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 schedule remains out of whack due to the holidays, so Glenn and Griffin aren’t doing ‘Five Plays’ during Tuesday’s show like normal, but still shared some of the key moments from Wednesday’s dismantling of the Texans down in Houston on Christmas Day–both count down in sequential order of the five plays they believed to tell the story of Wednesday’s game.
Glenn’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Wednesday’s Game:
5. 1st & 10 at HOU 48 (13:22 – 3rd) (Shotgun) L. Jackson right end for 48 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
In addition to being utterly amazing, this was truly the final blow.
4. 3rd & 3 at HOU 37 (14:16 – 3rd) (Shotgun) C. Stroud pass deep right intended for X. Hutchinson INTERCEPTED by K. Hamilton at BLT 39 for no gain (X. Hutchinson).
It was still just a two possession game and the Texans had the ball to start the second half…until they didn’t.
3. 2nd & 6 at HOU 9 (1:51 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L. Jackson pass short middle to I. Likely for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
It’s tough to do “Five Plays” in blowouts. This one makes the cut in large part because of how deflating it seemed to be for the Texans.
2. 2nd & 10 at BAL 20 (3:10 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L. Jackson pass deep right to M. Andrews to HST 13 for 67 yards (C. Bullock)
It’s hard to remember that it was still a one score game at this point and that changed here.
1. 4th & Goal at BAL 4 (5:39 – 2nd) (Shotgun) C. Stroud pass short right to J. Mixon pushed OB at BLT 1 for 3 yards (A. Washington, T. White)
Really the only play that actually mattered.
Griffin’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Wednesday’s Game:
5. 1st & 10 at HOU 48 (13:22 – 3rd) (Shotgun) L.Jackson right end for 48 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
If you put Beyonce’s Halftime performance in this spot I’m not going to be mad at all, but ultimately I had to throw in this Lamar run, even though it kind of feels like the game was over by this point, this play was just stupid and drove the stake into the heart of the Houston Texans, perhaps their season.
4. 3rd & 4 at BAL 48 (7:06 – 1st) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Stroud sacked at HST 41 for -11 yards (K.Van Noy).
Kyle Van Noy–a.k.a. the Ageless Wonder–gets a sack. Huge play. It’s not like the Texans were in field goal range but certainly in 4-down territory at this point and one of the few moments the game was still within one score for Houston so yeah pretty momentous.
3. 3rd & 3 at HOU 37 (14:16 – 3rd) (Shotgun) C.Stroud pass deep right intended for X.Hutchinson INTERCEPTED by K.Hamilton at BLT 39.
This probably ended the game. The Lamar TD run two plays later left zero doubt.
2. 2nd & 6 at HOU 9 (1:51 – 2nd) (Shotgun) L.Jackson pass short middle to I.Likely for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Great play. I’m putting this over the Mark Andrews play from the same drive even though both are very similar. You’ve got Danielle Hunter in your face, and Lamar just doesn’t care, throwing off his back foot. La-Mazing. Letting the Texans know they don’t belong on the field with the Ravens.
1. 4th & Goal at BAL 4 (5:39 – 2nd) (Shotgun) C.Stroud pass short right to J.Mixon pushed ob at BLT 1 for 3 yards (A.Washington, T.White).
As Ryan Leaf said yesterday, it’s the play of the game. Texans have a chance to potentially tie the game, really make the Ravens pay for that safety–and instead it’s back-to-back weeks with the smallest guy on the field laying the biggest hit of the game.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
