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          NFL Nation

          Banged-up and limping, Ravens now fighting for their playoff lives

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterNov 16, 2020, 04:34 AM
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          The Baltimore Ravens left New England wincing, and it goes beyond Sunday night's 23-17 loss to the Patriots amid a downpour.

          Injuries continue to hit the Ravens, who watched tight end Nick Boyle get carted off the field with a knee injury and nose tackle Brandon Williams get ruled out with an ankle injury. This comes after defensive end Calais Campbell (calf), inside linebacker L.J. Fort (finger) and cornerback Jimmy Smith (ankle) were inactive.

          The Ravens (6-3) have gone from a preseason Super Bowl favorite to holding the No. 7 and final playoff spot in the AFC.

          “We just have to overcome them,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the injuries. "I don’t think it does anybody any good to sit there and say, ‘Well, it’s this degree of a problem.’ Teams have them; Guys are going to have to step up, and they’re going to step up. They’re going to step up and play well, and we’re going to be in good shape. I’m not worried about guys stepping up and playing well."

          Without Williams and Campbell up front, the Ravens got run over by the Patriots. Baltimore allowed 121 yards to New England running back Damien Harris, the most since the Titans’ Derrick Henry totaled 195 yards rushing in last season’s upset loss in the playoffs.

          Playoff run? The Ravens (6-3) are limping to start the second half of the regular season and are fighting for their postseason lives.

          Baltimore’s hopes of a third straight AFC North title have faded. The Ravens are three games back of the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0) with seven games remaining.

          Baltimore is now one of nine teams with at least six wins this season. This is the first instance in which one conference has at least nine teams with six wins through Week 10 since the creation of the AFC and NFC in 1970.

          "Our record is what our record is,” linebacker Matthew Judon said. "If we want to change it, we got to change it in the locker room and it starts on the plane, watching this film and being critical of ourselves and being real with ourselves. When we get that fix, you all have seen how dominant we are. When it’s all said and done and all the games are played, that’s when our record really matters."

          Describe the game in two words. Streak over. The NFL's longest current road win streak came to an end. Baltimore had won 10 straight away from home before Sunday night's loss. It was the Ravens' first loss on the road since Week 3 of last season.

          Troubling trend: Quarterback Lamar Jackson fell to 0-6 (including playoffs) when trailing by 10 or more points at any point in a game. Last Sunday, Jackson notched his first NFL win when behind at halftime. But he couldn’t deliver the bigger comeback in New England.

          QB Breakdown: Jackson threw two touchdown passes to Willie Snead IV and led Baltimore in rushing (55 yards). But his biggest mistake was his first interception in six prime-time games. Late in the first half, Jackson forced a pass deep down the right sideline to Marquise "Hollywood" Brownand was picked off, ending a chance of a long field goal (which could have tied the game at 13).

          Pivotal play: Bad snap in fourth quarter. Trailing by six points (23-17), the Ravens were at their own 38-yard line with six minutes left when center Matt Skura slid a snap back that never got off the ground. Jackson jumped on the loose ball for a 16-yard loss. This is the second straight game in which Skura’s poor snaps have been an issue. A week ago, the Ravens said Skura had trouble snapping because of a cut on his thumb. This time, his bad snap gashed Baltimore’s chances to come back.

          Eye-popping NextGen Stat: Ravens rookie middle linebacker Patrick Queen couldn’t locate the trick pass in enough time to make a play on the ball in the end zone, which resulted in Rex Burkhead catching a 24-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Jakobi Meyers in the second quarter. The completion probability was 34%, according to Next Gen Stats. That’s the second-most improbable completion by a non-quarterback in 2020.

          Up next: Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans. It’s a rematch of last season’s divisional playoff upset, when the Ravens became the first No. 1 seed to fall to a No. 6 seed since 2010. Baltimore needs to solidify its run defense before facing Derrick Henry again.