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.
The Ravens’ playoff hopes were on life support entering Week 17. To keep them alive, they needed some help, but first they had to get a win at Lambeau Field—and spoiler alert: Derrick Henry made sure that happened. Here are the five plays that told the story of Saturday’s game in Green Bay, according to Glenn Clark and Griffin Bass.
Glenn’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Saturday’s Game:
5. 9:32 – 1st (3rd & 6 at GB 25) (Shotgun) T. Huntley pass short right to M. Andrews pushed ob at GB 19 for 6 yards (K. Nixon)
It feels off to include something this early in the game but after the Ravens took the ball when they won the toss, it was imperative that they score. They were already in field goal range, but the illegal formation penalty that nullified a Pat Ricard conversion felt devastating. This was critical.
4. 7:02 – 4th (2nd & 10 at BAL 35) (Shotgun) C. Tune pass short left intended for B. Melton INTERCEPTED by M. Humphrey at BLT 26. M. Humphrey to BLT 32 for 6 yards (M. Golden).
The game was PROBABLY over the minute that Clayton Tune came in. But this certainly sealed it.
3. 1:20 – 2nd (2nd & 10 at BAL 35) (Shotgun) T. Huntley up the middle to GB 40 for 25 yards (X. McKinney).
The Packers got back within a score late in the half and were going to get the ball to start the second half. Actually, if the Ravens hadn’t gotten going here-they were going to get it again before the end of the half too. This prevented that and got the Ravens going for a critical touchdown.
2. 11:25 – 2nd (4th & 1 at GB 34) (Shotgun) D. Kinnard reported in as eligible. J. Jacobs right guard to GB 34 for no gain (R. Smith; T. Robinson).
It looked like the teams were just going to exchange blows in the first half. We can debate how insane the decision was for the Packers to go for it at this spot on the field. We can most definitely debate how insane it was to run a shotgun run on 4th & 1. But the play was still made.
1. 1:10 – 3rd (3rd & 5 at BAL 20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) D. Henry left guard to BLT 29 for 9 yards (X. McKinney).
The story of the game was Derrick Henry. No play defined that more to me than when the Ravens had gone cold offensively, their lead had been cut from 13 to 3 and they were faced with a likely punt…until they ran the ball on 3rd & 5(!) and Henry made it happen.
Griffin’s Five Plays That Told The Story of Saturday’s Game:
5. 10-yd Touchdown Pass. 10:10 – 4th (Shotgun) T.Huntley pass short left to Z.Flowers for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN [K.Enagbare]. T.Loop extra point is GOOD, Center-N.Moore, Holder-J.Stout. 3rd & 8 at GB 10
It was third down conversion, hate that Zay is still taking the football away from his body, but the conversion into a touchdown, combined with how 22 was running the football, put this one out of reach before the interception.
4. Interception 7:02 – 4th (Shotgun) C.Tune pass short left intended for B.Melton INTERCEPTED by M.Humphrey at BLT 26. M.Humphrey to BLT 32 for 6 yards (M.Golden). 2nd & 10 at BAL 35
Felt inevitable after Malik Willis went down. There was no coming back from this for Green Bay.
3. 11-yd Pass. 0:30 – 2nd (Shotgun) T.Huntley pass short middle to I.Likely to GB 29 for 11 yards (E.Williams).PENALTY on GB-E.Williams, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at GB 29. 2nd & 10 at GB 40
It was so crucial to score a touchdown before halftime, and this was the play of the drive, penalty included. Even after the long Huntley scramble, they were still only playing for a FG, but after this, they were in the Redzone and it was game-on. But seriously I’m okay with any play from this scoring drive.
2. 0-yd Run. 11:25 – 2nd (Shotgun) D.Kinnard reported in as eligible. J.Jacobs right guard to GB 34 for no gain (R.Smith; T.Robinson). 4th & 1 at GB 34
Huge stop because after this the Packers never had a chance to get back into the game. Never. Great play from Roquan, horrible play call from Green Bay and not to go unnoticed is the job John Jenkins and Travis Jones did blowing up the QB sneak on 3rd and 1.
1. 9-yd Run. 1:10 – 3rd (No Huddle, Shotgun) D.Henry left guard to BLT 29 for 9 yards (X.McKinney). 3rd & 5 at BAL 20
This was an unbelievable sequence, and credit to Huntley for going no huddle to not allow the Packers to sub, and more importantly, not allow the Ravens to sub Henry off the field so he could stay on for a third down and extend the drive. Extremely crucial because Green Bay essentially had all the momentum at this point, had just cut it to a three-point game, had the Ravens on the ropes, but got hit with 22 again.
Short week due to New Year’s on GCR so no audio this week!
Photo Credit: Bo Smolka/PressBox
