Ravens’ Defense A Question Mark After Late Leads Slip Away

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BALTIMORE, (AP) — Marlon Humphrey was beaten truthful severely connected the winning touchdown that helium slowed to a jog portion the walk was inactive successful the air.

It was that benignant of nighttime for Baltimore’s secondary.

The Ravens arrived successful Las Vegas determined to amusement that they could inactive play to their accustomed modular contempt a rash of preseason injuries.

Instead, Baltimore fell 33-27 to the Raiders successful overtime — and it was hard not to deliberation astir the missing players who could person helped.

Much of the attraction lately has been connected Baltimore’s backfield, which was ravaged by season-ending injuries to J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. But the secondary was hurting excessively with Marcus Peters (knee) gone for the twelvemonth and Jimmy Smith (ankle) retired for this game.

Derek Carr threw for 435 yards and 2 touchdowns for Las Vegas, and with the crippled connected the line, the Ravens could bash small to dilatory the Raiders. Las Vegas scored connected 4 of its last 5 possessions, and the 1 halt by Baltimore came connected a fluky interception that caromed to Anthony Averett successful the extremity portion successful overtime.

“I was very, precise blessed with the team’s effort. The toughness, the resiliency, warring back,” Ravens manager John Harbaugh said. “Even determination astatine the end, the illustration is the goal-line stand, those are the benignant of things that marque america who we are arsenic a team. We conscionable didn’t adjacent the crippled retired erstwhile we had the accidental to bash it, 3 oregon 4 times.”

That interception gave the Ravens caller life, but the discourtesy couldn’t instrumentality advantage, and erstwhile Lamar Jackson mislaid a fumble for the 2nd clip successful the game, Baltimore was connected the ropes again. Carr ended it with a 31-yard touchdown walk to Zay Jones.

“That ticked maine off. I hatred fumbles,” Jackson said. “I hatred immoderate benignant of turnover.”

The Ravens led 14-0 astatine 1 constituent and took a 27-24 pb connected Justin Tucker’s tract extremity with 37 seconds remaining — lone for the defence to let 2 speedy completions, which enactment Las Vegas successful presumption for a agelong tract extremity that forced overtime.

WHAT’S WORKING

Baltimore’s large precedence this offseason was shoring up the passing game, and recently acquired receiver Sammy Watkins had a bully nighttime with 4 catches for 96 yards. Jackson had a backmost standing of 118.8.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Raiders surely utilized choky extremity Darren Waller effectively, targeting him 19 times. He caught 10 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, but by the extremity of the game, the Ravens were having occupation covering anyone.

Baltimore allowed 327 yards of discourtesy aft halftime.

“We person a batch of combat and a batch of heart, but we person a batch of country for improvement,” antiaircraft extremity Calais Campbell said. “Where we’re astatine close now, I conscionable consciousness similar this was a pugnacious one.”

STOCK UP

Ty’Son Williams ran for 65 yards connected 9 carries successful his NFL debut and broke escaped for a 35-yard touchdown. He besides had 3 catches for 29 yards.

Despite each the injuries, the Ravens rushed for astatine slightest 100 yards for a 40th consecutive game. They are present 3 games shy of the grounds acceptable by the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s.

Baltimore did merchandise moving backmost Trenton Cannon connected Tuesday.

STOCK DOWN

It wasn’t a large nighttime for the violative line, which allowed 3 sacks — including the one that caused Jackson’s 2nd fumble.

“Sometimes you can’t spell done your reads, you got to marque thing happen,” Jackson said. “That’s what I tried doing connected that past one. I saw it breaking down, effort to propulsion a lineman, effort to get retired of the pouch and helium deed maine portion I’m doing it. So, I’ll effort and clasp onto the shot adjacent time.”

INJURIES

Offensive lineman Tyre Phillips was carted disconnected with a genu wounded and did not return. He was enactment connected injured reserve Tuesday.

KEY NUMBER

98 — Before Monday, the Ravens had won 98 consecutive games successful the regular play erstwhile starring by astatine slightest 14 points.

NEXT STEPS

The adjacent trial for the Ravens and their struggling secondary figures to beryllium adjacent harder. They big Kansas City connected Sunday night. Between present and then, Baltimore volition request to measure the seasoned moving backs the squad brought successful recently. Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman person been connected the signifier squad. Latavius Murray was progressive and had 10 carries for 28 yards and a touchdown Monday.

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