ExtremeRavens Posted December 11, 2023 Posted December 11, 2023 The Ravens spit in the eye of the probable, defeating the Los Angeles Rams on a twisting, stumbling overtime touchdown by their backup punt returner, Tylan Wallace. Here are five things we learned from the 37-31 win. This is why we watch The delighted whoops and squeals in the tunnel leading to the Ravens’ locker room evoked a children’s recess game run amok — which was essentially what we witnessed Sunday through the downpour deluging M&T Bank Stadium. For 60 minutes of regulation and another two in overtime, the Ravens never found steady ground. The Rams — Matthew Stafford never stopped throwing into the teeth of pressure, receivers Cooper Kupp and Puca Nakua never stopped tying coverage into knots — deserved credit. But the Ravens’ own flubs — an offside penalty to extend a Rams touchdown drive, a mistimed snap that led to a safety, an impermissible challenge of a clear touchdown, a tortured final series of regulation for Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey — told a story that could have ended in maddening self-recrimination. But then Tylan Wallace, who fought his way off the roster bubble in the summer and was only in the game because Devin Duvernay hurt his back, caught Ethan Evans’ punt. “Did I think he’d take it to the house? No,” coach John Harbaugh said afterward. “But I thought he’d catch it, maybe make a guy miss.” Wallace, with 76 yards separating him from wildly improbable glory, spun away from one tackler and sprinted down the sideline. His path was a little freer because of a block from Charlie Kolar that Kolar acknowledged was close to being in the back. No flag. As Wallace accelerated, another would-be tackler clipped his foot, and he stumbled precariously close to the white chalk to his left. “I can’t go down right here,” he thought to himself. “I made it this far.” So he kept right on running and when he glimpsed the big purple letters in the oncoming end zone, he somersaulted — an act of gleeful abandon to secure the six points that meant victory. Over the next few moments, all the tensions of the afternoon, all thoughts of what a win or loss might mean to the Ravens’ greater ambitions, melted away. Men who have played and coached hundreds of football games had just watched a play that defied all their well-honed expectations. It felt glorious. “It was like a movie,” said quarterback Lamar Jackson, who’d bailed the Ravens out with an ice-cold drive in the last two minutes of regulation. “You’re talking about amazing events, right?” Harbaugh said. “That’s the beauty of football.” Wallace was the guy who lined up offside in punt coverage earlier in the afternoon. The ensuing Rams touchdown could have spelled defeat for his team, and he knew it, agonized over it. Instead of letting that be his story, he made a play he’ll talk about for the rest of his life. Most NFL afternoons are made up of blander stuff, but you never know when the backup punt returner is going to spin and tightrope his way to a flicker of immortality. How can we turn away? We saw the whole spectrum from Lamar Jackson Until Wallace’s showstopper, the plays of the day belonged to a more familiar hero. That would be Jackson, who sensed the oncoming fury of mighty Aaron Donald but stood in to hit Zay Flowers for a go-ahead touchdown in the last two minutes of regulation. He added a precious two points when he danced right in the pocket and found Flowers, his second read after tight end Isaiah Likely, in a free patch of the end zone. Two clutch throws to end a clutch drive in which Jackson completed seven passes to move the Ravens 75 yards. That finishing flurry atop a robust statistical line — 316 yards, three touchdown passes, 70 yards on 11 carries — screamed Most Valuable Player. “You forget Lamar sometimes,” Harbaugh said. “All these other things are happening, and we’re not going to talk about Lamar Jackson, who drove the offense.” It’s a testament to Jackson’s skill and will that he ultimately wrung such majesty out of an uneven performance. His two longest strikes were more results of blown coverage than his precision. His deep ball was iffy in the rain. Odell Beckham Jr. had to spin around to track a 46-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter. Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon picked off an underthrown fling to a streaking Rashod Bateman. Then there was that miscommunication with center Tyler Linderbaum on a shotgun snap deep in Ravens territory. Jackson booted the loose ball out the back of the end zone to prevent a possible Rams touchdown. It feels odd to say an offense that gained 449 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per play, was scattershot, but the Ravens will find much to correct when they review the game. That they scored 37 points while falling well short of their best form is a testament to their upside. