BALTIMORE – The Rams (12-4) rallied to defeat the Ravens 20-19 in a thriller on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
A one-yard touchdown run by running back Sony Michel pulled the Rams within two early in the fourth quarter. The Ravens (8-8) responded on the ensuing series with a field-goal-scoring drive of their own to go up 19-14. While the drive by Baltimore erased 7 minutes and 34 seconds off the clock, the Rams still had four and a half minutes to mount a go-ahead scoring drive.
Keyed by 15-yard completions from quarterback Matthew Stafford to tight end Tyler Higbee and wide receiver Ben Skowronek, the Rams reached the Ravens 9-yard line at the two-minute warning. Faced with a 4th and 5 from the Ravens 12-yard line, Stafford hit Beckham for a 5-yard completion to give them the conversion, then found Beckham again for a 7-yard touchdown to put the them ahead 20-19 with 57 seconds left. The Rams went for 2 but were unable to convert.
On the ensuing drive, the Rams defense answered the call. Outside linebacker Von Miller notched his second sack of the game on 1st and 10 from the Ravens 38, resulting in an 8-yard loss, and the Ravens were unable to do anything from there, securing the Rams' fifth-straight win.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp set the Rams' franchise single-season record for receiving yards in the win, his 95 yards giving him 1,829 on the year and moving him past Isaac Bruce's 1,781 in 1995. With a touchdown catch in addition to his six receptions and 95 receiving yards, Kupp became just the second player in NFL history with 1,700 (or 1,800) receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in a single season, joining Jerry Rice (1995).
Stafford completed 26 of 35 pass attempts for 309 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, plus a lost fumble. Michel posted 19 carries for 74 yards in addition to his touchdown.
Here is the complete game recap:
The Ravens reached the Rams 40 on the opening series, but Donald's third-down tackle for loss forced them to punt, with the ensuing punt downed at the Rams 4-yard line. The Rams managed to put kicker Matt Gay in position for a 56-yard field goal attempt via three consecutive completions from Stafford to Higbee for a total of 44 yards, but Gay missed wide right for only his second miss this season.
The Rams forced the Ravens to punt near midfield again, but were once again backed up deep in their own territory. This time, Stafford threw an interception which was returned by safety Chuck Clark and returned 18 yards for a touchdown to put the Ravens up 7-0 with 1:58 left in the first quarter.
Stafford was intercepted a second time by Clark early in the second quarter, when Clark lept into the air and snatched a deep pass intended for Beckham at the Baltimore 4-yard line. Helped by a 15-yard scramble on 4th and 1 from the Los Angeles 23 to keep the change-of-possession drive alive, Baltimore capitalized on the turnover with a 22-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker to increase its lead to 10-0 with 3:44 left in the first half.
Safety Jordan Fuller's interception provided L.A. with a much-needed boost just before the half, helping set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to cut to reduce Baltimore's lead to three with 58 seconds left until halftime. However, the Ravens managed to add a 46-yard field goal 2 seconds before halftime for a 13-7 lead at the break.
Starting the second half with the ball, the Rams reached the Ravens 11, but the drive ended after Ravens outside linebacker Tyus Bowser stripped the ball loose from Stafford, with the Ravens recovering at their own 20. The Ravens converted that turnover into points via a 46-yard field goal by Tucker which extended their lead to 16-7 with 4:42 left in the third quarter.
A key defensive stop fueled by outside linebacker Leonard Floyd late in the third quarter led to a scoring drive that pulled the Rams within two, as Michel's one-yard touchdown run made it 16-14 Ravens early in the fourth quarter.
The Rams held the Ravens to a field goal on the ensuing 7-and-a-half minute drive by the Ravens, making it a five-point game with 4 minutes and 30 seconds left, leaving the Rams plenty of time for Stafford to find Beckham for what would be the game-winning touchdown.
Miller stepped up with the first-down sack on the ensuing Ravens offensive series to help clinch the win.
