QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Jonas Shaffer, The Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE — When the game was over and the comeback was complete, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took his helmet off and threw it as high as he could. There was nothing left to say, nothing left to do, nothing but surrender to the emotions of a wild night and an incredible win.
It was overtime, and the scoreboard read: Ravens 31, Indianapolis Colts 25. It didn’t matter Monday night that the Ravens had trailed by 16 points in the fourth quarter, or that their defense could hardly stop quarterback Carson Wentz, or that some fans had left a raucous, charged-up M&T Bank Stadium 45 minutes earlier in search of a smoother route home. They missed the third-largest comeback in team history.
Because the Ravens had Jackson, and that was enough. On a night that squashed any lingering doubts about his passing ability, he finished 36-for-42 for a team-record 442 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions. His last pass was a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown just five minutes into an overtime period few foresaw.
Jackson is the first player in NFL history with 400 yards passing, four touchdown passes, no interceptions, and 50 yards rushing in a single game, according to ESPN.
The improbable victory, just the latest weird game in a season full of them, extended the Ravens’ winning streak to four games and raised heart rates across Baltimore. They will head into a much-anticipated Week 6 matchup with the visiting Los Angeles Chargers with a 4-1 record and sole possession of first place in the AFC North.
The final stanza of regulation had more twists than a soap opera. With the chance to all but put the game away with less than five minutes remaining, Indianapolis kicker Rodrigo Blankenship instead had a 37-yard field-goal attempt blocked by the Ravens’ monstrous defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
That gave the Ravens an inch of hope. They took it a mile. Jackson led his third straight touchdown drive of 75 yards or more, taking the Ravens to the end zone in 11 plays. His 4-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews with 46 seconds remaining narrowed the Colts’ lead to 25-23, and another pass to Andrews over the middle for the 2-point conversion evened the score.
On a dreadful night for the Ravens defense, there was still plenty of time for a game-winner. Helped by an untimely personal foul penalty on cornerback Tavon Young, who appeared to be instigating into committing unnecessary roughness, the Colts got as far as the Ravens’ 29-yard line. But Blankenship missed wide left from 47 yards as time expired. The home crowd exploded in delirium. When the Ravens won the coin toss, they went wild once more.
At one point, it seemed like the Ravens’ win would swing on a read-option decision that ended one drive, or maybe the touchdown run that punctuated the next one.
The third-quarter drives were in some ways a referendum on all the Ravens could not do and all that the Colts could do inside M&T Bank Stadium — to that point, anyway. To keep just their second red-zone drive alive, the Ravens had needed a winding third-and-3 scramble from Jackson that gained 12 yards but must have covered 40. They’d needed another third-down conversion after a false-start penalty a few plays later. And on first-and-goal from the 1, Jackson had fumbled on a keeper after deciding against a handoff for running back Latavius Murray, who likely would’ve scored.
After a long huddle, the officials ruled that what came next — a fumble recovery by inside linebacker Darius Leonard at the 3, a lateral to cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, a sprint to a defensive touchdown — actually amounted to a Ravens turnover, Colts’ ball at the 19 after the lateral was ruled to be forward. And that made what came afterward all the more unbearable for the 70,000-plus in attendance.
The Colts needed just six plays to take back what was theirs. They started with a 21-yard pass to Michael Pittman Jr. Then a 19-yard run for Jonathan Taylor, then a 13-yarder, then finally a no-gainer. But Wentz found tight end Mo Alie Cox for a 24-yard completion, and Taylor rumbled in from 4 yards out for a 22-3 lead.
The Ravens had nearly scored on a crucial drive, and they’d gotten there by the skin of their teeth. Indianapolis, meanwhile, was comfortably in cruise control. Even when the Colts saw their 19-point advantage, the Ravens’ largest deficit all season, whittled to eight, they went back to work, hammering away at the clock.
Indianapolis’ offense had its way with the Ravens’ secondary. That was not the expectation, not with Wentz having just recovered from a pair of sprained ankles, not with the Colts having the NFL’s 26th-ranked passing offense, according to Football Outsiders’ efficiency metrics. But when the Ravens could not get past an offensive line missing two starters, they were often in trouble.
