The Baltimore Ravens defense dominated the Los Angeles Chargers so thoroughly in their 20-10 Week 12 road win they put quarterback Justin Herbert in a time machine back to his second career start in Week 3 of the 2020 season. On Sunday night, Los Angeles committed four turnovers -- an interception and a lost fumble by Herbert as well as lost fumbles by Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen and running back Austin Ekeler. That gave the Chargers their first four-turnover game since Herbert's second start, a 21-16 home loss against the Carolina Panthers. The Ravens, now 9-3 entering their Week 13 bye, sit atop the AFC standings.
The four turnovers occurred in a span of five drives spread across the second, third and fourth quarters. Los Angeles went lost fumble (by Allen), lost fumble (by Ekeler), interception, punt and lost fumble (by Herbert on a strip sack). However, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens only scored three points off the four turnovers.
The Chargers took an early lead by driving down the field on its opening drive of the night, but the possession stalled deep in Ravens territory after an obvious late hit out of bounds against Justin Herbert went uncalled, and tight end Gerald Everett was instead flagged for retaliating against a Baltimore defender. Following Cameron Dicker's field goal, the Chargers managed only 38 yards of offense on 14 plays the rest of the first half.
Baltimore piled up a decent amount of yardage in the first half and Lamar Jackson was relatively efficient throwing the ball (12 of 18 for 115 yards and a touchdown), but the Ravens also only managed to score once on their first three possessions. At the tail end of a strong drive, Jackson found rookie wideout Zay Flowers in the back of the end zone from 3 yards out to give the team its first lead of the night. The 2019 NFL MVP finished with 177 passing yards and one passing touchdown on 18 of 32 passing while also rushing for 39 yards on 11 carries.
Then, after a late second-quarter fumble by Allen, the Ravens got back on the board. The fumble set them up with great field position, and even though the drive didn't go very far, Justin Tucker was able to add to Baltimore's tally from 42 yards out. The Chargers had another chance to drive for a trying score, but Ekeler fumbled on a checkdown. Another field goal from Tucker, this one from 48, was the only score of the third quarter. That kick extended the Baltimore lead to 13-3, with 10:53 left in the third quarter.
Herbert kick-started the scoring in the final frame with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gerald Everett that capped a seven-play, 60-yard march to the end zone. All of a sudden, Los Angeles was within three with 8:32 left to play. Then, something else happened that the NFL world almost never sees: Tucker missed his first field goal inside of 50 yards in 2023, misfiring on a 44-yard attempt wide left with 2:57 left in the game. That miss opened the door for Herbert and the Chargers to, at a minimum, tie the game and force overtime.
After reaching as far as the Ravens' 46, the Chargers could go no further. A hard hit from Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen jarred a pass loose from Ekeler's arms to force an incompletion, and a blitz by cornerback Arthur Maulet on fourth-and-6 was enough for Maulet to pop Herbert as he released the football, causing it to bounce harmless to the SoFi Stadium turf. Herbert finished with 217 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception on 29 of 44 passing while leading the Chargers with 47 rushing yards on four carries.
Flowers provided the exclamation point in Baltimore's victory, taking a shotgun handoff 37 yards for a touchdown that put the Ravens up 20-10 with 1:36 to go. Flowers, who totaled 62 yards from scrimmage (25 receiving and a touchdown on five catches as well as the 37-yard rushing touchdown), accounted for both Ravens touchdowns on "Sunday Night Football."
Why the Ravens won
Any team that wins the turnover battle 4-0 is bound to emerge victorious. That's exactly what happened. Jackson played turnover-free football, and that's pretty much all Baltimore needed of him tonight. Flowers becoming the first Ravens rookie with a receiving and rushing touchdown in the same game was more than enough.
Why the Chargers lost
The Chargers did what they're most known for: coming up just short. Los Angeles had a chance to tie the game or take the lead after a rare missed field goal by Tucker gave them the football with just under three minutes left, but Herbert was unable to connect with his receivers when he needed to the most. That pretty much sums up the Chargers season.
Turning point
Maulet's blitz and hit of Herbert on fourth-and-6, just after the two-minute warning, all but iced the win. He also hauled in Herbert's only interception earlier in the fourth quarter, but this play officially swung the game in favor of the Ravens.
Play of the game
The most explosive score of the night was Flowers' 37-yard rushing touchdown that sealed Baltimore's victory. In a game that was mostly lacking in offense, Flowers shined brightly, accounting for both of the Ravens touchdowns.
What's Next
The AFC North-leading 9-3 Ravens will return home for their Week 13 bye. The 4-7 Chargers have a cross-country road trip in Week 13 as they head to New England to play the 2-9 Patriots.