Justin Tucker misses three kicks as Baltimore Ravens fall to Philadelphia Eagles, 24-19
BALTIMORE -- Kicker Justin Tucker missed three kicks in the Baltimore Ravens' 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Tucker's nightmarish season continued for Baltimore. The star kicker missed two field goals and an extra point as the Ravens (8-5) fell 1 1/2 games behind first-place Pittsburgh in the AFC North. He has missed a career-high eight field goals (19-for-27) this season.
"We're just going to rally around him," Baltimore safety Ar'Darius Washington said. "We know he's a great kicker. He's probably the greatest of all time. Whatever he's going through, we're going to be there for him. He's our guy."
Saquon Barkley scored on a 25-yard run with 7:56 remaining, and Philadelphia's stingy defense kept Lamar Jackson mostly under control, as the Eagles won their eighth win in a row.
The NFC East-leading Eagles (10-2) rallied from an early 9-0 deficit with two second-quarter touchdowns, and although Tucker did make a 50-yard kick shortly before halftime, the Ravens didn't manage a point after that until the final seconds of the game.
The much-anticipated rushing matchup between Saquon Barkley of the Eagles and Derrick Henry of the Ravens didn't quite live up to expectations. A good fourth quarter pushed Barkley up to 107 yards rushing. Henry produced 82 yards along with three catches for 29 yards.
"It ain't basketball. It ain't like I go out there and tackle Derrick Henry," Barkley said. "To be honest, I don't know if I really want to tackle Derrick Henry."
Down 14-12, the Ravens had the ball for most of the third quarter but couldn't score because Tucker — an all-time great at his position who has slipped badly this year — missed kicks of 47 and 53 yards.
Barkley's touchdown finally put Philadelphia ahead 21-12. After a field goal pushed the lead to 12, Jackson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with 3 seconds left.
Jackson fell to 23-2 against the NFC as a starter. He threw for 237 yards and ran for 79.
This matchup pitted Baltimore's top-ranked offense against Philadelphia's No. 1-ranked defense. The Ravens had the upper hand early, thanks in part to six Eagles penalties in the first quarter. Jackson threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Mark Andrews to make it 9-0.
The second quarter was all Eagles, however. Jalen Hurts threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert, then scored on a 1-yard sneak in which he appeared to mishandle the snap before securing the ball and getting it across the goal line.
Injuries
The Eagles were without WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring). Philadelphia S Reed Blankenship left the game because of a concussion. Eagles WR Britain Covey left with a neck injury, and Goedert exited with a knee issue. ... Ravens S Kyle Hamilton went into the concussion protocol in the first quarter but was able to return. Baltimore lost WR Rashod Bateman to a knee injury and S Sanoussi Kane to a hamstring problem.
Up next
Eagles: Host Carolina next Sunday.
Ravens: After a bye, visit the New York Giants on Dec. 15.