Wentz’s season high through four games was 251 yards. He cleared that a minute into the third quarter, his 42-yard touchdown to wide receiver Pittman leaving cornerbacks Anthony Averett and Marlon Humphrey in their wake. Averett was flagged for pass interference on the play, but that couldn’t deny Pittman or the facts of a long night. He allowed nine completions on 11 targets for 184 yards.
Wentz finished 25-for-35 for 402 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens’ run defense didn’t distinguish itself, either. Taylor, Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Wentz ran for 123 yards, much more than the Ravens’ total. The Ravens’ 86 yards included just 24 combined yards from running backs and ended a 43-game streak of 100-plus rushing yards, tied for the NFL’s longest ever.
The Colts looked like they’d run away with a lead early. After forcing a three-and-out on the game’s opening drive, they turned a third-and-long into a breakaway screen pass. Taylor wasn’t touched on the 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The closest the Ravens got to taking someone down were a couple of awkward bumps as defensive backs ran into one another.
Another three-and-out preceded another impressive Indianapolis drive, with Wentz facing just one third down as he marched the Colts to the Ravens’ 15-yard line. Only a well-timed jump of the snap by Ravens rookie outside linebacker Odafe Oweh knocked Indianapolis off line. Three weeks after his forced fumble swung a prime-time win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Oweh got another, this one a strip-sack that defensive tackle Brandon Williams pounced on.
Even the Ravens’ best first-half drive was more bitter than sweet. They covered 80 yards over nine plays, by far their longest before halftime, but were stopped 5 yards short of the end zone after Jackson missed Brown in the end zone. Justin Tucker’s 23-yard field goal ended the shutout — and a drive in which the Ravens lost wide receiver Sammy Watkins and left guard Ben Cleveland to a hamstring and knee injury, respectively.
A 37-yard field goal by kicker Rodrigo Blankenship as time expired lifted the Colts to a 10-3 halftime lead, but the touchdown lead felt misrepresentative. Four of Indianapolis’ five drives ended either in the end zone or at least midfield. The Ravens, meanwhile, had crossed over into Colts territory just once.
In a wild second half, that would soon change.
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Michael Conroy
How He Got Here: The No. 1 overall pick out of Clemson was immediately deemed the face and savior of the franchise.
How He's Doing: Lawrence has thrown for 873 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 57% of his passes for the 0-4 Jaguars. He had his most efficient game last week in a 24-17 loss at Cincinnati, going 17 of 24 for 204 yards. He had no touchdown throws, but ran for a score and also had his first interception-free performance.
What They're Saying: "You can look around and I'll take our guy any day in the rookie quarterbacks and how they're doing," Bevell said. "Trevor's progression has been great. He's doing a great job. He works his tail off. I think his communication with the players on the team and the guys in the offense, communication during the game, all those things he's just really doing a nice job with it and his play's getting better and better."
Michael Conroy
How He Got Here: The No. 1 overall pick out of Clemson was immediately deemed the face and savior of the franchise.
How He's Doing: Lawrence has thrown for 873 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 57% of his passes for the 0-4 Jaguars. He had his most efficient game last week in a 24-17 loss at Cincinnati, going 17 of 24 for 204 yards. He had no touchdown throws, but ran for a score and also had his first interception-free performance.
What They're Saying: "You can look around and I'll take our guy any day in the rookie quarterbacks and how they're doing," Bevell said. "Trevor's progression has been great. He's doing a great job. He works his tail off. I think his communication with the players on the team and the guys in the offense, communication during the game, all those things he's just really doing a nice job with it and his play's getting better and better."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Seth Wenig
How He Got Here: The Jets zeroed in on him with the No. 2 overall pick early in the pre-draft process, enthralled by his arm strength and ability to make plays on the run and from multiple arm angles.
How He's Doing: The former BYU star had a solid debut with two TD passes and an INT, followed by a miserable performance against New England (no TDs, four INTs, 37.0 quarterback rating) and a lousy game at Denver (no TDs, two more INTs and a season-low 54.3 completion percentage). Wilson, sacked 15 times in three games, bounced back with his best game, going 21 of 34 for 297 yards — including passes of 54 and 53 yards — and two TDs with one INT and one sack in the Jets' first win of the season, 27-24 in OT over Tennessee.
