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.
With our schedule all out of whack due to the holidays, Glenn and Griffin aren’t doing ‘Five Plays’ during Tuesday’s show (no show), but still had to some of the key moments from Saturday’s huge divisional win over the Steelers–both count down in sequential order of the five plays they believed to tell the story of Saturday’s game.
Glenn’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Monday’s Game:
5. 4th & 19 at PIT 42 (11:01 – 1st) J. Stout punts 39 yards to PIT 3, impetus ends at PIT 1, Center-N. Moore, downed by BLT-D. Walker
I realize it was merely a 39 yard punt in the end and it seems like it should be a crime that this play can be written up officially with no mention of Tylan Wallace’s name. But if the Ravens had gotten the ball first, moved it and then the punt had been a touchback it would have been tremendously deflating to net just 22 yards. Given the context of the Ravens’ struggles against the Steelers, they badly needed something to keep the momentum up.
4. 3rd & 8 at PIT 14 (7:28 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L. Jackson pass short left to R. Bateman for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. J. Tucker extra point is GOOD, Center-N. Moore, Holder-J. Stout
Ironically this is the only offensive play on my list. In a tough third down spot, this was just a beautiful pitch and catch from Jackson and Bateman.
3. 4th & 6 at BAL 45 (15:00 – 4th) (Shotgun) R. Wilson pass incomplete deep middle to C. Austin (K. Hamilton)
So first-what a play by Kyle Hamilton. Second-I think this was the right decision for the Steelers but if they had pinned the Ravens back inside the 5 the game could have looked dramatically different. Third-I think it is fair to second guess the play they called here.
2. 2nd & 7 at PIT 36 (13:06 – 4th) R. Wilson pass short right intended for M. Pruitt INTERCEPTED by M. Humphrey (D. Ojabo) at PIT 27. M. Humphrey for 37 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
If you have it at number one, I’m not going to argue with you. Just a desperately needed massive play from Marlon Humphrey.
1. 2nd & 6 at BAL 23 (11:11 – 2nd) (No Huddle) R. Wilson scrambles right end to BLT 4 for 19 yards (A. Washington). FUMBLES (A. Washington), RECOVERED by BLT-K. Van Noy at BLT 4
I ultimately decided to put this at 1 because I can’t escape where the Ravens may have been mentally if they had gone behind at this point in the game. It just feels like a bit of a “here we go again” thought process would have been difficult to avoid.
Griffin’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Monday’s Game:
5. 3rd & 5 at BAL 13 (8:09 – 4th) L.Jackson pass deep right to Z.Flowers to PIT 38 for 49 yards (D.Kazee).
Sure, the yards are great, but it’s the fact that it’s 3rd down and you’re inside your own 15 yard line, not a comfortable punt because you’ll be in your own endzone and because the Steelers get the ball back–albeit down two scores–but with eight minutes left to make something happen. This effectively put the game on ice.
4. 2nd & 8 at BAL 6 (10:20 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L.Jackson pass deep right to I.Likely to BLT 25 for 19 yards (B.Bishop).
Just a magnificent throw, Lamar standing on his own goal line. There’s a chance the ADW fumble becomes meaningless if they can’t get out of the shadow of their own goalpost, let alone put points on the board. And this was a perfect microcosm of what Lamar Jackson was on the afternoon: making the right read, executing a perfect throw to the sideline, only his guy can get it. Surgical.
3. 4th & 6 at BAL 45 (15:00 – 4th) (Shotgun) R.Wilson pass incomplete deep middle to C.Austin (K.Hamilton).
Huge PBU by Hamilton. This is what he does. Apparently, this ended up being the last time the Steelers thought they had a chance while holding the football, so a massive, massive fourth down stop.
2. 2nd & 7 at PIT 36 (13:06 – 4th) R.Wilson pass short right intended for M.Pruitt INTERCEPTED by M.Humphrey [D.Ojabo] at PIT 37. M.Humphrey for 37 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
OMG. Where do you begin with this play. Lamar just made his worst throw of the season, which is crazy because that is a 100% true statement and we just wrapped up Week 16, an interception that took the Henry 45-yard run off the board. Russel Wilson shouldn’t have made this throw but Marlon Humphrey still needed to hold up his end of the bargain, and boy did he. The biggest play on the Ravens side of this rivalry since the play you’re going to see at #1.
1. 2nd & 6 at BAL 23 (11:11 – 2nd) (No Huddle) R.Wilson scrambles right end to BLT 4 for 19 yards (A.Washington). FUMBLES (A.Washington), RECOVERED by BLT-K.Van Noy at BLT 4.
I went back and forth a lot, and I do truly believe this was the biggest play of the game. Russ was running wild on the Ravens this drive, had an open lane to the endzone to give the Steelers the lead. Not only that, the Ravens just got off a drive where every single one of their weaknesses showed up: Penalties, Zay Flowers had a drop, all capped off by Jordan Stout punting the ball a whopping 14 yards. And it’s all forgotten thanks to the shortest guy on the field–an undrafted free agent, in his fourth season in the NFL, spending all four essentially on the taxi squad–stepping up, making the biggest play on the Ravens side of the rivalry since before there was a global pandemic. How can you not be romantic about football?
Photo credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
