The Ravens have lost another heartbreaker.
Baltimore fell to the New York Giants 27-23 at MetLife Stadium Sunday, dropping them to 3-3 on the season after their third-straight loss.
The defeat came after the Ravens took a late fourth-quarter lead on a touchdown run by Terrance West, but Giants All-Pro receiver Odell Beckham Jr. answered it with a 66-yard score to give New York back the lead that would hold for the victory.
Beckham's game-winning touchdown came on a fourth-down pass with just 90 seconds left in the game, and it capped off a huge day for him. The Ravens had no answer for Beckham after top cornerback Jimmy Smith missed the entire second half with a concussion, and he finished the game with a career-high 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
When Smith was healthy for essentially the entire first half, Beckham was held to two catches for 11 yards and no touchdowns. Both scores and the other 211 yards came in the second half.
Sunday's loss is a frustrating end to a difficult week for the Ravens. It started by replacing Offensive Coordinator Marc Trestman with Marty Mornhinweg, and the offense had mixed results in its first game under the new play caller. The unit took more deep shots and stayed committed to the run, but penalties and a lack of red-zone scoring hurt.
The Ravens jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but then the offense went into a lull once penalties started to pile up and the Giants found a rhythm. The teams traded jabs in the second half with both sides gaining chunks of yards with deep passes.
Quarterback Joe Flacco had the Ravens offense moving on the final drive of the game, but came up short three times from the New York 24-yard line to end the game. It was the same result as last week when the Ravens offense couldn't deliver a game-winning comeback drive.
In addition to losing another tough game, the Ravens continue to have key players go down with injuries. Baltimore came into the game without receiver Steve Smith Sr., right guard Marshal Yanda, linebackers C.J. Mosley and Elvis Dumervil and left tackle Ronnie Stanley. The Ravens then had Smith and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs leave the game because of injuries.
Impact Plays
- The Ravens opened the Mornhinweg era with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker. Lacking a deep passing attack through the first five weeks, the Ravens hit wide receiver Breshad Perriman for a 41-yard gain on third-and-9 to get the drive going.
- After that opening field goal, the defense gave the Ravens the football right back when safety Eric Weddle forced a fumble by Beckham. The offense capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing drive that West capped off with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone.
- The Giants got on the board late in the second quarter when they marched down the field for a 14-play touchdown drive. Quarterback Eli Manning's 24-yard touchdown pass to Roger Lewis cut Baltimore's lead to 10-7 with 2:28 left in the second quarter.
- The Giants opened the second half with the football and tied the game on a 21-yard field goal. It capped off a 17-play drive, which included a fourth-down conversion by the Giants. The Ravens managed to keep the Giants out of the end zone despite New York having a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
- Rookie cornerback Tavon Young showed off his playmaking ability by coming up with a diving interception in the third quarter. The defense's third takeaway again gave the offense great field position, and the Ravens turned it into a 39-yard field goal by Tucker to extend their lead to 13-10.
- Beckham is known as one of the best receivers in the game, and he showed why in the third quarter with a 75-yard touchdown catch. Beckham beat cornerback Will Davis on a hitch-and-go route, and then he outran Weddle to the end zone. The touchdown put the Giants up 17-13, which was their first lead of the day.
- Flacco struck back on the next drive, connecting with wide receiver Mike Wallace for a 70-yard completion. That deep pass gave the Ravens afirst-and-goal from the 4-yard line, but the offense couldn't punch it in for the score. Head Coach John Harbaugh opted to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, but West got stopped short on a pitch play.
- With the Ravens trailing 20-16 late in the fourth quarter, they benefitted from a critical pass interference penalty on the Giants. Flacco took a deep shot to wide receiver Breshad Perriman, and the officials flagged New York cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for a 30-yard pass interference, which moved Baltimore to the 8-yard line. West then powered into the end zone three plays later to give the Ravens a 23-20 lead.Â
- Beckham delivered the dagger with a 66-yard score to give the Giants a lead they would hold for good.
Standout Performer: Odell Beckham Jr.
The dynamic wide receiver got the better of the Ravens defense in the second half. Beckham put up the 75-yard touchdown, a 43-yard completion to set up a field goal, and then the 66-yard game winner. He finished the game with eight catches for 222 yards and the two scores.
What's On The Horizon
As the Ravens look to snap the current three-game losing skid, they will be back in the Meadowlands next week to take on the New York Jets. The matchup with the Jets will also be Baltimore's last game before the bye.
Check out the best photos from MetLife Stadium as the Ravens battle the Giants.