For the first time in nearly a decade, the Baltimore Ravens are starting the season with back-to-back losses. And, thanks to a shocking upset from Gardner Minshew II and the Las Vegas Raiders, another huge chunk of survivor pool players have been eliminated.
The Raiders rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Ravens 26-23 at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Raiders scored 13 straight points to close out the game, which dropped the Ravens to 0-2 on the season. That’s something the team hasn’t seen since the 2015 campaign. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson hasn’t lost in consecutive starts in three years.
Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson drilled a 38-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds left in the game to push the Raiders to the win.
More than 29% of Yahoo Sports users selected the Ravens in their survivor pool this week, which was one of just two teams that received double-digit interest. The Los Angeles Chargers were a close second with just more than 27% of users picking them. They cruised to a 26-3 win over the Carolina Panthers.
This is the second straight week that the Survivor Pool favorite lost. The Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to the New England Patriots last week eliminated about 43% of users in a massive Week 1 upset.
The Raiders’ Shocking Fourth Quarter Comeback
The Raiders and Ravens alternated field goals in what was a very slow first half on Sunday. It wasn’t until an 8-yard toss from Jackson to Zay Flowers to start the second half that someone found the end zone. Though that put the Ravens up by 10, the Raiders responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from Alexander Mattison later in the quarter.
The Ravens opened the fourth quarter with a nine-play, 76-yard drive that Derrick Henry capped with a 3-yard touchdown run. That appeared to put the Ravens in full control and on the cusp of grabbing the win after their season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. But that’s when the Raiders finally turned it on and dropped 13 straight points, thanks to a pair of field goals from Carlson and a 1-yard touchdown pass from Minshew to Davante Adams, a score that tied the game up ahead of the two-minute warning.
Game’s Turning Point
The Raiders’ decisive run was sparked by a questionable pass interference call against Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens. The call came on 3rd-and-goal from the 17-yard line. Minshew had targeted Adams in the end zone, and Stephens batted it away. However, the officials ruled that Stephens interfered with Adams, a controversial call. The Raiders scored on the next play to tie the game at 23.
The Raiders’ Offense Came Alive
Jackson went 21-of-34 for 247 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Henry had 84 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 18 carries. Flowers finished with 91 yards and a touchdown on seven catches.
Minshew went 30-of-38 for 276 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the win for the Raiders, who entered Sunday's contest having lost seven of their last eight road games. Zamir White had 24 rushing yards on nine carries, and Adams had 110 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine catches. Brock Bowers was right behind him with 98 yards on nine catches. The Raiders are 1-1 after they fell to the Los Angeles Chargers last week.
What’s Next for the Ravens?
The Ravens will head to Dallas next weekend to take on the Cowboys, who found themselves on the wrong side of a 44-19 blowout on Sunday. If the Ravens can't get the win there, they'll fall to 0-3 to start the season for the second time in franchise history.
