Lamar Jackson delivered two touchdown passes and ran for a score, while Derrick Henry rushed for 140 yards, as Baltimore coach John Harbaugh secured his 3-0 record against his brother with a 30-23 victory over Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night. This marked the first Harbaugh brothers' clash since Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013, where John’s Ravens defeated Jim’s San Francisco 49ers. Jim Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL this year after a nine-season stint at Michigan where he won a national title, shared a brief hug and handshake with his brother at midfield post-game.
Justice Hill’s 51-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Ravens (8-4), who have now won three out of their last four games. However, Jackson acknowledged that there is still room for improvement. “We finished the game correctly, but we started off slow, and we need to address that,” he noted.
The Chargers began strongly with Justin Herbert completing 21 of 36 passes for 218 yards, including a five-yard touchdown run on their opening drive. But they went 54 minutes without another touchdown. Gus Edwards narrowed the gap to 30-23 with 45 seconds left, but Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely recovered the subsequent onside kick. Cameron Dicker’s three field goals were not enough to prevent the Chargers (7-4) from seeing their four-game winning streak come to an end.
The Chargers had to lean heavily on Herbert and their passing game after running back JK Dobbins sustained a knee injury in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Ravens amassed 212 yards rushing and outgained the Chargers 389 yards to 285. Henry, despite not scoring a touchdown for the first time this season, had a solid night with 24 carries.
The Ravens trailed 10-0 early in the second quarter but scored on five consecutive drives to seize control. They also successfully converted three fourth-downs, including a crucial two-yard gain by Mark Andrews on a direct snap late in the second quarter, which proved to be a pivotal moment in the game. “I believed we could get it, and I thought Mark could secure it with a quarterback sneak… that was a significant turning point,” said John Harbaugh about his decision to go for it on fourth down in their own territory.
Jackson, who leads the league in total yards, completed 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards and added 17 rushing yards, including a 10-yard run early in the second quarter to narrow the gap to 10-7. Following Andrews’ fourth-down conversion, Jackson connected with Rashod Bateman for a 40-yard touchdown, giving the Ravens a 14-10 lead.
Baltimore extended their lead to 23-16 when Andrews caught a six-yard pass in the end zone, although their two-point conversion attempt failed. Hill’s run midway through the fourth quarter put the Ravens up by two scores, marking the third touchdown run of at least 51 yards at SoFi Stadium in a 24-hour span.
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