As a dozen or so players converged into a typical post-play mosh pit early in the Chiefs game against Baltimore on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, the play by all appearances was dead.
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Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith did an effective job managing the game.
Allen would then fumble the ball and Chiefs safety Tyvon Branch took it 73 yards for a touchdown to stretch their lead to 14-0 quickly in the first quarter.
The Chiefs (9-5) became the first team in National Football League history to bounce back from a five-game losing streak with eight straight wins in the same season. Kansas City also kept itself in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.
“I think, for one, it’s character”, Smith said.
Although the Chiefs were outgained in passing yards, total yards, and first downs on offense, they were able to produce 14 points off their three turnovers.
Adrian Peterson missed some time because of an injury to his left ankle, but he still finished with 63 yards on 18 attempts to maintain his National Football League rushing lead.
With the game tied at 7-7 with a little over three minutes left in the first quarter, Ravens halfback Javorius Allen took a handoff into a gang of Kansas City defenders.
Credit the opportunistic defence for that.
“They’ve kind of got that mojo”, Smith said of the defense after the Baltimore game, per David Ginsburg of the Associated Press, via ABCNews.com. On this winning streak, it has seemed like the defense salivates, so to speak. The 20-point loss is the second week in which Baltimore lost by double digits after the first 12 games were decided by eight points or less.
“It probably won’t carry over, but you play the best players”, coach John Harbaugh said.
Clausen hit Kamar Aiken on the last play of the first half from 48 yards out to bring the Ravens within 24-14.
But Clausen’s first interception was the final blow to the Ravens’ upset bid.
Now, that doesn’t look so great, for instance, when Peters overplays trying to strip a ball and whiffs on a tackle, as he’s been prone to do in an otherwise remarkable rookie season.
Clausen looked surprisngly good in the loss with 281 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on the day.
The three giveaways left Baltimore with a minus-15 differential for the season.
If you thought the Ravens play was bad, you should have seen the gold trousers they wore today. This season, he has come in for the Bears and Ravens for two games a piece and has lost all four of them. Those numbers won’t change much after this blowout.
In addition to the turnovers, the Ravens extended a Kansas City drive with a foolish penalty and came up short on a risky fake punt.
It was Branch’s second defensive touchdown of the season after a pick-six two weeks ago against the Oakland Raiders.
“My hat’s off to our guys”.
The steady hand of head coach Andy Reid has been a factor, of course. “They’ve done that really all year”.
INDIANAPOLIS – Brandon Weeden replaced injured quarterback T.J. Yates late in the first half and threw a go-ahead 8-yard TD pass to Jaelen Strong with 10:36 to play, giving Houston its first win in 14 tries at Indianapolis. He also gained 30 yards on five carries.
One touchdown catch couldn’t make up for New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s odious display against the Carolina Panthers.
“Anybody wants to criticize for going for it and being aggressive, have at it”, Harbaugh said.
At the end of the first half of a game against the Kansas City Chiefs that wasn’t exactly drawing enormous ratings outside of Chiefs fans hoping Kansas City keeps pace in the wild-card race, the Ravens trailed 24-7 near the end of the first half.
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That gave Baltimore enough time to pull off its biggest play of the day.