What They're Saying: "What he's still adjusting to is just when it goes a little bit off schedule and the pocket collapses and he has to go, just with how fast NFL defenses and defenders move, what he can get away with and what he can't," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. "And that's been something that he's been working through since, really, rookie minicamp."
Seth Wenig
How He Got Here: The Jets zeroed in on him with the No. 2 overall pick early in the pre-draft process, enthralled by his arm strength and ability to make plays on the run and from multiple arm angles.
How He's Doing: The former BYU star had a solid debut with two TD passes and an INT, followed by a miserable performance against New England (no TDs, four INTs, 37.0 quarterback rating) and a lousy game at Denver (no TDs, two more INTs and a season-low 54.3 completion percentage). Wilson, sacked 15 times in three games, bounced back with his best game, going 21 of 34 for 297 yards — including passes of 54 and 53 yards — and two TDs with one INT and one sack in the Jets' first win of the season, 27-24 in OT over Tennessee.
What They're Saying: "What he's still adjusting to is just when it goes a little bit off schedule and the pocket collapses and he has to go, just with how fast NFL defenses and defenders move, what he can get away with and what he can't," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. "And that's been something that he's been working through since, really, rookie minicamp."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Tony Avelar
How He Got Here: The 49ers traded up and took Lance out of North Dakota State when many assumed they were going to take Jones. He began the season as the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo.
How He's Doing: Lance played just seven snaps through the first three games, throwing a TD pass and running for another score. He got his most extensive action last week when Garoppolo left at halftime with a right calf injury. Lance struggled with his accuracy, but finished 9 of 18 for 157 yards, two touchdowns, a 2-point conversion run and 41 yards rushing. He'll start Sunday for 2-2 San Francisco against Arizona.
What They're Saying: "He'll see some things out there that he's never seen before," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But what you like about him and stuff that he might not be ready for, he can overcompensate with some of his athletic ability and, to me, how competitive he is and how good of a football player he is."
Tony Avelar
How He Got Here: The 49ers traded up and took Lance out of North Dakota State when many assumed they were going to take Jones. He began the season as the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo.
How He's Doing: Lance played just seven snaps through the first three games, throwing a TD pass and running for another score. He got his most extensive action last week when Garoppolo left at halftime with a right calf injury. Lance struggled with his accuracy, but finished 9 of 18 for 157 yards, two touchdowns, a 2-point conversion run and 41 yards rushing. He'll start Sunday for 2-2 San Francisco against Arizona.
What They're Saying: "He'll see some things out there that he's never seen before," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But what you like about him and stuff that he might not be ready for, he can overcompensate with some of his athletic ability and, to me, how competitive he is and how good of a football player he is."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Nam Y. Huh
How He Got Here: The No. 11 overall pick out of Ohio State entered the season as the backup to Andy Dalton, despite many Bears fans clamoring to see the rookie right away.
How He's Doing: Fields threw two passes and ran for a score in the opener in spot duty. He replaced an injured Dalton the next week against Cincinnati, then started the next two games with Dalton sidelined. Fields is still looking for his first TD pass and has to improve on his 48.1 completion percentage, but coach Matt Nagy committed this week to him starting moving forward for the 2-2 Bears.
What They're Saying: "The stage for him never gets too big," Nagy said. "He has been in this position before. I think when you have somebody like that who understands how he has gotten to this point and knows that he's worked hard to get to this point, that he's ready for this opportunity."
Nam Y. Huh
How He Got Here: The No. 11 overall pick out of Ohio State entered the season as the backup to Andy Dalton, despite many Bears fans clamoring to see the rookie right away.
How He's Doing: Fields threw two passes and ran for a score in the opener in spot duty. He replaced an injured Dalton the next week against Cincinnati, then started the next two games with Dalton sidelined. Fields is still looking for his first TD pass and has to improve on his 48.1 completion percentage, but coach Matt Nagy committed this week to him starting moving forward for the 2-2 Bears.
