The Washington Commanders took on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 of the NFL season. This was one of the most anticipated matchups of the season as dual-threat quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson went head-to-head.
Both players won the Heisman in college and are currently a part of the MVP conversation. This was also the battle of the DMV.
Game Recap
The Ravens got the ball to start, and wasted no time getting down the field. Jackson hit his wide receiver Zay Flowers for 44 yards to get in the red zone. But the drive ended quickly after a pass meant for Mark Andrews was tipped and intercepted by Mike Sainristil.
He returned it for 38 yards to set the offense up at the Ravens’ 49-yard line. They quickly got in the endzone after a third down conversion thanks to a 24-yard pass to Austin Ekeler. They ended up settling for a field goal after facing another third down in which they lost 11 yards due to Daniels getting sacked.
Baltimore got the ball back and moved the ball down the field to get into the Commanders territory. They would also settle for a field goal after a bad snap caused a fumble, which they fell on to retain possession.
The next two drives for the Commanders ended with them punting the ball after losing yardage and failing to convert on third down. The next drive for the Ravens ended in them punting after Jackson took a sack that led to a loss of 11 yards.
After Washington’s second punt, the Ravens got the ball at their own seven-yard line. Jackson hit wide receiver Rashod Bateman for 13 yards to get a first down. Bateman got the ball again for a 23-yard gain. Then Derrick Henry ran for 15 yards, followed by a pass to Flowers for 23 yards.
They got in the red zone and were able to convert for a touchdown after a pass interference put the ball at the three-yard line. Henry ran the ball for the TD and the extra point was good to give them their first lead of the game.
The Commanders answered with a TD of their own after running an eight-play drive for 70 yards that lasted 3:39 minutes. The Ravens followed up with another touchdown, which was a pass from Jackson to Mark Andrews. Not only was that Andrews’ first TD of the season, but that tied the all-time franchise record for the most receiving touchdowns.
Washington had a chance to put some more points on the board before the half, in which they settled for a field goal. But it was blocked by Ben Cleveland which left it a one-possession game at the half. Fortunately for the Commanders, they got the ball to start the second half.
The Commanders began the second half at their own 30-yard line and quickly got into Baltimore territory after Daniels found Noah Brown for 28 yards. But that was their only big play of the drive as they faced a 3rd and 5, which they did not convert. They ultimately settled for a field goal, which was good.
The Ravens got the ball and Jackson rushed for 33 yards to get his team into Washington territory. But they would end up settling for a field goal after facing a 3rd and long which they could not convert. Justin Tucker made the kick, and it was a seven-point game again.
Washington’s next drive began with a 21-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz. But they only picked up four more yards after that plus two incomplete passes which forced the punt. The Ravens got the ball at their own six-yard line, and started moving the ball down the field into Washington territory.
They only faced a 3rd down once, which was not converted but a defensive pass interference gave them an automatic first down. Jackson found Andrews for 38 yards to set them up 1st and goal. They handed the ball to Henry, and he ran it in for the TD to make it a two-possession game.
One thing about the Commanders is that they tend to have an hour for anything. Daniels found Ertz and Mclaurin for some long yardage as they quickly moved into Ravens territory. Not only did they get in the red zone, but they converted on 4th and goal for a touchdown. They lead the league in fourth down conversions at 100%.
The Ravens got the ball and wasted no time moving into the Commanders territory. But a loss of five yards put them in a 3rd and long situation, which they could not convert. They were able to get nine yards for a manageable field goal, which Tucker made.
Washington got the ball with a chance to make it a one-possession game. The beginning of the drive was shaky after an offensive holding penalty pushed them back ten yards. They almost got off the field after Daniels threw an incomplete pass to Brown, but they caught a break after a defensive pass interference gave them a first down.
Despite a new set of downs, they would end up settling for the field goal after failing to convert on 3rd and 8. The kick was good and it was a one-possession game. The Ravens got the ball at their own 30 with just under three minutes left.
With Washington having one of the best offenses in the league, the Ravens knew they could not give the ball back. They handed it off to Henry, who ran for 27 yards just before the two-minute warning. They continued to hand it off to Henry until they got to the 1:10 mark and faced a 3rd down.
Jackson faked the hand off, and kept it himself to run two yards for the first down. That run iced the game, and he kneeled it out. The Ravens won the game 30-23, improving to 4-2. The Commanders drop to 4-2, but maintain first place in the NFC East.
Lamar Jackson finished with 20 completions out of 26 attempts for 323 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Not only did he improve to 22-1 against the NFC, but he passed Cam Newton to become second all-time in career rushing yards by a quarterback.
Derrick Henry finished with 24 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Zay Flowers finished with nine receptions for 132 yards, Rashod Bateman with four receptions for 71 yards, and Mark Andrews with three receptions for 66 yards along with a touchdown.
Photo Courtesy: @ravens/Instagram