The Baltimore Ravens live to see another day. Facing a must-win game against division rivals Cleveland Browns on Monday night, the Ravens rushed their way to a 47-42 win that keeps their playoff hopes alive.
Browns struck first by orchestrating an 81-yard drive that was capped off by Nick Chubb’s rushing touchdown.
The Ravens hit back on the following possession to tie the score thanks to Lamar Jackson’s TD run.
The second quarter saw teams exchange touchdowns early on, but it was Baltimore that got the upper hand by the end of the period. Jackson fooled Cleveland’s defense and managed to score via a 17-yard run as the clock was winding down.
The Ravens continued with the rush in the third, which ultimately brought them two more TDs, courtesy of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Meanwhile the Browns kept it close with a scoring run of their own.
At the start of the final quarter, Ravens had to make a tough substitution, because Jackson was dealing with cramps. This allowed the Browns to crawl their way back into the game, with quarterback Baker Mayfield throwing for one TD and running for another one to tie the score.
Seeing his team in trouble, Jackson rushed back onto the field and immediately sparked Baltimore’s offense. The reigning NFL MVP connected with wideout Marquise Brown on a tough 4th & 5 to put the Ravens ahead once again.
As expected, a wild finish followed. The Browns responded with a touchdown to make it 42-42 with 1:02 left on the clock. This turned out to be enough for the Ravens to march down the field and set up a game-winning 55-yarder for kicker Justin Tucker.
The Browns tried to make one last play, gambling with lateral passes, but only gave up a safety as a result and made the score a bit more convincing for Baltimore.
Lamar Jackson was a standout performer for the Ravens, rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing for 163 yards and another touchdown. Baltimore is now 8-5 for the season and still have a chance to grab a wild-card spot in the AFC.
Cleveland was led by Baker Mayfield, who finished the contest with 343 passing yards and two passing TDs. With this loss, the Browns are 9-4 but retain realistic chances for the postseason.
