Ravens overcome slow start, extend winning streak to five with victory over Jets

BALTIMORE — It wasn’t Lamar Jackson that walked away with a game ball after the Ravens defeated the Jets 23-10 to extend their winning streak to five games on Sunday. It wasn’t star running back Derrick Henry, either. It was punter Jordan Stout. 

Stout shined. In a low-scoring slugfest, the special teams ace was a difference-maker for the Ravens, according to his teammates and coach John Harbaugh. Field position proved crucial as both teams struggled to push the ball downfield. 

Stout was a weapon, routinely flipping the field to set Baltimore’s offense up for success. Stout’s 74-yard boot in the second quarter tied a franchise record. His 61.5-yard punting average was the sixth-highest in the NFL since 1960. 

“I’m just happy that I’m helping,” Stout said. “A lot of times as a punter, it’s easy to feel like you’re not making a huge contribution to the team.” 

His final punt — a soaring 67-yard bomb that pinned New York at their own 5-yard line — drew an ovation from the home crowd. Stout egged them on as he was spotlighted on the video board, raising his arms in a gladiatorial fashion, as if to ask, ‘Are you not entertained?”

“I got geeked,” defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones said after the game. “I’ve never seen a punt like that.”

The special teams performance keyed another defensive outburst, as the Ravens allowed just one touchdown in the victory. Baltimore’s opponents have scored just four touchdowns in the last five games, amassing fewer than 20 points in each outing. 

Jones credited the special teams for providing extra juice for his group today. 

“We about to eff them up,” he said when asked how Stout’s performance made him feel. “It’s over.”

Despite Jones’ energy, the game was far from a blowout.

The two teams struggled through a sloppy first quarter that saw more combined punts than completed passes. Jackson and Jets’ signal-caller Tyrod Taylor managed three completions between them as their offenses sputtered, with both teams punting twice in the opening frame. 

Jackson, a two-time MVP, struggled throughout the game, appearing to lack his signature electric running ability. The signal-caller threw for 153 yards on 13 of 23 passing, adding just 11 yards on the ground. 

On the other sideline, Jets’ signal-caller Tyrod Taylor was only marginally more efficient. The former Raven completed 17 of 28 passes for 222 yards. His lone interception arrived with five seconds left in regulation, when the game was already out of reach.

But the Ravens did just enough. Running back Derrick Henry, despite posting just 64 yards on 21 carries, scored a pair of touchdowns to secure the win. 

After allowing New York receiver John Metchie III to open the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter, Baltimore ended the game on a 23-3 run. 

“It’s just different sides of the ball stepping up,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “Special teams had some big-time plays, and the defense had some too.”

Despite a 1-5 start to the season, the 6-5 Ravens now find themselves tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North. The dismal start to the campaign forced the team to fall back on Psalm 23:4, according to Harbaugh. 

“‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me.’ That’s the story of the game, and that’s the story of the season, in a sense,” the coach said. “The first half was tough. Our guys kept fighting. Then we got the lead, and nobody flinched.”

The Jets, now 2-9, hung around throughout the game. After trading field goals in the fourth quarter, New York trailed by 10 and was eager to mount a comeback attempt. 

A 40-yard catch-and-run by running back Breece Hall gave the visitors hope. It didn’t last. 

Two plays later, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey forced Hall to fumble at Baltimore’s 2-yard line. The Ravens recovered, effectively ending the Jets’ dreams of an upset. 

“I don’t know how he did it, because we were reeling. They had us on our heels,” Harbaugh said before referring to the play’s impact on a win probability graph. “To me, that’s the line spike right there.”

The Ravens now control their own destiny in the AFC North. The path ahead isn’t easy, with two games remaining against both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Steelers. 

The Bengals, currently led by former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, visit Baltimore on Thanksgiving night. The Ravens have already started their preparations on a short week. 

“I told the guys to just enjoy this for a couple of hours,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “I’m going to watch he game, make corrections. Then tonight, I’ll be watching Cincinnati.”

After the first matchup with the Bengals, the Ravens’ tough end-of-season slate continues with a home game against the Steelers, a trip to Cincinnati and matchups against the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. 

Harbaugh’s squad will end the season on the road in Pittsburgh. 

“It feels great,” the coach said of the current win streak. “But it’s halfway done. Season’s not over. … We’ve got no time really to rest. We’ve got to go to work on the Bengals.”