Sunday, December 13, 2015

NFL: Seattle 35 Baltimore 6

Seattle's Russell Wilson threw 5 TD passes (and 292 yards)

From our friends at the Baltimore Ravens...

The Ravens’ NFL-record streak of 12 one-score games is over as the Seattle Seahawks came into M&T Bank Stadium and blew out short-handed Baltimore, 35-6.

Baltimore’s injuries, paired with a very talented and hot Seahawks team, were just too much to keep the game close. The Ravens have now lost two straight games and have fallen to 4-9.

Jimmy Clausen (#2) completed 23 of 40 passes for 274 yards

The Ravens are down to their third-string quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, who signed with Baltimore just three weeks ago. Clausen played reasonably well, particularly in the first half, and threw for a career-high 274 yards.

Rookie Buck Allen (#37) rushed for 14 yards on 8 carries 

The Ravens trailed 14-6 at the end of the first half, and had the stadium rocking at times. That was until Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson took over in the second half. Wilson threw a whopping five touchdowns and had a near flawless game, completing 23 of 32 passes for 292 yards. He wasn’t sacked all day and didn’t have any turnovers.

O.A.R. performed at halftime

The Ravens defense was on the field for nearly the entire second half, but still gave up too many wide-open touchdowns. Without much pressure getting to Wilson, the Ravens had trouble staying close. Seahawks rookie receiver Tyler Lockett caught six passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.


Baltimore’s offense fell flat in the second half, helping allow the Seahawks to turn what was an eight-point game into a rout. The Ravens offense was shut out in the final two quarters and had 30 yards and an interception on their first three drives.

The unit was operating without eight starters. In addition to Clausen, the Ravens had two backups on the offensive line, two backup tight ends, their backup running back and only one wide receiver (Kamar Aiken) who began the year with the team.

Turning Point of the Game:
The Ravens were trailing by just eight points at halftime, but the Seahawks got the ball first in the second half. They came out with an assertive 11-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 22-yard pass to wide receiver Doug Baldwin, breaking the game open at 21-6.

Impact Plays:
• On its first drive, Seattle went on a methodical 11-play, 80-yard drive. The Seahawks faced just one third down on the drive, in which they scored on a 8-yard touchdown pass to Lockett, who was wide open in the end zone. Wilson had 4.9 seconds to find him.

• Clausen had a nice first quarter, finishing 4-of-7 for 69 yards - topping his game total from Week 3 when he also faced the Seahawks as a member of the Bears. His third drive opened with a 23-yard pass to wide receiver Jeremy Butler, setting up a 28-yard field goal to cut the Seahawks’ lead to 7-3.

• The Seahawks came charging back down the field, but running back DuJuan Harris, who replaced injured Thomas Rawls, was stripped by outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw and outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil recovered at the 7-yard line. Just one play before, tight end Luke Wilson dropped a wide-open touchdown pass. It was a seven-point swing.

• The Ravens had the ball in the final minute of the first half, trailing by just four points, but shot themselves in the foot. Rookie running back Javorius Allen committed his first career fumble when he was hit in the backfield and the Seahawks recovered at the 14-yard line. The Seahawks put it in the end zone two plays later on a 14-yard pass to Baldwin, opening their lead to 14-3.

• Wide receiver Kamar Aiken continued his standout play since Steve Smith Sr. went on injured reserve. He hauled in back-to-back catches of 37 and 21 yards, putting the Ravens in field-goal position for a 30-yard chip shot from Tucker, making the halftime score, 14-6.

• Seattle dominated possession in the third quarter. They capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive with a 49-yard touchdown to Lockett to go up, 28-6. Lockett got open deep down the right sideline.

• After protecting the football well in the first half, Clausen was picked off on a quick pass to the flats by Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman. Clausen and wide receiver Chris Matthews didn’t seem to be on the same page. Four plays later, Wilson found Baldwin for a 16-yard touchdown to take a 35-6 lead.

Standout Performer:
WR Kamar Aiken
Aiken was the Ravens’ only active wide receiver on Sunday who began the year with the team. He had five catches for 90 yards.

On the Horizon:
The Ravens will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday, who have won six-straight games.

Written by Ryan Mink, BaltimoreRavens.com staff writer

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