Lamar Jackson throws for 167 yards and a touchdown to Mark Andrews while Latavius Murray, Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman provide rushing scores as the Baltimore Ravens beat the Los Angeles Chargers 34-6. Justin Herbert completes 22 of 39 for 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception
Monday 18 October 2021 06:19, UK
The Baltimore Ravens romped to 5-1 on the year as they swarmed, stifled and dominated the Los Angeles Chargers 34-6 with a statement victory on a difficult day for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Lamar Jackson finished the game 19 of 27 passing for 167 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions along with 51 yards on the ground, while three separate Ravens contributed rushing scores as Baltimore posted 327 yards of total offense compared to the Chargers' 208.
Herbert endured the toughest outing yet of his sparkling start to the campaign, going 22 of 39 for 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Ravens flaunted their strength on the ground in a commanding first half that saw them cruise to a 17-0 lead through touchdowns from Latavius Murray and Le'Veon Bell followed by a Justin Tucker field goal, before Jared Cook reduced the deficit late in the second quarter after Jackson and Herbert had traded interceptions.
Los Angeles followed up with two of three first-half sacks to stifle the Ravens' final drive of the half in what they hoped would prove welcome momentum, only for Baltimore to reassert their authority in the third quarter by marching downfield to extend their lead on a Mark Andrews touchdown.
While the Chargers proceeded to falter, John Harbaugh's men strolled to their fifth straight victory on the season behind an additional fourth-quarter touchdown from Devonta Freeman to ice the game.
Chargers
Ravens
Murray opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown run to cap a 12-play, 90-yard drive sparked into motion by Freeman's 16-yard scurry and an 11-yard jet-sweep run by Devin Duvernay, who was outstanding on special teams.
A second of three successive first-quarter punts for the Chargers paved the way for Baltimore to double their advantage on an easy two-yard rushing score from Bell after Jackson had tip-toed his way for 22 yards before firing to tight end Andrews for a 21-yard completion just shy of the goalline.
Herbert's response to Tucker's 52-yard field goal was quickly derailed by a beautifully played interception from DeShon Elliott, who undercut Cook's route to wrestle the ball from the grasp of the tight end.
The Chargers defense then bailed Brandon Staley's side out on the ensuing play when Jackson's throw into no man's land was collected by Kyzir White, from which Herbert found Mike Williams for 26 yards at the Ravens one-yard line before floating to Cook at the back-right corner of the end zone.
Baltimore replied bullishly with a 12-play, 52-yard drive lasting over seven minutes and ending in a nine-yard strike to Andrews to reestablish control in the third quarter, and built on their lead with a 39-yard Tucker field goal in the wake of the Chargers' failure to convert on fourth-and-one from their own 19.
Freeman became the third different provider of a rushing touchdown for the Ravens when he ran it in from nine yards out to make it 34-6 and all-but wrap up the game on the first play of the fourth quarter.
There was still time for White to come up with a Chargers interception on a Jackson pass that bounced off the chest of rookie receiver Rashod Bateman, but as they had done all the night the Ravens defense proved an immoveable object.
The Ravens host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week Seven, while the Chargers will have a chance to recharge during their bye week before welcoming the New England Patriots to SoFi Stadium.
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