Griffin convinced Glenn to revive the segment last season after a hiatus from the program for a few years, and it’s relatively simple how it works: 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.
Shockingly, the Ravens actually had a few opportunities to defeat the Rams Sunday despite the 17-3 final score, here are the Five Plays That Told The Story of the game according Glenn Clark and Griffin Bass:
Glenn’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Sunday’s Game:
5. 11:04 – 2nd (3rd & 9 at BAL 40) (Shotgun) M. Stafford pass deep middle to P. Nacua to BLT 17 for 23 yards (M. Starks).
This would lead to the Rams’ first points of the game and came immediately after the Ravens took a timeout.
4. 14:16 – 2nd (4th & 3 at LAR 34) (Shotgun) C. Rush pass incomplete deep right to Z. Flowers (B. Young).
Sense a theme? This also came out of a timeout and…was…of no help.
3. 12:20 – 3rd (4th & 2 at BAL 33) (Shotgun) M. Stafford pass deep left to K. Williams to BLT 3 for 30 yards. Penalty on BLT – T. Simpson, Defensive Pass Interference, declined.
Sure, rushing two seemed nonsensical here…but at least it wasn’t out of a timeout.
2. 11:14 – 3rd (1st & 20 at BLT 26) (Shotgun) C. Rush pass short right to Z. Flowers to BLT 36 for 10 yards (J. Verse; N. Landman). FUMBLES (J. Verse), RECOVERED by LA-Q. Lake at BLT 41. Q. Lake to BLT 21 for 20 yards (J. Noteboom).
The game was teetering after the Rams scored to open the second half. This broke the dam.
1. 0:12 – 2nd (4th & Goal at LAR 1) C. Bullock reported in as eligible. D. Henry left end to LA 3 for -2 yards (J. Verse).
This sequence really defined the game and maybe the current state of the Ravens.
Griffin’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Sunday’s Game:
5. (14:16 – 2nd) Timeout #1 by BLT at 14:16. Incompletion. 14:16 – 2nd. (Shotgun) C.Rush pass incomplete deep right to Z.Flowers [B.Young]. 4th & 3 at LAR 34
Coming out of a timeout? This is what we draw up? Having Cooper Rush throw a ball with 0% catch probability on 4th down?
4. Fumble Recovery. 3:27 – 3rd. C.Rush FUMBLES (Aborted) at LA 31, RECOVERED by LA-T.Davis at LA 31. 1st & 10 at LAR 27
Have to include both fumbles. This was the second one, and it was absolutely back-breaking. Ravens converted a 4th + 1 with that golden Cooper Rush hard count, then Rush makes an insane 3rd + 7 conversion to Andrews. Before this end-around with Zay, who drops the handoff and fumbles again…
3. Fumble Recovery. 11:14 – 3rd. (Shotgun) C.Rush pass short right to Z.Flowers to BLT 36 for 10 yards (J.Verse; N.Landman). FUMBLES (J.Verse), RECOVERED by LA-Q.Lake at BLT 41. Q.Lake to BLT 21 for 20 yards (J.Noteboom). 1st & 20 at BAL 26
Zay’s first fumble, came right after an Andrews PI to back themselves up. It’s all connected.
2. 30-yd Pass. 12:20 – 3rd. (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass deep left to K.Williams to BLT 3 for 30 yards.Penalty on BLT-T.Simpson, Defensive Pass Interference, declined. 4th & 2 at BAL 33
Allowing the Rams to convert this 4th down out of halftime could arguably be the play of the game. Poor decisions and play-calling coupled with worse execution. They scored a touchdown on the next play.
1. -2-yd Run. 0:12 – 2nd. C.Bullock reported in as eligible. D.Henry left end to LA 3 for -2 yards (J.Verse). 4th & Goal at LAR 1
I didn’t like switching away from the tush push. In real time I knew you had to commit to one or the other, give it to Henry three times in a row or make them stop the tush push three times in a row. They decided to shake it up and it decided the game. An abject failure from everyone and every player involved.
You can listen as the boys break it down here:
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
