It’s been a few years now, but we’ve decided to bring it back, Griffin got sick of Glenn mentioning this segment “that we used to do” so the guys revived it entirely. On Tuesdays following Sunday’s game, we will sit down and map out the Five Plays That Told The Story Of Sunday’s Game.
It’s as simple as it sounds, if the Ravens lose, we’ll pick the five plays that we perceived embodied the loss, not all necessarily scoring plays, sometimes no scoring plays. And of course on the inverse, when the Ravens win, the five plays that most embodied the win.
The Ravens bounced back from the disappointing loss in Cleveland with a much more comfortable win over Denver Sunday in a game that was largely over before the start of the 3rd quarter–Griffin and Glenn will both count down in sequential order of the five plays they believed to tell the story of Sunday’s game.
Glenn’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Sunday’s Game:
5. 3rd & 2 at DEN 38 (8:15 – 3rd) (Shotgun) B. Nix sacked at DEN 29 for -9 yards (T. Robinson)
Up three touchdowns in the second, it should have felt like the game was over. But given the performance of the defense and what we’ve seen in second halves in recent years, there was no way to feel like that. This stop lead to another score and slammed the door shut.
4. 4th & 4 at BAL 33 (15:00 – 2nd) (Shotgun) B. Nix pass incomplete deep left to T. Franklin
It was at least a swing of three points as they eschewed the field goal but it was far more realistically a swing of seven points as the play was right there to be made and was simply missed.
3. 3rd & 4 at DEN 34 (5:15 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L. Jackson pass deep left to J. Hill to DEN 10 for 24 yards (J. Elliss)
It was a 10-7 game at this point and the Ravens were on the edge of field goal territory. How we feeling about kicks on the edge of field goal territory? Massive play to keep what ended up being a touchdown drive going.
2. 4th & 1 at BAL 44 (6:21 – 1st). J. Williams right end to BLT 43 for 1 yard (B. Stephens, R. Smith). Baltimore challenged the first down ruling, and the play was REVERSED. J. Williams right end to BLT 44 for no gain (B. Stephens, R. Smith)
Massive play. With the Broncos trying to find their footing in the game, they got into Ravens territory with a chance to make an early statement. Instead, the Ravens made a massive play (complete with the quite rare spot challenge reversal!) and never trailed.
1. 1st & 10 at BAL 47 (0:16 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L. Jackson pass deep middle to Z. Flowers for 53 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The play of the game by far. At least four stolen points if not seven.
Griffin’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Sunday’s Game:
5. 2nd & 12 at BAL 41 (5:12 – 1st) (Shotgun) L.Jackson pass deep left to N. Agholor to DEN 30 for 29 yards
It was early, but that was when this game mattered. A beautiful route ran by Agholor and was the precursor for what Lamar Jackson was going to do the rest of the afternoon, not miss. Led to the Ravens first touchdown of the day.
4. 4th & 4 at BAL 33 (15:00 – 2nd) (Shotgun) B.Nix pass incomplete deep left to T.Franklin.
The second fourth down “stop” from Sunday. I put stop in quotations because the play was there for Denver, and they just missed it. Troy Franklin had Arthur Maulet beat but Nix overthrew him. Ravens dodge a bullet, I’m not sure it changes the outcome of the game but allowed the Ravens to hit the showers earlier.
3. 4th & 1 at BAL 44 (6:21 – 1st) J.Williams right end to BLT 43 for 1 yard (B.Stephens; R.Smith). Baltimore challenged the first down ruling, and the play was REVERSED. J.Williams right end to BLT 44 for no gain (B.Stephens; R.Smith).
The first fourth down stop and certainly a bigger play despite happening six minutes earlier. Still scoreless, and for all intense and purposes, this was Denver’s first drive since they threw a tipped interception on the second play of the game. They were driving, an 11-play, six-minute drive that was about to continue until Harbaugh threw the challenge flag. So credit to Roquan for getting him down.
2. 3rd & 7 at BAL 9(1:10 – 2nd) (Shotgun) B.Nix scrambles left end for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN NULLIFIED by Penalty. PENALTY on DEN- G.Bolles, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at BLT 9 – No Play
I know it doesn’t fit Glenn’s “rules” but this was a massive swing, the whole sequence went exactly how you’d draw it up if you were the Ravens. The Broncos run out of bounds on the previous play so they can save a timeout (which the Ravens didn’t even end up using), and if Hamilton is held, he makes the stop to force fourth down. But he is, backs up the Broncos even further and leaves a minute on the clock for what happens next… I bet I know how Garrett Bolles feels right now:
1. 1st & 10 at BAL 47 (0:16 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L.Jackson pass deep middle to Z. Flowers for 53 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Nail in the coffin, and before halftime.
There you have it, our five plays telling the story of Sunday’s win over Denver. You can listen as Glenn and Griffin break it down by clicking play below:
Photo credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
