The Baltimore Ravens had to win ugly against the Denver Broncos in Week 13, but they got the job done.
One wouldn’t think a game with such sluggish offense on both sides would be historically significant, and in many ways, this was more of a battle between each team’s defense and special teams.
Still, a Tyler Huntley-led Ravens side managed to gut out the win and make an eccentric bit of history as well.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando noted that the Ravens-Broncos game produced some crazy oddities in the NFL:
"“Before Sunday, NFL teams were 0-206 since 1995 when committing two turnovers, forcing none and failing to exceed 10 points, according to Pro Football Reference. The Ravens made it 1-206 by beating the Broncos in this game. In the entire history of the league, which dates to 1920, teams were 8-325-1 (.025) in those games before Baltimore added to the win column Sunday.”"
Baltimore recorded two interceptions on Sunday, one of which was a horrendous throw by Tyler Huntley and another which was a poorly drawn-up play involving James Proche and Kenyan Drake.
Ravens show grit and resilience in Week 13 victory against Denver
The Ravens’ defense failed to force a turnover, though they limited Russell Wilson and the Broncos’ limp offense to just three field goals.
With their 10-9 win in Week 13, the Ravens managed to crawl to victory under unlikely circumstances, especially considering the fact that Lamar Jackson got injured and left the game in the first quarter.
The Broncos, for their part, also wrote themselves into the franchise record books but not in a very positive light: Denver lost the game after leading for 98 percent of offensive and defensive snaps.
Denver has only lost one other time when leading for such a high percentage of plays — against the Minnesota Vikings in 2019.
Week 13’s result nonetheless leaves the Ravens with more questions than answers: Can the defense stay dominant against better teams? Has the offense completely stalled? And what will Week 14 (and the rest of the season) look like if Jackson has to sit out?
Even after the trials and tribulations of Week 13, the Ravens’ toughest challenges may still be ahead of them.