 13 tackles, including one for a loss. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh were starting to get consistent pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. The Ravens finished with four sacks and seven pressures, and Oweh and Van Noy had one sack each. Grade: B+ Secondary It’s tough to figure this group out. While it has held its own for two straight weeks, both opponents, the Chargers and the Steelers, are lacking talent at the wide receiver position. The Chargers dropped several passes Monday night, but cornerback Marlon Humphrey played well in coverage despite missing some tackles early. Overall, there has been improvement from the back end, but the Chargers attacked down the middle of the field early. As usual, safety Kyle Hamilton had a strong game and fellow safety Ar’Darius Washington keeps getting better. He finished with four tackles while cornerback Nate Wiggins had six and knocked down two passes. It will be interesting to see how much this group progresses. The Ravens, though, are good at holding. Grade: C+ Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, spurred by bold 4th-down call, roll to 30-23 win over Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 30-23 win over Los Angeles Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers, November 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith inactive vs. Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 30-23 win Special teams When the offense struggled on their first two possessions of the game, punter Jordon Stout bailed them out. He finished the game by averaging 54.3 yards on three punts, including a 62-yarder. Kicker Justin Tucker made a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the Ravens, including running back Keaton Mitchell, still seem confused about when to return kickoffs. They need to improve their coverage units, too, after allowing one kickoff return of 46 yards and a punt return of 19 yards. Grade: C Coaching Good call by coach John Harbaugh to gamble on fourth down late in the second quarter at his own 16. Harbaugh won on all three fourth-down attempts, but it was more of a statement about the Chargers and how soft they are on defense than the Ravens’ explosive offense. Offensively, the Ravens were balanced and the defense was more aggressive and gave the Chargers several new looks. Baltimore wase far from dominant, but it controlled the pace of the game after the first quarter. Grade: B Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The storylines were enough to fill a Hollywood script. Ravens coach John Harbaugh facing off against little brother and Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh for a third time and the first since beating him in the Super Bowl a dozen years ago. A pair of ex-Baltimore running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards seeking revenge against the team that jettisoned them. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looking across the sideline at condemned former Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman. It all provided plenty of drama and possibilities at SoFi Stadium on Monday night. Then, a plot twist. With the Ravens trailing the Chargers, 10-7, in a critical AFC showdown and facing fourth-and-1 from their own 16-yard line late in the second quarter, John Harbaugh went against conventional wisdom and decided to gamble. The analytics favored the choice, but reality painted a potentially disastrous outcome had they not converted. After quarterback Lamar Jackson tried to draw Los Angeles offside before the two-minute warning, the Ravens’ punt team started to come onto the field before things took a turn. Tight end Mark Andrews took the snap from under center, running back Derrick Henry and fullback Patrick Ricard pushed from behind and Baltimore picked up 2 yards and the first down. “I told him I’m gonna push the [crap] out you,” said Henry, who is usually the one with the ball in his hands. Instead, he had his tight end’s backside. “He said to me after ‘I felt ya.'” And the Ravens had plenty of reason to feel good, too. Three plays later, wide receiver Zay Flowers caught a short pass, cut back across the defense and gained 22 yards. Two plays after that, Jackson threw deep down the left sideline for a well-covered Rashod Bateman, who fended off Kristian Fulton and hauled in the 40-yard touchdown strike. The score gave Baltimore its first lead of the night as it shook off a sluggish start and turned the momentum in Harbowl III as the Ravens (8-4) pulled away from the Chargers (7-4) for a 30-23 victory. “It was just gutsy,” center Tyler Linderbaum said of the fourth-down call. “Credit to Coach to having trust in us to get the job done and credit to all 11 guys on the field to get that first down. It was definitely a big momentum swing.” “That, I think, changed the game,” added Ricard. “It changed momentum for us going into the second half.” The win keeps Baltimore within a half-game of the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. It also marked Harbaugh’s third victory over his sibling in as many meetings and the first since they last met in the Super Bowl in February 2013 when Jim was coach of the San Francisco 49ers. “I just thought that [Andrews] and Tyler and our interior offensive line … I thought we could get it, and they did,” Harbaugh said of the call. “That was a big turning point in the game.” And like any good plot