Ravens 'Crazy Season' Could Continue Against Chargers

Baltimore managed last-second wins.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens have kept their fans on edge throughout this entire season. 

From Justin Tucker's game-winning 66-yard field goal against the Lions to the spectacular overtime win against the Colts, Baltimore has played its share of exciting games.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson just wants an easy game, but it's not likely to happen this weekend against the surging Los Angeles Chargers. 

“They’re all equal because they’re all crazy," Jackson said about the fantastic finishes. "It has all been exciting games to the fans; not me, because I’ve been wanting to get the win with a comfortable lead and just chill, but we’ve been having to finish fourth quarters. It’s been tough, and we’ve just got to keep it going.”

Here's a breakdown of the 2021 games:

• The Ravens opened the season with a back-and-forth game against the Los Vegas Raiders. Baltimore cornerback Anthony Averett managed an interception in the end zone in overtime but the Ravens still suffered their only loss of the season, 33-27. In his Ravens’ debut, running back Latavius Murray posted 10 carries for 28 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. The score was set up by a 49-yard reception by wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who finished his Ravens’ debut with four receptions for a team-high 96 yards

• Baltimore scored 12 consecutive points in the fourth quarter in its home opener to knock off the Kansas City Chiefs 36-35. Rookie outside linebacker Odafe Oweh forced a key interception and had a fumble recovery that directly led to the win. Jackson threw for a touchdown and ran for two scores  — including a flip into the end zone — and snapped a three-game losing streak to Kansas City. Wide receiver Marquise Brown posted a game-high 113 receiving yards and one touchdown on six catches, marking the third 100-yard game of his career.

• Tucker hit a 66-yard field goal — the longest kick in NFL history – as time expired to give the Ravens a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 3. He converted four of five field goals on the day. Tucker improved to 16-for-16 in his NFL career on field goals in the final minute of regulation.

• The Ravens didn't have to hold their breath in a dominant 23-7 victory over the Broncos. Jackson threw for 316 yards, marking his second-career 300-yard output and the second-most passing yards in his career. With 8,162 career passing yards, Jackson surpassed Kyle Boller (7,846) for the second-most passing yards in franchise history. The Ravens defense had its best game of the season, holding the Broncos to 254 yards. 

• The Ravens overcame a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit and stunned the Colts 31-25 in overtime. Jackson became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 85% of his passes in a 400-yard game. He recorded the highest completion percentage in a 40-pass game in NFL history (86.0%). Jackson went 37 of 43 with a franchise record 442 yards with four touchdowns. He threw the game-winning score on a 5-yard pass to Brown with 5:25 left in overtime. Calais Campbell’s fourth-quarter blocked field goal was the eighth blocked kick of his career, which tied Craig Terrill for the third most since the 1970 NFL merger. Only Shaun Rogers (14) and Julius Peppers (12) have produced more blocks.

"There’s nothing like this," nose tackle Brandon Williams said. "Obviously, it’s 2021, and there’s nothing like 2021. But the Vikings game [Week 14, 2013] when [former Raven] Marlon Brown caught the game-winning touchdown, and the score was going back and forth, back and forth the whole fourth quarter; that was a crazy one. 

"The Ravens have proven to be battle-tested in their history, and now with the last four games we’ve had. We just continue to go out there, keep proving ourselves and getting better.”

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he simply "expects the unexpected" when it comes to games this season.

That's just the nature of the NFL. 

“I just said that after the game – the next one is going to be the best one. That’s what we came up with," Harbaugh said “Yes, they’re pretty stressful. I’ll tell you; they all are stressful. It’s a stressful league. It’s a tough league. It’s hard to win. Everybody in this league throws everything that they have into finding a way to win the game. Every team is super talented. Every team is extremely well-coached. 

"This team we’re going to play is extremely well-coached with great talent. Just every one of these is like playing for the National Championship, it really is. It’s like the College Football National Championship every week – that’s how you feel in the game. So, to your point, I think you’re right.”