The Baltimore Ravens were angry, and they took it out on the Denver Broncos throughout Sunday's 41-10 win. Baltimore, anxious to play better following last week's upset loss in Cleveland, did so in Week 9 while showing the Broncos they are still a ways away from competing with the NFL's elite.
Baltimore was led once again by its two MVP candidates in quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. Jackson threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 16 of 19 passing while becoming the fastest player in NFL history to reach 20 touchdown passes and 500 rushing yards for a season. Jackson also set an NFL record by compiling his fourth career game with a perfect passing record (minimum of 15 attempts).
Henry ran for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns. He made history in the first half by rushing for his 100th career score. Henry also eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season on a 20-yarder early in the third quarter.
Denver had no problems moving the ball in the first half, but it came up short on consecutive fourth-down attempts that helped set up two Ravens scores. The Broncos did make it a one-possession game late in the first half on a Bo Nix touchdown catch, but they were unable to sustain that success in the second half. On defense, Denver couldn't contain Jackson and was run over in the second half by Henry after holding him to 32 yards on nine carries in the second half.
Here's a closer look at how Baltimore bullied Denver.
Why the Ravens won
Jackson and Henry were the headliners, but Baltimore's defense played a big role in the outcome. The unit, which entered Sunday's game tops in the league against the run but 30th against the pass, held Nix to just 19 of 33 passing that included Ar'Darius Washington's pick on Denver's second play from scrimmage. They sacked him four times (Tavius Robinson paced Baltimore with two sacks) and came up big on two fourth-down stops in the first half.
Baltimore's defense continued to put its offense in favorable field positions, and Jackson and Co. took advantage by scoring on seven straight drives. Jackson spread the ball around, had two several big connections to Zay Flowers (who caught five passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns) and broke containment all day as he was only sacked once on Baltimore's first drive.
Jackson's success in the first half set the stage for Henry to take advantage of a weary Broncos defense in the second half. Henry had 53 of his of his 106 rushing yards in the third quarter as Baltimore out-gained Denver 159 to -2 yards over that span. The Broncos also turned a 24-10 lead into a 38-10 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Speaking of Henry, he tied Adrian Peterson with the second most seasons with at least 10 touchdown runs. Their seven straight seasons with at least 10 touchdown runs is second only to Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who did so each year from 2001-09.
Why the Broncos lost
Denver hung in there for most of the first half, but their offense's inability to capitalize on more of its scoring chances started the proverbial avalanche. The missed fourth downs contributed mightily to the defense's sagging performance following an encouraging start.
The Broncos' need for a No. 2 receiver was evident Sunday. While Courtland Sutton had seven catches for 122 yards (in addition to his touchdown pass to Nix on a trick play), only one other player (running back Javonte Williams) had more than 20 receiving yards. The Broncos should try to add to their stable of wideouts before Tuesday's trade deadline.
Regardless of who is playing receiver, Nix can't continue to miss easy passes like his misfire to an open Troy Franklin in the end zone on Denver's second fourth-down miss. Instead of a game-tying touchdown, the Broncos found themselves on the wrong side of a 10-0 score after Jackson led Baltimore to its first touchdown moments later.
Defensively, the Broncos can join the club of units that have fallen victim to the dynamic duo of Jackson and Henry. Jackson easily dodged defenders who had taken down quarterbacks a combined 30 times during the season's first eight weeks.
Turning point
Nix's misfire to Franklin was a turning point, but the turning point in Sunday's game occurred at the end of the first half with Denver threatening to make it a three-point game. It appeared that the Broncos had done so after Nix scored on a nifty 9-yard run, but a holding call on offensive lineman Garett Bolles wiped it out. Denver then had to settle for a field goal and a 17-10 deficit with 54 seconds left in the half.
That wasn't the bad part, though. Despite having limited time, the Ravens still managed to get in the end zone after Jackson hit Flowers, who received a stellar block downfield from fellow wideout Rashod Bateman on his way to a 53-yard touchdown.
The Ravens then opened the second half with a touchdown that essentially put the game on ice.
Quotable
"We have been really good at running the ball for a long time, but he is different. He's adding a dimension that we have not had before. I don't know, you can go back to Jamal Lewis, maybe? This is different, and I'm excited about it." -- Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on Henry's impact
What's next
The Ravens will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. Cincinnati, which fell to Baltimore in a 38-35 shootout back in Week 5, has climbed its way back to 4-5 after a 1-4 start to the season. The Broncos have another daunting road game ahead of them next Sunday against the defending two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.