line, a central tenet to the story. Baltimore went for it on fourth down two more times on the night, including another in their own territory in the third quarter. They converted them all and along the way broke the will of their opponent. Ravens coach John Harbaugh, left, hugs his younger brother and Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh after Baltimore’s 30-23 win. (Jeff Lewis/AP) “You do when you’re getting 5 yards a play, so just might as well keep running the same play over and over again,” Ricard said. “That’s what we were doing. We were flipping sides running the same play.” And they bullied the Chargers right out of their building when it mattered most. Clinging to a 17-16 lead late in the third after both teams had traded field goals and facing fourth-and-1 from their own 39, the Ravens didn’t hesitate. This time the call was more traditional, and Henry ripped off a 27-yard gain through the left side of the line. Later in the drive and facing a fourth-and-1 from Los Angeles’ 25, Henry (24 carries for 140 yards) delivered again. Five plays later, Jackson hit Andrews in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. Rather than kick the extra point to extend the lead to eight points, however, the Ravens went for 2, but Jackson’s pass fell incomplete. Unlike the Nov. 17 game against the Steelers, it didn’t matter. After the Chargers went three-and-out on their next possession, running back Justice Hill took a handoff on third-and-3 and raced around the left end for a 51-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 30-16. It was a stark contrast to most of the opening 30 minutes and especially the first quarter. The Chargers dominated in both yards and time of possession in the opening frame, outgaining the Ravens 123 yards to 20 and keeping the ball for more than 10 of the first 15 minutes, and took a 10-0 advantage early in the second. Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens sacks Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the second half Monday night. (Ryan Sun/AP) “We started off very slow,” Jackson said. “We gotta get back in the groove starting our games off the correct way. “The beginning of the season we were doing a great job of that. As the season gone on someway somehow we’ve been horrible starting the game.” But soon after, the Ravens finally started to chip away on both sides of the ball. On offense, they leaned on the long and strong legs of Henry, who came into the game second in rushing in the NFL and finally got going in the second quarter. Off right tackle for 19 yards. Off left tackle for 14 yards. Then Jackson and Andrews ad-libbed to convert a third-and-5 before Henry ripped off another chain-moving run, this one for 11 yards. A penalty for illegal formation on right tackle Roger Rosengarten wiped out Henry’s 5-yard touchdown run one play later, ending his streak of consecutive games with at least one touchdown at 11, but Jackson made up for it by racing to the pylon for a 10-yard score. That cut the deficit to 10-7, and the decision to go for it on fourth down from deep in their own end on the next possession paid off. Baltimore marched 93 yards in eight plays and was on its way. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey breaks up a pass intended for Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer in the second half. (Eric Thayer/AP) Then the defense, which has been prone to giving up big plays and blowing big leads and was without All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith because of a hamstring injury, did the rest. The Chargers were held to just 10 points in the second half and quarterback Justin Herbert finished 21-for-36 for 218 yards with a touchdown, scoring the game’s first points on a 5-yard run. Malik Harrison, who along with Kristian Welch filled in for Smith, did most of the damage with a team-high 13 tackles. He was all over the field for Baltimore, playing inside and on the edge and on special teams. “Knowing that the possibility that Ro’s gonna be out I just had the mindset that I was going to go out there and start,” Harrison said. “I prepared my [butt] off all week.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 30-23 win over Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 30-23 win over Los Angeles Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers, November 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith inactive vs. Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 30-23 win And he helped eliminate any opportunity for ex-Ravens Dobbins and Edwards to exact revenge. Dobbins finished with 40 yards on six carries before exiting late in the second quarter with a knee injury. Edwards had just 11 yards on nine carries and a touchdown in the final minute. Jackson, meanwhile, had just 177 yards but was efficient, completing 16 of 22 passes with two touchdowns and no turnovers. He improved to 18-4 in his career in games after a loss. “Being down 10 early there was just belief,” Andrews said. “Believe that we’re gonna get things going and get things rolling. We’ve got so many playmakers that are able to step up and make big plays when they matter. It was countless today of guys making big-time plays, big-time catches, big-time runs over and over to advance the ball.