OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In the words of quarterback Lamar Jackson after Sunday night’s game, it’s time to "take a breath, step away and regroup" for the Ravens. They hit a much-needed bye week with rest on their minds.
They are in great shape in terms of the standings, atop the AFC with a 9-3 record. Sunday's 20-10 victory over the Chargers in Los Angeles was headlined by a pair of Zay Flowers touchdowns and arguably the best performance of the season by the Baltimore defense.
The NFL’s second-ranked defensive unit dominated L.A. by causing four turnovers and coming up with big plays when the Ravens needed them the most.
Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s unit showcased its ability to be opportunistic in the most critical of moments, like when Jadeveon Clowney ripped the ball away from quarterback Justin Herbert and recovered the fumble with the Chargers down 13-3 and threatening early in the fourth quarter.
This swarming, violent side of the ball is a major reason why the Ravens are looking down upon the rest of the conference after 12 weeks.
"[The Chargers are] a heck of an offense. They challenge you in a lot of different ways. You take away the one quarterback scramble, probably, and they didn’t have much," said head coach John Harbaugh. "The one long drive they had also and then Jadeveon Clowney coming up with that play. I failed to mention that last night. That might have been the play of the game."
"Takeaways is of paramount importance throughout the entire season. But to actually come to fruition against that offense, who hasn’t really turned the ball over, over the course of the year, was great to see," added Macdonald. "Seeing us attacking the football, handling the situations, I thought really the thing that goes unnoticed is the poise that the guys had throughout the game, given the situation, I was proud of."
For their efforts players were given a full week off. They are due back next Monday.
One guy who won’t be back at all this season is David Ojabo. Harbaugh said the second-year outside linebacker had surgery last week to repair a partially torn ACL.
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