Tucker's Overtime Kick Gives Ravens 34-31 Win Over Vikings
BALTIMORE (AP) — Justin Tucker kicked a 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in overtime to give the Baltimore Ravens a 34-31 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The AFC North-leading Ravens (6-2) rallied from a 14-point third-quarter deficit and survived an acrobatic interception by Minnesota's Anthony Barr on the first possession of overtime. Barr tipped Lamar Jackson's pass and caught it out of the air, giving the Vikings the ball at their own 38, but Minnesota went three-and-out, and Baltimore drove into Tucker's range again.
This was a much easier kick than Tucker's previous game-winning effort — a record-setting 66-yarder to beat Detroit earlier this season.
It was the third overtime game of the season for each team. They both had split their first two.
It was another agonizing loss for the Vikings (3-5), who have not dropped a game all season by more than seven points.
The Ravens took a 31-24 lead on Le'Veon Bell's 1-yard run with 3:29 remaining in regulation. The Vikings tied it on a 1-yard scoring pass from Kirk Cousins to Adam Thielen with 1:03 to play.
Cousins had thrown a 12-yard pass to Justin Jefferson on fourth-and-9 from the Baltimore 16 to keep that drive going.
Jackson threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. He also ran for 120 yards on 21 carries. It was his 10th career 100-yard rushing game, tying Michael Vick's regular-season record for quarterbacks.
Baltimore trailed 24-10 after Minnesota's Kene Nwangwu ran the second-half kickoff back 98 yards for a touchdown, but the Ravens rallied thanks to three big fourth-down conversions.
Devonta Freeman ran for the necessary yardage on fourth-and-2 from the Baltimore 36, and then Jackson threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Ricard on fourth-and-goal to make it 24-17.
On the Ravens' next possession, Jackson converted a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 from his own 27. Baltimore later made a first down on third-and-15 when Marquise Brown gained 18 yards on a catch-and-run.
Jackson eventually threw a 5-yard TD pass to Devin Duvernay, a difficult catch that tied the game and capped an 18-play, 82-yard drive that took 10:17.
Penalties played a significant role in the first half. Minnesota's D.J. Wonnum was called for a horse-collar tackle — a replay appeared to show he grabbed Jackson's jersey in the middle of the back, not the collar — and that kept a Baltimore drive going when the Vikings thought they had come up with a stop on fourth down. The Ravens eventually kicked a field goal.
Justin Jefferson ran right past defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Chuck Clark before hauling in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Cousins. On Minnesota's next drive, Dalvin Cook's 66-yard run helped set up a 1-yard TD run by Cousins that made it 14-3. The Ravens appeared to have stopped the Vikings on fourth-and-goal from the 2, but a pass interference call on Chris Board gave Minnesota a new set of downs.
Down 17-3 late in the half, Jackson threw a deep pass for rookie Rashod Bateman. Xavier Woods arrived a bit early, and that pass interference flag gave Baltimore a 42-yard gain to the Minnesota 5. Jackson flipped a touchdown pass to Freeman on the next play.
INJURIES
Baltimore was without WR Sammy Watkins (thigh) and RB Latavius Murray (ankle). Ravens DT Justin Madubuike and S DeShon Elliott were shaken up late in the fourth quarter. ... Minnesota was missing DT Michael Pierce (elbow), and CB Bashaud Breeland went down in the second quarter with a groin injury.
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