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman, right, celebrates his 40-yard touchdown catch with Diontae Johnson in the second quarter Monday night against the Chargers. (Ryan Sun/AP) View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Monday night’s Week 12 game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California: Brian Wacker, reporter: John Harbaugh gambled and won. The analytics favored the Ravens going for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 16-yard line late in the second quarter, but trailing 10-7 at the time not getting it would have been disastrous. Of course, Baltimore never had to worry about that, and Harbaugh showed belief in his high powered and powerful offense by going for it and converting on three fourth downs on the night, including twice on one drive. The Ravens went on to score touchdowns on both series, and that swing the momentum from what had been a sluggish start. But in the long game, the team with the better talent can withstand a couple of body blows and bounce back, and that’s what Baltimore did. After the Ravens’ offense was barely on the field in the opening quarter, Baltimore began to chip away with its running game and came through on a handful of critical conversions. The biggest surprise perhaps was on defense. Despite being without inside linebacker Roquan Smith, the Ravens stifled quarterback Justin Herbert in the second half and held the Chargers in check on the ground most of the night and especially once J.K. Dobbins went out with a knee injury late in the second quarter. This was a game Baltimore could ill afford to lose with the Philadelphia Eagles looming, and once again the elder Harbaugh figured out how to get the best of his younger brother. Childs Walker, reporter: The Ravens introduced the league’s stingiest scoring defense to a different level of medieval football, riding Derrick Henry and Justice Hill to more than 200 rushing yards and buckling down on defense for a crucial win. They converted on 8 of 15 third-down attempts and more importantly, 3 of 3 fourth-down attempts. You won’t see a wilder momentum flip than the one the Ravens pulled off just before halftime. Facing fourth-and-1 deep in his own territory, coach John Harbaugh made a shocking call to go for it with a direct snap to Mark Andrews, who converted. A few plays later, Lamar Jackson hit Rashod Bateman for a 40-yard touchdown to put Baltimore up 14-10. Boldness rewarded in the brother vs. brother coaching showdown. Linebacker Roquan Smith’s absence was felt on the first drive of the game as the Chargers carved their way up the middle of the field, carrying seven times for 35 yards and connecting on passes to tight end Will Dissly and slot receiver Ladd McConkey. The Ravens then saw their first drive wiped out by a phantom leg whip call against fullback Patrick Ricard. The night could hardly have gone worse to that point. But the Ravens tapped back into who they are with their best running performance in more than a month. Malik Harrison did stout work standing in for Smith. They spit out the bitter taste from their loss to the Steelers eight days earlier. Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens needed a win badly after a poor performance in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. In that game, the Ravens had 12 penalties for 80 yards and three turnovers. They weren’t dominant against the Chargers until the second half, but they were efficient on both sides of the ball. They got big plays from their offensive stars in quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews and running back Derrick Henry, and the defense was able to slow Los Angeles, especially after running back J.K. Dobbins went down with a knee injury late in the first half. After a slow start on the Ravens’ first two drives of the game, they were able to dissect Los Angeles’ defense and several times succeeded on fourth down, which is more of an indictment of the Chargers’ soft defense than coach John Harbaugh’s willingness to gamble. Defensively, the Ravens gave Los Angeles a lot of different looks and blitzed more than usual. Without Dobbins, the Chargers had no threat for running the ball and quarterback Justin Herbert couldn’t carry them alone. The Ravens ran them over in the second half, at one point scoring on five straight possessions with a good blend of runs and passes. This game was virtually over by midway through the fourth quarter, and the Ravens won as expected. It will get a little tougher Sunday when Baltimore faces Philadelphia, but at least the Ravens recovered from their poor performance in Pittsburgh. Sam Cohn, reporter: Baltimore’s defense had a gaping, All-Pro-sized hole in the middle of the defense. Linebacker Roquan Smith hadn’t practiced all week but wasn’t officially ruled out until about 90 minutes before kickoff. The thinking was, no Smith — the NFL’s tackling leader and Baltimore’s defensive signal caller — and the Chargers’ offense could have a field day over the middle. That’s what it looked like on Los Angeles’ opening drive. But Malik Harrison, Smith’s primary replacement, was serviceable even if not revelatory. Combine a second consecutive solid outing from a defensive group that struggled much of the season with some gutsy decision making from coach John Harbaugh and the Ravens get within a half-game of the Steelers in the AFC North. C.J. Doon, editor: As maddening as this Ravens team can be at times, the moments of brilliance are so sweet. It’s much easier to overlook an illegal formation penalty