The Baltimore Ravens running game got the best of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, where the home team won 37-3 and extended its win streak to four games. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Ravens (7-2) rushed for 298 yards, with two Gus Edwards touchdowns in the first half, against the NFL’s eighth-ranked run defense. Undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell put up a 40-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, his first in the NFL.
- Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson rushed for 60 yards on the day and went 21-of-26 passing for 187 yards and zero touchdowns through the air. Tyler Huntley took over for Jackson in the fourth quarter, connecting with Odell Beckham Jr. for a touchdown.
- Seahawks QB Geno Smith went 13-of-28 passing for 157 yards with one interception and a fumble. He was sacked four times.
The Ravens found the right offensive recipe
There was so much attention on the Ravens passing game heading into the season with the hiring of offensive coordinator Todd Monken and the acquisition of receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor. The Ravens are an improved passing team and balance remains important, but they are still at their best when they establish their ground game. The Ravens punted on their first two drives, but once they got their ground game going, Seattle was completely overmatched. Baltimore had 298 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns. They ran over the Seahawks. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer
Defensively, the Ravens just have so many ways to match up
Seattle had just six first downs. They also had only 152 yards of offense and 82 of them came on two receptions. The Ravens harassed Geno Smith all day. They got steady pressure on Smith and were all over Seahawks receivers. There’s been a ton of talk about the Cleveland Browns defense and rightly so. Quietly, though, the Ravens have made a strong case that they have the best defense in the NFL. After demolishing two division leaders in Detroit and Seattle and holding them to nine total points, the evidence is mounting. — Zrebiec
Smith has worst performance since joining Seattle
This was Smith’s worst game as Seahawk by expected points added per dropback (-0.50). His previous low came against the Giants in Week 4. Smith turned the ball over twice and has now committed multiple turnovers in four consecutive games. This was the second time this year he’s gone without throwing a touchdown pass (Week 6 against Cincinnati was the other occasion). Smith is usually an accurate passer, but this loss marked this lowest completion percentage as a Seahawk as well (46.4 percent). Baltimore’s defense is arguably the best in the league but no one expected Smith to play this poorly. — Michael-Shawn Dugar, Seahawks beat writer
Seahawks defense couldn’t stop anything
Prior to this game, Seattle hadn’t given up 30 points since Week 2 (31 against the Lions). They hadn’t given up a touchdown in the second half since Week 3. And they hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher all year. What looked like a dominant unit for much of the season prior to this game completely unraveled against Jackson and the Ravens. Even the backup quarterback, Tyler Huntley, was able to lead a 78-yard scoring drive against Seattle’s defense. It was that type of day for the home team. Everything worked. — Dugar
Highlight of the game
FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN FOR @_KeatonMitchell ❗
Tune in on CBS! pic.twitter.com/G20hxbg8Fc
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 5, 2023
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(Photo: Jessica Rapfogel / USA Today)
