‘MNF’ takeaways: Aggressive John Harbaugh pays off for Ravens

Brothers Jim and John Harbaugh met for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII on “Monday Night Football.”

John Harbaugh’s Ravens won, 30-23, improving his record to 3-0 against his younger brother.

Here are our five takeaways from Monday night’s brotherly affair.

Aggressive John Harbaugh pays off

Several Ravens gambles turned into winners for John Harbaugh. Baltimore went 3-for-3 on fourth downs on drives to take and extend the lead.

John Harbaugh’s first dice roll was the boldest, with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-one from their 16-yard line down three, 10-7, at the two-minute warning in the second quarter. Baltimore scored a touchdown for a 14-10 lead five plays later.

After the two teams exchanged field goals on the first two drives of the third quarter, the Ravens converted two fourth-downs on a 14-play, 70-yard drive to take a 23-16 lead.

The aggressive approach was arguably the difference of the game, and Baltimore must continue pushing the envelope if they want to end Kansas City’s reign atop the AFC.

Ravens offense is a juggernaut

Per the ESPN broadcast, Baltimore’s current 7.01 yards per play average would be the highest in NFL history.

With Jackson at an MVP level, running back Derrick Henry playing arguably the best football of his career and talented pass-catchers Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers, the Ravens are close to unstoppable.

On Monday night, they rushed for 214 yards against a Chargers defense that averaged 110.5 rushing yards allowed per game entering Week 12.

Ravens defensive letdown

While Baltimore did plenty of things right, the defense had a concerning lapse late in the second quarter.

Following a 40-yard Jackson touchdown pass to Bateman with 24 seconds left, the Ravens allowed the Chargers to drive 36 yards from their 30-yard line to set up a successful field goal as the half expired.

Through its first 11 games, Baltimore ranked 23rd in scoring defense (24.6 points allowed per game) and 25th in total defense (362 yards allowed per game).

The Ravens defense has been a season-long issue. While its inability to prevent the Chargers from marching into scoring range didn’t affect the game’s outcome, it’s a potentially concerning sign for a team that likely must get past high-powered Bills and Chiefs offenses to win the conference. 

Chargers need J.K. Dobbins healthy

The fifth-year running back has been one of the better stories this season. After playing in only nine games from 2021-23, Dobbins entered Monday night with 152 carries, 726 yards (4.8 yards per attempt) and eight touchdowns for the Chargers.

He had six carries for 40 yards against the Ravens before leaving the game at halftime with a knee injury.

Los Angeles couldn’t overcome his absence.

Before quarterback Justin Herbert’s 12-yard scramble with under two minutes remaining in the game, the Chargers had minus-six rushing yards in the second half. 

Los Angeles, already with one of the league’s worst skill-position groups, can’t afford to be without its best backfield playmaker for long.

MVP race is going to be fun

SoFi Stadium was the epicenter of the MVP race in Week 12. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley legitimized his candidacy with 26 carries, 255 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams on Sunday night.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson didn’t have as gaudy of numbers against the Chargers, but his command of the game shows why he’s in consideration.

Jackson, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back MVP winner since Aaron Rodgers (2020-21), was 16-of-22 for 177 yards and three total touchdowns.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the current MVP favorite, but both Jackson and Barkley are making things interesting. It will only get more compelling when the Ravens host the Eagles on Sunday.