that wipes out a touchdown run by Derrick Henry when Lamar Jackson dashes into the end zone on the very next play. That’s a luxury simply few teams have. And how many other NFL teams would have the guts to for it on their own 16-yard line trailing in the second quarter? Maybe the Detroit Lions? Don’t take that for granted. John Harbaugh might make a lot of decisions you don’t agree with (like going for 2 to extend the lead to 9 instead of 8 in the fourth quarter), but he’s not doing it for the sake of being bold. That fourth-down call might have saved the Ravens from being down two scores at halftime. Give props to coordinator Zach Orr for patching together the defense in the absence of linebacker Roquan Smith. Malik Harrison and Chris Board played well in increased roles, and after getting gashed on the opening drive, the Ravens didn’t give up another touchdown until there was less than a minute left in garbage time. That’s a sign of good coaching. Justin Herbert still made some great throws, but he didn’t torch a Ravens secondary that has struggled all season. Perhaps that’s more of knock against the Chargers’ uninspiring receivers (that drop by Quentin Johnston on third down in the fourth quarter was particularly brutal), but this defense needed a win however it could get it. You know it was a good night for the Ravens when the officials pick up a pass interference flag against Brandon Stephens. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers, November 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith inactive vs. Chargers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers live updates: Baltimore leads 23-16 in 4th quarter Baltimore Ravens | Coaching, the ‘crab’ and water ping-pong: For Harbaugh brothers, the competition never stops Baltimore Ravens | Ravens reportedly interested in former Giants QB Daniel Jones Tim Schwartz, editor: A methodical victory? Those are far too rare for the Ravens for as good as they are, but they put together one of their most complete performances when they needed it most. The Chargers had no answer for the backfield duo of Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, while Lamar Jackson was efficient and didn’t unnecessarily force anything despite Baltimore trailing by 10 early in the second quarter. The bomb to Rashod Bateman changed the game as it opened up running lanes for Henry. I would ask why the Ravens aren’t using Keaton Mitchell and his game-breaking speed, but it’s hard to argue when Hill takes a simple handoff 51 yards to the house in the fourth quarter. This was a critical game for the Ravens after the Steelers’ loss Thursday night and keeps them right in the mix for the AFC North. And one look at the AFC playoff standings would tell you how important a home playoff game would be. Beating the Eagles would put Baltimore right back in the Super Bowl contenders category. Bennett Conlin, editor: Lamar Jackson is the best player in football, and pairing him with Derrick Henry still feels unfair. That electric duo (and Justice Hill starred Monday as a complementary back) makes up for the fact that Baltimore commits too many penalties and struggles to play consistent defense. Monday, the offense clicked and the defensive flaws showed early in the game when the Ravens fell behind, 10-0. Baltimore is 4-1 on the season when trailing by double digits, as it has now rattled off four consecutive wins in such scenarios. The Ravens can never be counted out because of Jackson’s elite skills and their several offensive weapons alongside the two-time MVP. Baltimore’s defensive shortcomings — which were highlighted early in Monday’s game with Roquan Smith absent before the unit settled into the game — usually guarantee that opponents are never out of a game with the Ravens. Monday, and plenty of other times this season, that makes for entertaining viewing. If Baltimore fulfills its potential and wins a Super Bowl, it’ll be because Jackson’s greatness outweighs the team’s flaws. Jackson carried the load Monday, getting just enough help from his defense after a sluggish start. That recipe just might work for this team. View the full article

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) celebrates his rushing touchdown with offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten (70) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) celebrates his rushing touchdown with quarterback Lamar Jackson during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) scores a rushing touchdown past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Elijah Molden (22) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) reacts after catching a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Mark Andrews (89) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) leaps behind a blocker during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) reaches for a first down as Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) defends during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) if tackled by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rolls out during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison, center, and linebacker Odafe Oweh during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison, center, and linebacker Odafe Oweh during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa (97) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) is tackled