What we learned from Baltimore’s 30-23 win

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1. Ravens ride running game to clear victory. At this point, we know who the Ravens can be when they’re firing on all cylinders. It starts with the ground attack, which opens the passing game and gives way Lamar Jackson Plenty of time to pick apart the defense. That was the case again on Monday evening Derrick Henry Running recklessly through the Chargers’ defense, which entered Week 12 as the 10th-ranked run defense in the NFL. That lead collapsed under the pounding feet of Henry, who led Baltimore’s first touchdown drive of the day with gains of 19, 14 and 11 yards, making it look easy. He finished off the Chargers in the same fashion, stiff-arming two defenders on a crucial third down to gain the edge and clear the line to win, capping his day with 140 rushing yards on 24 carries. Thanks to Henry continuing to thrive in a role that suits him perfectly, Jackson didn’t even have to do too much in the air.
2. Dobbins’ revenge campaign ends prematurely – and causes the Chargers to fail. JK Dobbins left an injury-plagued tenure in Baltimore for a fresh start in Los Angeles this offseason, and entered Monday night with a chance to be a thorn in the side of his former employer. He got off to a positive start, gaining 40 yards on six carries, but his night ended after just 19 offensive snaps due to a knee injury, ending Los Angeles’ offensive record with it. With Dobbins sidelined, the Chargers ran the ball just five times in the final two quarters, placing almost all of their offensive responsibility on Justin Herbert’s shoulders, resulting in a one-point game at halftime. Without the threat of the run, the Chargers’ offense stalled just as the Ravens’ offense was peaking, flipping the possession advantage – which the Chargers had 7:20 at halftime – in the Ravens’ favor. At the worst possible time, Los Angeles’ offense reverted to the poor form that plagued them earlier in the season. When they needed explosive plays late, the Chargers had no answer to the Ravens’ conundrum. At the very least, Monday should serve as a lesson for offensive coordinator Greg Roman: Balance is the best path to victory.
3. Los Angeles has one clear offseason need: a receiver. With the offense relying heavily on the pass in the second half, Justin Herbert let loose without fear. But one fact became painfully clear in this part of the game: the Chargers lack a true deep threat. Several long attempts at this Josh Palmer proved unsuccessful and was a first-rounder in 2023 Quentin Johnston returned to his rookie-season form, dropping an open pass on a drag route on a crucial third point in a one-score game and letting that mistake haunt him on his next two goals (which he also dropped). The only reliable target in their receiving corps was the freshman Ladd McConkeywhich severely limited the Chargers’ chances of moving up the field as the deficit grew. With the running game disappearing and the game situation requiring the Chargers’ pass, the Ravens’ pass rushers stuck their ears to Herbert, who was forced to fire off prayers to receivers who simply aren’t skilled enough to make game-changing plays close . Their last two drives were painful viewing experiences that proved this Chargers team isn’t built to come from behind and questioned their legitimacy as AFC contenders.
4. The Chargers’ strength collapses against the AFC titan. Defense is the name of the game for these Chargers in 2024. They have a physical unit that has exceeded expectations all season, but when Derrick Henry got going in the first half, cracks began to appear in their foundation. Los Angeles had great difficulty limiting Henry, so much so that Lamar Jackson only had to attempt 22 passes that night to lead the offense to a 30-point output. Jackson’s clear goal is this Kristian Fulton On their second touchdown drive, they also exposed at least one weakness in their secondary, giving the Chargers some trouble defensively in a game where they desperately needed stops in the fourth quarter. There are plenty of lessons for the Chargers to learn from this game, and the football world already learned one on Monday night. The skepticism about the up-and-coming Chargers was not unfounded. Los Angeles failed its first real test in 2024 on both sides.
5. Ravens add two feathers to their caps. On paper, this should have been a colossal matchup between two AFC contenders with nearly identical records and points to prove on the prime-time stage. In the end, only one team (the Ravens) had to drop out because of the bright lights. Baltimore won by playing its game, relying on the ground game and the playmaking ability of Lamar Jackson. Zay flowers And Mark Andrews. The Ravens’ somewhat banged-up defense had a strong second half, limiting Los Angeles to three points and sacking Justin Herbert three times in the final two quarters. They still committed nine penalties accepted against them, but unlike their loss to Pittsburgh in Week 11, those mistakes didn’t spell doom. In the end, the Ravens had given the Chargers a big helping of humble pie – and just three days before Thanksgiving – by erasing a 10-point deficit with a 30-6 run and exploding on the scoreboard in emphatic fashion. Oh, and Justin Tucker He converted a 45-yard field goal, dispelling fears that he may have lost his touch after missing two long attempts in Pittsburgh a week ago. These Ravens certainly weren’t perfect in 2024, but they picked up an important win by staying true to their brand and performing, preparing for an important final stretch with a home game against the red-hot Eagles on Sunday begins.

Insight into the Ravens-Chargers’ next-generation stats (via NFL Pro): Lamar Jackson’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman traveled 57.4 yards in the air, marking Jackson’s second-longest completion of the season and his second over 50 yards in the air. All four of Jackson’s longest completions this season targeted Bateman.

NFL Research: Derrick Henry’s 140-yard night marked his sixth game with over 100 rushing yards in 2024, the second-most such games in the NFL this season, and was his 20th career game with over 140 rushing yards, putting him in The Pro Football Hall was tied by Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson for the seventh-most such games of all time.