December 28, 2024

Ravens hold off Eagles 20-19 for 24th consecutive preseason victory

Eli Ricks #EliRicks

Justin Tucker kicked a 60-yard field goal to end the first half, Tyler Huntley threw a touchdown pass early in the third quarter and the Baltimore Ravens extended their record streak of preseason victories to 24 with a 20-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night.

The Ravens led 20-13 when Anthony Brown’s pass was intercepted by Eli Ricks and returned 31 yards for a touchdown with 7:03 to play. The Eagles went for 2 and didn’t convert.

After forcing a quick Baltimore punt, Philadelphia faced fourth-and-4 at its 44. Ian Book’s pass was too high and the ball went over to the Ravens with 2:19 remaining.

Huntley ran 16 yards on third-and-11, and Baltimore was able to close the game out from there.

Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts both sat out this game, and Baltimore’s streak looked as if it was in jeopardy during a sluggish first half in which the Ravens had the ball for just 8:03. Tucker, however, was in midseason form when his kick from midfield sailed through to cut Philadelphia’s lead to 13-10 after two quarters.

Huntley, Jackson’s top backup in recent years, made his first appearance at the start of the second half and immediately guided the Ravens on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard TD pass to Tylan Wallace.

Marcus Mariota started at quarterback for the Eagles and went 7 of 11 for 58 yards.

Josh Johnson started for Baltimore and threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Devin Duvernay in the second quarter, but the Ravens went three-and-out on their other three first-half possessions before finally driving close enough for Tucker’s long field goal.

Tucker set the NFL record with a 66-yard field goal to win a game at Detroit in September 2021.

Rookie receiver Zay Flowers received some early playing time for the Ravens. The first-round draft pick out of Boston College committed a false start on his first offensive play and then caught a sideways pass from Johnson that officially ended up as a 1-yard rushing play.

Philadelphia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, taken ninth overall in this year’s draft, landed an early hit on Johnson on an incomplete pass.

Trey Sermon put the Eagles up 13-7 in the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run.

After falling behind in the third, Philadelphia wasted a chance to answer after recovering a fumbled punt return at the Baltimore 14. The Eagles turned the ball over on downs.

The previous time the Ravens lost a preseason game was Sept. 3, 2015, 20-19 at Atlanta. On that day, it was Baltimore that went for 2 late in the game and failed.

INJURIES

Eagles: Linebacker Shaun Bradley was carted off in the third quarter after he appeared to injure his lower right leg during a punt.

UP NEXT

Eagles: Host Cleveland on Thursday night.

Ravens: At Washington on Aug. 21.

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