after a catch by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton (7) and cornerback Elijah Molden (22) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs past Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford (95) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) makes a touchdown catch as Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton (7) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rolls out during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu (45) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Los Angeles Chargers tight end Will Dissly (81) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Chris Board (49) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) celebrates his rushing touchdown with teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) scores a rushing touchdown as Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley attempts a tackle during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison (40) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers safety Alohi Gilman (32) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) carries during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison (40) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) runs during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) The Baltimore Ravens enter the field before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, right, hugs his brother Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh before an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) warms ups before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) View the full article

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Ravens’ already struggling defense has suffered another blow. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith, who didn’t practice all week because of a hamstring injury, will not be available for Monday night’s critical AFC showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers. The two-time All-Pro was ruled out Monday after being listed as questionable earlier in the week. Smith, 27, is tied for the most tackles in the NFL with 110. It marks the first time he has missed a game because of injury since late in the 2019 season when he finished the year on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle while a member of the Chicago Bears. The defensive signal-caller suffered this latest injury on the first play of the fourth quarter of Baltimore’s 18-16 loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Nov. 17 and did not return. How the Ravens will replace Smith remains to be seen. One option could be starting Malik Harrison and rotating in Chris Board. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr said last week the team would replace Smith by committee. “Not one person is going to replace Roquan,” Orr said. “Roquan’s an every-down linebacker [and] a top linebacker in this league [and] All-Pro for a reason. We like our guys that we have in the room. They got to step up, and we got to step up collectively as a defense, and that linebacker room [has] to step up collectively as a group.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers, November 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chargers live updates: Baltimore leads 23-16 in 4th quarter Baltimore Ravens | Coaching, the ‘crab’ and water ping-pong: For Harbaugh brothers, the competition never stops Baltimore Ravens | Ravens reportedly interested in former Giants QB Daniel Jones Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens, facing Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers will be ‘like playing the L.A. Ravens’ Even with Smith, the Ravens’ defense has not played to its usual standard. Baltimore is 26th in yards allowed per game (362) and 23rd in points allowed per game (24.6). The middle of the field has also been a weak spot, particularly against the pass, with the Ravens ranking last in passing yards allowed per game (284.5) and 27th in yards per pass (7.7). Other inactives for the Ravens are cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf), rookie safety Sanoussi Kane (ankle), outside linebacker David Ojabo, backup center Nick Samac (chest) and rookie running back Rasheen Ali. Center Tyler Linderbaum (back) and defensive tackle Travis Jones (ankle) are active after being listed as questionable. Inactive for the Chargers are linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin), cornerback Cam Hart (concussion/ankle), wide receiver D.J. Chark, running back Kimani Vidal, offensive linemen Brenden Jaimes and Jordan McFadden, and quarterback Easton Stick, who is the emergency third quarterback. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey (shoulder), outside linebackers Khalil Mack (groin) and Bud Dupree (foot), and safety AJ Finley (ankle) are active after being listed as questionable. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens (7-4) and Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) face off on “Monday Night Football” in the third meeting between brothers John and Jim Harbaugh. In a matchup between two of the league’s top quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert, Baltimore is looking to bounce back after a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Los Angeles seeks to continue its four-game winning streak. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. View the full article