Thursday night was a who's who game for the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In posting a 27-22 win in Tampa Bay, the Ravens moved to 5-3 while looking very much like the AFC North's best team. Conversely, the Buccaneers, who are now 3-5 after a third straight loss, looked like a team that has no legitimate shot at playing deep into January.
Tampa Bay started hot before fading over the game's final three quarters. Baltimore's pass rush made life miserable for Tom Brady, who in the first half surpassed Ben Roethlisberger as the most sacked quarterback in NFL history. It was a much better night for the visiting quarterback, as Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes on 27 of 38 passing. Jackson was also part of a running game that rolled up 233 yards that helped chew up over 38 minutes of game clock.
Trailing at halftime, the Ravens took the lead on third-quarter touchdown passes from Jackson to Kenyan Drake and Isaiah Likely. Baltimore took a double-digit lead on Devin Duvernay's 15-yard touchdown run with 6:35 left, less than six minutes after the Buccaneers scored their first points of the half on a Ryan Succop field goal.
Brady briefly kept hope alive with a late touchdown pass to Julio Jones. But the Ravens scooped up the ensuing onside kick, sealing the win while snapping Brady's 302-game streak without three consecutive losses.
The Buccaneers went to halftime with a 10-3 lead after making two red zone stands in the game's first 30 minutes. Tampa Bay also received a decent first half from Brady, whose 44-yard completion to Chris Godwin set up Leonard Fournette's go-ahead touchdown midway through the first quarter.
Both teams suffered significant injuries on Thursday night. The Ravens lost receiver Rashod Bateman (foot) and Mark Andrews (shoulder) during the game's first three quarters, then lost running back Gus Edwards (hamstring) in the fourth quarter. The Bucs lost linebacker Shaquil Barrett during the second half. Barrett is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles injury, via NFL Media.
Here's a closer look at what transpired in Tampa.
Why the Ravens won
Baltimore dominated on the ground while controlling the ball for over two-thirds of the game. Led by Edwards and Drake, Baltimore dominated on the ground while overcoming their first-half miscues in the red zone. The Ravens also received big contributions from Likely and Demarcus Robinson, who combined to catch 12 of 15 targets for 141 yards.
Defensively, the Ravens shut down Brady and the Buccaneers offense for most of the game's final three quarters. Justin Houston took a sip from the Fountain of Youth, recording two sacks and two tackles for loss. Houston and the rest of his teammates shut down Tampa Bay's running game while holding Brady to just 26 of 44 passing.
Why the Buccaneers lost
Tampa Bay's offense completely dried up after the first quarter. The unit punted five consecutive times while giving their defense little to no rest. While his running game did him no favors, Brady also failed to complete several third-down passes that would have kept the chains moving. Penalties, such as Fournette's false start with the Buccaneers down 11 and facing a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line with 4:57 left, also plagued the Buccaneers offense.
While their offense didn't help them, the Buccaneers defense failed to make a momentum-changing play during the second half. The unit was also unable to contain Baltimore on the outside, as the Ravens ran around and through Tampa Bay's defense.
A bright spot for the Buccaneers was the connection between Brady and Mike Evans. Evans caught 6 of 11 targets for 123 yards that included a 51-yard catch that set up the Buccaneers' first score of the second half.
Turning point
Baltimore dominated the third quarter, outscoring Tampa Bay 14-0 and controlling the ball for nearly 13 minutes. The Ravens offense started the half with a 9-play, 77-yard drive that ended with Jackson's game-tying touchdown pass to Drake.
The Ravens defense then forced a quick Tampa Bay punt before Baltimore's offense embarked on an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was punctuated by Jackson's nifty touchdown pass to Likely with five seconds left in the third quarter.
Play of the game
With Andrews and Bateman out, Likely stepped up and made a critical touchdown catch that gave the Ravens the lead for good. The rookie tight end caught six passes for 77 yards on Thursday night after having just 10 catches in the season's first seven games.
Quotable
Jackson let some of his fans do the talking for him following the win. The former league MVP enjoyed a sign that alluded to his current contract situation, as Jackson is playing under his fifth-year rookie option after he and the Ravens were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal this past offseason.
What's next
The Buccaneers will play host to the Rams in a rematch of January's thrilling divisional round showdown. Like the Buccaneers, the Rams are off to a slow start this season. The defending champions went into their bye with a 3-3 record.
Baltimore will head to Baton Rouge on Nov. 7 to face the Saints on "Monday Night Football." Offensive injuries have plagued the Saints so far, as New Orleans is just 2-5.
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