Baltimore Ravens Best Moments of 2010
BALTIMORE -- A few thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens" 34-33 loss to the San Diego Chargers at M&T Bank Stadium:
What it means: The Ravens (7-5) suffered a punch to the gut after they failed to hold a 10-point fourth-quarter lead. They dropped 1.5 games back of the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1) with four games remaining. It was an unlikely collapse by the Ravens, who had been 11-0 at home against West Coast teams. This was a heartbreaking defeat for the Ravens, who fell to 3-5 in the AFC.
Critical collapse: Up by six points, the Ravens" defense watched Philip Rivers go 80 yards on eight plays to win the game. Ravens cornerback Anthony Levine, who was making his third start, was called for pass interference in the end zone with 46 seconds remaining. A play later, Rivers completed a 1-yard touchdown to Eddie Royal to complete the comeback. It was the worst nightmare for a makeshift Ravens secondary.
Forsett keeps rolling: Running back Justin Forsett continues to add to his career season. He ran for 106 yards -- his third straight 100-yard game -- and eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his seven-year career. The last Ravens running back to run for 100 yards in three straight games was Jamal Lewis in 2003.
Tucker on target: When the Ravens failed to convert in the red zone, they relied on the foot of Justin Tucker. He connected on four field goals: 33, 21, 29 and 31 yards. Tucker has converted on 13 straight field goals.
Red zone woes: The Ravens finished 3-of-7 against the NFL"s No. 26 red zone defense. Settling for field goals cost the Ravens in the end. Before the Chargers" winning drive, the Ravens moved the ball to the San Diego 13-yard line but settled for Tucker"s fourth field goal.
Game ball: Wide receiver Torrey Smith. He has replaced Steve Smith as the Ravens" go-to receiver recently. Torrey Smith scored two touchdowns (16 and 10 yards) and drew two pass interference penalties that led to another 10 points. Playing with more emotion, Smith now has scored seven touchdowns in his past seven games.
What"s next: The Ravens go on the road to face another AFC playoff contender. They play at Miami, where they are 3-0 under coach John Harbaugh.
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/151872/rapid-reaction-baltimore-ravens-24
