Houston Texans 16-23 Baltimore Ravens: Terrell Suggs-led defense dominates on Monday night
Tuesday 28 November 2017 11:53, UK
Terrell Suggs led an aggressive Baltimore Ravens defense that kept the Houston Texans out of the endzone for the final 51 minutes as they squeezed out a 23-16 victory on Monday Night Football.
The Ravens forced three turnovers, two in the final five minutes. After Suggs stripped the ball from quarterback Tom Savage and Baltimore recovered, Justin Tucker kicked his third field goal with three minutes remaining for a seven-point cushion. Anthony Levine then intercepted a Savage pass to clinch victory.
On offense, Alex Collins ran for 60 yards and a touchdown, while it was Ravens punter Sam Koch, not quarterback Joe Flacco, who threw Baltimore's most significant pass of the game, converting on a fourth-down fake punt that led to their first points of the game.
It set up a 10-yard touchdown run by Javorius Allen to tie the game up at 7-7 after the Texans had taken the lead on a four-yarder by Lamar Miller in the first quarter.
The Ravens took the lead after an interception by Tony Jefferson, followed by another fourth-down gamble in which Collins broke free for 29 yards. The Baltimore back then converted from eight yards out for the score.
The teams traded field goals the rest of the way, seeing the Ravens (6-5) win consecutive games for the first time since they opened the season 2-0 - they are now tied with the Buffalo Bills for the final AFC wild-card spot. The Texans (4-7), meanwhile, have lost four of their last five.