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson tries to throw as he is being sacked in the 4th quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, center, celebrates, after tackling Rams running back Kyren Williams for a loss in the third quarter Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)DEC. 10, 2023: RavensÕ Arthur Maulet, right, misses a tackle against RamsÕ Cooper Kupp, left, who gained 32 yards in the third quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker points skyward after kicking a 47-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace runs through defenders, retuning a punt for a touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace runs through defenders, returning a punt for a touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Under pressure, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws incomplete to Zay Flowers in the 2nd quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Odafe Oweh wraps up Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams in the 3rd quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Ravens Keaton Mitchell, right, runs for 27-yards against RamsÕ Cobie Durant, left, in the third quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Travis Jones sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in the 3rd quarter for a loss of 4 yards. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs out of bounds after keeping the ball for a gain in the 2nd quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Charlie Kolar chases Los Angeles Rams Ahkello Witherspoon after he intercepted a Lamar Jackson pass in the 2nd quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: RavensÕ Kyle Hamilton, right, tackles RamsÕ Puka Nacua, left, for a short gain in the first quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, from left, celebrates touchdown pass to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. with Isaiah Likely in the second quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. scores a 46-yards touchdown against the Rams in the second quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, left, celebrates after scoring two-point conversion against the Rams in the fourth quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, right, catches a 21-yards touchdown pass against Rams' Jordan Fuller, left, in the fourth quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers scores a 4th quarter touchdown on a pass from Lamar Jackson. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is congratulated by Rashod Bateman after Flowers scored a 4th quarter touchdown. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely looks for yardage after a reception in the 3rd Quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeatedthe Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Keaton Mitchell pushes through the line for a gain in the 3rd Quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeatedthe Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson kicks the ball out of the end zone after a bad snap in the 3rd Quarter. The illegal kick was penalized as a safety. The Baltimore Ravens defeatedthe Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, left, walks to the sideline in frustration after a bad snap to Lamar Jackson, right, costed the Ravens a safety in the third quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore RavensÕ Tylan Wallace, right, celebrates with teammate Lamar Jackson, left, after the Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh signals to go for a two-point conversion following a Zay Flowers touchdown in the 4th quarter. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace celebrates with teammates after retuning a punt for the game winning touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore RavensÕ Tylan Wallace, center, is congratulated by RamsÕ Jason Taylor II as Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, celebrates after the Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore RavensÕ Tylan Wallace, left, is congratulated by teammate Odafe Oweh after scoring the game-winning touchdown against the Rams in overtime. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Ravens players celebrate game-winning punt returned for touchdown against the Rams in overtime. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace runs for a 76-yards game-winning touchdown against the Rams in overtime. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore RavensÕ Justice Hill, center, makes a key block on Los Angeles Rams punter Ethan Evans, left, allowing RavensÕ Tylan Wallace, right, to score the game-winning touchdown in overtime. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore RavensÕ Tylan Wallace, center, runs 76-yards for a punt return game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Rams in the quarter. The Ravens defeated the Rams 37-31 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace scores his first career touchdown, retuning a punt 76-yards as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace runs toward the end zone, retuning a punt for a touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace flips into the end zone after retuning a punt for a touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens Tylan Wallace flips into the end zone after retuning a punt for a touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-31 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh talks with officials during an injury timeout as the Baltimore Ravens host the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium.(Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, celebrates with tight end Isaiah Likely after connecting for a 54-yard touchdown in the first quarter Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh talks with officials during an injury timeout as the Baltimore Ravens host the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium.(Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. celebrates his 46-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter Sunday against the Rams. (Jerry Jackson/Staff)DEC. 10, 2023: Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely, center, dives onto the end zone against Los Angeles Rams Jordan Fuller for a touchdown in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)Show Caption of Expand The Ravens’ defense also delivered in the clutch Stafford handed off on the Rams’ first nine plays, essentially daring the middle of the Ravens’ defense to hold. The Rams ate up ground at 5.8 yards per clip, only to go airborne, and fail, once they reached the red zone. Curious strategic twist aside, this opening barrage highlighted a relative weakness in the league’s top scoring defense. Opponents have succeeded running right at the Ravens, especially early in games. The Rams’ outstanding pass catchers, Nacua and Kupp, gouged the Ravens for chunk plays in a way few opponents have this season, combining for 199 yards on 18 targets. Again and again, they slipped into uncovered gaps in zone coverage. Humphrey could not check Kupp on the last drive of regulation and could not come down with an interception in the corner of the end zone that would have ended the game. “Just hats off to those guys,” linebacker Roqaun Smith said. “And with Stafford over there, he can squeeze the ball in really tight spots.” The Ravens gave up a season-high 410 yards. But they did adjust, forcing the Rams to punt on their first four drives of the second half. Coordinator Mike Macdonald urged his front seven to shed blocks more quickly. “He was telling us to make an emphasis on just shedding blocks and making tackles quick [on] the line of scrimmage, so that’s what we tried to do,” defensive tackle Justin Madubuike said. They made eight tackles for loss, a sign of the havoc they ultimately created with this aggressive approach at the line of scrimmage. They held their ground again in overtime, sending the Rams off the field, three-and-out, when a field goal would have won it. “I would just say, ‘Told you so.’ We know exactly who we are,” Smith said. “Whether it’s going to be a four-quarter game [or] five-quarter game, we’re going to be here at the end of the day, and that’s our mindset. We just have to keep going and get better from the mistakes that we [made] throughout the game, because we know certain plays throughout the game weren’t us.” Kyle Hamilton was the last defender the Ravens needed to see limping off the field Hamilton hurt his knee in the first half, returned to make seven tackles, then left again after he took an awkward step in the third quarter. Hamilton spent the fourth quarter and overtime watching from the sideline with a light wrap on his knee. Harbaugh said he was still being evaluated after the game. Losing the second-year safety is like losing three players because opponents have no idea how he’s going to ruin them on a given snap. Perhaps he’ll stalk the line of scrimmage, waiting to blow up a screen or shoot in for a tackle behind the line. Perhaps he’ll fire off the edge like an outside linebacker hunting the quarterback. Or perhaps he’ll use his praying mantis length and mobility to blot out a slot receiver. While Smith is the voice of Macdonald’s defense, Hamilton captures its chameleonic spirit better than anyone. More and more analysts are listing him as a first-team All-Pro candidate. The Ravens don’t have anyone to stand in for him because there is no one like him, and that goes for the entire league. This team has already lost one of its five most indispensable players in tight end Mark Andrews. Hamilton is another. It’s unsettling stuff with the playoffs a month away. The road ahead remains perilous, but the Ravens keep protecting their position At 10-3, they have essentially saved themselves from the anxiety that roiled their recent Decembers. The Ravens haven’t clinched a playoff spot, but they’re headed for the postseason, most likely as AFC North champions given the two-game lead they hold over the Cleveland Browns. This win over the Rams, messy though it was, kept them clear of the pack and ensured their next three games against a gantlet of contenders — the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins — will be spirited tests more than gut-churning, do-or-die stress tests. The Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs lost Sunday, aiding the Ravens’ quest for a No. 1 seed and first-round bye. Aaron Schatz’s DVOA odds already pegged them the leading contender, and it seems increasingly likely their New Year’s Eve showdown with the Dolphins will be the decisive chapter in that positioning war. None of the Ravens’ first nine wins, most of them far more decisive, felt like this one. Wallace’s return was a bolt from the sky, saving them from dodgy circumstances of their own creation, and they celebrated it like the miracle it was. Even Harbaugh tried to leap on the celebratory dogpile, cutting loose for reasons he could not quite explain. He already felt his team had cohered, had developed a sense of collective purpose that could carry the Ravens a long way in January. This newest drama did not create that spirit as much as reflect it, Harbaugh said. Will the glow from this wet, wild day offer reassurance when dire circumstances arise in the weeks ahead? That’s perhaps too tidy a narrative. But the Ravens keep marking themselves as a potentially thrilling team, and that’s something. Week 15 Ravens at Jaguars Sunday, 8:20 p.m. TV: NBC Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM View the full article Quote
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