What They're Saying: "The stage for him never gets too big," Nagy said. "He has been in this position before. I think when you have somebody like that who understands how he has gotten to this point and knows that he's worked hard to get to this point, that he's ready for this opportunity."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Elise Amendola
How He Got Here: The Patriots took Jones out of Alabama at No. 15 overall, making him the first quarterback drafted in the opening round by New England since Bledsoe in 1993. He beat out Cam Newton in training camp and became the first rookie QB to start Week 1 for the Patriots, also since Bledsoe.
How He's Doing: Jones' numbers aren't eye popping for the 1-3 Patriots with four TDs and four INTs, but he has been extremely efficient while completing 70% of his passes in what has been a mostly short-passing game offense. He threw for 275 yards and had 19 consecutive completions — the most for an NFL rookie since 1991, and tying the franchise record set by Brady in 2015 — last week in a 19-17 loss to Brady and Tampa Bay.
What They're Saying: "He's certainly responded to anything we've asked him to do," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "He's obviously got a great mindset and great attitude about it. There's nothing we've asked him to do that he's shied away from or wanted less responsibility. That's not his nature or personality. I appreciate that in the young man."
Elise Amendola
How He Got Here: The Patriots took Jones out of Alabama at No. 15 overall, making him the first quarterback drafted in the opening round by New England since Bledsoe in 1993. He beat out Cam Newton in training camp and became the first rookie QB to start Week 1 for the Patriots, also since Bledsoe.
How He's Doing: Jones' numbers aren't eye popping for the 1-3 Patriots with four TDs and four INTs, but he has been extremely efficient while completing 70% of his passes in what has been a mostly short-passing game offense. He threw for 275 yards and had 19 consecutive completions — the most for an NFL rookie since 1991, and tying the franchise record set by Brady in 2015 — last week in a 19-17 loss to Brady and Tampa Bay.
What They're Saying: "He's certainly responded to anything we've asked him to do," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "He's obviously got a great mindset and great attitude about it. There's nothing we've asked him to do that he's shied away from or wanted less responsibility. That's not his nature or personality. I appreciate that in the young man."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Adrian Kraus
How He Got Here: The former Stanford star was drafted in the third round and wasn't expected to be much more than a backup this season — and maybe beyond. But with a hamstring injury to Tyrod Taylor and the Texans sitting Deshaun Watson during a contract dispute and legal troubles, Mills is the man under center for now.
How He's Doing: Well, he's struggling. He has thrown for 357 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions in his 2 1/2 games. He tied a franchise record with four INTs last week against Buffalo and his 23.4 quarterback rating is the worst of any starter this season. He'll likely return to the sideline for the 0-4 Texans as soon as Taylor's healthy.
What They're Saying: "Ball security, understanding that your job is to protect the ball and when you go back to pass, an incompletion is OK if the guy is not there, you don't have to make a play," coach David Culley said of what he's looking for from Mills this week. "Again, that's from being inexperienced and being young, but at this point right now moving forward as our quarterback, that's something that he has to get better at quicker and faster."
Adrian Kraus
How He Got Here: The former Stanford star was drafted in the third round and wasn't expected to be much more than a backup this season — and maybe beyond. But with a hamstring injury to Tyrod Taylor and the Texans sitting Deshaun Watson during a contract dispute and legal troubles, Mills is the man under center for now.
How He's Doing: Well, he's struggling. He has thrown for 357 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions in his 2 1/2 games. He tied a franchise record with four INTs last week against Buffalo and his 23.4 quarterback rating is the worst of any starter this season. He'll likely return to the sideline for the 0-4 Texans as soon as Taylor's healthy.
What They're Saying: "Ball security, understanding that your job is to protect the ball and when you go back to pass, an incompletion is OK if the guy is not there, you don't have to make a play," coach David Culley said of what he's looking for from Mills this week. "Again, that's from being inexperienced and being young, but at this point right now moving forward as our quarterback, that's something that he has to get better at quicker and faster."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Rob Carr/Getty Images North America/TNS
Lamar Jackson (8) of the Baltimore Ravens rushes during the fourth quarter in a game against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium on October 11, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Rob Carr/Getty Images/TNS)
Rob Carr/Getty Images North America/TNS
Lamar Jackson (8) of the Baltimore Ravens rushes during the fourth quarter in a game against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium on October 11, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Rob Carr/Getty Images/TNS)
