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The Battle of the Birds was anything but aerial, as the two teams mostly gutted it out in the trenches in a light rain in Baltimore. The Ravens stunned the 12-point favorite Seahawks, and prevailed, 17-7, churning out 185 ground yards on 37 carries. JK Dobbins led the RB corps with 75 yards on 10 carries, one hitting paydirt (1 TD). QB Lamar Jackson also had 10 carries, gaining 39 yards, but it was his 15-for-17 passing performance that garnered him game MVP honors. Passing for 169 yards and one score (caught by TE Ryan Izzo), Jackson earned a 127.7 passer rating. TE Mark Andrews led the Ravens with 5 receptions for 68 yards.
The first half was a classic battle in the trenches with each team possessing the ball just three times. All of the Seattle possessions ended in punts, while Baltimore punted once, failed on a 4th-and-2 at the Seahawk 7 and took the last drive of the half down to the Seattle 16, where Justin Tucker booted a 34-yard FG as the half expired. Baltimore, 3-0.
The first four possessions of the second half was more of the same as each team punted twice. The fifth possession saw Baltimore start at their own 32 with an incomplete pass, then stumble backwards for 2 yards before gaining 11 on a Jackson-to-Rashard Higgins connection. Though it was 4th-and-1 at their own 41, Baltimore HC Scott Master caught Seattle in a 3-1 pass defense and called for a no huddle offense. Seattle was forced to call a time-out and more than likely expected Baltimore to change gears and punt. Baltimore had other ideas though and decided now was the time to make-or-break things. Seattle was spying Jackson, but he followed C Ethan Pocic for the first down by the width of the laces on the football. From there, the Ravens called six straight run plays, culminating in JK Dobbins' score from 9 yards out. Tucker's PAT made it 10-0 Baltimore.
Seattle's response was shaky, but successful. After a holding penalty, QB Russell Wilson hit TE Chris Herndon for 13, but DT Quinnen Williams sacked Wilson for a 4 yard loss. Faced with a 3rd-and-11, Wilson found WR Tyler Lockett (4/37) for all 11. Baltimore challenged (with an 86% success rate), but was denied. Seahawk first down! After a Wilson pass attempt fell incomplete, he tried another on 2nd-and-10, but Raven DE Justin Houston knocked the ball out of his hand and ILB Patrick Queen recovered. Baltimore ball!...until replay said Wilson's arm was coming forward. Incomplete pass. 3rd-and-10. Wilson hit WR Preston Williams for 17, DK Metcalf for 16, ran for 21 on his own, and hit WR N'Keal Harry from 11 yards out to pull the Seahawks within 3 after Stephen Gostkowski's PAT. Baltimore, 10-7.
Baltimore responded with an 8-play, 75-yard drive that took almost 6 minutes off the 4th quarter clock and ended with Jackson hitting TE Ryan Izzo from 6 yards out. Tucker's PAT made it 17-7 Baltimore.
Down 10 with less than 5 minutes remaining, Seattle needed to move, and fast. Seattle averted disaster when they recovered a fumble caused by Raven CB Marcus Peters on a 3rd-and-3 run play. Wilson hit Lockett for 6 on the subsequent 4th-and-1, but a sack by DT Davon Hamilton set them back 11 and they couldn't recover, turning the ball over on downs three plays later.
FINAL SCORE: BALTIMORE 17-7
In Week 4, Seattle (1-2) hosts their third game of the young season as the Minnesota Vikings visit the Emerald City. Baltimore (2-1), meanwhile, remains a road-warrior, traveling for the third time this season, this time to Houston.
Results posted to the PSAFL website.
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