The Baltimore Ravens suffered a surprising defeat in Week 12 when they went on the road to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. What was most shocking was the fact that they led by more than one score in the fourth quarter but they were unable to keep down a young Jaguars team that has been on the cusp of success all season.
Baltimore ended up losing the game 28-27 as Doug Pederson elected to go for two with 14 seconds remaining in the game instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game. It is the kind of move that can galvanize a team and put them on the right track for the remainder of the season.
For the Ravens, however, it is another concerning loss in a season that has been full of them. They took a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter and were unable to hold onto it as their defense crumbled once again.
That has become a troubling trend for Baltimore this season. According to NFL on CBS, this is the fourth loss that the Ravens have suffered this season when leading the game by more than one possession. They are only the fourth team in NFL history to accomplish that feat in the first 11 games of the season. Baltimore is also the only team to have even a single loss.
The other three teams, the Chicago Bears in 1942, New Orleans Saints in 2009 and Green Bay Packers in 2011 all went 11-0 during their stretch. The Ravens, on the other hand, are only 7-4.
That is certainly concerning because it shows that the Ravens struggle to close out games despite opening up sizable leads. Having those losses occur against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills is something that can be excused given the explosiveness of their offense and the caliber of the teams. Doing it against the anemic offense of the New York Giants and Jaguars, who have had their own issues falling short in games, is another story.
The Ravensâ defense has had some shortcomings throughout the season and they will look to shore things up during their final six games of the season. They are now going to be in a dogfight to win the AFC North as they are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals, who are also 7-4.
Their matchup in Week 18 could very well be for the divisional title as it is hard to imagine either team opening up too big of a divisional lead over the other.
