John Harbaugh improved to 3-0 over his younger brother in part because Baltimore was 3-for-3 on fourth-down conversions, all of which extended drives that resulted in touchdowns. This was the first time John and Jim faced off as opposing head coaches since Super Bowl XLVII 11 years ago.
Jackson totaled three touchdowns, rushing for a touchdown and throwing touchdown passes of 40 and 6 yards. In nine “Monday Night Football” games, Jackson has recorded 22 touchdown passes and no interceptions, the most consecutive touchdown passes without an interception in “Monday Night Football” history.
The Ravens (8-4) moved within a half-game of the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) for first place in the AFC North.
Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
Promising trend: Running back Derrick Henry continues to prove that Baltimore is successful when given the ball. The Ravens are now 9-1 when Henry gets 15 or more carries. Henry gained 140 yards on 24 carries to become the second player to record over 100 rushing yards against the Chargers. But this was the first time in 12 games that Henry didn’t reach the end zone. He fell just short of tying Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson, Jerry Rice and John Riggins for the third-longest streak of scoring a touchdown in a season in NFL history.
Surprising Statistic: The Ravens made a big gamble with 2 minutes left in the first half, when tight end Mark Andrews took a direct snap and drove in to convert a fourth-and-1 at the Baltimore 16-yard line. According to ESPN Research, no team had converted a fourth down so deep in its own territory in the first half since the 2012 Rams, who did it on a fake punt. Four plays later, Jackson went deep and connected with Rashod Bateman for a 40-yard touchdown, giving the Ravens their first lead at 14-10. The 2012 Rams made that conversion against Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers.
Describe the game in two words: Never panic. Trailing 10-0 early in the second quarter, Jackson led Baltimore to score on five straight drives, reaching the end zone four times. This was against a Chargers defense that ranked No. 1 in fewest points allowed (14.5) and had not allowed a team to score 30 points this season. The Ravens’ four wins after trailing by 10 this season tie the most by any team in a full season since 2000. – Jamison Hensley
Next match: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday)
Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
When the Chargers got off to a 7-3 start this season, their inexperienced receiving corps became an afterthought. Maligned first-round rookie receiver Quentin Johnston seemed to have found his footing, leading the team with six touchdowns. Rookie receiver Ladd McConkey emerged as Justin Herbert’s top target and one of the league’s best rookies. Wide receiver Joshua Palmer had been a consistent safety valve for Herbert, making big catches on key downs.
But on Monday night that changed. With the Chargers trailing by seven and at their 34-yard line, Herbert found a wide-open Johnston running down the field, but Johnston dropped the ball.
On the next drive, Ravens running back Justice Hill scored a 51-yard touchdown, which effectively ended the game. It was an ending that last season’s Chargers had become accustomed to, but that had been absent for the first 10 games of this season.
Worrying trend: The Chargers continue to struggle to score in the second half. They entered Monday night averaging 8.2 points in the second half, third-lowest in the NFL. Those struggles continued as the Ravens outscored them 16-3 in the second half, before a late score by running back Gus Edwards with 46 seconds left. “It’s just something we’re chasing,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said of the second-half issues.
Hole in the game plan: Stopping the race. The Chargers allowed 212 rushing yards, the most they have allowed in a game this season. It was the first time in Jim Harbaugh’s NFL head coaching career that his team gave up 200 rushing yards in a game.
Prediction for next week: Edwards has his first 100+ yard rushing game. Running back JK Dobbins has been the star of the Chargers backfield this season, but he left Monday’s game due to a left knee injury. If Dobbins misses time, that clears the way for Edwards to have the bulk of the Chargers’ carries against the Atlanta Falcons. – Kris Rhim
Next match: on Falcons (1 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday)